Chapter 83 83 In the end, the good man didn’t get rewarded, and even lost his life there…
Guan Xia was a little surprised. She subconsciously lowered her head and carefully looked at the dozen or so photos in front of her. She picked up the sketch beside her and compared it with the appearance of the deceased after the system video was paused after careful recollection. The drawing was completely realistic, and it was at her normal level. How could she not confirm the identity information?
Guan Xia's series of actions made the experienced detectives present understand everything. Xu Nian asked, understandingly, "There's no deceased person in these dozen photos?"
Guan Xia pursed her lips and nodded, somewhat confused.
Pang Le was also a little surprised. "Can't confirm the identity of the deceased? How could that be? Weren't the previous cases matched through the sketches drawn by Guan Xia? Facial recognition technology is very advanced nowadays. Could it be that the appearance of the deceased in the database doesn't match the actual appearance? Did the deceased have plastic surgery?"
Pang Le approached Guan Xia in disbelief and looked at the sketch. "It's unlikely that she would have plastic surgery at such an old age..."
Guan Xia also felt that it was impossible. She replayed the short video of more than ten seconds in her mind. Judging from the skin condition, the deceased was at least 60 years old. The wrinkles on his face showed that he was often exposed to the sun, and his face was dark and red. There were raised and somewhat hideous blue veins on his hands, which were obviously caused by doing physical work. Not to mention that the texture of the clothes was very ordinary and even cheap. From these alone, it can be seen that the deceased's financial situation was only enough to make ends meet, and it was impossible for him to have extra money for plastic surgery.
Excluding this possibility, the only possibility is that the household registration information of the deceased in the database has not been updated for a long time, or that the deceased experienced a major change in a short period of time, resulting in a change in appearance. Could it be that he was injured?
Guan Xia looked down at the sketch again, but couldn't find any scars.
Compared to Guan Xia and Pang Le, the others were much more accustomed to it. Wang Yu said, "After all, this case happened 11 years ago. The technology wasn't as advanced as it is today, and the database wasn't updated as quickly. It's not surprising that we can't find an identity match. Fortunately, the suspect's identity has been confirmed. With this important clue, we have many directions to investigate."
After hearing this, even though Guan Xia and Pang Le were still a little confused, they quickly put them out of their minds.
"Then when do we set off for Quming City?" Guan Xia asked.
Xu Nian said, "The report for the case will be filed the day after tomorrow morning. We should hurry up and learn more about the case before we leave so we can start working on it as soon as we get there."
After agreeing on the departure time, Guan Xia and Pang Le left the Pingjiang District Branch.
On the way to send Guan Xia home, Pang Le couldn't help but say, "Following you to investigate cases, each one is more exciting than the last. In the last case, the suspect was on the run and the victim's life or death was unknown. This one is a long-standing case, not to mention that the suspect is a minor. The most important thing is that the identity of the deceased cannot be confirmed. I don't know how long it will take us to investigate this time. I hope it will be like the last case. Although it has some ups and downs, it will end quickly."
Guan Xia also sincerely hoped that it would be several days since the halo was last recharged. The longer it took, the more insecure she would feel.
"But speaking of it, when we go to Quming City this time, do you want to go back to the orphanage after the case is over?" Pang Le suddenly asked while waiting for a traffic light.
Guan Xia was stunned for a moment, thought for a moment and said, "I should go back and take a look. The last time I went back was when the comics were just finished. I haven't been back in the past two years except to send money. I don't know how the orphanage is doing now."
Perhaps it was because of the topic raised by Pang Le that Guan Xia couldn't help but recall some memories of the orphanage.
In fact, because of the fetal puncture, her goal has always been clear. She did not have a deep impression of the orphanage, but she had a deep impression of a child.
She, the girl, and seven or eight other children were taken care of by the same orphanage staff member, whom they called mother. Perhaps because they were of similar age, the girl always liked to talk to her. Even if both of them were very busy, like spinning tops, the girl would keep talking.
Guan Xia still remembers that girl always telling her, "I remember I have a family. Those people lied to me. I wasn't abandoned by my mother. I was abducted by human traffickers. She couldn't find me, so I became an orphan. When I grow up, I will definitely find my way back. I remember I have a mother, a father, and a sister. They must be looking for me, waiting for me to come home."
Guan Xia heard these words from the age of a few years old until she was in her twenties. They went to the same elementary school, the same junior high school, and the same high school. Even though they did not go to the same university, they kept in touch because they were both in Yongquan City. She would often come to the school to find Guan Xia. They would go to the food street and the park together. They would also frequently call each other during the final review because it was too boring. Most of the time, they reviewed separately, and occasionally they would chat when they were a little crazy from reviewing.
That was Guan Xia’s only friend before she met Pang Le.
She is actually very outstanding. Although she is not that smart and is an ordinary person like Guan Xia, she is very diligent and hardworking, and is also very honest and brave. When other children are bullied by older children, she will bravely stand up to protect them. She has also protected Guan Xia.
Guan Xia thought they would remain friends for a long time, but she lost contact with her right after she graduated from college.
Guan Xia was lost in thought when she heard Pang Le ask, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about so intently?"
Guan Xia came back to her senses and said with some regret, "I'm thinking about Meng Lan, my friend from the orphanage. I went to Linshan City to look for her last time but couldn't find her. Later, I asked the people at the orphanage about her and kept calling her, but I still couldn't get through."
Guan Xia recalled something and added, "Remember that case before? The one where the murderer was a psychopath and his motive for killing was simply to keep his chosen victims in perfect condition? I met him at the food court with a friend. That friend was Meng Lan."
It had only been less than two months since the case, so Pang Le naturally remembered it. He said with a sudden realization, "I remember, didn't she find her biological parents? I guess she's busy enjoying the warmth of her family, plus she has work, so she doesn't have much time to deal with other things."
Pang Le tried to comfort her nonchalantly, but Guan Xia couldn't help but keep recalling what Meng Lan had said to her.
She remembered that it was the first year after she graduated from college. Her comic was not yet finished and she was busy drawing the manuscript when she suddenly received a call from Meng Lan, who excitedly told her that her biological parents had been found. She did have an older sister and now had a younger brother. She asked her mother and found out that she was not abandoned, but abducted by human traffickers. Her parents had been looking for her for many years.
At that time, Guan Xia was both happy and worried for Meng Lan. After all, Meng Lan was no longer the same as when she was a child. Children spend money when they are young, but they will make money when they grow up. She was very afraid that Meng Lan's family was deceiving her because she could make money.
She also tried to trick Meng Lan into thinking something was wrong, and Meng Lan's response was very direct. "I know what you're worried about. I was worried too at first, so I secretly observed them for a long time before I approached them. They're very rich now, living in villas and driving luxury cars. Even my sister has her own business. Don't worry, I won't suffer any loss."
In order to make Guan Xia believe it, she even sent a few photos. Guan Xia looked at them carefully for a long time, and after confirming that they were real, she was really happy for Meng Lan. But then less than half a year later, she suddenly lost contact.
The two were still chatting a few days ago, saying they would go out traveling together after Guan Xia finished her comics, but then there was no news from them. No one replied to their messages, and no one answered their calls. Guan Xia even went to Linshan City to look for her after the comics were finished, but when she couldn't find her, she worriedly called the police. After investigation, the police said that she was fine, and she was neither missing nor under personal restraint.
Guan Xia understood that Meng Lan simply didn't want to contact her. If they had argued, that would be fine, but why did she cut off contact with her when everything was apparently fine? Guan Xia couldn't figure it out, and she had an inexplicable feeling that something had indeed happened to her.
So several years passed, and Guan Xia was still brooding over it. Since she couldn't contact her directly, she tried to find out about her from others, but unfortunately, others didn't know much.
Perhaps because Guan Xia's expression was too tangled, Pang Le glanced at her several times, and finally said helplessly: "Anyway, we are going back to the orphanage in Quming City this time. We can ask the staff at the orphanage. The children have grown up and are busy with their lives. The staff will always know some information. If all else fails, we can ask Sister Ji when she is done. They have a wide range of sources and can always provide some information within the scope permitted by law."
When Ji An was mentioned, Guan Xia immediately stopped worrying about Meng Lan. She counted the time and found that it had been almost a week since the three of them separated, but there was still no news from Ji An. She also didn't know how the case was being investigated, whether their two friends who had disappeared had been found, and whether her life was in danger.
Guan Xia and her group set out for Quming City at 7:00 AM. For convenience, they drove two cars. As soon as they got in, Wang Yu said, "We contacted our colleagues in Quming City yesterday and learned more about the 814 case. Due to the severe facial damage to the deceased, we have been unable to confirm his identity, but there is a considerable amount of physical evidence at the scene. After extensive investigations and visits by the Daqu County Criminal Police Brigade, who are in charge of the case, failed to find any results, they collected biological samples from a large number of people in Songxiang Village, the nearest village. The scope of the collection is males aged 14 to 60."
Guan Xia listened attentively. As soon as Wang Yu finished speaking, he asked, "Collecting biological samples means that the suspect left behind biological DNA such as hair dandruff at the crime scene. The suspect should have been away from home when the samples were collected. What about his family? Are they not there? Otherwise, the case would have been solved back then."
Wang Yu said: "After the suspect ran away from home, his family, including his parents, uncles and aunts, were out looking for him. Only two elderly people in their sixties and a 10-year-old child were left at home. They happened to be out of the range for collecting evidence. Because the suspect's family was not at home at the time of the crime, they had a sufficient alibi. After returning, no additional evidence was collected, so it became an unsolved case by mistake."
Pang Le was a little surprised when he heard this. "This criminal suspect is really lucky. He just got away with it. But if we go back this time and collect the samples again and compare them, then it won't just be a reopened case, it will be solved directly."
Xu Nian said: "Although there is direct evidence, there is still a lack of supplementary evidence, and we cannot form a chain of evidence. We still need to find evidence that the suspect returned to Songxiang Village, Daqu County at the time of the crime."
Guan Xia asked, "I saw them at the bus station. I remember there was a bus to Daqu County from the Chengbei Bus Station. Since they didn't take the bus, it means they arrived in Daqu County by some other means of transportation. But whether it was a bus or some illegal taxi, it doesn't make sense that they would leave no trace at all."
"It's indeed strange," Wang Yu said. "But according to colleagues in Quming City, the Daqu County Criminal Police Brigade thoroughly searched the entire county and several villages near the crime scene. They also borrowed personnel from other units to review surveillance footage, but they couldn't find any trace of the deceased, whether on buses, taxis, or ride-sharing vehicles. They also checked other people with similar clothing, but none of them were the victim."
Pang Le stroked his chin and thought, "If he didn't take a car, then maybe he rode a bike? He couldn't have walked there, right?"
When Guan Xia heard the word "go", he suddenly felt as if he had missed something. After thinking hard for a long time, he suddenly reacted and said, "Wait, I saw them both on the afternoon of August 12, and the deceased was found on the morning of August 14. There was a gap of more than 36 hours in between. I have never been to Daqu County, let alone Songxiang Village, but as far as I know, Daqu County is only more than 100 kilometers away from Quming City. If you take a car or a bike, you can get there in a few hours. It is absolutely impossible to arrive on August 14. Or maybe the deceased did not die on August 14, but was only found on the morning of August 14. But that doesn't make sense. It's not the coldest time of the year when people in the village don't like to go out. It's summer, and they were in the woods by the road. It's impossible for them to be found too long later."
Xu Nian said: "Through two autopsies conducted by the forensic doctor, it was confirmed that the time of death was around 7:00 a.m. on August 14."
Pang Le said bewilderedly, "Did he really walk there? Damn, it's over 100 kilometers! What was the deceased thinking? Or was he forced to walk because he ran out of money and couldn't afford a bus? If that's the case, he's too miserable. He spent all his money doing good deeds, but in the end, he didn't get any good rewards and even lost his life there."
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