Free Web NovelChapter 695: Chapter 695: Song Tiezhu’s Confession
"So I think Old Bai is right. When the murderer entered the scene, they must have laid something on the ground to prevent their footprints from being left, and stepped on the cleaner’s footprints, causing them to blur."
Lu Chuan nodded.
He thought the same.
Moreover, he had just conducted some experiments in the basement.
He found that by covering the footprints with plastic sheeting and then stepping on them, it would leave similar marks.
However, there was one thing Lu Chuan was still puzzled about.
That was, the degree of blurring of the cleaner’s footprints was not the same.
And the area of blurring left by some of the footprints was also different.
Lu Chuan tried to identify and analyze the footprints pressed upon the blurred cleaner’s footprints.
The result, however, led to two different conclusions.
"It seems like two people were going in and out of the scene. One person is between 1.7 and 1.8 meters tall, and the other is between 1.6 and 1.7 meters."
"But doing footprint identification and analysis through footprints and covering materials is very inaccurate. My prediction is just a hypothesis and cannot be used as direct evidence."
That’s why Lu Chuan gathered everyone together to study it jointly.
"Or rather, the theory that two people were coming and going is just a guess."
Yang Lin was listening to the discussion between the four people the whole time, without interrupting.
For him, this was a rare learning opportunity.
Back in university, Yang Lin’s grades in class were quite good.
However, the things learned from books were ultimately rigid and completely different from the situations encountered on the field.
Yang Lin knew very well the level of Lu Chuan’s footprint identification and analysis.
But this time, even Lu Chuan couldn’t be sure whether his identification and analysis results were right or wrong.
That indicated that the complexity of the scene far exceeded his imagination.
"I have a suggestion."
Liu Guodong suddenly spoke.
He did not open his mouth to either affirm or refute Lu Chuan’s speculative results.
Because Liu Guodong knew very well that in terms of footprint identification and analysis ability, Lu Chuan was top-notch in the whole province. If Lu Chuan wasn’t confident, then neither was Liu Guodong.
"Since it can be determined that the crime scene was not the primary scene, can we find the primary crime scene through some means?"
Old Bai was puzzled, "How do we find it?"
"The body!"
"When the body was found, it wasn’t clothed."
"Regardless of whether the murderer took the clothes off at the church or at the primary crime scene."
"I think there must be some traces left on the body. Can we conduct a micro-evidence analysis on the surface of the body?"
Liu Guodong’s suggestion was indeed a feasible plan.
Moreover, trace analysis was not particularly difficult for modern crime scene investigation offices.
It just required more overtime work, that’s all.
"Alright, I’ll go to the forensic office later to take samples."
Lu Chuan nodded, "Let’s try to get something substantial done today during the daytime."
The investigation team had reached a critical stage in their inquiry into Zhang Cuicui’s ex-husband, Song Tiezhu.
Song Tiezhu currently lived in a low-rent apartment on the outskirts of Haizhou City.
According to information obtained from Zhang Cuicui’s parents, after the divorce between Song Tiezhu and Zhang Cuicui, Song Tiezhu received a substantial amount of property.
However, over the years, due to gambling and drinking, and supporting a young wife early on, he squandered all that money in a short time.
Zhang Hui arranged for the retrieval of surveillance footage from the main entrance of the low-rent apartment complex.
It turned out that Song Tiezhu had lied.
After determining that Song Tiezhu had significant suspicions of committing the crime, the investigation team immediately detained him and interrogated him.
According to Song Tiezhu, on Friday night, he stayed at home and went nowhere. On Saturday, he had lunch and dinner at his parents’ place, then returned to the low-rent apartment and didn’t leave until after 10 a.m. on Sunday, when he once again went to his parents’.
"Boss, Song Tiezhu lied!"
Chen’s face was excited; he had just reviewed the surveillance inside the low-rent apartment complex.
"Song Tiezhu left the complex after 7 p.m. on Friday and didn’t return."
"Look, this is the surveillance footage of him leaving the complex."
The apartment complex’s surveillance was high definition, and the footage was clear. At 7:28 p.m. on Friday, Song Tiezhu left the complex.
"He only returned to the complex at 10:30 the next morning, and he was wearing a different set of clothes!"
Chen’s discovery was a strong boost for the investigation team.
"Let’s go! To the interrogation room!"
With the evidence in hand, Zhang Hui led the team back into the interrogation room.
Sitting across in the interrogation chair, Song Tiezhu looked weary, his eyes dazed.
"I’m telling the truth... You have to believe me... hiccup..."
A strong smell of alcohol filled the interrogation room.
Bang!
Zhang Hui slapped his hand forcefully on the table, and the sudden noise made Song Tiezhu jump.
"Song Tiezhu! You’re lying!"
"After leaving the low-rent apartment complex at 7:28 p.m. on Friday night, you didn’t go home. You didn’t return until after 10 a.m. the next morning, and you had changed your clothes."
"The time of Zhang Cuicui’s murder was precisely at 10:30 p.m. on Friday."
"You say you didn’t kill her, so tell us where you were during that time!"
"I..."
Song Tiezhu hesitated for a long time, realizing he couldn’t hide the truth any longer, he reluctantly admitted what happened that night.
"That night I really wasn’t home..."
It turned out that Song Tiezhu went to an underground casino to gamble that night.
"Where is the place?"
"Friendship Road in the High-tech Zone, Yifengli Auto Repair Factory."
"It’s a car repair shop on the surface, but at night it turns into an underground casino. We often go there to gamble."
"But please, you mustn’t say I told you. If they find out I revealed the place, I’m finished!"
Zhang Hui let out a cold snort.
You know you’re finished?
"I had 21,000 yuan with me, and I lost everything in less than half the night, even bet away the clothes on my back."
"Then, around 2 a.m., the casino’s security kicked me out."
"Actually, those days I had money, but Zhang Cuicui wouldn’t give me any. So that night, I went directly to her house."
"She didn’t give you money, so you killed her, right?"
"No, no, no!"
Song Tiezhu quickly shook his head, "Officer, I really didn’t kill her. I’m not stupid; Zhang Cuicui’s death wouldn’t do me any good; there’d be no one to give me money."
"Besides, you said she died at 10:30 p.m. on Friday, but when I arrived at her house, it was past 2 a.m."
"When I got there, no one was home."
"Really!"
"No one? How did you get in?"
"A key, I had my son make me a copy of the key..."
"Then, not finding anyone, I ransacked the drawers, found 20,000 yuan, and left."
"Really, I didn’t do anything else! I didn’t do anything else!"
...
