Chapter 40
Chang Ting rushed to the water station near the crime scene, where Zhou Zhengzheng was already waiting for him.
The two men walked into the water station and showed their ID cards, and the boss was a little panicked.
Chang Ting asked the boss to gather several employees and question them one by one.
After a long investigation, it was found that everyone had an alibi for the time period of the crime.
Chang Ting asked the boss: "Is there anything missing from the store?"
The boss said in panic: "No."
Chang Ting looked at the pile of empty barrels outside the door. "Is there an empty barrel missing?"
"Oh, that's hard to say. I'm a careless person and don't do much checking."
"Was there an empty bucket outside the door last night?"
"Yeah, a bunch of them."
"Why put the bucket outside the door?"
The boss stammered nervously, "I...my shop closes at 6pm. After that, the water delivery workers collect the buckets and leave them outside."
“Are there empty buckets every night?”
“Basically every day.”
"Aren't you afraid of losing it?"
"I lose it sometimes, but that's what I can do. I have to go home and cook for my wife and kids."
Chang Ting looked under the eaves and asked: "Why don't you install surveillance?"
"Well, just a few buckets, not worth a surveillance device."
Chang Ting frowned, turned and walked out of the water station, his eyes sweeping from one end of the road to the other, imagining the murderer passing by and stealing a bucket.
Zhou Zhengzheng asked the boss a few more questions, and when he came out, he saw Chang Ting walking forward carrying an empty bucket.
She quickly turned around and said to the boss behind her, "Borrow it, borrow it for a moment, I'll return it to you later!"
She caught up with Chang Ting. "Master, what are you doing?"
Chang Ting did not answer but asked, "Where's the oil?"
"What?"
"If the murderer stole an empty barrel, where did the gasoline come from?"
Zhou Zhengzheng was short-legged and was out of breath as he chased after her. "Maybe he hid some gasoline along the way?"
"If they hid it beforehand, they would already have the container. Why would they steal the barrel?"
Chang Ting, carrying the empty bucket, imitated the black-clad man's walking pace. From his unhurried pace, he seemed to sense the killer's unwavering determination to kill.
Walking all the way to the middle of the alley, there was still a greasy and dirty area.
Where does gasoline come from?
He turned back again and finally stopped outside the alley. He stared at the curb and slowly uttered a word: "Car."
He turned around and asked Zhou Zhengzheng, who was following behind him in confusion, "What kind of car is Xu Candong's?"
"A silver-gray Hyundai, probably a used car, dirty and old."
"Electric car or gasoline car?"
"Oil truck."
"Where's the car?"
"Dragged to the backyard of our bureau..."
In the backyard of the Public Security Bureau, Chang Ting, carrying an empty bucket, circled around Xu Candong's car and asked Zhou Zhengzheng, "Did you find the car keys at the scene?"
Zhou Zhengzheng recalled the trace examination report and replied, "There was a burnt car key not far from the body."
Chang Ting nodded: "The murderer used anesthetics, so he could easily get the car keys and return to the vehicle after knocking Xu Candong unconscious."
Zhou Zhengzheng was puzzled: "Why did he turn around?"
Chang Ting opened the hood with a clatter and carefully examined the complex plumbing. From the traces of grease, one of the pipe joints showed signs of having been recently unscrewed.
He pointed and said, "This is the engine oil inlet pipe. Just unscrew it from here, insert the pipe end into an empty bucket, and then turn the car key a few times to draw out the gasoline."
He looked at the empty bucket in his hand and said, "From the beginning to the end, the murderer only had an empty bucket and did not need to bring his own gasoline and pipes."
Zhou Zhengzheng exclaimed, "It turns out that the gasoline that burned Xu Candong to death was taken from his own car! Wait, this method is brilliant, I have to write it down..." She took out her notebook and took notes frantically.
Chang Ting said, "Don't remember it. Go get someone to do a trace examination and see if they can extract fingerprints from the car."
Zhou Zhengzheng quickly wrote down the last few words as he walked.
However, the trace detection colleagues worked hard for a whole day but were unable to extract any valid fingerprints from the car.
The murderer must have worn gloves when doing this.
Zhou Zhengzheng was very disappointed: "All my efforts were in vain again."
"How could it be a wasted effort? It proves at least two things: First, the murderer is extremely cautious and meticulous, with a strong anti-detection awareness. Second, the skill of pumping oil isn't something everyone can do. The murderer must have worked in the auto repair industry or something like that."
Chang Ting looked at the car and said, "Go to the notification team and focus on investigating those who work in the auto repair and auto parts industry or have related experience."
"Okay, Master!" Zhou Zhengzheng took the order and left.
Unsurprisingly, no fingerprints were found inside or outside the car.
Chang Ting collapsed in his office, took out a piece of printed paper, unfolded it, and looked at the image of the man in black. The more he looked at it, the more it matched the murderer's profile.
He seemed shorter than Song Zhou, and a bit fatter. But if Song Zhou deliberately changed his walking posture and dressed a bit more bulky...
Chang Ting suddenly came to his senses - why was he thinking of Song Zhou again?
Song Zhou's reserved demeanor betrayed a well-educated character. He always stood with a dignified posture, walked with his shoulders straight and his strides modest. His white coat resembled the robes of an ancient scholar.
And those delicate fingers, I'm afraid they can't even hold a screwdriver. As for repairing a car? Pumping oil? I can't imagine.
He couldn't help but think of the man in black who disappeared on Chunzhi Street. His unruly posture, long stride, and slightly tilted head glancing to the side made him look alert and sharp.
That kind of temperament is the distinct mark imprinted on one's body by long-term experience at the bottom of society, which is consistent with the class of people working in the auto repair industry.
It takes over twenty minutes to walk from the crime scene to Chunzhi Street. The surveillance footage of the man in black captured by various locations totals five minutes. His demeanor and demeanor never changed during that time.
If a person deliberately disguises himself, he can do it for a short time, but he can persist for twenty minutes and perform so naturally... Chang Ting feels that no one can do it except professional actors.
Song Zhou is not an actor.
Furthermore, there was no further evidence to prove that the man in black was a suspect. All people and vehicles passing through the crime scene still needed to be checked.
Over the next few days, the suspects were found and eliminated one by one, except for the man in black, who remained unidentified.
The task force searched Chunzhi Street thoroughly but found no trace of the creature.
The man in black disappeared like a wisp of smoke in Chunzhi Street.
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