Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 409 What's in the inner room?

Zhou Yi recalled that Xu Liu left the school at 4:20 p.m. that day.

But that was only the last time others saw her, not when she actually disappeared.

Was she abducted and rendered immobile as soon as she left the school gate, or did she go somewhere first before encountering misfortune?

This cannot be confirmed at present and requires further analysis and confirmation through interviews and surveys of the surrounding population.

This is because it relates to the validity of alibis during the investigation process.

If we calculate based on the time Xu Liu last appeared, then theoretically, any faculty or staff member who normally leaves work after 5 PM would have a sufficient alibi.

Xiao Bing returned home around 5 p.m., before it got dark, and ran into a neighbor.

This does prove that he went home after get off work, but it doesn't prove that he didn't go out again afterwards.

Because there are very few streetlights in this old town, if Xiao Bing disguises himself and goes out after dark, almost no one will notice.

Just like the man in black I saw on Daguan Street that day.

What about the 29th and 30th?

"I've been working regular hours these past two days," Xiao Bing replied. "The school has attendance records, and I had classes both days. You can check with the school to see for yourselves."

Xiao Bing seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, "By the way, Officer Zhou, why didn't you look for me at school during the day? Why did you come to my house? I heard that the police have sent people to the school, and many teachers and students from the School of Accounting have been called in for questioning one after another."

“I had other work to do during the day, so I didn’t have time. I just happened to be in this area. I ran into you here on the morning of May Day, and you said you lived nearby. So Officer Chen and I thought, since we’re here at such a convenient time, why don’t we check if you’re home?” Zhou Yi thought to herself, “Finding logical plausibility isn’t something only you can do.”

"Oh, that's how it is……"

"Did I hold you back?"

Xiao Bing waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, it won't take up any time. I don't have anything to do anyway."

"Okay, let's continue. It's getting late. Let's ask a few more questions and then we'll leave."

"It's okay, it won't affect you."

"I remember there were basically no classes in the afternoon on the 30th, right?"

"Mm." Xiao Bing nodded.

"Can't your faculty and staff leave work earlier? I saw that many students left right after class that day."

"Oh, it's like this. There was a May Day celebration at school that afternoon, held in the school auditorium. Our department had a French opera performance, and I was the instructor, so I couldn't leave early in the afternoon."

Chen Yan had told Zhou Yi about this celebration on the way. The task force had specifically investigated and found that it was organized by the school, requiring each department to submit a performance. Apart from the teachers and students who participated in the performances, participation was voluntary due to limited space.

The task force also obtained the list of people involved in the celebration, and it will be easy to find out whether Xiao Bing's words are true or not.

"What time does the event start?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Two o'clock, a total of three hours, it will end at five o'clock."

Zhou Yi pondered to himself, "Two o'clock... that's more than an hour between that and Xiao Shuang leaving school. If it's prepared in advance, that should be enough to take her hostage and control her."

Unfortunately, there are no surveillance cameras at the school's side and back gates, so it's impossible to confirm whether Xiao Bing left the school during that hour and then returned before the event started.

But if he can prove that he left after the event had ended, that would be a bit tricky.

Because they left after 5 p.m., only a little over three hours passed between the discovery of the first bag of body parts and the discovery of the first bag of body parts.

Because all the body parts had been deep-fried, the forensic doctor was unable to determine the time of death.

Therefore, it cannot be confirmed whether Xu Liu was murdered on the night of the 28th, the 29th, or the 30th.

This is also one of the important factors that Lu Xiaoshuang did not have the opportunity to commit the crime; she did not have enough time to commit the crime.

But Xiao Bing is different.

Xiao Bing did not have a sufficient alibi on the nights of the 28th and 29th. Assuming that the dismemberment and disposal took place on those two nights, as long as the parts were pre-packaged, the three hours or so on the afternoon of the 30th should have been enough to dispose of the body. After all, apart from the head, the rest of the body parts can be basically identified as being located around Hongda, at a distance of one to five kilometers.

However, if we also take Lu Xiaoshuang hostage and throw her into the northernmost mine in Hongcheng, three hours probably won't be enough.

Zhou Yi suddenly wondered if it was possible that Lu Xiaoshuang was actually thrown into the mine not on the 30th, but on May 1st.
Of course, all the police's attention was focused on searching the garbage dump for body parts. Although at the first case analysis meeting later, Director Xie suggested that suspicious persons and vehicles should also be investigated, it was already 4 or 5 pm on the 1st.

The little boy who was picking up coal cinders first heard cries for help coming from the mine around 5 p.m., which means that the murderer had already completed his plan and left by then. Lu Xiaoshuang's awakening may have been unexpected by the murderer.
"Teacher Xiao, what did you do on May 1st? Where were you? I ran into you in the alley. Where were you planning to go?"

"Oh, that day. I was planning to go to the bookstore that day to see if there were any new books worth buying. I don't have many hobbies, but I like to read."

Which bookstore did you go to?

"I often go to the Xinhua Bookstore at the intersection two kilometers to the east, since it's on my way to and from work."

Zhou Yi pointed to the door and asked, "Didn't you ride your bike that day?"

"No, I'm not in a hurry anyway, so I'll just stroll over slowly."

What time did you leave the bookstore?

Xiao Bing thought for a moment, then said with difficulty, "Noon, I guess, but I didn't notice the exact time." As she spoke, she held up her wrists: "You see, I don't usually wear a watch."

"and after?"

"Later I went home, cooked myself a bowl of noodles, and spent the afternoon reading at home."

Xiao Bing's answer gave Zhou Yi a headache; she was home alone again, and there was no one to vouch for her.

Is this Teacher Xiao a natural homebody, or is he genuinely unable to provide an alibi and resorting to this method to cover it up?

So, did you end up buying the book?

Xiao Bing nodded: "I bought it."

"Would it be convenient for us to take a look?"

In response to Zhou Yi's question, Xiao Bing retorted somewhat angrily, "This shouldn't be related to the case you're investigating, right?"

Zhou Yi casually replied, "Of course it's okay. I just want to understand the situation as comprehensively as possible to rule out your suspicion. After all, you certainly don't want to be involved in this kind of thing, right? For us, there are still many people to question, and it's best to complete the investigation in one go to avoid bothering you again later."

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he stared intently at Xiao Bing. If Xiao Bing showed signs of emotional agitation and refused to cooperate, it would mean that he was lying and would become angry and embarrassed.

But Xiao Bing reverted to her previous refined demeanor, adjusted her glasses, nodded, and said, "I understand your work. No one feels good after something like this happens."

He stood up and walked towards the door.

"The book is in the inner room, I'll get it out."

Zhou Yi and Chen Yan were immediately invigorated; finally, they could peek into the inner room!
Xiao Bing walked to the door and reached out to turn the doorknob.

But something strange happened: the doorknob wouldn't turn, and Xiao Bing's hand stiffened slightly.

But he immediately let go, reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys, muttering to himself, "I forgot I locked the door this morning, just a moment."

Zhou Yi and Chen Yan, who were staring at his back, exchanged glances and both felt something was amiss. Why would someone who lived alone lock the door when leaving home?
Xiao Bing used the key to open the door and went inside.

He didn't open the door wide, leaving it at a 60-70 degree angle, but that was enough for Zhou Yi and Chen Yan to see the general situation inside.

Almost identical to the outer room, the floor and walls were covered with tiles. Inside, you could see a bed, wardrobe, and desk, but no television or other furniture. The style was almost the same as the outer room, clean, tidy, and orderly.

It doesn't look like a place where corpses were dismembered and cooked.

However, in the southeast corner, there is another door that is closed.

It's likely the shower room Xiao Bing was referring to.

Chen Yan and Zhou Yi both frowned slightly. There seemed to be nothing unusual in the room. Could it be that they had guessed wrong?

At this moment, Xiao Bing came out with a book and closed the door again.

The whole process takes about twenty or thirty seconds.

Xiao Bing walked over and placed the book in front of Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi looked down at it, then flipped through it again.

The book is called "Being Digital," a bestseller published by Hainan Publishing House. Zhou Yi remembers it was quite popular back then.

Moreover, the book also has the seal of the Xinhua Bookstore on it.

"No receipt?" Zhou Yi asked.

"I didn't want the hassle to open it," Xiao Bing replied calmly.

The investigation into Xiao Bing went nowhere all day, especially since they even came to Xiao Bing's house to question him. I thought I could find some clues, but it felt like all my efforts were in vain.

The inner room, which was initially suspected, turned out to be nothing special.

Although Xiao Bing's alibi was insufficient, the task force could not force him to prove his innocence based solely on suspicion and without other clues.

At most, they'll just detain him for a while under the pretext of cooperating with an investigation.

"Take care, both of you. If there's anything I can help you with, please let me know," Xiao Bing said with a smile as she stood at the door.

Zhou Yi nodded: "Thank you for your cooperation, Teacher Xiao."

"Also... Officer Zhou, if there's any news about Lu Xiaoshuang..."

Zhou Yi knew he was hesitant to speak, and said, "I will consult with my superiors about this, depending on the situation."

"Alright, alright, take care, you two. I won't see you off."

Zhou Yi glanced at the bicycles parked by the door, then suddenly turned and asked, "Teacher Xiao, one last question. Do you own a car?"

"Officer Zhou is joking. With my circumstances, how could I afford a car? Besides, I haven't even passed my driver's test."

Watching Zhou Yi and Chen Yan disappear around the corner of the alley, the faint smile on Xiao Bing's face slowly faded. He retreated back into the house and closed the door.

The moment the door closed, his eyes were filled with hatred!
(End of this chapter)