Attending ex-girlfriend's wedding, arresting the groom's officer on the spot

Upon seeing the transaction record, Qin Bao's face instantly turned pale. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "I know him. He's a security guard in this area. He often comes to my shop to buy things, and we've become familiar with each other over time. Two months ago, I was short of cash for inventory, so I borrowed 2 yuan from him. He readily agreed and transferred 19800 yuan to me, saying that I didn't need to transfer the remaining 200 yuan and that it was his treat to a meal."

"Why did you borrow money from him? Were you close?" Wang Shuai pressed. "Not particularly close, just ordinary friends. I really needed the money urgently at the time, and I couldn't borrow from several friends. Seeing that Zhang Fenglu was usually easygoing, I tried asking him, and I didn't expect him to actually agree," Qin Bao explained. "I originally promised to pay him back in a month, but later, because I hadn't received payment for the goods I purchased, I kept putting it off. Before he resigned, he came to the store to see me once and asked when I was going to pay him back. I told him to give me some more time, and he didn't say much before leaving."

"How was your mood when Zhang Fenglu asked you for money before he resigned? Did you argue with him?" Wang Shuai asked. "He was a little down, but he didn't argue with me," Qin Bao said. "He just asked me, 'Can you pay me back as soon as possible? I need money for something at home.' I apologized to him and said I would find a way as soon as possible, and then he left. Looking back now, his state at the time was indeed a bit strange, but I didn't think much of it."

"Where were you before and after the incident, from 11 pm the night before last to 2 am yesterday? What were you doing? Who can testify to that?" Wang Shuai changed the subject, asking about the crucial alibi. Qin Bao immediately replied, "I was in the store checking accounts the night before last, and I didn't close until midnight. After I got home, I stayed there and didn't go out. My wife can testify to that, and there are security cameras in my store that can capture the process of me checking accounts."

To verify Qin Bao's statement, Wang Shuai immediately arranged for his team to retrieve the hardware store's surveillance footage and go to Qin Bao's home to question his wife. The hardware store's surveillance video showed that Qin Bao was indeed in the store checking accounts and organizing goods from 8 PM to midnight the night before, and did not leave during that time. Qin Bao's wife also confirmed that after returning home at midnight, Qin Bao stayed in the bedroom to rest and did not go out. Furthermore, the team checked Qin Bao's social relationships and call records, finding that he had no other unusual financial transactions or contacts with Zhang Fenglu besides this loan.

More importantly, Qin Bao's height of 170 cm and weight of 55 kg do not match the height and weight range corresponding to the footprints found at the scene; he usually wears size 39 casual shoes, which does not match the size 41 rain boots, size 43 sneakers, and size 42 leather shoes found at the scene; and Qin Bao has not recently purchased an electric tricycle or a small truck, nor has he rented any such vehicles, ruling out the possibility that he transported the body.

At 6 PM, the investigation results were delivered to Wang Shuai. Qin Bao's alibi was valid, and there was no other evidence to suggest he was involved in Zhang Fenglu's death. "Could this loan have been just a coincidence?" Wang Shuai frowned. He had thought finding Qin Bao would lead to a breakthrough in the case, but the trail had gone cold again.

At this moment, Zhang Hui called from Qinghe County with new information: "Team Leader Wang, our further investigation in our hometown revealed that Zhang Fenglu made a call to an unknown number two months ago when he went home to get money. The call lasted about 10 minutes. We checked the number and found that it was a temporary mobile phone number, not registered under a real name, and it was disconnected after October 10th, so we cannot trace the owner's information."

"A temporary phone number?" Wang Shuai's heart skipped a beat. "This number could very well belong to that 'friend'? But why did Qin Bao say he was the one who lent the money? Is Qin Bao lying? Or did Zhang Fenglu lend out more than one sum of money?" He immediately asked Qin Bao again, "Are you sure Zhang Fenglu only lent you 19800 yuan? Did he mention to you that he lent money to other people as well?"

Qin Bao firmly stated, "I'm certain he only lent me 19800 yuan. He even told me that it was money he took from home, originally intended for his family, but he lent it to me because I was in a hurry, and told me to pay it back as soon as possible. He never mentioned lending money to anyone else." Wang Shuai observed Qin Bao's expression and found that he didn't seem to be lying. Moreover, Qin Bao's bank statements showed that after receiving the 19800 yuan from Zhang Fenglu, he used it all for purchasing goods for his hardware store, with no unusual expenditures.

At 7 p.m., Wang Shuai led his team back to the Criminal Investigation Detachment and reported the findings of both groups to Lu Chuan. "This is the current situation: Zhang Fenglu has simple interpersonal relationships in the city and no conflicts or disputes; the investigation in his hometown found that he had taken 2 yuan from his family and lent it to Qin Bao two months ago, but Qin Bao has an alibi and is therefore ruled out; Zhang Fenglu called a temporary mobile phone number, but the owner's information could not be traced, and the lead has gone cold again," Wang Shuai said in a heavy tone.

After listening to the report, Lu Chuan fell into deep thought. He picked up Zhang Fenglu's bank statements and investigation records, examined them carefully for a long time, and said, "Zhang Fenglu is introverted, has a regular lifestyle, and has no enemies. It's unlikely that he would commit murder for money, after all, his financial situation is ordinary, and he didn't have any valuables on him. So what exactly was the murderer's motive?"

“Could it be that Zhang Fenglu accidentally discovered some illegal activity by the suspect while on patrol and was subsequently silenced?” Wang Shuai proposed a new hypothesis. Lu Chuan nodded: “That’s very likely. Zhang Fenglu is responsible for night patrols, and his area of ​​activity is fixed. It’s very possible that he witnessed the suspect’s criminal activities during his patrols, such as theft, drug trafficking, or gambling, and was thus killed by the suspect to silence him.”

"Then our next focus should be on investigating illegal and criminal activities within Zhang Fenglu's patrol area," Wang Shuai said. Lu Chuan agreed: "That's right. First, we need to re-examine Zhang Fenglu's patrol routes and times, investigating recent thefts, fights, drug trafficking, and other cases that have occurred in his patrol area to look for any related clues; second, we need to expand the scope of the surveillance investigation, focusing on all surveillance footage along Zhang Fenglu's patrol routes, reviewing his activities before his disappearance to look for any suspicious individuals who might have followed or stalked him; third, the technical department should expedite the examination of physical evidence collected at the scene, such as fingerprints, fibers, and tire tracks, to try and find information related to the suspect; fourth, Zhang Hui's team should continue their investigation in Qinghe County, focusing on clues related to that temporary phone number, and whether Zhang Fenglu has any other undiscovered social connections." (End of Chapter)