Silent Testimony - Chapter 11

In the Technical Squad Laboratory, Li Hewei rushed in, having driven back from the Liuling River. Her long legs took her quickly to An Yu’s side. Resting her hands on the back of the chair, she glanced at the information on the computer screen and asked An Yu, who was in front of her, “When will the results be out?”

“Twenty minutes at the most.”

The woman who claimed the deceased might be her boyfriend lived near the Public Security Bureau and had come with a middle-aged woman thirty minutes earlier to identify the body. Because the corpse was waterlogged and had reached the ‘giant corpse’ stage, they could not recognize the face. The middle-aged woman insisted the deceased was her son, so An Yu followed procedure and took a blood sample from her for testing.

“Alright, thank you for your hard work,” Li Hewei said, turning to leave. She saw two women nestled together on the long bench outside the dissecting room. The younger woman continuously consoled the older one, who was distraught: “Auntie, maybe it’s not him?”

“It is Xiao Guang; I recognize him.”

“Yang Guang often travels for work, sometimes for three to five days, sometimes for as long as half a month.”

“This time is different. He isn’t replying to messages or answering calls.”

Li Hewei unintentionally overheard their conversation. Combined with the information gathered during the earlier phone call—the man’s age, height, and time of disappearance all matched perfectly—she deduced from her experience that it was likely correct. She moved to the office to quietly await the news.

Fifteen minutes later, An Yu sent a private message: 【Sister Wei, the DNA results show they are indeed a biological mother and son.】

【Okay, I’m coming over.】

Li Hewei immediately made arrangements: “Xiao Ting, inform the family of the news and take care of comforting them.”

“Alright, Sister Wei, don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

Li Hewei had just stepped into the lab when Qiu Wan followed close behind, closing the door to block out the heartbreaking cries from outside. She sincerely praised her: “We really had to rely on you. The deceased’s girlfriend said the portrait had a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Yang Guang, and they only decided to report it because of the drawing.”

The deceased, Yang Guang, was twenty-nine years old and a tour guide at Yuan Hong Travel Agency. Because he was constantly traveling for work, his family did not immediately notice anything unusual.

Li Hewei spoke politely: “You were also working hard for two days. Finding the dumping site is helpful for the follow-up work.”

“Let’s go. We’re having a short meeting.”

Why am I being called to an internal meeting of the Serious Crime Squad? Li Hewei was surprised: “Huh?”

Qiu Wan explained: “It’s a meeting regarding this murder case. I know Sister He and the others are busy, so you represent the Technical Squad.”

“Fine.”

As they walked, Qiu Wan said: “I notice you dislike meetings?”

“Putting myself in others’ shoes, who would like them?” Li Hewei had canceled the weekly meeting in her unit, replacing it with a bi-daily morning briefing. Every morning, she would briefly report yesterday’s police activity and case progress in the work group chat.

Qiu Wan could not help but let out a smile: “I don’t like them either, so unless absolutely necessary, I just send out announcements in the group chat, and we generally don’t hold centralized meetings.”

Li Hewei suddenly found it odd. Her colleagues all described Qiu Wan as cold and merciless, yet after interacting with her, she felt surprisingly cordial. Moreover, the other woman smiled often, at least far more than Tao Ling had displayed in front of her.

However, during the meeting, she was instantly proven wrong. The meeting lasted fifteen minutes, and Qiu Wan, seated in the center, was utterly serious. Whether analyzing the case or encouraging her colleagues, her demeanor was a world away from the gentleness she had shown moments ago. Li Hewei observed this particularly afterward and suddenly realized: Who could be cheerful and smiling while spending time with a large group of men?

Furthermore, since her sexual orientation was the same as her own, it was only natural for her to be closer to women.

After the meeting concluded, the family’s emotions were slightly more stable. Qiu Wan invited the deceased’s girlfriend into the interrogation room to take a statement. Li Hewei, having nothing pressing to do, watched through the surveillance video.

“Ms. Zhou, when was the last time you contacted Yang Guang?”

Zhou Lin recalled: “Last Saturday, the twenty-fifth. He said he was taking a tour group to Jiangcheng on the twenty-sixth for a thirteen-day trip.” She handed her phone to Qiu Wan.

Qiu Wan quickly browsed the chat history, confirming the truth of her words.

Zhou Lin had sent WeChat messages and made voice calls to Yang Guang on the twenty-sixth at 9:13 p.m., the twenty-seventh at 1:27 p.m., and the twenty-eighth at 8:09 a.m. On the twenty-eighth at 3:46 p.m., she received a reply from him.

【I’m busy.】

Three words. Qiu Wan reasonably speculated that the killer had used the deceased’s phone to edit the message to mislead them.

Zhou Lin and Yang Guang had been in a long-distance relationship for seven years and planned to get married by the end of the year. Unexpectedly, Yang Guang had met with sudden disaster.

After the statement was taken, Qiu Wan had her sign it. Li Hewei had already strolled back to the office. Just as she sat down at her desk, a lunchbox appeared before her.

She looked up, and Zhao Xiaoting was smiling brightly: “Sister Wei, Tao Ling bought the food and asked me to bring it up to you first.”

The police station cafeteria provided meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so the common scenario in novels of police officers being too busy to eat instant noodles or bread in the office did not exist, unless they simply craved it.

“Oh, thank you,” Li Hewei said. She lifted the lid, took out the spare spoon, and began to eat slowly.

Zhao Xiaoting also picked up her lunchbox, taking advantage of everyone’s break to vividly describe the story of Yang Guang and Zhou Lin.

“I’m telling you, Yang Guang is definitely a scumbag.”

An Yu laughed at her: “What did you find out this time?”

“Seven years! He dated her for seven years and never married her. The Serious Crime Squad contacted Yang Guang’s colleagues next door, and they all said he repeatedly delayed the wedding date, and his private life seemed particularly messy.”

He Ying finished washing her lunchbox and wiped away the water with a tissue: “Messy private life? Are you exaggerating?”

“No way! Officer Liao said Yang Guang was in frequent contact with five women every day, and Zhou Lin was just one of them.”

Li Hewei frowned involuntarily.

“I guess he walked the crooked path too many times and finally tripped.”

Tao Ling came in carrying two more lunchboxes at that moment. An Yu went over to meet her: “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Li Hewei chimed in: “Tao Ling, thank you.”

Sichuan cuisine is generally spicy, but Li Hewei grew up in Shenzhen and could not handle spice. Tao Ling had been observant. Last night, she had noticed Li Hewei did not pick up heavy-flavored dishes, choosing instead to eat the lighter stew. She thought Li Hewei’s preferences had changed, so she specifically asked the cafeteria auntie to add yuxiang rousi (fish-flavored shredded pork) and stir-fried vegetables.

Tao Ling returned the smile: “You’re welcome.”

Zhao Xiaoting hastily said, “Then let me continue the story.”

Li Hewei drank water to quench her thirst: “Go on.”

“It’s possible one of his girlfriends found out he was unfaithful and killed him in a fit of rage.”

“Hmm, Captain Qiu said the killer’s height is around 175 centimeters, but subtracting the heel height, it’s estimated to be only 172.” He Ying pointed to the blackboard beneath the clock: “This is an experiment I and Xiao Meng conducted with the Serious Crime Squad. Xiao Meng is 171 centimeters tall and weighs 59 kilograms, while Officer Liao from the Serious Crime Squad is 172 centimeters tall and weighs 70 kilograms. Based on this, the killer’s weight is at least 68 kilograms.”

“A woman who is 172 centimeters tall and weighs 68 kilograms is quite common.”

“Indeed. Didn’t you say Yang Guang was in frequent contact with five women? Captain Qiu should be investigating them,” He Ying said cheerfully. “Our spirit in analyzing cases is becoming more and more like the Serious Crime Squad next door.”

Li Hewei stood up to get water, agreeing: “Keep up the good work.” Her peripheral vision focused on Tao Ling to the right of the water dispenser. Seeing her with her head down, scrolling through her phone, she took a closer look. Why is she on a rental housing website?