Chapter 36: Now That's How a Scene Should Be!

"I don't need you lecturing me." Lu Zhongxin's patience was spent:

"Get on with it!"

A person's way of thinking is different for everyone.

Even if you imitate it, you can't make it exactly the same; getting seventy or eighty percent similarity is already pretty good.

Lu Zhongxin knew this principle well, so he knew he simply couldn't guess what Yu Dazhang was thinking.

This apprentice was looking at the problem from a different angle.

"It's simple. The killer wasn't after money. His purpose was very clear—he went straight for Zhang Yan herself."

Yu Dazhang's voice wasn't loud.

But in Lu Zhongxin's ears, it was like someone tossing firecrackers right next to his head.

He didn't need a detailed explanation; he'd already understood.

Precisely because nothing of value was stolen from Zhang Yan's home, Zhang Yan's parents hadn't noticed anyone had been inside.

To think of this layer, one must first assume the killer committed the crime inside Zhang Yan's home.

Lu Zhongxin couldn't help but turn his head to glance at Yu Dazhang.

Could it be that back at the police station, he'd already fleshed out this assumption in his head?

Does Jingxiao Sect teach this?

If they taught this stuff, why wouldn't the other rookies know it?

Lu Zhongxin had brought along over a dozen rookies, but someone like Yu Dazhang was a first for him.

Did his Jingxiao Sect teacher give him private lessons?

Thinking of Yu Dazhang's attitude toward him, Lu Zhongxin felt this possibility was very high.

Had to admit, despite this apprentice being fat, he was sharp, and had good eye—hard not to like him.

Arriving downstairs at Zhang Yan's building, the beat officer suggested only three people go up.

Zhang Yan's parents' condition was currently not very optimistic; if too many people went up, it could easily upset them.

After discussion, the beat officer volunteered to stay and wait at the community gate for the technical team.

Yu Dazhang didn't object—the officer really wouldn't be much help with what came next.

Going upstairs, Lu Zhongxin gently knocked twice on the security door.

This kind of thing definitely required him up front; with that apprentice's build, paired with that bloated belly, he didn't look like a cop no matter how you looked at him.

The family was already heartbroken enough—no need to cause more misunderstanding.

Without even a "who is it?" from inside, the security door opened directly.

A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, her face ashen white, eyes bloodshot, her haggard appearance too painful to look at.

"Sorry for the intrusion. We're the officers handling Zhang Yan's case, here to get an understanding of the situation."

You could tell Lu Zhongxin was trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible when he spoke, as if truly afraid of disturbing her.

"Oh, come in."

No change of expression could be seen on Zhang Yan's mother's face; she answered indifferently, then walked into the house.

The three followed her inside.

Yu Dazhang swept a glance at the layout of the house.

Two bedrooms, one living room, roughly seventy square meters by the look of it—a very ordinary family home, nothing particularly noteworthy.

Zhang Yan's mother didn't offer them anything, just sat down on the sofa.

Arms wrapped around her knees, head bowed, gaze unfocused, looking as if her soul had left her body.

Seeing this, Yu Dazhang sighed inwardly: white-haired parents sending off their dark-haired child…

Nothing in this world is more painful than this.

"We need to go take a look at Zhang Yan's room." Lu Zhongxin got straight to the point.

Why not offer comfort?

Would it help? All three knew the answer—nothing comforts like catching the real killer.

Rather than toss out a few empty words, better to get on with the real work.

Catch the real killer one day earlier, and Zhang Yan can be buried one day sooner; her family will suffer a little less.

"That one." Zhang Yan's mother raised a hand and pointed at one of the rooms.

The three arrived at the room door; Qian Cheng took shoe covers out of the inspection kit he carried.

After putting on the shoe covers, Lu Zhongxin opened the door and the three entered in turn. Yu Dazhang first swept a glance around the room, then headed straight for the single bed by the window.

Good—the room hadn't been cleaned. Though the impression on the quilt was no longer obvious, it could still just barely be made out.

Before coming here, what Yu Dazhang had worried about most was Zhang Yan's room having been cleaned.

If it had been, many traces would have vanished, and the difficulty of gathering evidence would have greatly increased.

He couldn't help turning his head to glance at the middle-aged woman sitting on the living room sofa.

Who'd have the heart to clean the house after something like this? He guessed she couldn't even eat right now.

"Don't touch anything in the room." Qian Cheng reminded:

"And try not to walk around either. None of us three are wearing inspection suits, and we didn't bring specialized equipment—just stand in the room and look."

Yu Dazhang nodded in agreement, then slowly stepped back half a pace, letting the entire single bed come into his field of view.

Then he fixed his gaze on the head of the bed, carefully observing every inch of it.

Though the quilt had been folded, it had clearly been moved—Zhang Yan's mother wouldn't deliberately fold it crooked.

Please... favor.... bookmark.... 6.... 9.... shelf....!

The sheets on both sides of the bed also had some creases—traces only left by twisting back and forth.

There was one wrinkle that differed from the others—the center was the most obvious, roughly the size of a fist, while the edges showed a striped pattern.

Judging by the shape of this wrinkle, it looked as if a hand had grabbed the bedsheet hard.

This is what a proper crime scene should look like… Yu Dazhang grew more and more excited inside, and before he knew it, his face had flushed red.

What could a smooth, clean bedsheet possibly show? A bed that left marks is what really draws the eye.

Yu Dazhang then moved his gaze bit by bit, taking in every detail on the bed, all the way to the foot.

Found it!

Staring at the wave-shaped wrinkles at the foot of the bed, his eyes lit up.

Someone must have struggled violently on this bed!

Only repeated kicking motions on the sheet would leave wrinkles of this shape.

Without a doubt, the person who struggled so violently was Zhang Yan.

The killer murdered her in this room, on this very bed!

Combined with Zhang Yan's time of death, it can be inferred that the killer arrived at Zhang Yan's home between 2:12 and 3:00 in the afternoon.

No, the window was even shorter.

The killer came only after Zhang Yan had entered the house.

Then the question arises—why would Zhang Yan open the door for the killer?

A girl in the flower of her youth, without even that much sense of caution?

Even a child knows this much… don't open the door to strangers.

The answer is practically screaming itself out~

Zhang Yan knew the killer, and trusted the other party deeply.

A crime committed by an acquaintance!

Yu Dazhang quickly formed a judgment in his mind: the killer had the following characteristics…

1. About the same age as Zhang Yan.

The phone call Zhang Yan answered on her way home the afternoon she disappeared was very likely made by the killer.

Why was Yu Dazhang so certain?

Because the content of the call clearly shows the two of them arguing, and combined with the acquaintance angle, it can basically be confirmed.

There aren't that many coincidences in this world; if there appear to be, they were arranged by someone.

If the person on the phone had been an elder, Zhang Yan would never have said something like "I'm never talking to you again."

That's the kind of phrasing only used between people of the same generation.

2. Well-off financially.

Not to mention the famous big-shot lawyer hired in the previous life.

Just the fact alone that the body was kept in good condition for five days is something no ordinary family could manage.

For one thing, they'd need at the very least a private car to transport the body.

3. Knows the law, and has studied forensic medicine.

Even if they didn't specialize in it, they must be able to come across this kind of knowledge easily in daily life.

4. Possesses a certain degree of counter-surveillance ability and an extremely strong psychological makeup.

It's simple—put this on an ordinary person, and they'd be lucky if they didn't wet themselves on the spot, let alone handle the scene and move the body.

And the last point, the most critical one.

The killer's relationship with Zhang Yan was no ordinary one—definitely not as simple as a regular acquaintance.

(End of chapter)