Free Web NovelChapter 168: Chapter 167: The Suspect’s Phone is Lost_1
Xu Dayuan rapped his knuckles on the table, urging:
"Answer the question, who touched the cake, or who might have touched the cake?" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Dong Chengwen closed his eyes, ceasing to pursue further. He knew that probing further wouldn’t elicit any response. After a moment of silence, as if straining to remember, he said:
"Ever since the day I was brought in here, my mind has been playing a movie, constantly recalling everything that happened on June 29th. I wish I could relive that day every day, recalling what was said, what was done, who was seen.
I remember around one-thirty in the afternoon, I picked up the cake and flowers. I drove to Liuhe District because a former client had introduced me to a case. We met and talked for nearly an hour. Afraid the cake might melt, I left the car running with the air conditioning on.
Afterward, I returned to the law firm. Yi Xiaou helped me put the cake in the law firm’s refrigerator. I didn’t touch the cake from about three in the afternoon till nine in the evening when I left and took the cake and flowers with me. But Dr. Zhou, why do you ask this?"
Zhou Ning didn’t answer his question and continued to gaze into his eyes, pressing on:
"Where is the law firm’s refrigerator located?"
Mr. Zhao had already pulled up a surveillance video. This was the internal surveillance footage of the law firm, taken when Yi Xiaou provided them with a time alibi. It covered the entire layout of the law firm and would prove useful now.
Dong Chengwen glanced at it and pointed to a door in the northeast corner, saying:
"This is the pantry. Inside are two refrigerators. Every day, Yi Xiaou orders afternoon tea for everyone in the firm and places it in the refrigerators for anyone to take whenever they want. After all, working overtime is routine for us, and we often don’t have time to go out to eat. Is there a problem with the cake?"
"Has anyone been in your car?"
Dong Chengwen knew he had no right to question and let out a long sigh, suppressing his irritation. After thinking for a bit, he listed four names: Yi Xiaou, Luo Qian, Chen Zhongshi, Xu Mingyuan.
Seeing Luo Qian’s name, Zhou Ning paused, but showed no surprise on his face. He pointed to the other two names and asked.
"Who are Chen Zhongshi and Xu Mingyuan?"
"Like I said before, that client talked with me for a while and introduced these two men to me. They followed me out to my car, and we spoke there for a while before they left. The whole thing took maybe ten to fifteen minutes."
"And Luo Qian, how did she come to ride in your car?"
"She also lives in Shanhai Building, but in the high-rise on the east side of the villa area. I happened to run into her on my way home. Her car had a flat and she was waiting for a taxi, so I just gave her a ride on the way. Can someone tell me what exactly is going on with the cake?"
Zhou Ning glanced at Xu Dayuan. The appearance of Luo Qian was indeed unexpected, and this person even lived in the same community as Dong Chengwen. It seemed she had not been investigated before.
However, Dong Chengwen could also have been the one to drug the cake, especially since diazepam isn’t very difficult to obtain. More details and reasons couldn’t be discussed.
Xu Dayuan raised his hand, looking at the anxious Dong Chengwen.
"Regarding the details of the case investigation, we can’t say much, as you are one of the suspects. Now tell us about the housekeeper you hired later. What’s her name? Contact details? Do you have any other relationship with her?"
Dong Chengwen pursed his lips. Knowing that no matter how much he asked, he wouldn’t get any answers, he sighed and continued:
"The housekeeper was introduced by my neighbor Mr. Chen. Her name is Liu Yino, English name Nona, a graduate of Brandeis University in Mi Country. They are affiliated with an agency, the Budapest Language School. As for her contact, I only remember the four-digit number 8338.
This girl is good at mingling with families like ours. Taking advantage of Fang Hua’s absence, I was seduced into having a relationship with her once. I paid her a hundred thousand yuan, and then the swimming lesson incident happened. I took the opportunity to dismiss her, of course, also paying her three months’ worth of salary, ninety thousand yuan."
"Was that neighbor Mr. Chen also blackmailed?"
"Yes."
"After the 19th, you haven’t hired another housekeeper?"
"Fang Hua contacted the property management butler service to come and clean every other day."
"Last question, where’s your phone?"
At that question, Dong Chengwen was stunned and spread his hands.
"I don’t know. My memory stops at the instant the ambulance arrived on June 29th, and after that, I can’t remember anything. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital with my hand cuffed to the guardrail of the bed. Then came a torrent of police interrogations. I don’t know where my phone is—I was dressed in a hospital gown."
"Alright, we’ll take our leave now."
Xu Dayuan stood up, Zhou Ning and Mr. Zhao followed suit, nodding to the guard.
"Thanks, buddy!"
The three left the detention center, Mr. Zhao constantly shaking his head.
"Leader, where do you think Dong Chengwen’s cell phone has gone?"
Xu Dayuan glanced at him.
"If I ever handle such half-baked cases again, my name’s not Xu."
Mr. Zhao laughed naively.
"Don’t be so sure, the higher up we go in the city bureau, the more cases like this we’re bound to encounter. But, is Xu Kejiang from Jingkou Branch Bureau deliberately uncooperative, making the evidence transfer insufficient?"
Upon hearing Mr. Zhao’s judgment, Xu Dayuan shook his head.
"Though we’ve had our disagreements before and can’t see eye to eye, after all, the person we arrested is his brother-in-law, not his real brother-in-law. But that doesn’t mean he’d hide evidence. That’s a different matter. The scene was chaotic at the time, don’t forget, Dong Chengwen also bit into a cake. I think his passing out has something to do with that, right?"
Zhou Ning nodded, Mr. Zhao hurriedly added.
"It seems this nanny is just a high-class hooker, scamming money through her job and naturally running far away once she gets it. I think the likelihood of her seeking revenge after being fired is slim."
Xu Dayuan walked towards the car, nodding as he spoke:
"Even though she’s not a major suspect, we still need to rule her out. I’ll ask Mr. Zeng to talk to Mr. Chen later."
The three got into the car, and Zhou Ning closed his eyes. Xu Dayuan poked his arm.
"Tell me, after meeting with Dong Chengwen a second time, what are your impressions?"
"Both men are quite the players. To say they’re estranged in appearance only would be an insult to the expression. Dong Chengwen used both overt and covert hints. He’s the victim; his wife’s betrayal and doubts about his child’s DNA.
If we were to theorize a bit, the various pieces of evidence in his safe might not have been planned for a long time; perhaps it was just a way to protect his property." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Zhou Ning’s words made Xu Dayuan pause, as he hadn’t considered this angle.
"Now that you mention it, there’s a real possibility. Betrayal in the marriage with tangible evidence—if Dong Chengwen had acted early, transferring assets and taking preventive measures, then Fang Hua would get hardly anything in a divorce settlement, no custody of the child, not much property."
Mr. Zhao exclaimed excitedly:
"I’m telling you both, with this in mind, Dong Chengwen is even less likely to have killed his wife. It wouldn’t cost him much to deal with the wife and protect his property, plus he’d get to keep his daughter. He didn’t need to go to extremes, especially if he still wanted to be in this line of work."
Xu Dayuan ran his fingers through his hair, kicking the back of Mr. Zhao’s seat.
"Drive your car, why so much nonsense? I’m already distressed enough, investigating in circles, now back at square one."
Zhou Ning knew Xu Dayuan was getting frustrated and said:
"Don’t be glum. How about we go to the scene? A second inspection might reveal some overlooked clues, especially since our investigation is at a standstill now."
Xu Dayuan nodded vigorously.
"I was thinking the same. I’ll call up the team now. Arrange things with the new trace examiners and assistants. I’ll have Mr. Liu pick them up, and we’ll all go back to the scene. Once you’re there for the inspection, I’ll head straight to Jingkou Branch Bureau."
From the rearview mirror, Mr. Zhao looked at Xu Dayuan.
"What’s the plan, boss? Are you going for broke or to settle scores with Xu Kejiang? I say forget it, even if we go, we won’t find the phone."
Xu Dayuan didn’t bother with small talk but started making phone calls immediately. Almost everyone was called in, besides Tao Zhenshan, who was busy with the investigation. The scale of the operation was extraordinary, and Zhou Ning also notified Yang Xuetong and their team. Given the circumstances, everyone should go.
On the way, Yang Xuetong and Mr. Zhao discussed their experimental results. According to the gas receipt for 70 liters, filling Dong Chengwen’s car model left it with some to spare, a full tank would need 74 liters.
Of course, the results from measuring with a graduated cylinder were shocking too: the supposed 70 liters were actually 63 liters, which Mr. Zhao said was quite decent for a gas station.
The amount of gasoline needed for a Molotov cocktail was very little. No traces of spilled gasoline were found in Dong Chengwen’s car, but a trace of cake frosting was discovered on the back seat, indicating that someone had opened a cake box there.
Clearly, the Jingkou Branch Bureau’s gas refueling evidence was basically refuted.
...
