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

“Oh, right, officer, there’s something else, I don’t know if it’s important.” Zhang Baolu suddenly remembered something and said, “About five or six days ago, when I was herding sheep halfway up the mountain, I saw a few footprints on the grass near the entrance of the cave dwelling. At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to it, thinking that some villager had left them by chance. Now that I think about it, those footprints seem different from the footprints of the villagers. The villagers usually wear cloth shoes or rubber shoes, and their footprints are relatively shallow, but those footprints are very deep, and the soles of the shoes seem to have patterns, somewhat similar to the kind of footprints you mentioned today.”

"How many footprints were there? How big were they? Did you see the pattern on the soles of the shoes? Were they fresh or old?" Lu Chuan immediately asked.

“There were three footprints, none of them very complete, a bit blurry, probably around size 42 or 43. The soles of the shoes had patterns, but the patterns were very blurry, and I couldn’t make out exactly what they looked like. At the time, I thought the footprints weren’t too old or too fresh, probably left a day or two ago. I didn’t pay much attention to them then, because people who occasionally come to the mountains to buy mountain goods sometimes come here, and I assumed they were left by them, so I didn’t think much of it. Now that I think about it, those footprints might have been left by that stranger.”

"Also, about three or four days ago, the day I saw that stranger, when I was herding sheep, I found that some weeds had been trampled down and a sapling had been broken off on a path halfway up the mountain. The cut was very fresh, as if it had been forcibly broken off. Few people walk on that path. Usually, only I pass by there occasionally when I'm herding sheep. I've never trampled down any weeds or broken any saplings. Maybe that stranger left those marks too."

Lu Chuan nodded, signaling the police officer to write down all the details, and then continued to ask, "Think carefully again, are there any other details? No matter how small the detail is, even if you think it's unimportant, you can mention it. It might be the key to solving the case."

Zhang Baolu frowned, thought for a long time seriously, shook his head, and said, "No, police officers, I've told you everything I can think of. I rarely deal with outsiders. I just herd sheep and farm every day. I've told you everything I can see and think of. There are no other details."

"That's all I know. I've told you the truth, without lying or hiding anything. I really hope you can catch the murderer as soon as possible, bring justice to the deceased, and let the people in our village live in peace. Otherwise, everyone is too scared to go up the mountain."

Looking into Zhang Baolu's sincere eyes, Lu Chuan could tell that he wasn't lying or hiding anything. Zhang Baolu's testimony provided several crucial clues: the strange man who appeared three or four days ago, the black plastic bag, suspected suspect footprints, and fresh signs of broken tree branches. Although these clues weren't direct, they were very important breakthroughs for this case, which had almost no leads.

"Thank you, Zhang Baolu. The clues you provided are very important to us and have helped us a lot," Lu Chuan said sincerely. "We may ask you for more details later, and we hope you can cooperate with our work."

"I will cooperate, I will definitely cooperate." Zhang Baolu nodded hurriedly. "As long as the murderer can be caught, I will tell you the truth whenever you come to me, and I will never hide anything."

"Okay, then go home and rest first, calm yourself down, don't think too much about it, and don't talk about this with others casually, so as not to affect our investigation. If you remember any details later, whether it's day or night, you can call us." Lu Chuan handed Zhang Baolu a contact card with his phone number on it.

"Okay, okay, I understand, officer." Zhang Baolu took the contact card, carefully put it in his pocket, then slowly stood up and walked towards his home. His steps were still a little unsteady, clearly not fully recovered from the shock, and he would occasionally glance back at the hillside, his eyes filled with fear. Watching Zhang Baolu walk away, the officer taking the statement handed the notebook to Lu Chuan and said, "Captain Lu, the statement is done. All the details have been recorded. Zhang Baolu's testimony is coherent and without contradictions; it doesn't seem like he's lying."

Lu Chuan took the transcript, quickly flipped through it, and confirmed that all the key details had been recorded. He nodded and said, "Okay, keep the transcript safe and file it later. Notify the technical department to go to the paths and cave dwellings that Zhang Baolu mentioned later and conduct another thorough investigation, focusing on the footprints and broken saplings he mentioned, to see if any new traces or physical evidence can be extracted."

"Yes, Captain Lu."

Just then, Lu Chuan's walkie-talkie rang, and Yang Lin's voice came through, serious and somewhat solemn.

"Team Leader Lu, Team Leader Lu, we have completed the preliminary investigation of the perimeter and the center of the site. The situation is more complicated than we expected. Now we are reporting the situation to you."

Lu Chuan pressed the intercom, his voice steady: "Speak, in more detail."

"Team Leader Lu, we strictly followed your instructions, starting from fifty meters outside the cave and gradually moving inwards. We recorded and photographed the entire process, without touching the body. We only conducted a preliminary observation of the body surface and an environmental survey. All suspicious traces and physical evidence have been marked, secured, and collected." Yang Lin's voice came through the walkie-talkie, tinged with fatigue and a faint stench, indicating that he had been inside the cave for quite some time.

"First, regarding the scene environment. The cave where the crime occurred is located halfway up the mountain, sheltered from the wind and hidden, surrounded by dense trees, shrubs, and jujube trees. It is difficult to see the cave entrance directly from the foot of the mountain or from the mountain road, making it a natural hiding place, very suitable for dumping and hiding a body. The cave has been in disrepair for many years, and the entrance has collapsed severely, leaving only a gap about half a person's height. It is covered with vines and jujube branches, and most of the entrance is blocked. Unless someone deliberately clears it, it is difficult to find out what is inside."

"The cave dwelling was small, about ten square meters, with walls of loess that were damp and moldy. The floor was bare soil, covered with a thin layer of mold due to long-term uninhabitation and dampness. The interior was dimly lit, with only a sliver of light filtering through the entrance. The air was stale and filled with a strong, putrid odor. Even wearing thick masks and gas masks, the pungent smell was still noticeable. The surveyors experienced mild nausea and dizziness, but they persevered and completed the survey." (End of Chapter)