Chapter 201 - 201 193 Looking for Leads

201: Chapter 193 Looking for Leads 201: Chapter 193 Looking for Leads In the dissection room, the air was permeated with a strange odor that made breathing feel somewhat difficult. Liu Jinghui said it was easy, but he himself found it troublesome. The task force was at their wits’ end. There had never been a cessation of inquiries and pressure from the higher-ups concerning the six-body murder case. If it hadn’t been for the only two white shirts in Qinghe City personally calling the provincial capital, a time-limited order to solve the case might have already been issued. By that time, everyone at the city bureau might as well forget about sleeping. Their wives would have to guard their empty beds alone. Their livers were the only things that were correct. However, at the end of the day, no matter how flamboyantly you play, you still have to solve the case, right? What good is it to keep poking around outside? Normal life cannot be lived like in the movies. If during the first two days, the task force was still familiarizing themselves with the case and searching for clues, then by the fourth and fifth days, when no positive news had come through, any leader with a bit of criminal investigation knowledge knew what was happening... They were incapable! Moreover, it might be a big problem that not even drugs could resolve. Otherwise, they would have spoken out by now, at least calling for a tourniquet. Therefore, on the fifth day after the crime, the chief also entered the task force’s office. In an instant, the expressions of everyone in the task force were twisted. Comrade Shen Feihong, the Brigade Commander of Qinghe City’s Criminal Police Brigade, finally remembered Liu Jinghui. Having finally sent the chief off, he immediately invited Liu Jinghui to a meeting. In the smoke-filled meeting room, everyone displayed genuine and awkward smiles. Shen Feihong took the initiative to offer a cigarette, saying, “Director Liu, we’re stuck now. We need some advice from you.” Liu Jinghui thought to himself, I had given you advice before, but you didn’t listen. Of course, as it turned out, his previous advice hadn’t been of much use either. But then again, solving a case was like walking in the dark. If you didn’t grope around until the dead of night, how could you possibly find what you were looking for? Liu Jinghui, who had been solving cases outside for years, was accustomed to the different police work styles of various places. There were many police leaders with ideas, all with strong control desires; some were capable of solving cases, and some were not. Shen Feihong wasn’t the worst of them and did have the ability to solve cases; it was just that the cases he encountered were too complex. If it had been a smaller active murder case, he might have solved it by himself. On the flip side, if it had been a smaller active murder case, he wouldn’t have seen Liu Jinghui either. “You can start with the reservoir. We should have data on the reservoir’s hydrological records, the water level over the years, right?” Liu Jinghui started speaking calmly and harmoniously, without thinking of confronting anyone. Captain Shi of the major case squad, who was about the same age, lit a cigarette as well, took a puff to the side, and said, “We’ve consulted a hydrological expert. According to him, since the reservoir was built, the water level has never been low to the inside... There’s not much research material on the internal water flow, but in summary, if the killer knows how to use the reservoir’s current and such, then they aren’t just a local person, but also someone adept in water activities and probably residing by the water.” “But we don’t know if the killer is that knowledgeable,” Liu Jinghui acknowledged. Captain Shi nodded, “Indeed we can’t prove it, but I think there’s a very high possibility that the killer lives and works around the reservoir.” “Oh?” “We interviewed witnesses, especially those around who like to fish. We’ve asked no less than 300 people,” Captain Shi stressed the number, “Not a single one saw anything, nor are there rumors or news.” Looking for witnesses is something that can be done in any case, and the effect in this case should arguably be better. Such large corpse packages being thrown into the reservoir would surely cause some disturbance. If it was too noticeable during the day, it was also possible to be seen at night while disposing of the bodies. Moreover, it was not just a one-time disposal of the bodies. Captain Shi had already raised similar concerns at the previous meeting, and now, emphasizing his point, he said, “As the saying goes, walk enough night roads, and you are bound to meet a ghost. None of those fishers heard anything in the reservoir, which suggests the killer chose an absolutely good spot, not one you can find just by looking.” “It could just be luck that the first time they threw it there, it went unnoticed, and then they followed suit,” interjected another seasoned criminal investigator from Qinghe Bureau, who, as part of the opposition, had been against focusing the search and investigation around the reservoir for several times. This was a classic dispute over investigative direction, and Liu Jinghui had already witnessed it once; he still couldn’t make a judgment now. Both men made sense, especially the latter seasoned criminal investigator. Although his words sounded argumentative, in reality, serial killers operate precisely in that manner. This was just like doing business or starting a company. Everyone is gambling with something very important, so certainly, they’d have their supposedly thorough research and practice beforehand. The ultimate outcome, however, may depend on both skill and luck. Is it possible for someone to use the wrong notion to choose a wrong location to open an incorrect shopfront, and due to various coincidences, they end up making money? All too possible. Is it possible for a killer to choose a wrong location to dispose of a body based on the wrong notion, and they remain undiscovered? Still very possible. At that moment, the veteran detective added, “This reservoir is the main source of life, drinking, and irrigation for the nearby residents. Many locals are familiar with it, making it difficult for you to investigate. Furthermore, since generation after generation has lived here, they would not dispose of bodies into it. When we solve cases in rural areas, nobody throws bodies into their own wells either.” “1234 and 56, but they were found in two different areas, indicating that the killer chose two separate locations, neither of which was discovered, and the second was even more hidden than the first. This proves it wasn’t just luck or a chance finding of the disposal site,” Captain Shi insisted on his point of view. Liu Jinghui interjected, “Wasn’t 56 washed away? Did you ask that hydrology expert?” Captain Shi replied, “We did, and it wasn’t washed away. It was deliberately thrown away in another place.” Liu Jinghui agreed with the comment but before Captain Shi could show a pleased expression, Liu added, “However, it doesn’t prove that the killer is from around the reservoir. We all agree that the killer must understand the reservoir. I think we should combine both of your ideas, the killer is not someone from around the reservoir but someone familiar with it, and there must be many such people.” Captain Shi fell silent for a moment, then said, “That’s too coincidental.” The veteran detective remained silent, clearly not agreeing with Liu Jinghui’s conclusion. Moreover, from his perspective, this was not an easy matter to investigate; they couldn’t just ask each individual: Do you know the Baichuan Reservoir in Qinghe well? Liu Jinghui silently sighed. Indeed, the problem with deductive reasoning is that everyone can theorize based on some facts, but the most probable event in the process is not necessarily the truth. At this time, they needed more evidence for support. Or perhaps, they needed to change the direction of thinking to see if there was any intersection between the two. “How’s the investigation on the transportation vehicles?” Liu Jinghui asked. “We’ve checked the vehicles from the reservoir, those belonging to the staff, and the ones that regularly deliver goods here,” spoke up Chief Chen. “Can we find the tire tracks and parking spots around the reservoir?” This was an idea previously put forth by Liu Jinghui. The killer would likely have a fixed route and parking spot if they came to the reservoir multiple times to dispose of bodies. It’s like a family planning a camping trip. Anyone with a bit of planning sense would consider the route and parking space. Someone disposing of a body would need to be even more methodical than someone taking their family out. Otherwise, if you just parked on the side of the road, you might get someone passing by who wants to give you a hand, or worse yet, you might get approached by traffic police or reservoir staff. Chief Chen, whose skin was tanned by the sun, gave an affirmative grunt and said, “There’s a strip of parking spots there. The land is scattered—some areas grow corn, some sunflowers, some reeds, and there are trees. In some places during the dry season, off-road vehicles can drive through the reed patches. Some people come especially for that.” “What about that group who play with off-road vehicles?” “We’ve asked them already. Doesn’t seem like them. Most are from out of town, like from the provincial capital, and they should not be familiar with the water conditions. Moreover, most people come a few times and then go somewhere else to play. It’s rare to see someone who has been coming continuously for three or four years, and those who came eight years ago and still came three years ago are very scarce.” Chief Chen’s train of thought was quite clear, swiftly ruling out the off-road enthusiasts. “What about considering the victims’ life trajectories? Number 1 was here on business, and her route to Qinghe City should be traceable. Number 5 was a student. Where is their intersection?” Liu Jinghui continued to inquire. “It’s here in our Qinghe.” “What about the specific route?” “It’s all unclear now.” “What about number 3? Still can’t sift out where the body came from?” “We’ll only know after sifting. There is no shortage of work that requires staying up late...” The truth wouldn’t jump out on its own; it was now time for the special investigation team’s brainstorming session. In other words, they were aimlessly searching for a lead. ... Jiang Yuan paced back and forth between numbers 2 and 4 for a good while. In total, six bodies had been found. The origins of numbers 1 and 5 had been identified, while number 3, although not yet confirmed, had a direction for the search. Among the remaining numbers 246, number 6 only had the skeletal remains of the upper body and was a later act by the killer, lacking useful clues. Numbers 2 and 4 were somewhat lacking in terms of marks on the bones. Speaking of which, both should have had X-rays taken. Because number 2 had a fractured humerus, and number 4 had undergone dental correction, both certainly would have required X-ray imaging. In theory, Jiang Yuan could take another set of X-rays of the skeletal remains and then compare them to the X-ray records retained by hospitals to determine the identities of the deceased. However, there’s a troublesome issue here. It’s very difficult to ask hospitals for a batch of X-ray images, let alone take them back. If they knew which hospital it was, then that would be fine. But considering the domestic situation, it would be reasonable for someone from Qinghe City to go to Changyang City for treatment. If they encounter someone like number 1, who was either on a business trip or a drifting victim, or even someone from another province, then how would they make a match? Luckily, a humerus fracture and dental correction both tend to suggest local treatment. Dental correction requires frequent, long-term visits, and getting treatment out of town would be burdensome and complicated. A humerus fracture is an acute condition; people usually seek medical treatment nearby after breaking an arm—unless they happened to fracture it while out of town... After repeated verification, and in the absence of any other identifying factors, Jiang Yuan still reached out to Wang Lan. Wang Lan had also noticed the two identifying features, but, sharing the same concerns as Jiang Yuan, getting the dental records for comparison seemed feasible, while whether the hospital could provide X-rays of the fractured humerus was uncertain. “Is there no other way?” Wang Lan asked, seeing that Jiang Yuan had brought it up, not holding out hope anymore. Jiang Yuan nodded and said, “This is all I can think of.” “Can you finish examining the X-rays of the humerus? I can take care of the teeth, but I can’t handle the humerus myself.” “I can,” Jiang Yuan affirmed, ready to persist!