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

Chapter 506 They Couldn't Speak Anymore (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Yangjiatun, Lujia.

There are only two women at home tonight.

Lu Xiaoshuang was half asleep when she opened her eyes and found that her mother was still awake.

He was sewing clothes in front of an oil lamp.

"Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Without looking up, Su Xiuying said, "Zhou Yi hasn't come back yet, so I'll leave the door open for him."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaoshuang said, "Mom, you should go to sleep. I don't think he'll be back tonight."

Su Xiuying was taken aback: "This case takes all night to investigate?"

Lu Xiaoshuang didn't take it seriously, turned over and continued sleeping, muttering, "That's how they are when they're police officers, it's normal, you should go to sleep."

"I'll sew this up and then go to sleep. You can go to sleep." Su Xiuying sighed softly, her eyes full of worry.

……

In the interrogation room of the county police station.

Miao Genhua provided an important clue: Ma Weichang did not actually have an alibi for the period of time that Ge Fangfang disappeared on July 22nd.

However, Zhou Yi had previously asked Ma Weichang in person where he was on the day of the incident.

Ma Weichang's answer was that he went to a nearby place called Antong because he had a transit warehouse there and he went to check the accounts.

He also said that Miao Genhua's younger brother, Miao Zhuang, could testify on his behalf.

Because Miao Zhuang was his driver.

When Ma Weichang said these words yesterday, he was in the hospital room, and he looked very calm and composed.

So Zhou Yi didn't suspect anything at the time. He told Zhao Liang about it, and according to normal procedures, they should have verified it with Miao Zhuang again.

However, Zhao Liang and his team were focused on finding Shi Jianshen at the time, so they hadn't had time to verify anything before the unexpected happened that very night.

Fortunately, Li Linglong had brought all the relevant personnel back as Zhou Yi had requested.

Miao Genhua said that after learning about this, she pretended to feel unwell and went to the hospital, and called Ma Weichang back from outside.

The purpose was to confront Ma Weichang on the way to the county hospital.

She said that when she questioned Ma Weichang about where he was that day, Ma Weichang seemed very flustered and explained that he was indeed supposed to go to Antong that day, but he had a bad headache, so he didn't go and instead asked Miao Zhuang to bring back the account book.

He himself took painkillers and then slept in the quarry office.

When Miao Zhuang returned, he handed him the account book. Because he had other things to do, he drove back to the city by himself.

Miao Genhua didn't believe this explanation, so she argued with Ma Weichang. During the argument, she also brought up the fact that she had discovered her daughter's genitals were red and swollen.

Ma Weichang was furious and immediately lost his temper. He parked his car on the side of the road and demanded that Miao Genhua call the police right now and have him arrested.

When Zhou Yi heard this, he questioned Miao Genhua, asking why she hadn't called the police at the time and why she hadn't mentioned it when questioned by the police yesterday.

Miao Genhua stammered that she was terrified by Ma Weichang's appearance at the time, her mind went blank, and all she could do was cry.

Later, seeing how heartbroken she was, Ma Weichang comforted her, saying that he had only stayed away because of a headache and swore to God that he hadn't done anything to harm Ge Fangfang. He also explained that the swelling and redness in the child's genitals might be due to poor hygiene.

Miao Genhua said she had no evidence and was easily swayed, so she believed Ma Weichang's words.

Then Ma Weichang continued driving her to the county hospital, and only left after completing the formalities.

But when she was left alone in the hospital, she became more and more uneasy. So she used a public phone near the hospital to call the pager number that Shi Jian had given her a few days earlier.

This is why nurses sometimes witness strange men coming to see them.

Zhou Yi was right; the man with the same hairstyle as Nicholas Tse was indeed Shi Jian.

She told Shi Jian about her suspicions about Ma Weichang, because she was feeling very frustrated and wanted to confide in someone.

But she forgot that Shi Jian was a simple-minded person, and as soon as he heard this, he shouted that he was going to find Ma Weichang to settle accounts.

He also said that if Ma Weichang really did harm his daughter, he would make him pay with his blood!

Miao Genhua said she was terrified because it was not her intention, but fortunately Ma Weichang came the next day without incident and didn't say anything.

She thought that the matter was over and done with.

Then the police came to find out what happened.

“It was…it was when you came yesterday,” Miao Genhua said, wiping away her tears.

Zhou Yi crossed his arms and said coldly, "You knew about such an important clue, yet you didn't say a word from beginning to end. Do you think that's reasonable?"

She shook her head, her face contorted with pain, and said, "Fangfang has been missing for so many days, I... my mind is a mess, I don't know if I should say this, I'm afraid that if I'm wrong, then..."

The implication was that if she made a mistake, Ma Weichang would definitely abandon her, leaving her completely alone.

"Then what about suicide? Why did you try to commit suicide last night?" This was something Zhou Yi couldn't understand. Theoretically, suicide should always have a motive.

"Because I dreamt of Fangfang. I dreamt that she was covered in blood and kept crying and shouting: 'Mom, save me, Mom, save me.'"

Miao Genhua said tearfully, "It's my fault for not taking good care of her. I'm so sorry. I was heartbroken and couldn't think straight, so I didn't want to live anymore, sob sob sob..."

This reason cannot be said to be entirely without persuasiveness.

But it's still strange that in such a state of utter despair, he still knew to steal sleeping pills to commit suicide.

"When was the last time you saw Ma Weichang?" Zhou Yi asked.

Miao Genhua cried until her face was streaked with tears and snot. "It's just... not long after you left, he left. He's actually a very petty person. He suspected that I lied to him about Shi Jian's matter, and he didn't believe me."

"You lied to him. What's wrong with him not believing you?"

Zhou Yi's words stunned Miao Genhua.

"I...I was doing it for the good of this family..."

Zhou Yi sneered, "Home? What kind of home is this?"

"Miao Genhua, when did you find out that Ma Weichang was dead?"

"It was this morning, after I had my stomach pumped, that policeman who came with you yesterday came and asked me when Ma Weichang left yesterday."

Zhou Yi knew she was referring to Zhao Liang.

“I saw that he was very anxious, so I asked him if something had happened to Ma Weichang. Because the nurse had told me earlier that she couldn’t contact Ma Weichang and asked if I had any other family members’ contact information.”

Zhou Yi remembered Zhao Liang saying that the hospital contacted them because they couldn't reach Ma Weichang, and then they couldn't reach Ma Weichang either, which made them realize that he might be missing, and that's when they started looking for him.

The logic here is sound.

"What did the police say?" Zhou Yi asked.

"They said they couldn't contact him either, and asked if I knew where he might have gone. My first thought was of Shi Jian—had he done something to Ma Weichang? But I didn't dare say anything; I was afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Miao Genhua stammered, "I'm afraid that if it's not true, it will implicate Shi Jian."

Zhou Yi snorted coldly: "Are you afraid of implicating Shi Jian? Are you afraid that if things aren't like this, you won't be able to explain it to Ma Weichang!"

Miao Genhua, whose true thoughts had been exposed, lowered her head and avoided Zhou Yi's gaze.

Based on Miao Genhua's current confession, Zhou Yi was unable to find any obvious logical flaws at the moment.

The abnormal relationship between Shi Jian, her, and Ma Weichang can all be explained.

Although there are still many discrepancies with what Ma Weichang said before, Ma Weichang's words cannot be completely trusted and there must be some exaggeration involved.

The biggest problem now is that, apart from Miao Genhua, none of the key people involved in this case can speak out.

Ge Fangfang is suspected of being murdered, but her body is missing.

Ma Weichang has been murdered, and his death was staged as a suicide.

Shi Jian has completely disappeared without a trace, and there is still no sign of him.

Miao Genhua also offered a relatively reasonable explanation for the suicide.

Therefore, even if Shi Jian really was the murderer of Ma Weichang, she was not a direct suspect.

As for whether she induced Shi Jian to kill Ma Weichang through hints or guidance, although Zhou Yi has this suspicion, it is unlikely that she can break through this through interrogation alone at present.

Firstly, he had already realized that Miao Genhua was no pushover. On the surface, she appeared to be a somewhat frail rural wife, but in reality, she was very calculating about gains and losses.

Therefore, Zhou Yi believes that Ma Weichang's account is more credible regarding how the two developed a real-life romance.

Secondly, to confirm whether she had induced the murder, we first need to find Shi Jian and see his testimony.

Otherwise, if a single testimony is not corroborated, it is easy for problems to arise. If I leave and Miao Genhua suddenly recants and denies it, it will cause trouble for the people here.

"You just said that on July 26th, you contacted Shi Jian via pager?"

Miao Genhua nodded.

Zhou Yi stood up, took out his phone which was almost out of battery, and handed it to Miao Genhua: "Call Shi Jian now and leave him a message saying that you feel very uncomfortable and ask him to come to the hospital to see you immediately."

Miao Genhua glanced at the phone Zhou Yi handed her, but didn't reach for it. Instead, she said cautiously, "I...I don't remember the number."

"Are you kidding me?" Zhou Yi glared at him and questioned, "You called this number just two days ago and now you're telling me you've forgotten it? Miao Genhua, are you deliberately refusing to cooperate?"

"Officer, I'm not lying to you, I really don't remember. I wrote the number down on a piece of paper, but I don't know where I threw the other piece of paper. I... if I remembered, I would have called him long ago and asked him if he had done anything to Ma Weichang."

Looking at Miao Genhua's eagerness to explain, Zhou Yi noticed that her gaze was shifty and that she was largely lying.

"Miao Genhua, I'm warning you, if Shi Jian really does something illegal or criminal, protecting him is also a crime. Don't regret it later when you're in jail!"

Yang Chuan, standing behind him, thought to himself, "This young man is still too young. If it were Captain Zhou, he would have already used his 'Lion's Roar,' and one shout would scare the other person so much that they would fall to the ground and say whatever they were asked."

Little did he know that the reason Zhou Yi handled cases so professionally, without resorting to any underhanded tactics, was because by the time he had grown up to be able to handle things independently in his previous life, the relevant oversight measures were already very strict. Interrogations were monitored and recorded, and these records, along with the written statements, were provided to the procuratorate and the court as a chain of evidence.

Miao Genhua dared not look Zhou Yi in the eye, and kept saying, "I swear, I really don't remember, I swear, I really don't remember."

Zhou Yi stood there scrutinizing her for a full minute. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything, he put away his phone and went back.

But instead of sitting down, he picked up the two photos on the table and went back to Miao Genhua.

“Miao Genhua, take a look and see if you recognize these two things.”

The photos in Zhou Yi's hand included one of the children's shoes and another of the blood-stained children's underwear.

Upon hearing the sound, Miao Genhua raised her head again and glanced at the two photos.

Suddenly, she snatched the photo and asked excitedly, "You found Fangfang? Did you find Fangfang?"

"Do you recognize the things in the photo?" Zhou Yi didn't answer, but asked in return.

Miao Genhua's eyes were bloodshot, and she covered her mouth with one hand while nodding repeatedly.

Suddenly, she froze, pointing in horror at the underwear in the photo and asking, "Is this blood? Whose blood is this? Is it Fangfang's?"

Because the photos are not very clear and the evidence itself is not very clean, the bloodstains on the underwear in the photos look somewhat dark and more like stains.

"Give me a precise answer: were these two items what Ge Fangfang was wearing when she disappeared?"

Miao Genhua nodded tremblingly and cried out, "It's...it's Fangfang's. Officer, is my daughter dead? Who killed her? Was it Ma Weichang?"

Seeing that she was getting more and more agitated, Zhou Yi comforted her for a couple of minutes and then told her, "Don't cry. We haven't found Ge Fangfang's body yet, so we can't be sure if she has been murdered."

Although Zhou Yi had some suspicions about Miao Genhua, she was not directly suspected of committing a crime.

Therefore, they still have the basic right to know.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhou Yi said this, Miao Genhua cried even harder, covering her head and sobbing loudly, crying so sadly.

Zhou Yi looked at her and fell into deep thought.

Could it be that in this case, Ma Weichang raped and murdered Ge Fangfang, and then Shi Jian killed Ma Weichang to avenge his "daughter"?

Based on the witness testimonies and physical evidence obtained so far, this seems to be the answer closest to the truth.

But is it really so?

……

Yang Chuan walked into the former Beixian County Bureau office carrying two bags.

"Officer Zhou, you've worked hard. Please have something to eat."

Yang Chuan placed the plastic bag in front of Zhou Yi and took out three styrofoam lunch boxes from one of the bags, containing three dishes: two meat dishes and one vegetable dish.

He took out two more styrofoam lunch boxes from another bag, and when he opened them, they contained tightly packed white rice.

Yang Chuan placed a boxed lunch in front of Zhou Yi, then handed him a pair of disposable chopsticks, saying, "Our director instructed us not to neglect you, but there's not much food left at this hour, so this boxed lunch will have to do. I'm sorry."

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Officer Yang, you're too kind. This lunch looks very appetizing, and the portion is generous and filling."

As Zhou Yi spoke, he put the several transcripts in front of him aside and then broke open the disposable chopsticks in his hand.

He was really hungry. He hadn't finished his lunch at Lu Xiaoshuang's house and left without eating. He had been traveling all afternoon, and the bumpy ride in that old car had made him feel like his soul was about to leave his body.

Speaking of that old car, the driver was a real genius.

When Zhou Yi returned from Xipinggou, he found that the man was still there, loitering around the entrance of the county public security bureau like a patrolman.

Old Zhao, who was on duty at the gate, later told Zhou Yi, "If he hadn't kept saying he knew you, I almost would have arrested him."

Zhou Yi was both amused and exasperated, and told the driver to go back first and not wait for her.

He even joked that it was fortunate he had paid in advance, otherwise he would have been suspected of reneging on the debt.

The driver was single-mindedly trying to find out if there were any other cases and wanted to know the "insider information".

But Zhou Yi firmly rejected the offer.

However, he wasn't angry. Instead, he left Zhou Yi his phone number and told her to call him when she and Teacher Lu's daughter left in a few days. He would come to pick them up for free.

Zhou Yi knew he just wanted to find out more about the case and satisfy his curiosity, so he could only thank him with a wry smile.

“We eat this lunchbox often; it’s clean and hygienic. Eat more,” Yang Chuan said, piling food into Zhou Yi’s plastic lunchbox lid.

When a person is extremely hungry, everything tastes like a delicacy.

That's exactly how Zhou Yi feels right now.

As he ate, his peripheral vision kept lingering on the notes beside him.

These statements are from the village chief, Miao Genhua's mother, and her younger brother, Miao Zhuang.

Their questioning didn't last as long as Miao Genhua's, so following the normal procedure, they were allowed to go home after giving their statements and signing them.

Currently, only Miao Genhua is being held at the county bureau.

However, because Miao Genhua's confession mentioned where Ma Weichang was on July 22nd, after interrogating Miao Genhua, Zhou Yi, upon learning that Miao Zhuang had left, instructed Yang Chuan to arrange for someone to bring Miao Zhuang back.

He wanted to confirm with Miao Zhuang again about Ma Weichang's whereabouts on July 22nd.

While Yang Chuan went to buy food, Zhou Yi was reading the statements of the other three people, but he hadn't finished yet.

"Officer Zhou, do you really think Ma Weichang raped and murdered Ge Fangfang? The child was only six years old. This is too perverted!"

"Based on the clues we have so far, we cannot rule out this possibility. Look, all three members of the Miao family have confirmed that Ma Weichang behaved in ways that went beyond a normal stepfather-daughter relationship with Ge Fangfang, and that he also said some rather perverted things when he had relations with Miao Genhua."

"In addition, there's this pair of underwear. The underwear was found in Ma Weichang's office. According to Miao Zhuang's confession, that office was mainly used by Ma Weichang for work and rest at the quarry, as well as for storing valuables such as accounts and workers' wages. Therefore, only Ma Weichang had the key to the office, and no one else did."

"As for the semen stains on the underwear, let's see if we can extract the blood type information and compare it with Ma Weichang's blood type," Zhou Yi paused and said. "But blood type comparison alone cannot confirm it 100%. It would be great if we could do DNA testing."

Yang Chuan had clearly never heard of DNA before and asked curiously, "Brother what?"

“A new type of detection technology.” Zhou Yi didn’t explain in detail. There was no point in talking to Yang Chuan about it; he had to talk to Li Linglong about it later.

However, given the local conditions, Li Linglong probably has no way to resolve this matter.

Yang Chuan simply nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

At this point, Zhou Yi changed the subject and said, "But don't you find it strange that if Ma Weichang raped and murdered Ge Fangfang, what was his motive?"

"Motive? Isn't the motive because he has that... pedophilia?"

"Based on Miao Genhua's current testimony, Ma Weichang only made minor moves against Ge Fangfang. The only instance that could have caused substantial harm was when Miao Genhua noticed redness and swelling in her daughter's genitals. Regardless of whether these claims are true or not, assuming they are, what are your impressions of Ma Weichang in this matter?"

Yang Chuan held up his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and tentatively replied, "Having the desire to steal but not the courage?"

Zhou Yi slammed his hand on the table and said, "That's right! Even if Ma Weichang really has impure intentions, he and Miao Genhua have been together for a long time. Why did he choose this moment to make a move? The two didn't have any arguments, and there was no other reason for it. Don't you think it's too abrupt?"

Just as Yang Chuan was about to nod in agreement, a loud voice suddenly came from outside the door: "How do you know he didn't plan this all along?"

(End of this chapter)