Chapter 750: Chapter 402: More Than One Killer

Originally, it was thought to be a promising investigation direction, but after deeply interrogating two key personnel, the result was extremely disappointing.

When Wan and Qin Feng walked out of the interrogation room, their faces were filled with fatigue and frustration, their mood clearly in a slump.

Seeing them like this, Jiang An picked up the kettle next to the case files, poured each of them a cup of warm water, and gently consoled, "Here, have some water and take a breather."

"This case is indeed tricky, but we must not lose our composure. We need to plan carefully and take things one step at a time."

"Although we haven’t locked in the real suspect yet, at least we’ve ruled out two previously highly suspicious individuals."

"This can also be considered a step forward, clearing up some of the mist for the subsequent investigation."

Then, Jiang An paused briefly, waited for their emotions to settle, and continued, "However, I believe what we need most right now is to return to the origin of the case."

"To thoroughly re-examine the crime scene, especially those details that are easily overlooked but could be crucial."

"Re-examine the scene?"

Upon hearing this, Wan immediately lifted his head, with sharp light shining in his eyes once again.

Since joining the criminal investigation team, he had hardly left Jiang An’s side. Whether it was local cases in Jiangcheng or joint investigations across regions, the two had always worked in tacit cooperation.

At this moment, the office was extraordinarily quiet, making Jiang An’s previous words even more resounding.

Wan keenly sensed that Jiang An’s words seemed to contain hidden meanings.

He immediately turned to Jiang An, eager to ask, "Mr. Jiang, did you find any key clues?"

"Tell us quickly! This case is getting more confusing as we investigate, full of contradictions."

"No one has any leads. No one can figure out where the problem lies."

Jiang An smiled slightly, slowly picked up the teacup, and took a sip.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke with a steady tone, "I do have some preliminary ideas."

"Do you remember those seemingly ordinary yet very irrational details at the scene?"

"The scene?"

Wan and Qin Feng almost asked in unison, especially Wan, who immediately pressed, "Which specific areas have problems?"

Jiang An closed his eyes, quickly replaying every image from the scene in his mind, every piece of evidence, even the smell and light in the air at that time.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, his voice low and clear, "In this case, four dead bodies were found at the scene."

"But only two of them are truly worthy of our focus."

"One is the female victim on the bed, and the other is her father."

"However, the locations of their deaths are very peculiar — one was found in the living room, and the other died on the bed in the bedroom."

"The other two victims were discovered under the bed in the same bedroom."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two to ensure they were following his line of thought, before continuing with the analysis.

"Therefore, from the current layout of the scene and the positions of the bodies, what we really should focus on is..."

At this time, the meeting room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Wan and Qin Feng were fully concentrating, their gaze firmly locked on Jiang An.

Jiang An spoke slowly, his voice steady and clear, "I wonder if you noticed a crucial detail."

"The female victim, the eldest daughter of the family, was covered with a large amount of flammable material."

"However, her father was not covered with anything."

Jiang An paused briefly, leaving time for the two to digest this contrast, then continued, "From the obvious differences in the cover over the bodies, I think this could be a crucial breakthrough for our next investigation."

"Breakthrough?"

Wan immediately followed up, "What specific direction are you referring to?"

Jiang An nodded slightly and further explained, "In forensic science and criminal psychology, there is a phenomenon known as ’guilt-laden behavior.’

"The murderer, after committing the crime, sometimes deliberately handles the victim’s body in certain ways, such as burying, covering, or even cleaning, out of guilt or complex emotions towards specific victims."

"These seemingly unnecessary actions often reveal a possible special relationship between the perpetrator and the victim, or reflect psychological fluctuations after the crime."

Just as he finished speaking, Qin Feng interjected in a low voice, "You mean, in this case, the perpetrator may have felt some level of guilt towards the female victim on the bed?"

"Guilt-laden behavior..."

Wan repeated the term softly, his gaze suddenly sharpening as if recalling something.

"That’s right! There was a murder case between a couple before."

"I remember the perpetrator carefully covered the victim with a blanket after the crime."

"Could it be that this case also conceals a similar psychological motive?"

As he spoke, his thoughts became clearer, and his tone gradually became firmer.

"If we re-examine the scene from this perspective, many signs do align quite well."

"Not only was she covered with a large amount of flammable materials, but the burn area was much more severe and complete than other places."

Jiang An nodded, but his expression was slightly grim, "Unfortunately!"

"Due to the victim being severely carbonized, it is almost impossible to find any intact skin tissue or extractable biological samples."

"Otherwise, we could have used contact marks on the bodies to identify some suspicious trace evidence, such as fibers, hair, or even fingerprint residues."

"Indeed!"

Wan sighed, with a tone tinged with helplessness, "Captain Zhang often emphasized the ’Locard Exchange Principle’ — every contact leaves a trace. But facing almost burned-to-ash remains, the forensic foundation is too weak, and even advanced technology is hard-pressed to utilize."