False evidence

Chapter 20 The Secret of the Photo Studio (Part 2)
My gut feeling is that Gao He is a cunning old fox, but I wouldn't dare to risk a fight with him until he actually gets going.

When I arrived at the team and saw Pidan, who had just finished giving his statement and looked pitiful, my eyes widened immediately.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Pidan still had a defiant attitude towards me.

Gao He chuckled and said, "It's normal for boys to look at girls, especially since you're so pretty. Alright, there's nothing more for you guys to do here. Go back with his 'Highway Little Rascal' (Jetta's nickname)."

I grabbed Gao He, and he looked around before flicking my hand. "Let go, let go. You can only hire buddies outside, not here. I have to maintain my image."

I looked at Pidan again, then at her mother, and whispered to Gao He, "Continue to send people to protect them."

Gao He stared at me for a while, then suddenly took a few quick steps, knocked on a door, and beckoned me over.

Standing at the door, I saw that inside there was a pair of women who looked like a mother and daughter sitting there.

Gao asked me in a low voice, "They are the second to last victims. Should we continue to protect them?"

Then, a hand covered her mouth and her voice was even lower: "The younger one is the bitch who stole Lin Dan's boyfriend."

I shook my head. "No need, they're fine."

Just then, Lin Dan came over, glared fiercely into the room, and turned to Gao He, saying:

"After the scene was cleared, the deceased was packed up and sent to the forensic lab. This is the original photo of all the victims taken at the photo studio."

He then handed several brown paper document bags to Gao He.

Suddenly, a thought struck me: "Can I see these photos?"

Gao He rolled his eyes. "No, but you can come to my office for some tea. Let me make it clear, I never drink coffee, only jasmine tea, and it's the cheapest kind, five yuan a pound. Hey, Pei Xiaofan, you and your mother can come and sit for a while too."

As Pidan entered, he was still muttering, "Why do I have to hitch a ride with someone else? Public transportation is quite convenient."

Gao He's face hardened: "Why take the bus when you have a 'private car'? No wonder people say that a woman's looks are inversely proportional to her intelligence."

Pidan glanced at him sideways and said, "Officer, I suddenly realized that you look a lot like one of my neighbors."

Gao He was taken aback. "How does it resemble me?"

Pidan turned his face to the side, his eyes almost rolling to the sky, "You've met him, he's a doctor on the street in front of us. His medical ethics and skills are alright, but he's a chatterbox."

Gao He looked both amused and exasperated, and gestured towards me with his lip: "Are you two a couple? How come you're so in sync, teasing a people's guardian like me?"

My face suddenly felt hot, and I was a little afraid to look at Pidan. I coughed lightly and pointed to the stack of file folders that Gao had placed on the table.

Gao He rolled his eyes, picked up a file folder, and said, "I haven't even looked at it yet, what's the rush?"

As he flipped through the photos one by one, Pidan's mom couldn't help but ask me, "Young man, so you're not a policeman after all?"

Pidan glared at me: "Mom, why are you bothering with him? Look at him, so silly, does he look like a policeman?"

I was still peering at the photos in Gao's hand when I heard this, so I instinctively turned around and nodded to Pidan's mom, "Mom..."

"Pfft..." Gao He almost fell headfirst under the table.

I have to admit again that Gao He is indeed a cunning old fox. Knowing that Pi Dan is easily embarrassed, he quickly handed me a stack of photos sealed in a transparent bag, saying, "Take a look, and tell me immediately if you find anything."

If he hadn't been quick-witted, I reckon Pidan would have just come up and kicked me between the legs.

While I was looking at the photos, Gao He kept talking to himself: "These are the first two victims. I'm not talking about the man, he's so ugly, and his belly is so big. If he wanted to marry my daughter... no way, I wouldn't take this son-in-law even if he offered a million-dollar dowry. He's just too damn ugly."

"This is the second victim. Her wedding dress was custom-made. She went to try on wedding dresses for a sample photoshoot, so she went alone. The shop assistant said that the person who served them was Tong Liru."

"and this……"

When Gao handed me the third stack of photos, he gestured towards Pidan and his mother, saying, "Your neighbor." Pidan immediately stood up. "Officer, these are my private photos. It's perfectly acceptable for you to look at them. He's not one of your people, so why are you looking at my photos?"

Gao He's face darkened. "If it weren't for him, you and your daughter would be dead!"

I looked through the photos intently, then subconsciously waved my hand. "I kind of feel for them, but... I'd like to see some other photos."

Gao He handed me the remaining file folders on the table, but I shook my head. "These aren't the ones. They contain information and photos of all the staff at the photo studio."

I hesitated for a moment, then said to Gao He, "Besides these, I want to see someone else."

Gao He's eyes darted around. "You want to see Tong Xiangnan?"

I nodded.

Gao He frowned. "Should we look at the photos first, or see him first?"

I said, "I have all these photos with me, including photos of the studio staff. I'll look at the photos when I see him."

Gao picked up the landline, but looked at me and said, "He still doesn't know his sister is dead."

I nodded. "I won't say anything out of line."

After I made the call, Gao He said to me, "Tong Xiangnan broke the law, but he's a very rational person, and his crime wasn't that serious. He'll probably get two years in prison."

Shortly after he finished speaking, Tong Xiangnan was brought in by two police officers.

As soon as Tong Xiangnan came in, he looked at me and asked, "Did you catch Liru?"

I countered with, "What do you think?"

Tong Xiangnan suddenly smiled, closed his eyes, and as he looked up, a string of clear tears rolled down his right eye. "She's dead, isn't she? She had nowhere else to turn, so she even betrayed me... She committed suicide? Isn't that right?"

Gao He sighed, "You truly deserve to be called a psychology whiz. From the moment you revealed the truth, you knew how she would end up."

Tong Xiangnan opened his eyes, raised his handcuffed hand, and wiped the corner of his eye. "Can I see her one last time?"

Gao He nodded, "Yes, but not now."

Tong Xiangnan stared at me with one bloodshot eye: "Her death was horribly ugly?"

I hesitated for a moment, then said, "Hello, my name is Sanqi. I'm not a police officer, nor am I a psychology student. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll graduate this time next year, and... I'll be able to become a veterinarian."

"A veterinarian?" Tong Xiangnan asked in surprise.

I felt a little embarrassed, but I still managed to say, "Could I remove your bandages and see what you look like?"

Tong Xiangnan turned to Gao He, his eyes still red, but his expression was one of disbelief. "You're going to find a veterinarian to treat my injuries?"

Gao He shrugged and said coldly, "I'm going to tell you two things now. First, you broke the law and you have to accept the punishment. Second, Tong Liru is indeed dead, but we suspect it was murder."

"Murder?" Tong Xiangnan's one eye suddenly widened.

Gao pointed at me and said, "We will definitely find the real culprit, so what you need to do now is listen to him."

Tong Xiangnan turned back and stared at me for a while, then suddenly raised his hand and tore off the gauze from his left eye.

I stared at him for a while, and I didn't feel any 'dazed' state, but a picture quickly formed in my mind.

Gao He opened a drawer, took out a file folder, and handed it to me. "The photo studio staff information you requested."

I didn't answer. I stared at Tong Xiangnan for a while before turning to Gao He and saying, "No need to look anymore, I know what the real culprit looks like."

(End of this chapter)