frightfiction Chapter 1088: Sharing Opinions and Discussing the Case
Chapter 1088: Sharing Opinions and Discussing the Case
Xiao Zhou continued his report.
"The vehicle was used for a special route, and the tarpaulin was made of 15-count pure cotton fabric produced by a factory in Shizhuang, which was exactly the same batch as the fiber from the nail crease of the stump. Wang Kaisheng's DNA profile matched the test results of the hair follicle epithelial cells of the stump 100%, and the 16 STR loci were completely identical."
"Where's his watch?" Li Ming asked, recalling the details Xiao Zhou had mentioned earlier.
“Zhou Lan confirmed that Wang Kaisheng was wearing a silver mechanical watch, a gift for their tenth wedding anniversary. The crown had a crescent-shaped notch because he always used it to pry open truck doors.” Xiao Zhou showed a photo of the watch fragments, “which perfectly matches the characteristics of the watch we found at the scene, with the crown notch being the same shape.”
The sound of documents being turned over filled the conference room, and the group began to discuss in hushed tones.
“I think the driver of the red truck is a prime suspect,” Xiao Yang said first. “His cigarette butt was found at the scene, there was unexplained blood on the wrench, and he was at the sand and gravel plant around the time of the incident.”
“But his DNA doesn’t match the remains,” Zhang Lin objected. “The type of engine oil in the muscles of the remains also doesn’t match the truck, which doesn’t make sense.”
"Could they be accomplices?" Xiao Wang guessed. "The lame man used a utility knife to dismember the body, and the truck driver was responsible for transporting and disposing of the body?" He recalled the service area's surveillance footage. "The truck driver might have been nearby when Wang Kaisheng and the lame man were arguing."
Xiao Zhou shook his head: "The truck driver comes to the sand and gravel plant every Tuesday. He might have just been used this time. Think about it, if he were the murderer, why didn't he take his work jacket and cigarette butt with him? That's too deliberate, like a smokescreen left behind on purpose."
Li Ming tapped the table to quiet everyone down. "Where was the last GPS signal for Wang Kaisheng's truck?" he asked, his gaze falling on Xiao Zhou.
“At the highway service area between Tangchuan and Tianchuan, the signal disappeared at 2:17 a.m. three days ago.” Xiao Zhou pulled up a screenshot of the service area’s surveillance footage. “The surveillance footage showed Wang Kaisheng arguing with a lame man. The man was wearing a black hoodie and was carrying a utility knife. The width of the blade matched the spacing of the scratches on the bone and skin of the stump.”
“This lame man is very likely the murderer,” Li Ming analyzed. “He had an argument with Wang Kaisheng at the service area, and then decided to kill him. He used a utility knife to sever the limbs, put the remains into a blue waterproof tarpaulin, and took the body to the gravel plant to dispose of it. The red truck driver may have just happened to be there and was used by the murderer to divert attention.”
"Why did the murderer choose to dump the body at the sand and gravel plant?" Xiao Yang wondered. "There are too many people there, and it would be easy to be discovered."
“It might be because he was familiar with the environment,” Zhang Lin speculated. “The murderer may have worked at the sand and gravel plant and knew how the hoppers operated, and could use the conveyor belt to cover up traces. Moreover, the red clay in the quarry is very special and not easy to trace its source.”
Xiao Wang suddenly remembered something: "We found tire tracks outside the hole in the fence of the material yard, and they match the tire treads of the motorcycle driven by the limping man in the service area's surveillance footage!" He pulled out a photo, "The reddish-brown clay stuck to the tires is exactly the same as that in the material yard."
“That’s right,” Li Ming nodded. “The murderer transported the remains to the gravel plant on a motorcycle, entered through a hole in the wall, dumped the body, and left. The red truck driver was just a smokescreen; the real killer is that lame man.” He stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone. “Next, focus on investigating this lame man’s identity. Start with Wang Kaisheng’s social connections and see who he’s recently had a falling out with. Xiao Wang, take some men to the highway service area again and retrieve all the surveillance footage. Expand the search area and look for Wang Kaisheng’s torso and other limbs. Xiao Yang, continue investigating the gravel plant, especially around the wall, and see if you can find any more clues. Xiao Zhou, compare Wang Kaisheng’s call records to find out the lame man’s identity.”
The atmosphere in the meeting room became lively, and everyone perked up. Xiao Zhou looked at Wang Kaisheng's photo; the long-haul truck driver in the photo was smiling at the camera, and the mole behind his left ear gleamed light brown in the sunlight. He suddenly remembered Zhou Lan's words: "He always said that driving long distances was like walking a tightrope, you never knew when you would be gone..." He couldn't help but sigh; this man who toiled on the highway ultimately couldn't complete his final journey.
“There’s another detail,” Zhang Lin suddenly said, “Wang Kaisheng’s hair has intermittent pigment loss due to malnutrition caused by stomach ulcers. This suggests that his condition may have worsened recently, and perhaps it’s related to a feud with someone? For example, unpaid medical bills, or delays in transportation due to health reasons?”
“That makes sense,” Li Ming nodded. “Check Wang Kaisheng’s recent medical records and shipping orders to see if there are any irregularities. Also, what are the goods on his truck? Is it possible that a dispute over the goods could lead to his death?”
Xiao Zhou immediately wrote it down in his notebook: "Wang Kaisheng went to Tangchuan this time to pick up steel. The delivery time is very tight. He may have been delayed due to health reasons and had a conflict with the cargo owner or the consignee."
Xiao Yang added, "We are still conducting further tests on the dark blue fibers found at the material yard to see if we can find a more specific source. If it's from the truck tarpaulin, it's very likely that it was picked up during the break-in or handling process, which might lead us back to the original crime scene."
The discussion lasted for over two hours. The sunlight outside the window gradually shifted, casting dappled patterns across the table, as if guiding them. Although many mysteries remained in the case, with the confirmation of Wang Kaisheng's identity and the emergence of clues about the lame man, the direction of the investigation became increasingly clear.
"Meeting adjourned," Li Ming stood up, picked up the enamel mug on the table, and said, "Report any new developments immediately and try to find that lame man as soon as possible and uncover the truth."
Everyone rose and left, their steps much lighter. Xiao Zhou walked last, glancing back at the lights in the conference room, silently vowing to uncover the truth as soon as possible and let Wang Kai rest in peace. He knew the investigation wouldn't be easy, but he was confident that as long as everyone worked together and followed the clues, they would catch the murderer and bring justice to the deceased.
In the corridor, Xiao Yang and Zhang Lin were still discussing the details of the severed limbs. "The scratches on the bone cortex are very unusual," Xiao Yang said. "They don't look like they were made by a single cut; they look more like they were repeatedly sawed. The killer may have been very nervous or exhausted at the time."
Zhang Lin nodded: "Moreover, he survived for less than two hours after being severed, which means that Wang Kaisheng was still conscious at the time. This is too cruel. There must be a deep-seated hatred between the murderer and him."
Xiao Wang walked past them, holding a screenshot from the service area's surveillance camera: "I'll go ask the service area staff again to see if anyone remembers any other characteristics of that limping man, such as his height, build, or if he said anything unusual."