Chapter 27
Breakthrough

Xie Qing dialed Tan Yi’s number.

“Xiao Xie?”

“It’s me.”

“What’s up?”

“I think the stolen money might still be at the Lei house…”

“……”

Tan Yi was silent.

Xie Qing suddenly felt a bit nervous, remembering Tan Yi’s words to Li Ji, “They don’t have that kind of influence.” Was her idea too far-fetched?

“This is a good idea. I’m almost there. I’ll give you feedback then.” Tan Yi hung up the phone.

Huang Zhenyi asked, “Does Xiao Xie have a new idea?”

Tan Yi replied, “She thinks the stolen money might still be at the Lei house.”

“Huh?” Huang Zhenyi didn’t quite understand. “The Lei family received 100,000 yuan in demolition compensation, spent a lot on various things, and only had about 80,000 yuan left. Why would they hide it at the crime scene?” He meant that the money wasn’t much, and leaving it at the crime scene would risk losing both the money and their lives.

Tan Yi explained, “If we find the money and it turns out to be hidden by Lei Yan and the other victims, then the motive for the murder wasn’t robbery but to kill. Lei Guang could confuse us and quietly seek other Lei family assets. If we don’t find it, they could retrieve the money after the house is returned, spending it discreetly. Most importantly, they wouldn’t dare hide the money at their own home, as it would be solid evidence if found.”

“Damn!” Huang Zhenyi cursed, “That’s true. If we find it, Xiao Xie’s nickname ‘Little Scorpion’ will be well-deserved. She’s too clever.”

Tan Yi also wanted to curse when he heard Xie Qing’s idea but held back, considering she was a girl. He modestly said, “It’s just a thought for now. We need to find it first.”

“Hey~” Huang Zhenyi waved his hand, “Having this idea is impressive. She’s quick-witted. Luckily, she’s on our side, haha…”

At the Lei house, Fu Da and Captain Li from the sub-bureau were discussing the case in the courtyard, trying to identify any overlooked suspects.

When Tan Yi and Huang Zhenyi arrived, everyone gathered around.

Li Yusen smiled and said, “Deputy Chief Huang, Captain Tan, you’re just in time. We need your guidance. We can’t agree on anything.”

Huang Zhenyi said, “The killer is too cunning. This case is indeed difficult.”

“Exactly!” Li Yusen nodded repeatedly. “Captain Tan suspects Miao Dachun, but we have no evidence. He has no hand injuries, and his height doesn’t match. Our forensic doctors, Zhao and Han, have studied the footprints several times and concluded that the young forensic doctor’s theory is too far-fetched. Without the shoes for comparison, we can’t draw conclusions.”

He bluntly dismissed Tan Yi and Xie Qing’s ideas.

Huang Zhenyi reassured Tan Yi with a glance, “I agree with Old Li, but I think no one can be sure who the suspect is now. We need to re-investigate the Lei family’s friends and relatives thoroughly. There’s no shortcut in investigation. Do you all agree?”

Li Yusen clasped his right hand over his belly, “Deputy Chief Huang is right. We’ll follow his instructions.”

Huang Zhenyi shook his hand, “Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s not hard. We’re here to serve the people.” Li Yusen joked and waved to his colleagues, “Let’s go.”

Tan Yi said to Fu Da, “There are many targets. Coordinate with Captain Li.”

Fu Da acknowledged and led the city bureau team away.

The courtyard quieted down.

Huang Zhenyi whispered, “Old Li is like that, loud but good-hearted. Don’t take it to heart, Xiao Tan.”

Tan Yi nodded slightly, “I know. It’s normal to have different opinions at work. Don’t worry, Deputy Chief Huang.”

“That’s good.” Huang Zhenyi patted his shoulder, “You’ve been here many times. Where should we start?”

Tan Yi didn’t hesitate, “Not the kitchen. The cabinets in the main house are heavy and have been searched. If there’s a place that might be overlooked, it’s the east side room and the flowerbeds.”

“I’ll check the flowerbeds.” Huang Zhenyi turned and headed there.

Tan Yi went to the east side room.

The flowerbeds were half a meter wide and three meters long, made of bricks and cement. The structure was clear, and only the two-foot-high soil could hide something. In the dry October weather, the unwatered plants were near death.

Huang Zhenyi carefully observed the soil, noting the natural marks from watering with no signs of disturbance. He thought: if he were the killer, he wouldn’t hide the money in the soil. The east side room was more likely.

Huang Zhenyi entered the east side room.

Tan Yi was staring at a pile of old items.

“Wow, there’s a lot.” Huang Zhenyi laughed, “My parents are like this too. If the money is hidden here, it’s safe but hard to find.”

Tan Yi didn’t respond, stepping back and scanning the two-meter-high pile of old items. His gaze settled on the top. There was a small kang table with a brass clock lying on its side against the wall. If he weren’t tall, he wouldn’t have noticed it.

Tan Yi put on gloves, grabbed a small stool, and stepped up to examine it. He suddenly smiled, “This is brilliant.”

Huang Zhenyi asked, “What’s brilliant?”

Tan Yi said, “There’s even a hair stuck here.” He carefully lifted the clock with both hands.

The weight confirmed his suspicion—the money was inside.

Huang Zhenyi came closer and saw a thin layer of dust on the clock with no fingerprints. He shook his head, “It’s not here.”

Tan Yi gently placed the clock on a small cabinet, “It’s inside. The lack of fingerprints might be because the victim, Kong Chunxiang, was a clean freak. The killer was clean when placing the money. I might knock off the hair if I open it, so I won’t. Deputy Chief Huang, you can feel the weight.”

They switched places.

Huang Zhenyi put on gloves, “These clocks have a sizable compartment inside.” Clocks like this were common seven or eight years ago; almost every household had one. He moved the clock as Tan Yi had, “Damn! How did you know the money was here?”

Tan Yi said, “I’m similar in height to the killer, and our thought processes might be alike. The east side room is mostly unrelated to the case, so the trace evidence team wouldn’t search thoroughly or notice the top.”

“Damn!” Huang Zhenyi cursed again, “This person is terrifyingly smart.”

Tan Yi explained, “Lei Miao studies at a finance university, Lei Yan was successful at the recycling company, and the Lei family’s intelligence isn’t low.”

Huang Zhenyi said, “You and Xiao Xie are smart too.” He was genuinely impressed. Among a pile of old boxes, cabinets, and clothes, they guessed the hiding spot after a few glances.

Tan Yi stepped back onto the stool to return the clock. As he lifted it, he noticed a sesame-sized black mark on the right angle of the clock. He lifted the clock again.

Great, there’s more below.

He slowly brought the clock down.

Tan Yi said, “Deputy Chief Huang, this might be a bloodstain. I have cotton swabs in my car. The key is in my right pocket.”

Huang Zhenyi perked up, took the key, and left. A few minutes later, he returned with two wet cotton swabs and gently wiped the stain.

The cotton swab turned red with blood.

Huang Zhenyi said, “This is solid evidence.”

Tan Yi returned the clock, careful not to disturb the hair.

After wiping off the shoe prints on the stool and evenly spreading a layer of loose soil from the flowerbed, the two got into the car with the cotton swabs.

Huang Zhenyi asked, “The killer was so careful, leaving no fingerprints or clear footprints at the scene. How could there be the victim’s blood on the clock?”

Tan Yi shifted into first gear, pressed the accelerator, and the car slowly moved forward.

He explained, “The killer wore two pairs of gloves. After the murder, he put the bloody gloves in his pocket. Lei Guang isn’t that tall. If he was the mastermind, he would have seen the clock and known it was placed high up. So the killer didn’t step on the stool but directly lifted the clock down. The gloves slipped, and he might have hugged it, leaving the bloodstain.”

Huang Zhenyi nodded repeatedly, “Exactly. No matter how bold he was, he couldn’t avoid being nervous and leaving flaws.”

…

Soon, the lab tested the cotton swabs and found the blood types of the four victims, matching the Lei family members. At this point, DNA testing wasn’t necessary. It was enough to prove the killer had smeared the blood on the clock.

This meant the money wasn’t hidden by the victims but by the killer.

The case seemed to progress, but the police only knew the location of the stolen money and still had no concrete evidence to identify the killer.

After discussing with Deputy Chief Huang, Tan Yi decided to maintain the status quo, and Fu Da, Captain Li, and others continued their investigation.

Under their strategic planning, the officers refocused on Lei Sheng.

The investigation, including a full performance, lasted eight days.

On October 14th, Lei Sheng was formally arrested and detained.

Xie Qing retrieved the Lei family’s four bodies from the freezer and handed them over to Lei Guang, Lei Miao, and others. Despite being family, they were still afraid.

Lei Miao cried sorrowfully but only glanced briefly before being pulled back by Miao Xiaohong.

Lei Guang struggled to the ground, kowtowing several times.

Xie Qing discreetly observed him and advised, “My condolences. Once the case is judged, Lei Sheng will personally atone for his crimes.”

Miao Xiaohong and Lei Miao helped Lei Guang back into his wheelchair.

Lei Guang asked, “Forensic Doctor Xie, is it really Lei Sheng? My brother and father treated him so well. Why would he do this? Could you have caught the wrong person?”

Xie Qing reassured him, “Don’t worry. We won’t wrong any innocent person. His height matches, he had the Lei family’s key, his fingerprints are everywhere in the house, and we found a valuable tape recorder from the Lei family at a recycling shop. The seller was him, according to the shopkeeper’s statement.”

Lei Guang clenched his fists and slammed them on the wheelchair, “That scoundrel, I’ll skin him alive.”

Lei Miao started crying again.

Xie Qing said, “Take care of their funeral. When you have time, go to the sub-bureau to collect the key.”

Lei Guang was puzzled, “What key?”

Xie Qing replied, “The Lei family’s key.”

Lei Guang bowed from his wheelchair, “Thank you, Forensic Doctor Xie. Thank you, officers. Thank you all.”

After completing her task, Xie Qing left the funeral home and got into the police car.

Li Ji anxiously asked, “How did it go? Did he fall for it?”

Xie Qing said, “He had no choice.”

Li Ji asked, “Why?”

Xie Qing explained, “People who dare to do this are gamblers. He’s also an arrogant person, convinced this crime was perfect. When we asked Lei Miao if Lei Yan and his son had lost any shoes, he showed a provocative expression.”

She concluded this after confirming Lei Guang’s involvement and planning of the crime.

…

On October 19th, during the Lei family’s “three-seven” memorial, Lei Guang and Miao Dachun were caught by officers while retrieving the money from the east side room.