Chapter 440: Some Things Won't Do Without Conceding

The footprints are only indirect evidence.

But the small hammer and bloody clothes right before Qian Cheng's eyes were solid direct evidence.

At this moment, he couldn't help feeling a bit dazed.

What had happened in the short time since he went to collect the footprints?

This fatty had even found the murder weapon.

And this bloody garment was clearly something the killer had worn.

If the bloodstains on it belonged to the victim, then this would be ironclad proof.

While shocked, he also maintained the professionalism expected of a technician—putting on gloves, taking out his tools, and beginning to collect fingerprints.

"Remember, don't go to the victim's neighbor's house."

Yu Dazhang ordered the task force members:

"Leave two people here to stake out. Pick a spot that's as concealed as possible. If you see any suspicious person opening the water tank, arrest them on the spot."

The task force members were completely dumbfounded.

They had always assumed this was an extremely tricky case—otherwise they wouldn't have gone half a month without finding a single lead.

Even before today, they had at one point believed this case would ultimately become a cold case hanging in the bureau's files.

But today, right before their eyes—

This fatty had strolled around the crime scene just once and already discovered a new lead.

And that lead was in midair…

Before they could even figure out how he had spotted that lead, this fatty had led them straight to the murder weapon.

A design they considered so ingenious was completely transparent in this fatty's eyes.

The whole process seemed logically inconsistent, yet perfectly reasonable.

Even Wei Qian and Lu Zhongxin shared a strange thought: Yu Dazhang appeared to be solving cases using some very new method—they were the ones who couldn't keep up with the times.

"Um…"

The task force leader's face reddened a bit, but he still pressed on and asked:

"You think the killer will come to the water tank to retrieve the murder weapon?"

In his view, doing so was somewhat unnecessary.

Since the murder weapon was hidden so well, there was no need to move it—in the short term, no one would think of looking here.

Well, except for this fatty.

"A guilty conscience."

Yu Dazhang explained with a solemn expression:

"The killer was sure the police would search the surrounding area, which is why he chose to hide the bloody clothes and murder weapon in the water tank."

"But this is only a stopgap measure. Whether it's the plastic wrap or the foam box, being soaked in water for a long time could cause damage."

His tone grew even more serious:

"So once this wave of attention passes, the killer will immediately transfer them and then destroy them completely."

"As long as this hidden danger exists, he'll be on edge all day, unable to eat or sleep in peace."

"The more meticulous a person is, the more they overthink—they'll end up scaring themselves."

Making up stories is so tiring… Yu Dazhang felt a dull ache building in his temples.

He only knew the bloody clothes and murder weapon were in the water tank; everything else was pure fabrication.

No choice—if he didn't provide a plausible explanation, the task force members wouldn't be convinced.

"Why can't we go to the neighbor's house next door?" the task force leader asked again:

"The clues already point there now. We could go in early and set up surveillance."

Such wishful thinking… Yu Dazhang rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion.

"The next-door neighbor went traveling before the incident. If he committed this case, it means this is a trap he set up."

The story had to keep being spun. Yu Dazhang said with a perfectly serious face:

"Since it's a trap, wouldn't he take precautions?"

"Just installing any random camera at home would let him monitor the interior. The moment the police enter the house, he'll immediately know he's been exposed."

"When that happens, do you think he'll still come back?"

Earlier, when he was in the hallway, he had noticed the tiny camera on the neighbor's door.

If there was one on the door, there was a high probability one was installed inside as well.

Although he couldn't be one hundred percent certain, as long as there was that possibility, precautions had to be taken.

Too bad he hadn't been involved in this case in his previous life, or he would know the details better. "Understood."

The task force leader then began making arrangements.

He didn't just leave people to stake out—he also dispatched others to another city to make an arrest.

Afterward, Yu Dazhang and the other two went down to the car.

"Did he specifically come back here to commit the crime while he was supposed to be traveling?"

Wei Qian had wanted to ask this long ago, but hadn't felt comfortable speaking up at the scene.

After all, he was the brigade captain—he had to keep up appearances in front of others.

"Yes." Yu Dazhang went along with his question and answered:

"Only this can explain it."

From this point alone, one could tell the killer had premeditated the crime, having arranged an alibi for himself in advance.

"Will he just run off and never come back?" Wei Qian asked again.

In his view, this possibility was very high.

The killer had most likely vanished for good, never to be heard from again.

"No." Yu Dazhang shook his head:

"As long as the police don't break into his home, he will definitely come back. Everything he set up back then was to clear himself of suspicion."

"Someone like this is both meticulous and secretly lucky — once he thinks he's safe, he'll come back to his normal life."

The next day.

The officers sent out of town to make the arrest sent word back: the target had begun his return trip early that morning and was expected to arrive in Songhai by evening.

The task force leader immediately reported this news to Yu Dazhang.

That's right — reported.

In the eyes of everyone on the task force, this fatty was their real leader.

There were some things you just couldn't bring yourself to accept.

This fatty could tell fortunes.

"Since he's already on his way back, don't make a move on the road."

Yu Dazhang offered his opinion:

"Keep a close eye on every move the target makes, and at the same time send more people up to the roof. From here on out, we just wait for the rabbit to come to us."

As long as the other party went to the water tank on the roof to look for something, that would be catching the man with the goods.

When the time came, arresting him would be perfectly justified.

At five in the afternoon, the deceased's neighbors returned from a trip out of town.

Following Yu Dazhang's arrangement, the police had set no officers inside the building — not even a single plainclothesman.

Eight in the evening.

A figure arrived on the roof without a sound.

After confirming no one was around, he went to the water tank, opened the lid, and poked a hooked pole inside.

A moment later, he pulled the pole out. Staring at the bare tip of the pole, he froze for a beat, then took out a small flashlight and shone it into the tank.

Just then, a voice rose from behind him:

"Looking for a box, aren't you."

Startled by the sudden voice, the man jumped.

But before he could turn his head, two arms grabbed him from either side and pinned him against the water tank.

Early the next morning.

Hongkou Branch.

Yu Dazhang had just arrived at work when he saw the task force members standing at the branch entrance, looking as though they were waiting for someone.

"What's this about?" he walked up and asked.

At the same time, he noticed their faces were all marked with deep exhaustion, as though they had just pulled an all-nighter.

Pull an all-nighter making arrests?

That couldn't be right.

By his estimate, the target would act that very night, going to the water tank to move the murder weapon.

The killer was only one person — he certainly wasn't a match for these criminal investigators.

"We came out for a smoke, and to wait for you."

One of the officers looked at Yu Dazhang and said:

"The man's been caught, but the interrogation isn't going well — the suspect hasn't cracked."

(End of chapter)