Chapter 408 What's in the Back Room
Zhou Yi remembered that Xu Liu left school at 4:20 in the afternoon that day.
But that was only the last time anyone else saw her, not when she actually disappeared.
Was she kidnapped as soon as she left the school and lost her ability to move, or did she go somewhere first and then met with an accident?
This cannot be confirmed at present and requires further analysis and confirmation through visits and surveys of the surrounding people.
Because this is related to the validity of the alibi during the investigation.
If we calculate based on the time Xu Liu last appeared, then theoretically, any faculty or staff member who leaves work after 5 o'clock normally has sufficient proof of their absence.
Xiao Bing returned home around five o'clock, when it was still light, and met his neighbor.
This does prove that he went home after get off work, but it does not prove that he did not go out again later.
Because there are few street lights in this old city area, if Xiao Bing disguised himself and went out after dark, basically no one would notice him.
Just like the man in black I saw on Daguan Street that day.
"What about the 29th and 30th?"
"I've been going to and from get off work as normal these past two days," Xiao Bing replied. "The school has an attendance sheet, and I have classes these two days. You can check it out at school."
Xiao Bing seemed to suddenly think of something and asked, "By the way, Officer Zhou, why didn't you come to my house during the day? I heard that the police have sent people to the school, and many teachers and students from the School of Accounting have been called in for questioning."
"I had some other work to do during the day, so I didn't make it in time. I just happened to be near here. I ran into you here on the morning of May Day, and you said you lived nearby, so Officer Chen and I thought since we came at the right time, we might as well see if you were at home." Zhou Yixin thought, you are not the only one who can find logical rationality.
“Oh…I see…”
"Did it not delay you?"
Xiao Bing waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, don't delay me, I don't have anything to do."
"Okay, let's continue. It's getting late. We'll just ask a few more questions and then we'll leave."
"It's okay, it doesn't affect anything."
"I remember there were basically no classes in the afternoon on the 30th, right?"
"Yeah." Xiao Bing nodded.
"Then can't you faculty and staff leave work earlier? I saw many students left after their lunch break that day."
"Oh, that's right. That afternoon, there was a May Day celebration in the school auditorium. Our department had a French opera performance, and I was the instructor, so I couldn't leave early that afternoon."
Chen Yan had mentioned this celebration to Zhou Yi on the way, and the task force had specifically checked it out. It was organized by the school, and each department was required to present a performance. Aside from the teachers and students who participated, due to limited space, participation by other teachers and students was voluntary and not mandatory.
The task force also obtained the list of people involved in the celebration, and they would know whether what Xiao Bing said was true by checking.
"What time does the event start?" Zhou Yi asked.
"Two o'clock, three hours in total, and it ends at five o'clock."
Zhou Yi thought to himself, two o'clock... there is still more than an hour between that and the time Xiaoshuang leaves school. If preparations are made in advance, it should be enough to take the person hostage and control him.
It’s a pity that there is no surveillance at the side door and back door of the school, so it is impossible to confirm whether Xiao Bing left the school within more than an hour and returned before the event started.
But if he can prove he left after the event, that would be a little tricky.
Because they left after five o'clock, there were only more than three hours between the time the first bag of body parts was discovered.
Because all the body parts were fried, the forensic doctor was unable to determine the time of death.
Therefore, it cannot be confirmed whether Xu Liu was killed on the night of the 28th, the 29th, or the 30th.
This is also one of the important factors that prevented Lu Xiaoshuang from committing the crime, as she did not have enough time to commit the crime.
But Xiao Bing is different.
Xiao Bing did not have sufficient alibi for the nights of the 28th and 29th. Assuming that the body was dismembered and disposed of on those two nights, as long as it was packaged in advance, then the three hours or so in the afternoon of the 30th should have been enough to dispose of the body. After all, apart from the head, the rest of the body parts can basically be determined to be around Hongda, with a distance of one to five kilometers.
However, if Lu Xiaoshuang is kidnapped and thrown into the mine in the northernmost part of Hongcheng, three hours may not be enough.
Zhou Yi suddenly wondered, is it possible that Lu Xiaoshuang was thrown into the mine not on the 30th, but on May 1st?
Of course, all the police's attention was focused on searching the garbage dump for body parts. Although Director Xie suggested that suspicious persons and vehicles should be checked at the first case analysis meeting, it was already around four or five in the afternoon on the 1st.
According to the little boy who was picking up coal slag, the first time he heard the cry for help from the mine was around five o'clock in the evening, which means that the murderer had completed his deployment and left by then. Maybe Lu Xiaoshuang's awakening was beyond the murderer's expectations?
"Teacher Xiao, what did you do on May 1st? Where were you? I ran into you in the alley. Were you planning to go somewhere?"
"Oh, that day. I was planning to go to the bookstore to see if there were any new books worth buying. I don't usually have any hobbies here, I just like reading."
"Which bookstore did you go to?"
"It's the Xinhua Bookstore at the intersection two kilometers east. I go there often. After all, it's on the way home from work."
Zhou Yi pointed to the door and asked, "Didn't you ride a bike that day?"
"No, there's no rush anyway, so I'll just stroll over slowly."
"What time did you leave the bookstore?"
Xiao Bing thought about it and said awkwardly, "Noon, but I didn't pay attention to the exact time."
Then he stretched out his wrists and said, "You see, I don't usually wear a watch."
"And then?"
"Then I went home, cooked a bowl of noodles for myself, and read at home in the afternoon."
Xiao Bing's answer gave Zhou Yi a headache. He was alone at home and there was no one to prove it.
Is Mr. Xiao really a natural homebody, or is he truly unable to provide an alibi and can only resort to this method to get away with it?
"So did you buy the book in the end?"
Xiao Bing nodded: "I bought it."
"Would it be convenient for us to take a look?"
Facing Zhou Yi's question, Xiao Bing asked angrily, "This has nothing to do with the case you are investigating, right?"
Zhou Yi said casually, "Of course it's okay. I just want to understand the situation as comprehensively as possible to eliminate your suspicion. After all, you definitely don't want to be involved in this kind of thing. We still have many people to question, so it's best to complete the investigation in one go to avoid bothering you again."
After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he looked straight at Xiao Bing. If he showed emotional excitement and refused to cooperate, it would mean that he must have lied and would become angry and embarrassed.
But Xiao Bing returned to his gentle demeanor, adjusted his glasses, nodded, and said, "I understand your work. When something like this happens, no one feels good."
He stood up and walked towards the door of the room.
"The book is in the back room. I'll get it out."
Zhou Yi and Chen Yan's spirits were immediately lifted. Finally, they could get a glimpse of what was going on in the inner room!
Xiao Bing walked to the door and reached out to turn the doorknob.
But a strange thing happened. The door handle didn't turn, and Xiao Bing's hand suddenly stiffened slightly.
But he immediately let go of his hand, reached into his trouser pocket and took out a bunch of keys, muttering to himself: "I forgot to lock the door this morning. Wait a moment."
Zhou Yi and Chen Yan stared at his back and looked at each other. They both felt that something was wrong. If he lived alone, why would he lock the door when he went out?
Xiao Bing opened the door with the key and walked in.
He didn't open the door very wide, leaving an angle of about 60 to 70 degrees, but it was enough for Zhou Yi and Chen Yan to see the general situation inside.
It is almost the same as the outer room, with the floor and walls covered with tiles. Inside, you can see things like a bed, wardrobe, and desk, but no furniture like a television. The style is almost the same as the outer room, clean, tidy and regular.
It doesn't look like a place where corpses are dismembered and cooked.
However, there is another door in the southeast corner, which is closed.
It is speculated that it should be the shower room that Xiao Bing mentioned.
Chen Yan and Zhou Yi couldn't help but frown slightly. There didn't seem to be anything unusual in the room. Could it be that they guessed wrong?
At this time, Xiao Bing came out with a book and closed the door again.
The whole process takes about 20 to 30 seconds.
Xiao Bing walked over and placed the book in front of Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi looked down and flipped it again.
The book is called "Digital Survival" and is a best-selling book introduced by Hainan Publishing House. Zhou Yi remembers that it was quite popular back then.
There is also the seal of Xinhua Bookstore on the book.
"No receipt?" Zhou Yi asked.
"I thought it was too troublesome, so I didn't let the clerk open it." Xiao Bing replied calmly.
The investigation on Xiao Bing was not going smoothly all day, especially when we went to Xiao Bing's home to question him. We thought we could get some clues, but in the end, all our punches seemed to be hitting cotton.
I was originally suspicious about the inner room, but in the end I found that there seemed to be nothing special about it.
Although Xiao Bing's alibi was insufficient, the task force could not force him to prove himself based on suspicion alone and without other clues.
At most, they will just detain him for a period of time in the name of cooperating with the investigation.
"Have a nice day, both of you. If there's anything I can help you with, feel free to let me know." Xiao Bing said with a smile as he stood at the door.
Zhou Yi nodded: "Thank you, Teacher Xiao, for your cooperation."
"Also... Officer Zhou, if Lu Xiaoshuang has any news..."
Zhou Yi knew what he meant by hesitant, so he said, "I'll ask the leader about this, and it depends on the situation."
"Okay, okay. Take care, both of you. I won't see you off."
Zhou Yi looked at the bicycle parked at the door and suddenly turned around and asked, "Teacher Xiao, one last question. Do you have a car?"
"Officer Zhou, you're joking. I can't afford a car with my current situation. Besides, I haven't even passed the driving test."
Watching Zhou Yi and Chen Yan disappear around the corner of the alley, the faint smile on Xiao Bing's face slowly disappeared. He retreated back into the house and closed the door.
The moment he closed the door, his eyes were filled with hatred!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
