ebookland Chapter 1205 Li Kui, the Auto Mechanic
Chapter 1205 Li Kui, the Auto Mechanic
As the autopsy neared its end, Zhang Lin summarized all the findings: "The deceased was male, aged 38-42, who suffered blunt force trauma (to the head and neck) and chest impact (leading to pulmonary contusion), resulting in respiratory failure and death; the time of death was around 8 pm on August 18; his wrists were bound with a grayish-brown hemp rope, with obvious signs of struggle; his work jacket was torn by a carbon steel knife, possibly caused by the suspect searching for items or during a struggle; after death, the suspect moved the body to the depths of the brick kiln, and the body rubbed against the kiln wall during the transport, causing the jacket to be covered in brick dust; the reddish-brown soil and black canvas fibers on the body indicate that the primary crime scene was inside the brick kiln, and the suspect was familiar with the kiln environment and may have entered the area multiple times."
“These conclusions correspond perfectly with the clues from the initial on-site investigation,” Xiao Lin said, organizing the autopsy report. “The grayish-brown hemp rope, reddish-brown soil, carbon steel knife, black canvas fibers, and the suspect’s height range (178-182 cm) all connect.” Zhang Lin nodded and handed the autopsy report to the technical department: “We need to expedite the testing of the grayish-brown fibers at the wrist binding marks, the carbon steel fragments from the torn jacket, and the black canvas fibers from the shoe soles. These could all be key evidence in identifying the suspect. In addition, the food residue in the stomach contents also needs to be tested to see if there are any unusual components to help determine the area where the deceased was active before death, especially whether there is matching food in the restaurants near the brick kiln.”
As the body was re-covered with a white sheet and wheeled out of the autopsy room, Zhang Lin removed his gas mask, the smell of disinfectant lingering on his face. Looking at the darkening sky outside the window, he recalled the curled-up body in the brick kiln. He knew that this autopsy report not only determined the cause and time of death but also provided a clear direction for the investigation—by following the three clues of "the source of the carbon steel knife," "the origin of the hemp rope," and "the location of the deceased's last meal," they would eventually find the murderer and bring him justice.
When Xiao Lin handed the autopsy report to Li Ming, Li Ming was reviewing the surveillance footage submitted by Xiao Wang. "The time and cause of death are clear," Li Ming said, his finger tracing the report. "Now the chain of evidence is becoming increasingly clear. Next, we need to focus on 'abandoned knives in the brick kiln,' 'the restaurant where the deceased last ate,' and 'the suspect's route (abandoned mining road)'. We must find a breakthrough as quickly as possible." He gave orders into the walkie-talkie: "The technical department will prioritize testing the fibers and metal fragments extracted from the body. Xiao Yang will lead a team to investigate the abandoned mining road. Xiao Zhou will visit restaurants in villages near the brick kiln. Xiao Wang will continue to retrieve private surveillance footage from the villages, forming a comprehensive encirclement."
As night deepened, the lights of the Criminal Investigation Division remained bright. Zhang Lin's autopsy report was like a key, unlocking the crucial door to solving the case. Everyone knew that every step from now on would revolve around this report, using scientific evidence to bring the murderer to justice and comfort the soul of the deceased. Sitting in his office, Zhang Lin looked at the soil samples on his desk, silently resolving: he must use these subtle traces to reconstruct the truth of the case and ensure that this tragedy that occurred in the abandoned brick kiln in Beishan received a just trial.
The lights in the Criminal Investigation Detachment's information verification room shone from dusk till dawn, the cold light from the computer screens reflecting on the tired faces of Xiao Zhou and his team. Coffee cans piled up like a small mountain on the table, empty takeout boxes were scattered to the side, and the initial rapid typing gradually slowed down—from 8 pm last night until now, they had been continuously verifying information for 12 hours, browsing more than 1000 missing persons records, their eyes so dry they could barely keep them open, yet they still hadn't found a clue matching the unidentified male corpse from the abandoned brick kiln in Beishan.
"Case 1087, male, 52 years old, 165cm tall, reason for disappearance: ran away from home, does not match; Case 1088, male, 35 years old, 178cm tall, disappeared in the city, clothing characteristics do not match..." Team member Xiao Li rubbed his sore eyes, his voice full of exhaustion, "Team Leader Yang's investigation of the abandoned mining road did not find any key traces, Team Leader Wang's review of surveillance footage has also made no progress, if we cannot find the identity of the deceased, the case will really be stuck."
Teammate Xiao Wang sighed as he looked at the computer screen: "The information on these missing persons is too messy. Either the age and height don't match, or the location of disappearance doesn't match the clothing characteristics, and half of them are missing persons cases from many years ago, so there's no way to connect them." He pointed to a piece of information on the screen, "Look at this one, missing person Zhang Qiang, 40 years old, 172cm tall, which matches the height of the deceased, but he went missing in 2022, and his family said he had a history of mental illness, so it's unlikely that he's the person we're looking for."
Xiao Zhou put down the verification record sheet in his hand, pinched his temples hard, and tried to relieve his fatigue. "Everyone, hang in there. The identity of the deceased is the key to solving the case. We can't give up any possible clues." He walked to Xiao Li's side and pointed to the screening criteria on the screen. "Narrow the scope a bit more. Focus on men who have gone missing in the past week, aged 38-42, 170-175cm tall, and whose disappearance location is in or around Beishan, especially those engaged in manual labor—the deceased had calluses on his hands and his work jacket was severely worn, so he was very likely a manual laborer."
After readjusting the filtering criteria, the number of information items was reduced from over 1000 to 68. The team members, forcing themselves to stay alert, meticulously checked each piece of information. Time ticked by, the sky outside gradually changed from pitch black to a pale dawn, and the atmosphere in the verification room grew increasingly oppressive, broken only by the occasional tapping of keyboards and the suppressed yawns of the team members.
At 4:30 a.m., just when everyone was about to give up, team member Xiao Zhang suddenly straightened up and shouted to Xiao Zhou, "Team Leader Zhang! Look at this!" Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Xiao Zhang's computer screen—the missing person, Li Kui, male, 40 years old, 172cm tall, an auto mechanic at Beishan Auto Repair Shop, went missing around 3 p.m. on August 18th near the Beishan Auto Repair Shop. His family reported him missing on the morning of August 19th. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a dark blue cotton-blend work jacket, black cotton sweatpants, and white canvas sneakers, perfectly matching the clothing description given by the forensic doctor.
"Dark blue work jacket, black sweatpants, white canvas sneakers—even the materials are exactly the same!" Xiao Li suddenly perked up, leaning closer to the screen. "Moreover, the time of disappearance was 3 PM on August 18th, and the estimated time of death was around 8 PM on August 18th. The timeline matches perfectly! The disappearance location was in the vicinity of Beishan, and the occupation was auto mechanic, which fits the characteristics of a manual laborer!"