frightfiction Chapter 1262 Confirming the Tracking Clues
Chapter 1262 Confirming the Tracking Clues
"We have arranged for our team members to conduct a preliminary verification: Zhang Tao was on a business trip out of town two nights ago, and he has hotel check-in records and flight information, so he is temporarily ruled out as a suspect; Liu Jun and Zhao Liang both said that they were at home two nights ago and did not meet with Li Baowei, but neither of them has a clear alibi, which needs to be further verified; the tape measure and screwdriver in the tool bag are missing, which may be because the suspect thought the tool bag was 'identifiable' and deliberately took away the metal tools that might have left fingerprints when discarding it, or these two tools are related to the crime and were taken away by the suspect."
After the report, the meeting room fell into a brief silence as everyone sorted out the connections between the clues. Li Ming spoke first: "Now all the clues have formed a preliminary closed loop—the suspect was a long-time client of Li Baowei. Under the pretext of 'confirming the renovation plan,' he lured Li Baowei to the vicinity of Oriental Park. An argument ensued in the sycamore grove, possibly over issues such as renovation quality, final payment, and construction period. He then strangled Li Baowei to death from the left with a cotton strip, dragged him to a deck chair, and fled. On the way, he discarded Li Baowei's tool bag, took the tape measure and screwdriver inside, and cleaned up the scene after the crime, leaving no obvious traces."
“I agree with Captain Li’s assessment,” Xiao Yang continued. “The key now is to identify the suspects among the ‘regular customers.’ I suggest prioritizing Liu Jun and Zhao Liang—the two have unresolved renovation disputes with Li Baowei and have a motive; moreover, neither of them has an alibi, so we need to focus on verifying their whereabouts two nights ago, especially their activities between midnight and 1 a.m. Additionally, the missing tape measure and screwdriver from the toolbox may be tools used in the crime, or they may have the suspect’s fingerprints on them. We need to expand the search area, focusing on the trash cans and green belts around the east gate of Oriental Park, as well as Liu Jun and Zhao Liang’s residences and workplaces.”
Although Xiao Wang did not report it, he participated in the discussion and offered supplementary suggestions: "We can focus our investigation on 'cotton-like strips.' Liu Jun runs a restaurant and uses cotton towels daily; Zhao Liang works as a real estate agent and may carry cotton rags for cleaning. Both of these items fit the characteristics of a tool used in a crime. We suggest that the technical department prioritize comparing the black fibers on Li Baowei's clothing with the fiber composition of Liu Jun's restaurant towels and Zhao Liang's commonly used rags. If they match, it can directly link them to the suspects. At the same time, we should retrieve surveillance footage from Oriental Park and its surrounding area, focusing on finding individuals whose builds match Liu Jun and Zhao Liang's between 8 pm and 1 am two days ago, especially those carrying strips or tools."
“Based on the autopsy and investigation results, the suspect’s modus operandi clearly shows ‘familiarity’ characteristics – knowing Li Baowei’s professional habit of carrying tools, knowing that he urgently needed business and was willing to meet at night, and being able to easily lure him to the secluded sycamore grove,” Zhang Sen added. “When investigating Liu Jun and Zhao Liang, we suggest focusing on their height, weight, and shoe size – the suspect’s shoe size is 42, and he weighs about 70 kilograms. If Liu Jun or Zhao Liang matches these characteristics, the suspicion will increase further; in addition, the pressure marks on Li Baowei’s neck were applied laterally, indicating that the suspect is of similar height to Li Baowei, which can be combined with the height data of the two to further narrow down the suspects.”
Xiao Zhou suggested starting with communications and finances: "We've retrieved Li Baowei's call records from two days ago and found that he had a 10-minute call at 7:15 PM. The other party was an unregistered temporary mobile phone number, and the call took place near Dongfang Park. We are currently tracing the purchase channel and base station information of this mobile phone number. If it can be linked to Liu Jun or Zhao Liang, it can serve as crucial evidence. In addition, we are checking their recent financial records to see if there are any abnormal expenditures or transfers, such as expenses for purchasing temporary mobile phone numbers or cleaning up tools used in the crime."
After listening to everyone's analysis, Li Ming drew four core investigative directions on the whiteboard, circling the keywords "In-depth investigation of Liu Jun and Zhao Liang" and "Temporary phone number tracing" in red: "Group One, led by Xiao Zhou, is responsible for in-depth verification of Liu Jun and Zhao Liang—retrieving their whereabouts from surveillance footage, dashcam footage, and purchase records from the night before two days ago; comparing shoe sizes with height and weight data; searching their residences and workplaces for cotton strips and missing tools; ensuring confirmation within 24 hours that the two had the opportunity to commit the crime; Group Two, led by Xiao Wang, focuses on temporary phone numbers and surveillance footage—tracing the source of the temporary phone numbers and base station information; retrieving surveillance footage from Oriental Park and within a 5-kilometer radius; searching for individuals matching the suspects' characteristics; and expanding the search area for items in the tool bag; Group Three, led by Xiao Yang, follows up on the technical department's testing—prioritizing fiber composition comparison, the correlation between metal wire and construction tools, and the extraction of fingerprints from the tool bag, ensuring 12..." Results will be available within hours; the fourth group will contact the telecommunications company and the bank to monitor Liu Jun and Zhao Liang's communication and financial activities simultaneously, and report any abnormalities immediately.
He emphasized, "Liu Jun and Zhao Liang are the most crucial suspects at present. All our work must revolve around 'verifying their suspicions,' and we cannot overlook any details. In addition, we must do a good job of comforting Li Baowei's family, keep them informed of the case's progress in a timely manner, and let them feel our determination to solve the case."
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting long, thin patches of light on the conference table. Xiao Zhou posted photos of Liu Jun and Zhao Liang on the whiteboard. Both men in the photos were dressed casually and looked relaxed, but the labels "Renovation Dispute" and "No Alibi" made them seem particularly suspicious. "We will verify their whereabouts and characteristics as soon as possible. We will report back immediately if we make any breakthroughs," Xiao Zhou said firmly, and everyone present nodded in agreement.
As the meeting adjourned, Li Ming watched the departing figures, picked up the autopsy report and crime scene investigation record from the table, and circled key details such as "size 42 shoe print," "cotton fibers," and "temporary phone number" in red pen—these seemingly minor traces could very well be the key to ultimately identifying the suspect. He took out his phone and sent a message to the head of the technical department: "All tests related to Liu Jun and Zhao Liang must be expedited, especially fiber comparison and phone number tracing. These are crucial to breaking through the case. Notify me of the results immediately."
Footsteps echoed through the corridors of the Criminal Investigation Division, each person carrying a clear goal, moving towards the crucial objective of "apprehending the murderer and uncovering the truth." Although the suspect had not yet been fully identified, with the advancement of various investigations and tests, the evil hidden in the morning light would soon be exposed within the closed loop of the evidence chain, and Li Baowei's spirit in heaven would finally receive the justice that was long overdue.