Chapter 8: Li Ze's Analysis
1039 Words
The room fell into a hushed atmosphere.
All the onlookers fixed their gaze on Li Ze.
Even Fu Xiaojun remained silent.
She was convinced that Lin Hao was the perpetrator. And now, there is concrete evidence confirming it.
Li Ze, however, maintained a skeptical stance regarding Lin Hao as the culprit.
Yet, his composed demeanor suggested that the fingerprint comparison results didn't surprise him.
"Any other fingerprints?" Li Ze inquired.
Xia Zirui shook his head. "None discovered at present."
"In the room, only the deceased and one other person's fingerprints were found. Whether they belong to Lin Hao remains unknown," he stated beside Xia Zirui, having learned to be meticulous and precise.
Although surveillance captured Lin Hao entering the compound and the hallway, there was no exit.
The assumption was that he fled through the window.
Based on speculation, it was nearly certain that the fingerprints were ninety-nine percent Lin Hao's. Yet, there was still no confirmation that the suspect's fingerprints unequivocally belonged to him.
Even with an almost certain estimate, it had to be verified in the fingerprint database at the municipal bureau before any conclusion could be drawn.
Speculation is speculation, affirmation is affirmation.
Even with a ninety-nine percent certainty, it remained speculation.
Speculation, in any case, could never serve as evidence, merely a direction for investigation.
Li Ze glanced at him, smiling. "Don't let me influence you; the fingerprint undoubtedly belongs to Lin Hao."
Hearing this, Xia Zirui felt awkward.
He had heard Li Ze's previous words, hence he might have unintentionally skewed his stance a bit.
At least, he hadn't come to a definite conclusion.
At this moment, Wu Kang hesitated, saying, "Captain, if the fingerprint does indeed belong to Lin Hao, then the culprit..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was obvious.
Other than Lin Hao, there couldn't be a second person.
"Let's wait for the autopsy results," Li Ze responded without further elaboration, casually finding a place to sit.
The group exchanged glances but remained silent, waiting patiently.
Soon after, Song Shirou stood up.
She walked briskly over and handed a file to Li Ze, saying, "Captain, here."
Li Ze didn't take it, pointing instead to Fu Xiaojun and the others. "Give it to them."
"Huh?" Song Shirou was puzzled but didn't ask further, turning to pass it to Fu Xiaojun.
Beside her, Wu Kang and the others also approached.
"Ether?" Fu Xiaojun and Wu Kang read the two words on the file.
The initial autopsy indicated ether residue near the deceased's mouth.
The fatal wound was the focus; the rest wasn't as significant.
After a while, Li Ze looked at the two and asked, "Well? What do you think?"
At this point, Wu Kang seemed to have guessed something.
It seemed like... they were being tested.
Given his understanding of Li Ze, this situation had only one possible explanation.
Li Ze had a clear understanding of the entire case.
He might even have overlooked the autopsy report.
It indicated that there was definitely something amiss.
However, after observing for a while, Wu Kang didn't spot any irregularities.
The time given to him was too short.
As for Fu Xiaojun, after observing for a moment, she said, "The victim was first rendered unconscious by ether, then the culprit used a dagger to strike the vital heart area, causing immediate death."
"Isn't that the case?" she looked at Li Ze.
Li Ze gazed back. "Is that all?"
Fu Xiaojun replied, "That's all."
Seeing this, Li Ze shook his head and stood up.
"Are you sure? Shouldn't you think it over?"
This statement left Fu Xiaojun uncertain.
What was the captain trying to convey?
Observing Fu Xiaojun's furrowed brow and silence, Li Ze didn't wait any longer. He began, "Then let me address the case's doubts."
The crowd turned their attention towards Li Ze.
Li Ze said, "Firstly, the response time, as mentioned earlier."
"Why did you receive the alarm before the victim's death?"
"Secondly, the front door was locked."
"I checked it before entering. The entire lock core was severely damaged. When you forced the door, it should have been locked."
"So, the question arises: since the murderer intended to kill and would certainly escape afterward, why bother locking the front door? What's the significance?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Xiaojun instinctively turned her head to look at the front door.
At the time of breaking in, she hadn't noticed this detail.
Li Ze continued, "Thirdly, the victim's wound."
"This is the murderer's major flaw, an attempt at cleverness that, in turn, reveals the truth."
"According to the bloodstains, the death occurred on the living room floor, a spacious area, the primary crime scene, not a transfer."
"The wound widens downward and narrows upward. In such a scenario, the victim, while standing or sitting, would have been stabbed forcefully by someone holding a dagger."
"But the victim's mouth and nose had residual ether, which couldn't have come after death. In other words, he was unconscious before death."
"Since he was already unconscious, there was no need for such trouble. A vertical stab would have sufficed, saving time and effort."
"In this case, the wound should be wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, a contradiction."
"I think the murderer wouldn't go to the trouble of drugging the victim, then holding him upright and stabbing him. It seems a bit absurd, don't you think?"
After hearing Li Ze's words, Fu Xiaojun was completely stunned.
She hadn't expected that, under Li Ze's analysis, this case would have so many questions.
And each doubt was worth pondering.
What seemed like an ordinary indoor murder case instantly became complex under Li Ze's words.
Wu Kang frowned, seemingly thinking of a possibility.
"Captain, are you suggesting..."
Li Ze habitually took out a cigarette, speaking slowly, "It's possible; it might be a frame-up."
One doubt might not be sufficient evidence.
For example, the wound—perhaps the murderer did drug the victim, and in a hurry, he held him upright and stabbed.
Two questions might be coincidences.
For instance, the locked door—maybe the murderer truly wanted to prevent the victim from escaping and deliberately locked the door.
But with three questions, it indicates a problem...
- Writer
