Silent Testimony - Chapter 73

When Qiu Wan and Li Hewei arrived at the police station, Wang Cen was already interrogating Yan Chen. They watched the process through the surveillance monitor.

“Is your relationship with Chao Hui just that of ordinary colleagues?” Wang Cen asked, intending to take a step-by-step approach to block all his exits.

Yan Chen leaned back in the interrogation chair, looking relaxed. His words were airtight. “A bit better than ordinary colleagues. We occasionally grab dinner or hang out.”

“Then did he tell you what he was doing at Imperial Garden International?”

Yan Chen feigned ignorance. “Where is Imperial Garden International? I’ve never heard him mention it.”

“At 7:20 AM today, Chao Hui drove through the toll gate at the Imperial Garden parking lot, breaking the barrier to escape. During the police pursuit, he accidentally fell into the water. Based on existing evidence, we suspect he is involved in the kidnapping of a woman surnamed Tao from that complex.”

“That’s nonsense,” Yan Chen replied, his expression changing abruptly to one of shocked interrogation. “Ah-Hui isn’t a local. He has no grievance with her and isn’t short on money—why would he kidnap anyone? Did the police indirectly cause him to fall into the water and now you’re trying to shift the blame?”

Wang Cen slammed the table. “There are surveillance cameras near the fish pond. Chao Hui’s drowning was entirely accidental.”

Yan Chen raised an eyebrow. “Surveillance? Who knows if the police faked it? Once I’m out, I’ll contact Ah-Hui’s wife to sue you for excessive force leading to his fall.”

“You should worry more about why he ran the moment he saw the police.” Wang Cen displayed several screenshots of the footage. “This is Chao Hui at 6:52, 6:55, 6:58, and 7:01 AM. He was recorded at different outdoor locations in the complex. His movements and expressions clearly show he was stalking the woman ahead of him who was on the phone.”

Yan Chen reacted quickly, shifting his wording. “Maybe they knew each other?”

“Knew each other? At 7:04 AM, Ms. Tao informed a friend she might be being followed. By 7:10 AM, she had completely lost contact. That friend happens to be the police officer who pursued Chao Hui.”

Yan Chen gave her a look of disdain. “Then did you find anyone named Tao in Ah-Hui’s car? They say you need to catch someone red-handed to make a case. Where’s the evidence? You think you can convict someone based on two or three photos? You’re just bullying him because he can no longer speak for himself, aren’t you?”

Wang Cen, despite her vast experience, was inwardly surprised. This was a high-intelligence criminal with excellent psychological resilience. She composed herself and calmly produced another report, tossing it toward Yan Chen. “Clothing fibers from Ms. Tao were extracted from the cabin of the vehicle Chao Hui was driving. This proves they were in close contact—perhaps even a struggle—otherwise, the fibers wouldn’t have transferred.”

A flash of panic crossed Yan Chen’s eyes. He licked his lips. “Is that so? I wouldn’t know.”

Licking one’s lips is often a sign of suppressed nervousness. Qiu Wan pressed the intercom, reminding Wang Cen: “Sister Wang, take this chance to reveal the existence of the accomplice.”

“Understood.” Wang Cen lowered the hand she used to adjust her earpiece and looked Yan Chen in the eye. “Chao Hui had an accomplice. They drove a black Volkswagen, license plate Shu A3HPR2, out of the complex. Ms. Tao was in the trunk. The vehicle passed through Chongming Road, Chengzhong Road, and Menghe Street, finally heading toward the Shu River along Provincial Highway 205. This is the ferry surveillance we pulled—he was carrying a waterproof woven bag. Even though he wore a hood, we’ve already determined his approximate height and weight.”

“Height around 180cm, medium build, roughly 80kg.” Wang Cen scrutinized him, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips. “Why do I feel like that sounds exactly like you?”

“Don’t talk nonsense without evidence. I can sue you for defamation.”

“The truth always surfaces. No one escapes the hand of the law.” Wang Cen leaned forward, her eyes fixed on him. “Let’s go back to the beginning. Given your relationship with Chao Hui, would you lend him money?”

“Lend… lend money?” Yan Chen’s pupils contracted sharply. He hesitated for several seconds before responding. “Oh, you mean the 100,000 I lent him?”

Everything was going exactly as Wang Cen predicted. She pressed further: “No IOU?”

Yan Chen tried to sound natural. “He’s a brother, it was an emergency. Why would we need an IOU?”

“Even brothers keep clear accounts. No chat records of the loan?”

“He called to ask; there are no chat records.” Sweat began to bead on Yan Chen’s temples. He avoided Wang Cen’s gaze. His hesitation was caught clearly by the two interrogators.

“You’re quite generous.” Wang Cen swiped through Chao Hui’s phone, showing the browser interface. “Look, he searched for the sentencing guidelines for ‘aiding and abetting murder.’ I want to know: who was he helping? Who was he killing? Was it Ma Zhiming?” The technical team had recovered Chao Hui’s deleted history, yielding a wealth of evidence.

“How should I know? Maybe he was just joking around.” Yan Chen’s calm facade began to twist. “Besides, if he kills someone, what does that have to do with me?”

“Just a theory. I’m hypothesizing that Chao Hui never left the hotel on the night of the crime. Using his working relationship with Ma Zhiming, he swapped the thermos or put sleeping pills directly into it. As for who he was helping? My colleague created a composite sketch based on witness descriptions. Want to take a look? Recognize him?” Wang Cen knew Li Hewei’s sketch couldn’t be used as formal evidence, but she was playing a psychological game. “With just a pen, she has helped the police solve several major cases.”

Staring at the photo of Li Hewei’s sketch, Yan Chen seemed frozen. His eyes darted erratically. “The… the colleague you mentioned must have been looking at someone when she drew it. Subjective impressions aren’t evidence.”

“You’re quite well-informed. It’s true it can’t be used as direct evidence, but it provides the police with a direction and clues.” Wang Cen stared aggressively at his shifting eyes. “Yan Chen, you’ll be caught sooner or later. Don’t struggle in vain.”

“We still have over 300 surveillance videos to finish, and we are actively searching for the vehicle you abandoned to reconstruct your movements. Between that and the items Chao Hui left behind, we will find more physical proof.” Wang Cen stood up and walked to his side, her voice as cold as ice. “Every action leaves a trace. You can’t escape.”

“I didn’t do it! Aren’t you all so capable? Planning to close the case without a confession?” Yan Chen made a final, desperate struggle, his eyes wide with rage. His violent nature seeped through every pore. “I review mystery and crime novels for a living. I know a conviction requires a complete chain of evidence. Do you have it? Go find it! Watch the surveillance! Look for it! And don’t forget to watch those close to you—I hear that when they take revenge on one, there will always be a second.”

Yan Chen’s roars echoed in the interrogation room. In the observation room next door, Li Hewei suppressed her anger, her fists clenched until the veins on her hands stood out.

Without enough evidence to hold him, Qiu Wan let Yan Chen go but ordered 24-hour surveillance. She personally drove Li Hewei back to Imperial Garden International. After watching Li enter her bedroom, Qiu Wan pulled a dazed Cheng Yingqiu into a corner.

“Xiao Qiu, contact me immediately if she makes a move.”

“A move?”

Qiu Wan glanced toward the bedroom. “I’m afraid she’ll go after Yan Chen.”

“Yan Chen? The person who kidnapped Sister Tao Ling?”

“Yes. He’s the prime suspect.”

Cheng Yingqiu nodded and took Qiu Wan’s hand. “And you? Back to the station?”

A faint smile touched Qiu Wan’s lips, her dark eyes sparkling like starlight. “Yeah. I have a lot of work piled up.”

“You haven’t rested at all, and the swelling on your injured elbow hasn’t gone down.” Cheng Yingqiu carefully touched the bandaged left arm, her brow furrowed with worry. “The medicine? Did you take it on time?”

“It’s at the office. I’ll take it when I get back.” Qiu Wan squeezed the soft flesh of her hand. “I promise you, I’ll get some rest once the case is solved.”

At the solemn tone, a blush crept up Cheng Yingqiu’s cheeks. She whispered, “Why are you saying you ‘promise me’…”

“Remember when a certain someone asked why no one was looking after me?” Qiu Wan looked down, catching her shifting gaze as her smile deepened. “Wasn’t that you?”

Cheng Yingqiu stammered, a rare occurrence. “Was… was it?”

“I think so. My memory isn’t bad.”

“Oh.” Cheng Yingqiu blinked, her eyes falling on their joined hands. The warmth from Qiu Wan’s fingertips seemed to spread to her heart.

“I have work to do.” Qiu Wan led her to the door and leaned over to put on her shoes. “As for us… when I’m free, I’ll ask for your answer.”

“Us? Our… thing?”

“Yes.”

As Qiu Wan’s footsteps faded into the distance, Cheng Yingqiu stood staring blankly in that direction, her mind filled with the woman’s refreshing, spring-like smile.

In the dead of night, the reading lamp in Li Hewei’s room was dim. She leaned against the headboard, forcing her eyes open to review the copied surveillance footage.

The black Volkswagen left the parking lot at 7:28 AM. When did it enter? Li checked the records: the car had been parked for 9 hours and 57 minutes. They had entered the complex at 9:00 PM on October 9th. No wonder the security guards weren’t suspicious.

Imperial Garden International had only been open for two years, with only a 40% occupancy rate. Consequently, there were many extra spaces, and they allowed temporary public parking.

Li Hewei stared at the footage, repeatedly comparing the details of the entry and exit. To avoid notice during entry, the driver wore a baseball cap and a mask; his face wasn’t visible. At the exit, he wore a hood. His clothes were the same—a dark shirt. Her eyes moved slowly… cotton yarn gloves. Upon entry, the gloves had no yellow trim. But at the exit, they did? She rewound, paused, and zoomed in. There was a clear difference between the two pairs of gloves.

Why change gloves in the middle of it?

Li Hewei’s gaze shifted, suddenly focusing on the inner side of the driver’s left wrist. She spotted a distinct mark, though she couldn’t identify the shape due to the pixel quality. Was it there upon entry? She rewatched the video, but the long shirt sleeves covered his wrist. She sent the screenshot to Qiu Wan: [What do you think this looks like?]

[It’s almost 2 AM. Why aren’t you asleep?]

[Neither are you.]

[I’m almost home.]

Li Hewei repeated: [What does it look like?]

[Can’t see clearly, but the area around the mark is red. Likely a new injury.]

Having received the answer she wanted, Li Hewei threw off the covers. She grabbed her trench coat from the sofa and headed out.

[Hewei?] Sensing something was wrong, Qiu Wan immediately called Cheng Yingqiu.

“Xiao Qiu.”

Cheng Yingqiu, bleary-eyed, turned on her bedside lamp. “Mmh, yeah?”

Qiu Wan’s voice was urgent. “Quick, check the room next door. Is she still there?”

“Oh.” Cheng Yingqiu stepped into her slippers. She had only taken two steps when she heard the front door close. She gasped into the phone, “Sister just left!”

“Follow her. I’m on my way.”

“Okay, okay!” Cheng Yingqiu scrambled to put on clothes as she moved.

“Don’t hang up. Use your Bluetooth headset.”

“Got it.” Cheng Yingqiu looked at the elevator display, worried. “Two elevators. One is at the basement, one is on the first floor. Where do I go?”

“Her car is in the shop. Where are your mother’s car keys?”

“In my room. Old Cheng is going on a trip tomorrow, so I have to return the car.”

Qiu Wan kept walking. “Then go to the first floor and look.”

In the hallway to the right of the Basement 1 elevator lobby, Li Hewei tipped over a blue recycling bin. Wearing a mask and gloves, she crouched by the wall, searching carefully. Her brow was furrowed, and her coughing echoed in the narrow space.

Nothing. Did I guess wrong? There had to be more bins. She stood up, staggering slightly as she moved to the bin on the opposite side of the hallway. She continued her search and finally, between two black bags, she found a pair of cotton yarn gloves stained with blood.

As Li Hewei immersed herself in the brief moment of success, a dark shadow moved behind her, slowly drawing closer.