"Just from the call earlier, and I have no idea who the caller was!"
"I don't think so. How many days have you been here?"
"So what? Do you think I came here on purpose?" It seemed like Xiao Yuande was deliberately making things difficult for me.
But I didn't want to engage with him; after all, I'm the team leader and can issue orders at any time.
I asked everyone to start investigating the phone booth where the call originated. Soon, I led the team to the designated location, which wasn't too far from the police station. Upon arriving, I looked up at the nearby surveillance cameras and noticed one facing directly toward the front of the phone booth. This was likely the camera that captured the scene of someone being followed.
I instructed my team to investigate the surroundings and walked into the phone booth. As soon as I opened the door, I could sense something different about the place. Using my keen sense of smell, I could tell that even though the booth had been cleaned, a trace of odor remained.
The "Canine Door" sense of smell is a unique technique passed down in our He family, enhancing the olfactory ability.
I had Medical Examiner Zhao Simeng come over. She's the youngest and most beautiful forensic expert in our department, with long flowing hair and a graceful figure, but she has a cold demeanor, never showing any emotion on her face. The male colleagues at the department keep their distance from her.
When she arrived, she took a look at her inspection kit and said, "It's all used up. Go buy some squid ink and some rice paper for me."
"Alright, Zhao Simeng, you're about to start?" If anyone else had heard her say this, they would be confused, but I didn't find it strange since I had a good relationship with her.
After I bought the items, Zhao Simeng took the squid ink and began spraying it around the phone booth. Theoretically, she should have used glowing ammonia, but she ignored that and used the squid ink, applying it to the surface of the booth and also on the phone.
Once this step was completed, blood-red handprints started to appear on the booth's surface, along with large pools of blood scattered across the microphone, the glass in front, and the left side of the wall.
Seeing this, I analyzed, "Someone must have been chased to this booth and attacked by the murderer!"
"Based on the shape of the blood spray, it's likely that the murderer had stabbed the victim in the back a few times," Zhao Simeng replied.
We found no footprints on the ground, suggesting the scene had been cleaned. We collected samples in hopes of finding fingerprints or other clues, but Zhao Simeng shook her head, saying, "I've already checked, no fingerprints!"
"That quickly?"
"Yes. If there were any, the squid ink, being a pure and natural substance, would have revealed them immediately. The rice paper absorbs it much faster."
I was impressed by the level of detail, and gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Looks like you truly honor the techniques of Master Song Ci!"
Just as I was about to leave the phone booth and regroup with my team, I received a call from Xie Deguang. "Team Leader He, at the Fu Ming Interchange, on the outskirts of the highway, we've found a white Porsche in the river. We suspect it's Zhang Jiye's."
"We're at the phone booth. Let's move immediately!"
I was a bit confused at first, but then, in a crucial moment, we found Zhang Jiye's car!
I rushed to the riverside and found that the area had been cordoned off by the police. Several detectives were talking to a few young people.
When I asked them, I learned that the young people had discovered the white Porsche when they were sketching by the river. They described how the front of the car had been submerged in the river and even sketched it. They only realized something was wrong afterward and reported it to the police.
I arrived at the riverbank and saw many maritime police using hovercrafts to search the river. Several workers were looking for survivors in the water. After observing the scene, I told Xiao Yuande, "The car was driven into the river and abandoned by someone else."
"Team Leader He, how did you figure that out?" Xiao Yuande asked, puzzled.
"The tire marks on the ground started out very deep, but they became shallower as they approached the shore because the driver had already left. I think Zhang Jiye isn't in the car because, based on the weight of two people, the tire marks shouldn't be so shallow."
"Impressive deduction," Xiao Yuande said, looking baffled.
"It's all about careful observation. The so-called deduction is just an amplification of all the details."
I stared meaningfully into the distance. Just then, the white Porsche was hoisted up by a crane. The car was completely covered in mud, with both side windows smashed by branches. Mud and water slowly dripped from it, and the driver's side window was shattered halfway. The back seat was crammed with decaying fish and foul-smelling corpses!
The fish had their bellies split open, and their eyeballs rolled back. The decay was likely caused by prolonged exposure to gasoline from the car. The Porsche's tires were completely worn down, with numerous punctures, and long hair was tangled in them.
The trunk was open, and we saw it filled with disgusting trash and fresh blood seeping out from inside, dripping onto the ground!
Many police officers who saw this turned away, covering their mouths and vomiting by the river. My strong mental fortitude couldn't hold up, and I eventually vomited too.
A group of reporters soon arrived at the scene, bombarding me with questions about the case. I replied, "Based on the current situation, we can only confirm that this car belonged to the missing person."
"But this is a member of the Zhang family! If the police mishandle this, won't it have consequences?"
"We will crack the case as soon as possible!" I assured them.
"But our reporters have noticed something strange. Some believe that the delayed discovery of the Porsche could hinder the progress of the case. Do you agree?"
"Given the circumstances, we found it sooner than expected, and it hasn't exceeded the golden time for solving the case. So, any delay is unfounded," I analyzed.
After dealing with the reporters, I found an excuse to slip away.
Back at the riverbank, I saw the Porsche being placed on the shore. Forensic Expert Huang Daming arrived, and when he did, he had the usual arrogant look on his face. He took out his instruments to inspect the car.
Huang Daming is the most senior forensic expert in our department, and he has a big temper. He often flaunts his seniority and doesn't pay much attention to the younger colleagues. The rest of the forensic team has long been irritated by him, but they can do nothing about it.
"This is the car used by the missing person. I've checked it. There's nothing unusual, except that the car window must have been hit by a stone underwater, which caused it to shatter!"
I nodded, ready to respond, when suddenly Zhao Simeng, the younger forensic expert, walked over. With a lollipop in her mouth and wearing a clean work uniform, she said, "I don't think so."
While Zhao Simeng was speaking, Huang Daming, seeing her, immediately cursed, "You again! You've only been graduated for less than two weeks, and you think you have the qualifications to inspect the scene!"
"Qualifications? I can find different results!"
"Hmph, what other results could there be? No matter how many times you check, it will be the same."
Huang Daming completely ignored her, his attitude disdainful. The assistants standing next to him sneered as well.
Zhao Simeng paid no attention to their disregard and sarcasm. She resolutely walked up to the Porsche, took out a pair of pliers, a red umbrella, a few plates of succulents, and a bottle of white vinegar from her inspection kit.