Chapter 558: Chapter 558: What Is the Truth

Crime Scene Investigation Office.

"Lu Chuan, are you sure this fingerprint belongs to Zhao Zhijun?"

The killer dismembered Yang Qianqian’s body, and it’s confirmed that it was done on the plastic sheeting found in the kitchen.

There are not only bloodstains on it but also some bits of flesh that weren’t cleaned off.

Finding Zhao Zhijun’s fingerprint on the plastic sheeting is critical evidence to identify him as the killer. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

That’s why when problems with the consistency of statements and timeline discrepancies in the case process arose, Zhang Hui immediately came to the Crime Scene Investigation Office to verify.

"There’s definitely no problem with the fingerprint analysis."

The black plastic sheeting used to dismember Yang Qianqian’s body is crucial evidence, and the fingerprints found on it are very clear.

When Lu Chuan was conducting the identification comparison, he did not find a match in the fingerprint information database, so the Crime Scene Investigation team had already identified the fingerprint’s owner as a major suspect.

After Zhao Zhigang was arrested, his new fingerprint information was collected immediately, and within minutes, a match was found.

On this point, Lu Chuan is 100% confident.

Zhang Hui furrowed his brow even tighter.

"This... doesn’t seem right."

"What’s up? Tell me."

Then, Zhang Hui explained his doubts to Lu Chuan.

"If Zhao Zhijun is really the killer, why would he insist during interrogation that he saw Yang Qianqian on Thursday after killing her on Wednesday?"

"Did he get the date wrong?"

Zhang Hui shook his head, "That’s unlikely."

"Also, there’s the issue of Zhao Zhijun’s time of disposing of the body."

"According to Zhang Meili, Zhao Zhijun was at the foot massage parlor on Thursday night and was with Zhang Meili from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning."

"But according to the water usage records at Yang Qianqian’s home, there was water used on both Thursday and Friday nights."

"So, it means the killer was actually dealing with Yang Qianqian’s body on both Thursday and Friday nights."

"If Zhao Zhijun and Zhang Meili aren’t lying, then doesn’t that mean... there was more than one person involved in the crime?"

After hearing Zhang Hui’s doubts, Lu Chuan frowned as well.

After Zhao Zhijun’s arrest and the fingerprint match, Lu Chuan thought the case was considered fully solved.

But now it seems the case is not that simple.

"Because the cleaning service tidied up the room before the report, many clues have been destroyed."

This was the biggest challenge faced during this on-site investigation because the cleaning service had already mopped the floors, erasing any footprints the killer left behind.

"But as for the fingerprint comparison, there’s absolutely no problem."

"Zhao Zhijun said he had helped buy the black plastic sheeting in the past, which is why his fingerprints were on it."

This point...

"That possibility certainly exists."

"And the timeline issues you mentioned, we actually have some doubts about that too. Why are there no fingerprints on the murder weapon if Zhao Zhijun left his fingerprints on the plastic sheeting?"

Did he know to wear gloves while committing murder but didn’t wear them while disposing of the body, thus leaving fingerprints?

"Can we determine when the fingerprints were left?"

Lu Chuan waved his hand, "There’s no such technology."

Lu Chuan plays with forensic technology, not forensic mysticism.

As the two were talking, the door to the office was opened by Old Chen from Action Team Two.

"We got the surveillance video from the trotter shop. Zhao Zhijun wasn’t lying."

Hmm?

Zhang Hui was taken aback. Not lying?

He really wasn’t lying, but... how is that possible?

"Lu Chuan, let’s watch it on your computer."

Lu Chuan nodded, aware that this was the surveillance video Old Chen brought back from the eighth-floor trotter shop Zhao Zhijun mentioned.

If Yang Qianqian is indeed found in the video, then all the previous work would be wasted.

Because the determination of the victim’s time of death... was wrong.

The video played, and though the footage wasn’t very clear, Zhao Zhijun’s side profile could still be distinctly seen in the corner of the surveillance.

The person opposite him was only seen from the back, and their face wasn’t visible, but moments later, when the person opposite Zhao Zhijun got up to go to the restroom, their face was directly facing the camera.

Yang Qianqian!

It truly was Yang Qianqian!

Lu Chuan furrowed his brow, how could this be?

This time, the determination of the victim’s time of death initially wasn’t done by the forensic doctor; it was conducted by the Crime Scene Investigation team.

Specifically, it was Lu Chuan who made the judgment call regarding the time of death.

Lu Chuan made the judgment based on multiple factors.

The decomposition of body fat and organs after death greatly correlates with time.

There was also the little finger found in the sewer.

The degree of decomposition on the finger also provided a basis for judgment.

Lastly, there were the bloodstains found in the kitchen.

The color of the bloodstains on the black plastic sheeting, ax, and dismemberment board all allowed for determining the time of death.

Last Wednesday, that’s for sure.

Yet this confirmed time of death seems laughable in the face of the surveillance video Old Chen brought back.

How could someone be alive and standing there if they were dead?

Could it be that I was wrong?

No!

Absolutely not!

Lu Chuan has great confidence in his judgment of the time of death.

Even if there were an error, it shouldn’t have been as much as a day’s discrepancy.

Lu Chuan paused the video and pulled out the photos taken at the scene.

An ax, dismemberment board, plastic sheeting...

Blood, newly separated from the body, starts as bright red and turns to brown in a short period, darkening as more time passes.

This is the result of the iron ions in the blood oxidizing, with the oxidation degree increasing over time.

The blood’s color shifts from bright red to dark red, deep red, brown, earthy brown, and black.

At different stages, the blood’s color varies significantly.

Most people can’t tell, but how could Lu Chuan, as a crime scene investigator, make a mistake here?

Now, upon revisiting the blood on the weapon, Lu Chuan can immediately estimate the time as last Wednesday. No mistake!

But Yang Qianqian appeared in the surveillance footage on Thursday, and that couldn’t be fake.

What’s going on?

"Lu Chuan, should we reassess the time of death?"

The time of death is determined through technical means, but the video is undeniably there.

Comparing the two, the video must be genuine.

But Lu Chuan shook his head.

Zhang Hui was being tactful in suggesting a reassessment; it practically meant admitting there were issues with Lu Chuan’s determination of the time of death.

However, after going through the photos again, Lu Chuan knew there was no problem with the time of death estimation.

Otherwise, there would have to be a flaw in the system.

Could the system be flawed?

"Brother Hui, the estimated time of death is absolutely correct; I can guarantee it."

Then Lu Chuan pointed to the video the three had just watched.

"And if the person in this video really is Yang Qianqian, then it suggests the person who died in Yang Qianqian’s house on Wednesday... wasn’t Yang Qianqian!"