Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 214 Unexplained Motives 4
The next morning, Tan Jia and Zheng Yan went to the versatile shoe store where the deceased had worked.

The shoe store had just opened, but because of an accident involving one of the employees, everyone was in a bad mood. From the owner to the only remaining employee, everyone looked worried and dejected.

When the police came knocking, the proprietress quickly came forward to greet them, bringing them stools and pouring water.

"Any leads, Officer Zheng? I tried calling Yang Jia last night, but her phone was always switched off. Who could be so ruthless?"

Zheng Yan stopped her from politely entertaining them, first saying that he had some leads, then looked directly at the couple and asked, "I heard that recently there have been rumors that the deceased and your husband had an improper relationship? Afterwards, you even hid and had a big fight. Is that true? Why didn't you mention it when you visited yesterday?"

Both of their expressions froze.

Then the proprietress was the first to react: "Because we're not the murderer! This has nothing to do with Yang Jia's murder!"

"Whether there's a connection or not isn't for you to decide. Whether he's the murderer or not isn't for you to decide either."

The proprietress waved her hand: "It's definitely not us! I know you might think Yang Jia is a mistress after hearing about this, and I'll definitely find a way to deal with mistresses. Putting aside whether my man and she have an improper relationship, even if they do, I won't cause her any trouble. The only one lying in that alley is my man!"

The shop owner mentioned shuddered and quickly explained, "I have nothing to do with Yang Jia! That's just nonsense from the shoe store across the street. He's just jealous that our business is doing better!"

"..." Zheng Yan coughed, "Then why did you two have such a big argument back then?"

The shop owner said, "Because I was warning him. Since Yang Jia came, our business has been getting better and better. She's sweet-talking and hardworking, and she works very well with another employee, Xiao Liu. If I have to leave something, I can completely trust her with the shop. If we hire someone else, it definitely won't be as good."

He added, "That old bald guy across the street, Lai, sees our business is doing well and keeps acting sarcastic. The other day, he was the one who started the argument with Jiajia, and then he started spouting nonsense, trying to drive away such a good employee! Do you think I can't see through him? That old bald guy, that orphan, that bastard! He spews filth the moment he opens his mouth, he must have grown up eating shit! I bet he's into illicit affairs, he might even have killed someone! What a filthy bastard!"

As she was talking, she suddenly walked to the door, raised her voice, and started cursing at the other side.

Tan Jia scratched his startled eyebrows and looked at the boss who didn't dare to utter a word, and the middle-aged man behind the glass door opposite who was gritting his teeth but didn't dare to open the door.

It's clear that the proprietress is a formidable fighter.

After venting her anger, the proprietress stepped back and continued, "I thought that although this matter wasn't true, saying it out loud could easily lead to speculation, so I warned my man not to sit still in the shop anymore, and not to get too close to Yang Jia. It would be best if he stood at the door and kept an eye on that old bald man, scaring him away!"

Zheng Yan stopped her from cursing again and asked, "Where were you from midnight to 3 a.m. last night?"

"She's sleeping. Yang Jia was on vacation yesterday, so I helped out at the shop. I picked up the two kids and brought them home to do their homework, then I had my husband go home to cook and bring groceries. We only went home after we closed the shop and Xiao Liu left."

Who can testify for you?

Who can vouch for me when I'm sleeping?

The boss was so anxious that sweat beaded on his shiny brow. He kept saying, "We're really not the murderers! How could we possibly commit murder! You'd be better off suspecting that bald guy over there!"

"What's your rush! The police need evidence!" The shop owner pushed him aside and said seriously, "As for sleeping, only my daughter and son can testify, but the time we come home and leave can be confirmed by our neighbors and the security guard. We made some money from the shop and moved to live outside the alley, where there's a proper security guard. Oh, and there are security cameras too!"

Zheng Yan glanced at her: "Your logic is very clear." "Of course! I was a college student back then, although the school wasn't very good, but I even worked for the government later! If it weren't for me, this shop wouldn't have made a penny!"

The boss next to him nodded quickly, his eyes clear, showing no dissatisfaction whatsoever.

In short, her words sounded reasonable and well-founded, with no loopholes.

After Zheng Yan asked a few more questions and was about to end the inquiry, Tan Jia spoke up and asked the proprietress:
"Do you have any suspects? Yang Jia has worked in your shop for over six months; you should be the person here who knows her best. Who do you think killed her, and why?"

The proprietress hesitated for a few seconds before carefully saying, "Actually, I'm wondering if he's one of those mentally ill people who's dissatisfied with life? Or a drunken lunatic. I heard that someone was stabbing people in the street not long ago."

"Anything else? If it was a premeditated murder, who do you think might have had a conflict with the victim?"

"Hmm... I really can't think of anything. She doesn't call or text much, so she probably doesn't have a boyfriend. When I asked her, she said she wasn't in a relationship and only had a few friends. Her family is all in the village, and she only goes back once or twice for holidays, but I heard they have pretty good relationships... I really can't believe it."

Even the owner of the shoe store across the street wasn't on her list of guesses.

They went across the street and asked the bald boss who was spreading rumors, and the result was still that he was not a suspect.

After leaving the shoe store, they went to the apartment complex where the owner lived to copy the surveillance footage, and then returned to the police station.

Then I went to the forensic lab.

The autopsy has been completed, and the entire room is filled with an indescribable stench.

Old Li acted as if he couldn't smell anything, without even frowning, and told them, "The deceased was not sexually assaulted, but the attack wound on her forehead was very serious, and she must have been briefly dizzy at the time."

Zheng Yan and Tan Jia exchanged a glance.

"Just as we suspected. The deceased was probably knocked unconscious and fell to the side, but woke up shortly afterward, struggled to move, and may have cried for help in the process, before being held down and gagged by the murderer."

Old Li agreed with this guess and said, "The things left under her fingernails were basically soil, grass, and moss that she had picked off from the steps, which matches the environment of the first crime scene you found."

"The wood shavings remaining on her forehead wound are from compressed board, which must have been exposed to the elements for a long time. It's very loose and has a lot of splinters. Also, she has varying degrees of abrasions on the back of her head, arms, and calves, which were probably caused by friction against the ground while she was struggling."

"But strangely, when she was hit by the wooden stick and fell to the ground, the impact should have left some marks on her body, but she didn't."

Tan Jia pondered, "When we reconstructed the scene last night, we also found that there were no obvious skin flakes, hair, or bloodstains left where the murderer struggled, as if it had been cleaned up. But there were no bruises when she fell to the ground... Was it because the murderer grabbed her?"

Old Li: "Why? Afraid of making a sound when you fall? But that little sound wouldn't even be as loud as the deceased's faint cries for help. It doesn't make sense."

“If we find the murderer, we’ll know why,” Zheng Yan said, hands on his hips. “But the biggest problem right now is that we can’t find the murderer. No matter how many people we ask, no one seems to be a suspect.”

(End of this chapter)