False evidence

Chapter 135 Someone's in the New House
Once in the car, Gao He asked, "Why are there only the two of you?"

"Monkey King and the others haven't woken up yet, and besides, there's no need for so many people to go."

"Xiao Jiang has arrived at the hospital." Gao He started the jeep. "But there's a problem now. Last night, Zhang Xuan's condition suddenly worsened, and she was moved to the intensive care unit again. We might not be able to see her today."

I said, "Then let's not go to the hospital yet. Is it convenient to visit her at her home in the city?"

Gao He made a phone call, and after hanging up, he said, "Xiao Jiang is on his way now."

On the way, after he explained it in detail, I finally understood the whole story.

To my surprise, the woman named Zhang Xuan was actually an art major.

Meng Chao said, "A young and beautiful female painter married a wealthy businessman who was nineteen years her senior. Wouldn't you call that a perfect match? It's a pity that the man surnamed Kou was not fortunate enough to enjoy it. Otherwise, why would he have kicked the bucket less than two years after their marriage?"

Gao He chuckled: "I checked back in the office last night and found out that this Kou Yun is quite an oddball. He was originally just a middleman selling land, but I don't know if he stumbled upon a great deal and became rich overnight, so he started investing in shops."

He has no relatives, but he has four ex-wives, all much younger than him and each more beautiful than the last. One is now in America, one in Japan, and the other two married long ago.

He and Zhang Xuan bought this fully furnished apartment in the city this May. They moved in in early June, and less than a week later, Kou Yun suffered a heart attack and died in their new home.

Meng Chao said, "Wow, marrying five wives, that's incredibly impressive. Hey, if that's the case, then when he dies, won't all his property go to his new wives?"

"That's true!" Gao He turned the steering wheel and drove the car into a rather upscale residential area.

He parked the car, turned to me with a half-smile, and said, "He was forty-seven this year, an age at which it's impossible for him to leave a will. And his death was sudden. All his assets will naturally go to Zhang Xuan. There's something interesting—Kou Yun had no history of heart disease!"

The three got out of the car, and Jiang Banxia, ​​who had arrived earlier, came to greet them.

She glanced at Meng Chao, hesitated for a moment, and said, "This is a private residence after all, it's not appropriate for too many people to go up there."

Meng Chao quickly replied, "I understand, I won't go up. I came along because I wanted to see what my 21-year-old girlfriend looks like."

We took the elevator to the 22nd floor. During the ride, I asked Gao He, "Kou Yun is a wealthy man, so why would he buy a penthouse apartment?"

Gao He smiled and said, "There's something I forgot to tell you. Kou Yun is rich, but he's a notorious miser. Otherwise, why would he always live in Fenghua Lane? His first four wives divorced him because he was too stingy. This apartment was probably bought by Zhang Xuan after much pleading and cajoling. How could she possibly buy a good floor?"

"You're mistaken about that."

Jiang Banxia stepped out of the elevator, turned around and said, "Kou Yun originally chose the 9th floor, but Zhang Xuan said the top floor was cheaper and would come with an attic terrace, so we changed it to the top floor."

Gao He raised an eyebrow at me: "So, the two of them are truly in love?"

I pursed my lips, about to speak, when I saw the key Jiang Banxia took out, and I couldn't help but be stunned.

Gao He also noticed the same detail and asked her, "Did Zhang Xuan give you this key?"

"Yes. After Kou Yun passed away, she gave me this key. She knew I wouldn't go into her house without permission, so she kept it as a backup."

Jiang Banxia's tone was a bit unfriendly, which was understandable. Our trip, ostensibly for an investigation, was actually trespassing. "Let me see."

Gao He took the keys, then took out the set of keys I gave him last night and compared them. He looked up and said:
"Look at the keychain. This set of keys that Sanqi gave me should have belonged to Kou Yun. Since they've already moved into the new house, why doesn't the male homeowner have a key to the front door?"

Jiang Banxia frowned and said, "Kou Yun has been dead for almost half a year. The old house has been used as a mourning hall, so Zhang Xuan can only live here. What's so strange about taking the key to the new house off?"

Gao He looked at me: "It's not surprising that the new house key was taken off, but how come this set of keys is still at the old house?"

Jiang Banxia frowned even more: "She goes to offer incense to Kou Yun every now and then. Is it wrong for her to leave the key there?"

Gao He's face darkened: "Xiao Jiang, if you find something suspicious, you can't let personal feelings interfere with the investigation."

Jiang Banxia shook her head: "Captain Gao, at first I thought this was a bit strange. But since last night, I suddenly feel that the whole thing is absurd."

Cats hire hitmen? Ha, even if I believe what Sanqi says, what are you suspecting now? Are you investigating the cat, or Zhang Xuan? If it's Zhang Xuan, what do you suspect her of?

"Because her injury was so suspicious! And also because she is the sole heir to Kou Yun's estate!"

Gao said something sternly, then turned and opened the security door.

Looking at the living room's furnishings, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of unease.

Gao He turned to Jiang Banxia and asked, "After Kou Yun passed away, Zhang Xuan has been living alone?"

Jiang Banxia also looked suspicious: "Before her accident, I came to see her, and she did live alone."

Gao He walked back to the door, looked down, turned around and asked, "Then why are there a pair of men's slippers? Are they Kou Yun's original ones?"

"No. Kou Yun is a little shorter than Zhang Xuan, and these slippers are so big, they definitely aren't his." Jiang Banxia covered her nose with one hand. "There's a smell of smoke in this room; someone must have stayed here recently!"

“You’re a forensic doctor, you don’t smoke, so if you can smell the smoke, then it’s definitely there.”

Gao He casually closed the door, looking around as he walked back, muttering to himself:
"Judging from the size of the slippers, their owner must be at least 175cm tall; Kou Yun is only 168cm tall; Zhang Xuan has been hospitalized for eight days now, even if she smokes, the smell wouldn't linger for this long..."

“That means a man who is over 175 centimeters tall and smokes stayed in this house in the last few days,” Jiang Banxia said.

Gao He raised his hand and waved the key he had just used to open the door. "This door lock is a brand and model that originally came with three keys; yours is almost brand new, with no obvious signs of use, so it should have been a spare key."

Zhang Xuan has been in the hospital... In other words, assuming a fourth key wasn't made, one of the other two keys is with Zhang Xuan herself, and the other is with the owner of these slippers.

It's a bit hard to believe that a woman could find a new boyfriend five months after her husband's death, but it's not impossible. Xiao Jiang, you and Zhang Xuan are friends, have you heard her mention having a boyfriend?

Jiang Banxia shook her head: "Captain Gao, you yourself said this doesn't make sense. Even if she has a new boyfriend, why would she tell me? It can't have come to this."

(End of this chapter)