Chapter 726: Chapter 392: Major Discovery at the Scene Investigation (2)

Jiang An did not reply immediately. Instead, he took a pair of tweezers and a small magnifying glass from the investigation kit.

He carefully used the tweezers to move aside the carbides around the skin, then examined it closely through the magnifying glass.

His eyes behind the lens narrowed slightly, revealing a focused and sharp light.

"It’s not just well preserved!"

Jiang An finally spoke, his voice low and serious, "The marks on this piece of skin... are very special."

However, Jiang An frowned tightly, his sharp gaze sweeping back and forth across the charred scene.

As an experienced criminal investigator, he keenly noticed several illogical details—the deceased’s lying posture was too deliberate, the items on the nightstand were arranged unusually neatly, and even a faint suspicious chemical smell lingered in the air.

These clues interwove in his mind into a web filled with doubts, making him increasingly convinced: This was by no means a simple accidental fire.

At the same time, Zhang Yean was fully focused on the scene investigation work.

She wore a gas mask and held a professional camera, moving cautiously through the smoke-filled room.

Although visibility was extremely low, making it almost impossible to see her companions, the crisp "click" of the camera shutter sounded in succession, methodically recording every critical detail.

She occasionally crouched to photograph traces on the ground, occasionally tilted her head to capture the burn patterns on the ceiling; every movement exuded professionalism and competence.

"With everything burned beyond recognition, can we still accurately locate the fire origin point?"

A new assistant, covering his nose and mouth, voiced his doubt through the mask.

He looked at the charred ruins before him, unable to imagine how to find clues in such devastation.

Investigating the origin of the fire was the key task Jiang An had emphasized before entering the scene.

Zhang Yean paused her actions, raising the camera in one hand to capture a burned wall, then turned around.

Her steady voice came from behind the gas mask: "A fire scene is like an open book. As long as we know how to interpret it, we can find the answers."

"The primary task of any standard fire scene investigation is to determine the origin point of the fire’s spread."

"How do we specifically determine that?"

The assistant stepped closer, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

As a newcomer, he was full of curiosity about this professional knowledge.

While continuing her photographic work, Zhang Yean patiently explained: "The principle of determining the fire origin point is actually quite intuitive."

"It’s like watching a leaf fall into a pond; the place where the ripples first radiate from is the landing point."

He pointed to a severely carbonized door frame, "Look at this V-shaped burn mark and the ’inverted cone’ carbonized area on the ground; these are typical fire origin point characteristics."

"In the same space, the area with the most severe burning is often where the fire started because that area burned longer and was most fully exposed to heat."

"I see!"

The assistant’s eyes lit up, "Senior, this explains complex theory in the most intuitive way—truly simplicity at its best!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Zhang Yean shook her head, letting out a light chuckle from behind the gas mask, "What simplicity at its best, these are practical experiences summarized by predecessors."

"Remember, the most important thing in fire investigation is to remain objective and let the evidence speak."

With that, he adjusted the camera settings and conducted macro photography on an abnormal burn mark.

The investigation continued as Zhang Yean moved from one bedroom to another.

Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a corner by the bed—there piled an unusually large amount of clothing debris, a mass of charred material presenting an irregular clump shape.

Zhang Yean immediately crouched down to closely examine this suspicious discovery.

Even though she hadn’t been on the force for long, she had investigated over 200 fire scenes.

Such a concentration of combustible materials near the bed, with an obviously abnormal burning pattern, was the first case she encountered in her professional career.

This anomaly instantly heightened her professional sensitivity, her fingers unconsciously tapping the side of the camera as she fell into deep thought.

The assistant keenly noticed Zhang Yean’s gaze fixed on the ashes on the bed, so he put down his notebook, stepped closer, and asked, "Senior, do you think there’s something off about these ashes on the bed?"

Zhang Yean frowned slightly, gesturing to the range of the ash pile: "Look at this volume, it clearly exceeds the normal range."

"Ordinary clothing shouldn’t leave so much residue after burning."

"Could someone have piled a lot of clothes on the bed to burn them?"

The assistant pondered, "For instance, if all the clothes from the wardrobe were piled together, naturally the burning would produce more ash."

Zhang Yean gently shook her head, taking a magnifying glass from her pocket and crouching down.

"While theoretically possible, look at the height and density of this ash pile."

She used the magnifying glass to point at the outline of the ash pile, "Ordinary clothes collapse significantly after burning, yet this pile of ashes maintains a rather intact accumulation, as if..."

"As if something underneath is supporting it?"

"Clever." Zhang Yean gave him an approving glance, then stood up and instructed, "Fetch a pair of rubber gloves and an archaeological fine-toothed shovel, we need to closely examine the composition of this ash pile."

"Understood!"

The assistant immediately turned and quickly walked to the tool room.

Two minutes later, she returned fully equipped, wearing thick rubber gloves, a sample bag secured at her waist, and holding a delicate stainless steel fine-toothed shovel.