ebookland Chapter 1471 New Clues, New Turning Point
Chapter 1471 New Clues, New Turning Point
Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun exchanged a glance, a clue forming in their minds. The murderer likely obtained the wire through machinery factories, repair shops, or other similar channels, or was one of these clients, familiar with the wire's origin and Zhang Qiang's purchasing habits, which is why they deliberately used this wire to commit the crime and frame Zhang Qiang.
"Give us a list of all the machinery manufacturers and repair shops we work with, including their contact persons, contact information, and addresses," Xiao Yang said. "Also, have any new customers recently come to purchase this kind of wire? Or has any customer suddenly increased their purchase volume?"
The factory manager quickly had someone bring over a list of cooperative clients and handed it to Xiao Yang: "There are no new clients, and the purchase volume of old clients is relatively stable, with no sudden increase. The profit margin for this kind of wire is very low, and generally no one will stockpile large quantities."
Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun took the list and carefully checked it. They found that there were fifteen cooperative clients in total. In addition to the machinery factory where Zhang Qiang worked, there were ten small repair shops and four processing plants, all located within a five-kilometer radius of the urban village. "Are the contact information for these clients up-to-date? We need to verify them one by one."
"They're all up-to-date, and the contact information and addresses are correct," the factory manager said.
After leaving the hardware processing plant, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun immediately began investigating the fifteen customers on the list. They split into two groups and visited each machinery factory, repair shop, and processing plant one by one to verify recent wire purchases, check for any individuals matching the physical characteristics of the murderer, and compare the fingerprints, footprints, and DNA samples of the employees.
The investigation continued late into the night. Most customers' purchasing activity appeared normal, and the employees' physical characteristics, fingerprints, and footprints did not match the clues collected at the scene. However, during a visit to a small repair shop on the edge of an urban village, the owner reported a suspicious situation.
The repair shop owner, surnamed Liu, is in his forties and has been running the shop for five years. “Officer, I do often buy this kind of thin wire from the hardware factory on the outskirts of the city,” Liu said. “However, about a week ago, someone came to my shop and bought a small roll of this wire. He asked if I had any professional cutting tools, saying he needed to cut some stainless steel parts.”
"What does this person look like? How old is he?" Xiao Sun asked immediately, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
“He was about 1.78 meters tall, of medium build, in his thirties, wearing a hat and a mask, so I couldn’t see his face,” the shop owner, Liu, recalled. “He spoke in a very low voice, as if he was deliberately hiding something. He bought the wire and a small stainless steel cutter and left, so I didn’t pay much attention. Now that I think about it, it is indeed a bit strange. People usually buy wire to tie things up, and it’s rare for them to specifically buy a cutter to cut stainless steel parts.”
"Did he say what he does for a living or where he's going?" Xiao Yang pressed.
Shop owner Liu shook his head: "No, he didn't talk much. He paid and left after asking the price. I didn't even see his eyes clearly. He was wearing a dark jacket and sneakers with a diamond pattern on the soles, which is similar to what you described."
"Do you have security cameras in your store? Can you check them out?" Xiao Sun asked.
"There is surveillance footage, but it has been broken for almost a month and hasn't been repaired yet, so it didn't capture him," said Liu, the shop owner, with some regret.
Although there was no surveillance footage, this clue offered a glimmer of hope for the case. The person who purchased the thin wire and stainless steel cutting knife matched the suspect's description in terms of physical characteristics and clothing, and the items they bought also matched the wire and metal fragments recovered from the scene. This person was considered a prime suspect.
Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun immediately reported the situation to Li Ming, who promptly ordered an expanded search area centered on the repair shop. They were instructed to retrieve surveillance footage from surrounding streets to find individuals matching the physical description. Simultaneously, residents and shopkeepers around the repair shop were questioned one by one to see if anyone had seen the person.
However, the investigation encountered another obstacle. Most of the surveillance cameras around the repair shop were old and blurry, and had many blind spots, making it impossible to find a clear image of the suspicious person. Neither the residents nor the shop owners in the vicinity could accurately describe the suspicious person's appearance; they only knew that a man wearing a hat and a mask had appeared in the vicinity, but his whereabouts were unknown.
Even more disappointingly, the technical department reported that the pathological examination, toxicology test, and trace evidence comparison results were all normal. No metal residue of the wire was found in the zipline, and only the victim's skin tissue and bloodstains were detected on the surface of the wire, with no trace of the murderer. The toxicology test results showed that there were no traces of poison in the victim's body, ruling out the possibility of poisoning. No valuable clues were found in the fingernail residue, hair samples, etc.
The case was back to square one; the glimmer of hope that had just appeared vanished quickly. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun sat on the steps outside the repair shop, staring at the dark alley, their hearts filled with frustration. The urban village was unusually quiet late at night, save for the occasional bark of a dog and the distant honking of cars. It was as if countless eyes were lurking in the darkness, watching their every move, while the murderer remained hidden in the shadows, elusive and untraceable.
“We can’t give up. Let’s go through all the clues again.” Xiao Yang took a deep breath and stood up. “The suspicious person bought wire and a cutting knife at this repair shop, which means he is very familiar with the area. He is most likely a local resident or someone who frequents this area. Let’s expand our search and check all the rental houses and small hotels in the area. We must find his trail.”
Xiao Sun nodded, stood up, and dusted himself off: "Also, let's question Zhang Qiang again and see if he knows anyone who matches this physical description, especially someone who works in mechanical repair and frequently handles cutting tools. The murderer framed him, so they probably have an old grudge against him or had some previous interactions."
The two immediately got up and threw themselves back into the investigation. As night deepened, their figures under the lamplight looked particularly exhausted, but their eyes remained resolute. No matter how difficult the case, no matter how cunning the killer, they would not give up; they were determined to find the truth and give the deceased justice.
Meanwhile, in the forensic identification center's laboratory, technicians continued their meticulous examinations. Zhang Lin stared at the victim's skin tissue sample under the microscope, his brow furrowed. Although the initial tests hadn't revealed anything abnormal, something felt off. He repeatedly adjusted the microscope's focus, carefully observing every detail of the sample, hoping to find that crucial clue hidden in the minutiae and break the current deadlock.