Chapter 144 Murder in Sleep: Clues
After the idea of solving the case was clear, Fang Rui arranged the work. He and Mu Mian went to investigate the source of tung oil, Xiao Zhang and Chen Xue went to investigate the gossip mirror, and the others visited the school and neighbors where Zhang Mingli's parents had worked to see if they could find a breakthrough from the social relations of the deceased.
Chen Xue immediately objected: "I don't want to go with him! Besides, I'm a forensic doctor. I'm only responsible for autopsies. Visiting and investigating is not my job."
Xiao Zhang's originally happy expression collapsed. He has been looking for Chen Xue to talk these days, but Chen Xue left when she saw him, and didn't give him a chance to explain.
He went back and had a big fight with his mother. He moved out of the house and moved to the dormitory. He also tried to fight with his family, but Chen Xue gave up on him early.
"Chen Xue, we are short of staff right now, please work hard. The prosecution period for this case will soon be over, and we need to find evidence to incriminate the murderer as soon as possible." Fang Ruian stroked her, "You don't want the murderer to escape the punishment of the law, do you?"
Chen Xue stopped talking, she couldn't let her personal feelings affect her work. She was about to say that she could team up with Mu Mian to investigate, but Mu Mian was excitedly discussing her investigation plan with Fang Rui.
A guy who values women over friendship.
Chen Xue glanced at Xiao Zhang, who was looking at her eagerly, and Chen Xue agreed reluctantly.
Mu Mian and Fang Rui drove to investigate the source of tung oil.
Tung oil is divided into raw tung oil and cooked tung oil. Raw tung oil is used in medicine and chemicals, and is rarely sold to individuals. Cooked tung oil is processed from raw tung oil and is mainly used as coatings such as varnish.
Twenty years ago, there was no online shopping, and tung oil was sold in grocery stores and paint stores.
Fang Rui and Mu Mian visited the elderly near the community where the crime occurred and asked them if there were any old stores selling tung oil nearby. They provided some store names and addresses.
Fang Rui and his friends went to look for them, but those stores either went bankrupt or moved. They finally found an old store, but they didn't make any sales records or keep any accounts.
This clue should not be followed up.
Xiao Zhang and Chen Xue were driving around the street, and when they passed the same intersection for the third time, Chen Xue finally couldn't help but speak.
"Zhang Qiang, aren't we going to look for a fortune teller? What are you wandering around for?"
Xiao Zhang said aggrievedly, "I'm waiting for you to tell me where we should start investigating."
"Zhang Qiang, you are the policeman, you ask me these things."
"Before, Zhang Taotao lived in the residential compound of Jiangzhou No. 13 Middle School. Even if he wanted to find a fortune teller, he would probably look for one near his home. Let's start with the most famous fortune teller."
After Xiao Zhang finished his analysis, his tone paused, "Powerful fortune tellers are generally very old, and he may have passed away. Even if he is still alive, he should be very old now."
"Then drive quickly!"
There is an old street near Jiangzhou Middle School, where many practitioners in the funeral industry gather, and they provide everything from feng shui fortune telling to funeral clothes and wreaths.
Xiao Zhang and Chen Xue asked the shop owners and found out that there was a famous fortune teller nearby, known as the "Living God".
He was called this because he was accurate in fortune telling and had great skills, and because he was already over 90 years old and had lived a long life, so he was naturally a "Living God".
As soon as Xiao Zhang and Chen Xue entered the shop, they saw a gray-haired old man sitting there. He looked energetic, with milk tea on the table and a mobile phone in his hand, watching short videos.
Hearing footsteps approaching, the old man raised his head and carefully observed Xiao Zhang and Chen Xue. He asked, "Two laymen, do you want to calculate your marriage? Judging from your faces, you have a deep affinity. However, your marriage will be bumpy and it is estimated that it will not be good..."
Chen Xue's heart stagnated. Xiao Zhang's mother also said that their horoscopes were incompatible.
"Master, we are police officers, not here to calculate marriage." Xiao Zhang showed his ID, "We have something to ask you."
Xiao Zhang felt that fortune-telling was feudal superstition and no one could predict the future. This master deliberately said that he and Chen Xue's marriage would be bumpy just to scare him and cheat him out of his money.
"Comrade police, I have not broken any law! I am very accurate in fortune-telling and I never cheat. I make money by my own ability!"
Xiao Zhang took out the evidence bag containing the Bagua mirror and asked, "Master, do you know where this mirror was made?"
"The mirror factory."
"..."
Chen Xue asked, "Is there any secret to this Bagua mirror? How can you tell which master made it?"
"Ordinary Bagua mirrors are of course no different, but if they have been made with magic, they are different. Come, let me see."
The master took the mirror and after a careful inspection, he said, "This is a Bagua convex mirror, which is used to ward off evil."
Bagua mirrors are divided into Bagua concave mirrors and Bagua convex mirrors. The concave surface gathers wealth, and the convex surface wards off evil. The west side of the Bagua mirror is composed of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the Nine Stars of Heluo, the Innate Bagua, and the twenty Western solar terms. When used, it must be used in conjunction with the stone tablet amulet or seal.
Chen Xue and Xiao Zhang looked at each other. It seemed that Zhang Taotao was going to use this mirror to block the evil spirit of the deceased.
"You found the right person. I made this Bagua mirror." The master opened the seal book. "There is the Nangong Juemo seal on the book. The person who asked me to perform the ritual should be born in the sixth month of the lunar calendar. The handwriting is not very elegant. It should be the handwriting I wrote when I was in my seventies."
"Master, do you remember who asked you to make it?"
"It's been so many years, how can I remember." The master spread his hands.
Xiao Zhang felt that this clue was probably broken again.
The master sipped his milk tea and said, "But I have recorded every penny I made. I can find out by checking it."
"Then you should check it quickly."
The master took out a thick account book and began to look through it.
"Master, it should be from 19 years ago. Please turn the pages forward."
The master slowly flipped through the account book. Xiao Zhang glanced at it. The master has made a lot of money over the years.
"Master, are you still keeping track of the accounts?"
"Of course not. Every penny I earn is earned with my life. I have to write it down."
"Then you can live to be over ninety..."
The master glared at Xiao Zhang unsatisfiedly, and then continued to flip through the account book. His hand paused, "Found it, this should be it."
The line of words read: June 5, 2024; two Bagua mirrors, a peach wood sword; 1,000 yuan; Mr. Wang.
Xiao Zhang's face fell, "Are you sure it is Mr. Wang and not Mr. Zhang?"
"I just remember what he said his last name was. I don't know whether it is true or not."
"Aren't you very accurate in fortune-telling?"
"Yes, I only know fortune-telling, but I can't read minds."
Chen Xue said, "Master, I think you have an excellent memory. Do you remember what this Mr. Wang looks like?"
Chen Xue found that other customers gave hundreds of dollars, but Mr. Wang gave 1,000 yuan. With such a high price, the master would definitely have an impression of him.
"I remember that he had a black mole at the corner of his mouth. It was in that position that he would probably end up in jail. He didn't look like a good person either. I asked him for a thousand dollars, and he gave it to me readily."
"Is that him?" Xiao Zhang showed the master a photo of Zhang Taotao.
"Yes, that's him. This person with this face is very vicious, so I remember him very clearly."
Xiao Zhang's face lit up: "Master, can you help to testify?"