novelaction Chapter 1032 The Complainant's Brother
Chapter 1032 The Complainant's Brother
At the end of the autopsy, the electronic clock showed 22:47. Zhang Lin removed his blood-stained protective mask and summarized into the recording pen: "The deceased died from multiple blunt force trauma to the neck, causing tracheal and esophageal rupture, combined with mechanical asphyxiation. The time of death was between 1:00 and 3:00 AM on July 9th. There was a violent struggle before death, and the victim suffered secondary injuries after death. Fingernail fold skin tissue, stomach contents, and semen from the condom will be sent for testing as key evidence."
As the assistant pushed the dissected body into the refrigerated cabinet, Zhang Lin's phone vibrated. A preliminary report from the DNA lab indicated that the fingerprints on the skin under the fingernails and the doorknob at the scene belonged to the same person; and the semen inside the condom was related to the number listed as "Lili" in Zhang Bing's contacts—Li Qiang, the younger brother of the complainant, Li Li. The scalpel had not only cut open the corpse, but also torn open the bloody truth hidden behind the neighborhood.
As Xiao Wang slapped Li Qiang's photo onto the whiteboard, sunlight streamed obliquely through the blinds of the Criminal Investigation Division, casting fine shadows on the image. In the photo, Li Qiang wore blue overalls from an auto repair shop, his greasy cuffs rolled up to reveal a winding tattoo on his forearm, and his eyes held a rebellious air. "Focus on investigating Li Qiang's whereabouts on the night of the incident. His sister, Li Li, was the one who reported the crime; this relationship is too sensitive," Xiao Wang said to the team members who had gathered around, his pen emphatically touching the photo.
The investigation began at the auto repair shop where Li Qiang worked. The workshop was filled with the roar of machines, the smell of engine oil and rust mingling with the heat. The shop manager, wiping the oil from his hands, frowned as he recalled, “Li Qiang worked the night shift yesterday, from 8 pm to 4 am. The security cameras should have captured him; we have work logs for every machine here.” Xiao Wang immediately retrieved the surveillance footage. On the screen, Li Qiang, wearing gloves covered in engine oil, was intently disassembling a car engine, only going to the restroom at 1 am for no more than five minutes.
"Check his call and purchase records again," Xiao Wang said, flipping through Li Qiang's profile. The phone records showed that Li Qiang only received one food delivery call during the time of the incident. The purchase records were even clearer—at 2:00 AM, he bought a pack of cigarettes and a sports drink at a convenience store near the auto repair shop, the payment time accurate to the second. In the convenience store's surveillance footage, Li Qiang, wearing his signature blue overalls, stood sleepily at the checkout counter, the digital clock on the background wall clearly displaying the time.
However, Xiao Wang did not easily rule out suspicion. He and his team visited every colleague in the auto repair shop. "Qiangzi may have a fiery temper, but he's a reliable worker," said Lao Zhang from the same team, wiping his wrench. "Last night we were repairing that big truck with the blown engine, and he didn't leave the workshop once. The longest he was away was when he went to buy me a pack of cigarettes, which was no more than ten minutes." Other colleagues also confirmed that Li Qiang was indeed busy in the workshop during the time of the incident.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Xiao Wang retrieved all traffic surveillance footage from the auto repair shop to the crime scene. The footage showed that no one matching Li Qiang's description left the factory area during the time of the incident. Moreover, even by car, it would take at least twenty minutes to get from the auto repair shop to Zhang Bing's house. Considering the time allotted for the crime, it was impossible for Li Qiang to have completed the entire murder during his brief absence.
But Xiao Wang was still unwilling to give up. He went to Li Qiang's sister, Li Li, again, trying to find a breakthrough from her. Li Li sat in the interrogation room, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, tears welling in her eyes: "Officer, my brother really couldn't have killed someone. Although he's a troublemaker, he would never do something like this. Last night when I got home from get off work and found Zhang Bing's accident, Qiangzi was still asking me on WeChat when I'd get home. He knew I was scared working the night shift alone." As she spoke, she trembled as she took out her phone. In the chat history, at 5:07 AM, Li Qiang had sent a message: "Sister, are you home yet? Be careful on the road."
Xiao Wang then contacted Li Qiang's girlfriend, Xiao Fang. Xiao Fang works at a nail salon. Upon hearing Li Qiang's name, her eyes reddened: "Qiangzi video-chatted with me all night. We talked from 11 p.m. until after 3 a.m. He said it was too noisy in the workshop and he wanted to hear my voice." She opened her phone, and the video call history showed the complete call duration and time points.
After three days of relentless investigation, Xiao Wang finally had to accept reality. Li Qiang indeed had no opportunity to commit the crime. He stood in front of the whiteboard, staring at Li Qiang's photo, speechless for a long time. The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, casting a long shadow of his. "Although we've ruled out Li Qiang as a suspect, we can't let our guard down," Xiao Wang said, turning to his team members. "The killer is definitely still lurking in the shadows. We need to re-examine the clues and leave no detail overlooked."
However, just as Xiao Wang was preparing to readjust the direction of the investigation, an unexpected clue emerged. During his questioning, Li Qiang inadvertently mentioned something: a few days before the incident, he had seen Zhang Bing arguing with a man wearing a baseball cap at the entrance of the residential complex. The man looked unfamiliar, and Zhang Bing's expression was angry. This clue, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in the investigation once again. Xiao Wang immediately gathered his team members, revised the investigation plan, and a new pursuit was about to begin.
Xiao Zhou slammed Li Li's work schedule onto the table. The still-wet ink on the night shift record gleamed eerily under the desk lamp. He rubbed his aching temples, and a weary voice came through the walkie-talkie from a team member: "We checked Hongfa Machinery's attendance system. Li Li's clock-in record from midnight to 7 a.m. on July 9th is complete, and the workshop surveillance cameras captured her operating the machine tools."
The fluorescent lights in the interrogation room emitted a slight hum. Li Li huddled on the iron chair, her work pants still stained with yesterday's machine oil at the knees. When Xiao Zhou pushed the DNA test report of the condom in front of her, her nails dug deeply into her palms: "I...I admit to having a relationship with Zhang Bing, but we're both single, it's not illegal!" Tears suddenly welled up, leaving two streaks on her pale face.
Xiao Zhou opened his notebook, his pen pausing on the date "June 18, 2023"—the exact date he retrieved the bear keychain from Zhang Bing and had it engraved. "You two started this last year?" His voice was like an icicle piercing the air. Li Li nodded tremulously, her Adam's apple bobbing as she swallowed hard. "That day, the factory organized a team-building activity, and he drank too much and took me home... After that, he would buy me bear-shaped cookies every month, saying that seeing me reminded him of his first love."
The investigation team retrieved the two men's communication records overnight. Among the dense chat messages, Zhang Bing's last message was dated July 8th at 10:30 PM: "I'll bring you some new flavored cookies tomorrow."