Chapter 49
Re-examination

To overturn Lu Jing’s case, finding the motive behind the murder is crucial. The role of a forensic doctor is quite limited in this regard.

Xie Qing simulated the crime scene twice in her mind and then joined the team in a detailed search of the entire house. The female owner wasn’t very diligent, as evidenced by the thick grease on the cement walls near the stove.

Tan Yi stood by the cupboard for a while, seemingly discovering something.

Xie Qing glanced over, “There should have been a porcelain oil pot here. The remnants are in the dustpan over there.”

Tan Yi smiled slightly, “Very observant.”

Xie Qing replied, “Captain Tan, you’re too kind.” He first checked the bedroom, then the main room, while Xie Qing started with the main room, naturally finishing first. They exchanged places, and Xie Qing entered the east bedroom.

The south side of the room had a large kang bed, with an outdated and shabby high-low combination cabinet against the north wall. The curtains were drawn, but not tightly, revealing plastic sheeting nailed to the window. There were three quilts on the kang bed, one alone at the head and two together at the foot, at least 1.5 meters apart. The linoleum on the kang bed was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Everything was there, yet nothing was there. A family had been shattered.

…

The four of them searched the entire house but found nothing and had to leave.

Lu Jing was right; his family was indeed poor, with only an old TV worth a few bucks. There were no signs of rummaging at the scene. Wei Fenfang’s bag contained 31 yuan, and Lu Jing’s coat pocket had 22.3 yuan.

A family with so little money had no motive for a robbery-murder.

As they exited the gate, a middle-aged couple approached quickly.

The man asked bluntly, “Are you from the police station?”

Li Ji replied, “We’re criminal investigators from the city bureau. My name is Li. What’s your name?”

The man said, “My name is Wei, Wei Zhiping, Wei Fenfang’s older brother. The neighbors said someone was here, so we came to ask.”

The woman also spoke, “Officer, we heard Lu Jing doesn’t confess. Are you here to overturn his case?”

Upon hearing the word “overturn,” Wei Zhiping became emotional, “My sister was killed by him. That scumbag isn’t human. My sister never had a good day after marrying him. If you overturn his case, it’s a disgrace!”

His voice was extremely loud, causing a commotion. Dogs barked in the distance, and the neighbors’ doors opened one by one.

Someone in the shadows supported the man, “Yes, that guy drinks and beats people. Fenfang suffered a lot. He must have accidentally killed her!”

“Yes, definitely. He’s just pretending to be innocent. Officers, don’t believe him.”

“That guy is a coward who bullies the weak. Now that he’s facing death, he’s scared and pleading. He deserves a bullet!”

After the commotion subsided, Tan Yi spoke, “Everyone, please calm down. First, the case was sent back by the prosecutor’s office, requiring our city bureau to reinvestigate. Reinvestigating doesn’t mean overturning Lu Jing’s case but rather completing the key evidence. The results could either leave Lu Jing with no defense or bring the real killer to justice. Either way, it’s about seeking justice for the victim. Do you agree?”

Tan Yi rarely gave long speeches, but when he did, he was eloquent and persuasive.

Wei Zhiping’s emotions stabilized, “This Officer makes sense. Have you found anything?”

Tan Yi responded with a question, “Did your sister have any enemies or close friends?”

Wei Zhiping asked, “What do you mean?”

Tan Yi explained, “Generally, homicides are committed by acquaintances, either for money, love, or some unspeakable secret.”

Wei Zhiping’s wife said, “Fenfang had good relationships with her middle school classmates. The sub-bureau police investigated them.”

Wei Zhiping nodded, “We’ve been thinking about this too, but we siblings have our own families and don’t spend much time together. We don’t know much about her relationships at the factory.”

Some neighbors gathered around.

Tan Yi asked them, “Does anyone know anything?”

A younger aunt said, “Fenfang brought friends home. I saw two or three, all women in their twenties, unlikely to be killers.”

“Yes, yes,” an older woman added, “I saw one of her colleagues come home to get pants. I saw her open the door and asked her about it.”

Tan Yi asked, “If you saw them again, would you recognize them?”

The older woman said, “It’s hard to say. It was about half a month ago, just a brief encounter.”

Tan Yi asked, “Did anyone hear anything unusual the night of the incident?”

The older woman said, “I live next door and heard nothing. Around 4:30, Lu Jing shouted, and we all knew something had happened to Fenfang.”

…

Back at the city bureau, the four held a small meeting and thoroughly reviewed Lu Jing’s case file—they hadn’t done so earlier to avoid preconceived notions influenced by the sub-bureau’s conclusions.

Compared to the sub-bureau’s investigation, Tan Yi and his team found the following: first, the fiber on the glass; second, Wei Fenfang’s colleagues had visited her home.

The fiber needed to be tested in the lab.

Wei Fenfang’s colleagues could be investigated further, but since the incident occurred after midnight, it would be hard to find witnesses to prove their innocence or guilt.

Feeling hopeless, Li Ke lay on the table, “I can’t believe we got such a case right before the New Year.”

Li Ji leaned back in his chair, “Do you think it could be suicide?”

Xie Qing put down the autopsy report, “The victim weighed less than 100 pounds, was 1.56 meters tall, and was quite weak. There were no hesitation wounds, and the knife struck the heart directly, which is almost impossible. Additionally…” She pointed to the photo of the body, “Based on the wound’s position and angle, the killer wasn’t short. Objectively, Lu Jing is still a strong suspect.”

Li Ke sat up and snorted, “If she wanted to commit suicide, she might as well have killed Lu Jing.”

Tan Yi said, “Li Ke, remember to send the fiber to the lab. Li Ji, come with me to the brewery tomorrow. Xiao Xie, go to the funeral home. That’s all for now. Everyone, get some rest.”

“Let’s go,” Li Ke stood up.

Xie Qing handed the autopsy report to Li Ji for safekeeping and called the funeral home. Then, she and Li Ke returned to the dormitory. She invited them to her room and took out the remaining two envelopes, “Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. I’ll return the money first. Please count it.”

Both of them were loyal friends. Despite knowing she had more money than them, they still gave her all their savings.

Li Ji didn’t mind, “Do you think we’d shortchange you?”

Li Ke said, “It’s better to count it. My mom always says, ‘Clear accounts make good friends.’ We should count the money to avoid any misunderstandings later.”

Xie Qing raised an eyebrow. Li Ke’s mother was well-educated and had taught her daughter well.

Li Ji accepted the advice and counted the money, “Why is there so much?”

Li Ke asked, “Yes, why?”

Xie Qing explained, “My brother has been trading stocks recently. Check the stock index from the day I borrowed the money and today’s index. Calculate it, and you’ll see this is your rightful share. I made a profit and included you both.”

“My brother said the market is at its peak now. If we invest more, we’ll probably lose. Do you understand what I mean?”

Li Ji said, “You’re afraid we’ll get a taste of success and want to trade more?”

Xie Qing retorted, “Wouldn’t you?”

Li Ji shook his head, “My mom told me I don’t have the luck for windfalls. I’ve never won at poker since I was a kid.”

Li Ke said, “I wouldn’t trade either. I don’t understand it at all. What’s the point?”

Well, one has self-awareness, and the other is superstitious. Worrying for nothing!

Xie Qing said, “In that case, keep it a secret to avoid misleading others. It could cause serious harm.”

Li Ji said, “Don’t worry. If word gets out, everyone will come to you. I can’t handle that responsibility.”

Li Ke pouted and nodded, “Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

“Alright then!” Xie Qing waved her hand, “Kids, you may leave.”

…

Li Ke and Li Ji each gave Xie Qing a playful flick on the forehead and left her dormitory together.

Li Ji was satisfied, “Xiao Xie is really considerate. I have new clothes for this year’s matchmaking.”

Li Ke, who received New Year’s money every year, didn’t feel much about the extra 800 yuan. She just looked at Li Ji sympathetically, “How old are you? Already going on matchmaking dates?”

Li Ji said, “It’s not too early. If I don’t start now, the good ones will be taken.”

Li Ke scratched her head, “That’s true. My mom says the same. Good luck with your matchmaking.”

Li Ji tossed his head, “With my good looks, it’ll definitely go well.”

“Vain.” Li Ke entered her dormitory and closed the door without looking back.

Li Ji, feeling indignant, said, “What’s vain about it? Although I can’t reach your level, plenty of people want to match with me.”

He shook the envelope and walked back happily.

…

The next afternoon, Xie Qing and Cao Haisheng went to the autopsy room together. Since they had informed in advance, the body was already prepared.

The master and apprentice re-examined it together.

The deceased had minor injuries around the lips—light bruises caused by covering the mouth. The stab wound was diamond-shaped, matching the murder weapon in the photos, and the cuts in the clothing aligned with the stab wound.

The wound was positioned high, and the stab angle indicated the killer was tall, which the sub-bureau’s forensic doctor had correctly deduced.

The stab wound was deeper than the murder weapon, showing the killer used full force. The cause of death was massive bleeding due to heart damage. There were no defensive wounds on the body, suggesting the killer killed Wei Fenfang in one swift move.

Cao Haisheng straightened up, removed his gloves, and said, “There are no doubts from the body. We can do a crime scene simulation.”

“Alright.” Xie Qing found some photos taken by the forensic team, “If the killer wasn’t Lu Jing, then the door must not have been latched. The killer climbed over the wall, sneaked into the main room, and was heard by Wei Fenfang, who couldn’t sleep. She put on her shoes and got up, but the noise didn’t scare the killer away. Instead, the killer took a knife from the stove and waited by the door. When Wei Fenfang came out, the killer delivered a fatal blow.”

“The killer, afraid of waking Lu Jing, covered Wei Fenfang’s mouth, dragged her to this position, and laid her down. After ensuring she was silent, the killer left the Lu family the same way they came. Around 4 AM, Lu Jing woke up needing to pee, tripped over Wei Fenfang, found the knife, and, in a panic, left his fingerprints.”

Cao Haisheng said, “The process is reasonable, but what’s the killer’s motive? Well, that’s for Captain Tan to consider. Let’s not worry about it.”

Xie Qing nodded, “Let’s wrap up!”