Free Web NovelChapter 878: Chapter 460: Breaking Through the Case-Cracking Bottleneck
Upon hearing this, Guo Yong, sitting opposite, shuddered as though hit by an electric current.
He instinctively pointed at his own chest, his lips slightly quivering, disbelief and panic written all over his eyes.
He almost blurted out, his voice trembling: "Murder? What murder?"
"Officer, have you made a mistake?"
"I’m an honest farmer, too scared even to kill a chicken; how could I possibly commit murder?"
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, "In the dead of night, you brought me here without a word, accusing me of murder?"
"You’re slandering me! Slandering me!"
Mr. Qin watched him impassively and slowly stood up.
He picked up four printed photographs from the table — images of the deceased Wang Xiu, crucial evidence in the case.
He said nothing but slapped the photos onto the table before Guo Yong, coldly asking: "Do you recognize this woman?"
The moment Guo Yong’s gaze touched the photos, he seemed nailed to the chair.
In that split second, he reflexively raised his head, responding urgently: "I know her; she’s a cousin of mine."
"Do you also know about her death?"
His tone suddenly became sharp, tinged with interrogation: "Of course, who doesn’t know about it?"
"The whole village’s been talking about it."
"What? You suspect me of killing her now?"
He waved his hand abruptly, his emotions more agitated, almost yelling: "Officer, you can’t do this!"
"Since this case happened, you haven’t caught the real culprit, and now you’re trying to make me the scapegoat?"
"I tell you, no way!"
"I’ll file a complaint against you! I’ll accuse you of slander!"
Upon hearing him, Qin Shuang’s lips curled slightly, revealing a subtly chilling smile.
He stood his ground and exclaimed sharply: "Complain against us? Fine!"
He paused, "I’ve been handling cases for many years, and what I fear most are two things: one is failing to catch the criminal, letting justice down; the other is wrongful accusations and complaints, demoralizing those of us who handle cases."
"But as long as my actions are for work, for uncovering the truth, for justice for the deceased."
"I believe, no matter how many complaints you file, they won’t sway me one bit!"
Speaking suddenly, Mr. Qin became emotional, even spat out a curse: "You’d better behave yourself and stop playing tricks!"
"Think deeply, are those things you’ve done what a human should do?"
Guo Yong was stunned by his sudden outburst, first slightly startled, then slowly lowered his head, his shoulders slumped.
A few seconds later, he raised his head, "It wasn’t me... I didn’t murder anyone."
"I don’t understand why you’re targeting me."
"Why you?"
Qin Shuang leaned forward, "Then tell me — the night Wang Xiu was killed, where were you, and what were you doing?"
"I..." Guo Yong let out a wry chuckle, raised his hand to rub his brow.
"Something from four years ago, how can you expect me to remember clearly now?"
"If I asked you what you were doing today three years ago, could you answer right away?"
This retort surprisingly left Qin Shuang momentarily speechless.
He pressed his lips, then shifted gears to continue questioning: "Okay, then let me ask you, during the time Wang Xiu was killed, was your right hand fractured?"
Guo Yong was silent for a moment, seemingly trudging through the fragments of memory, then nodded: "Yes, I was injured at the construction site; my right hand was indeed fractured."
"If you don’t believe me, you can check — I was working at the East City County construction site in the West Suburb, my hand got injured accidentally by the cement mixer, both the coworkers and the boss know."
Qin Shuang watched him, his tone slightly softened: "After the fracture, where did you go?"
"Where else could I go?"
"The site boss saw I couldn’t work anymore, told me to go home and recover."
"I’m a temp worker; my hand was useless... who would keep me? I had to go back to my shoddy home to heal."
"You lived alone? No one else at home?"
"No," Guo Yong shook his head, his voice lowered, "Just me, an old bachelor."
"Then try to recall — what might you have been doing that night?"
Guo Yong gazed up at the ceiling but ended up just shaking his head.
"I guess... just had dinner, watched some TV, then went to sleep."
"What else can an old bachelor with a broken hand do?"
He looked down at his once-injured right hand, "I say, officer, aren’t you investigating the wrong direction?"
"My right hand was in a cast; it was difficult even to hold a bowl."
"Killing someone isn’t like slaughtering chickens or dogs; it’s not that easy."
"Think about it, how could someone with a fractured right hand possibly do something like that?"
This remark instantly ignited the interrogation thread tangled in Qin Shuang’s mind.
"Often the least likely person is precisely the most likely."
He took a slight pause before continuing, "Indeed, you had a fractured right hand at the crime time, impaired mobility, seeming to provide a perfect alibi."
"However, our detailed examination of the body and force analysis found that the person controlling the body habitually used the left hand with relatively weak exertion."
"This precisely matches the traits of a right-handed person forced to use their left hand."
Qin Shuang leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying unavoidable questioning; "What strikes me further is your exceptionally enthusiastic involvement in assisting the deceased’s family with post-event arrangements after the crime."
