Animal Detective

Chapter 221 In the end, it turned out to be a murder case.
Shen Xin and Ding Yuwei drove to Pingyu.

Based on road surveillance footage, the vehicle was identified directly.

It's a ride-hailing car.

Based on the license plate, the vehicle owner's information was retrieved directly.

People from Pingyu.

They have already contacted the other party and arranged to meet at the hotel where Jiang Qi got off the bus.

As for Wang Xinning, she was taken back by Chen Chao to cooperate with the investigation.

Regarding the details of Jiang Qi's departure, she still needs to make a detailed statement.

Ding Yuwei sat in the passenger seat, her notebook spread out on her lap, writing and drawing.

She took a picture of the riddle in the letter Jiang Qi left behind and copied it down.

Why are you studying it?

While waiting at the traffic light, Shen Xin muttered something to himself.

The puzzle is a 10x10 array of letters, with a total of 100 letters, randomly shuffled, making it impossible to discern any pattern.

Ding Yuwei had been sketching and writing for a while when she said, "Maybe it's a clue too."

"clue?"

Shen Xin snorted and pointed diagonally upwards, saying, "This is the clue."

Ding Yuwei looked up and immediately understood.

Shen Xin was referring to surveillance cameras.

We've already entered Pingyu territory, and the number of surveillance cameras at the intersection is simply outrageous—at least eight cameras are mounted on a single pole.

Ding Yuwei glanced at Shen Xin and said, "Why do I get the feeling that you seem to harbor a lot of resentment?"

Shen Xin countered, "Don't you harbor any resentment?"

“If he had just called the police normally and said his wife was missing, that would have been fine. It’s not like we wouldn’t have helped him look for her.”

"Does this mean they don't trust us?"

Shen Xin raised one finger, then a second: "Then, thinking he was clever, he staged a murder scene to interfere with our investigation. Twenty people were circling around him for two days."

It's no exaggeration to say that there were twenty people, including criminal investigators and technical investigators.

"By the way, do you know what he said during yesterday's interrogation? He said that if Jiang Qi doesn't come out, he'd rather be arrested and shot by us to die with Jiang Qi."

"Honestly, I feel that he is just too selfish and completely self-centered."

To be honest, Shen Xin had a pretty good impression of Bai Jifei when he first met him at the police dog base.

But it was only after witnessing what he had done that I truly saw his true colors.

In short, a sophisticated egoist.

“Look at him, he’s put on a show for himself. Maybe he’s even moved, thinking that he’s willing to risk his life for his wife.”

"And this Jiang Qi, isn't she the same?"

"She thought I would disappear and find a secluded place to end my life so as not to cause you any trouble. It seemed so noble, and she was even moved by it. But deep down, wasn't she just selfish and only thinking about herself?"

"Let's not even talk about my husband, but what about my parents? Are they just so irresponsible, just going to wash their hands of it all?"

"Look at you, deliberately leaving a mystery, isn't that just being pretentious?"

Ding Yuwei didn't expect Shen Xin to be so critical, and said, "You've seen all kinds of people at the police station before, so why are you reacting so strongly this time?"

When you have a hundred people, you'll find all sorts of different kinds.

Ding Yuwei had long heard that working at a police station for a few years meant experiencing what was truly a spectacle of human wonder.

"I stayed for a short time."

I only stayed for a year.

"Most importantly, this guy kills dogs."

Shen Xin said fiercely.

After being tossed around for two days by the fabricated scene, Shen Xin was frustrated, but thankfully, things were alright.

Just like Ding Yuwei said, when she was in the police station, she was often overwhelmed by all sorts of bizarre cases and was too tired to even complain.

So there's really no need to get upset over Bai Jifei.

Adjust your mindset, get back to work, and the next case will surely be waiting for you.

The key point is that this guy killed their dog, which they had raised for several years, in order to stage the scene.

Shen Xin felt that the most unlucky person in this case was the dog named Pudding.

What did I do to deserve this? I was just slaughtered like that.

According to Bai Jifei's description, the first step was to bleed the patient.

Then, in order to fake the use of the murder weapon, he dismembered the body using an axe and a hacksaw.

Finally, in order to cover up his killing of the dog, he chose the most direct method.

He was worried that if he dismembered the body and sent it to a professional pet crematorium, people would have all sorts of wild thoughts.

So he boiled the meat and ate it!

Eat it yourself.

It was supposed to be a big pot, but we couldn't finish it at all, and in the end, we had to throw it in the trash.

He was also thinking of feeding it to other dogs.

The villa was full of dogs. In front of all those dogs, he killed one of their kind and then cooked and ate it.

The most ridiculous thing is that even dogs wouldn't eat it.

Because they are their kind.

Shen Xin initially thought that since this guy ran a kennel, he must be a dog lover.

In the initial statement, Bai Jifei also said that Jiang Qi really liked dogs and had a dream of opening her own kennel.

But in Bai Jifei's mind, the kennel is probably just a business.

In any case, Shen Xin felt quite uncomfortable about this.

I also witnessed Bai Jifei's self-centeredness, indifference, and selfishness.

Ding Yuwei reached out and patted Shen Xin on the shoulder to comfort her, then continued to study her puzzle.

"Stop messing around, it's obvious she needs a key."

Shen Xin said casually.

The 10x10 letter array is clearly a coordinate system. A key is used to select the corresponding letter and transmit information.

This key is probably only known to Jiang Qi and Bai Jifei.

Shen Xin said, "If you're really curious, just find Jiang Qi and ask her directly."

Ding Yuwei thought to herself, "Can't I do some research?"

However, Shen Xin's words reminded her, and she started to try to fit the two of their birthdays into the equation.

But they found nothing when they arrived at the hotel.

Shen Xin met the driver of the van in the parking lot outside the hotel's main entrance.

"It was a foreign man who placed the order, a reservation for a private car. Here is the order, but I can't see the phone number. You police should be able to find it, right?"

He found the order and showed it to the two of them.

Foreign man?

Shen Xin shook his head slightly, took a picture of the order information, went back to the platform to check, and then asked about the specific situation.

When two people are in a car, they're bound to chat, right? Didn't you hear what they were talking about?
The driver said, "They did talk, but they were speaking English. All I know in English is 'thank you' and 'hello,' so I had no idea what they were saying."

"Anyway, the woman seemed to be sick. She was in a wheelchair and couldn't move at all. So they brought her to this hotel, and then the two of them went downstairs."

He pointed towards the hotel.

Shen Xin asked for some more details, and after confirming that there was no other information, he expressed his gratitude and saw the driver off.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I showed my ID, and they immediately accessed the surveillance footage from that day.

The main entrance surveillance footage shows that the van stopped, and the foreigner, wearing a black woolen overcoat, helped Jiang Qi out of the car, into a wheelchair, and into the hotel.

The lobby surveillance footage shows that after the two entered the hotel, they did not go upstairs, but instead sat in the adjacent rest area for a while.

I also ordered coffee.

I asked the hotel staff, and they remembered.

Only six days have passed, less than a week.

A foreigner and a man in a wheelchair—you'll definitely remember them.

The front desk staff recognized the foreigner and immediately checked his hotel booking records.

His name is Eric Toledano.

He booked a room at the hotel on February 3rd, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

Then, on February 5th, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, I checked out.

However, there is no information about Jiang Qi's identity registration.

When the lobby manager saw Shen Xin looking at him, he hurriedly said that they were checking very strictly and that Jiang Qi definitely did not stay at the hotel that night.

Shen Xinxin? That's a lie.

However, after reviewing the surveillance footage, it was found that the two chatted in the hotel lobby for more than half an hour before the foreigner pushed Jiang Qi away.

Surveillance footage from the parking lot outside showed them getting into a Mercedes and driving away from the hotel.

The lobby manager secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Xin noted down the license plate number and continued reviewing the surveillance footage of the floors where foreigners lived.

Indeed, the person returned around 8 p.m. that evening.

But Jiang Qi did not go with them.

The man left in the morning and checked out directly.

When he booked the hotel room, his mobile phone number was registered.

Shen Xin called directly.

The number displayed is a local number from Pingyu.

The other party didn't answer the first time, so I called again and the call was finally connected.

A heavily accented, broken Chinese voice came from inside, asking who it was and what the matter was.

Shen Xin stated his purpose directly.

"Jiang Qi?" The other person's tone was quite calm.

I guess he was worried that the police would come looking for him.

He said, "Officer, Jiang Qi wants to live alone for a while. We are very good friends, and I respect her choice, so I'm sorry, I can't tell you where she went."

His tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

It seemed to be mocking that several days had passed before the police finally found out about him.

Then he just hung up the phone.

"He hung up on me?" Shen Xin looked at Ding Yuwei.

Just as he was about to call back, Ding Yuwei stopped him, saying, "Let's just find him directly. It's obvious he took Jiang Qi somewhere. Let's just check the surveillance footage."

Shen Xinyi thought so too.

Instead of wasting time arguing with this guy, checking the surveillance footage might have already led to him. Surveillance is becoming increasingly convenient in big cities these days.

Shen Xin heard that there is now a system that can automatically recognize license plates. By inputting the license plate number, it can automatically query the time when the car appeared under surveillance and then generate its movement trajectory.

There is simply no escape.

Although this is Pingyu, I know some people here.

Just a few days ago, when I rescued Wang Qiang and the others, I added them as friends.

Wang Cheng, Criminal Investigation Detachment of Pingyu City Public Security Bureau.

Isn't this useful?

Shen Xin has his WeChat and phone number.

I called him directly and asked him for help.

He didn't refuse, asked for the specific license plate number and time, told Shen Xin to wait for news, and then hung up the phone.

He said he has some buddies in the traffic police team.

He called back very quickly, within ten minutes.

"This car went to Lihu Lake, and the last place it was photographed was Shushan Island in Xishan. It was photographed at 4:36 pm, after it went to the island. Then at 6:12 pm, the car came out again."

The surveillance information is crystal clear.

It's obvious that Jiang Qi is on Shushan Island.

Shen Xin remembers this place as a tourist destination, a small island in the lake for self-driving tours. It's not a big place, but the environment is quite nice.

The problem is that Jiang Qi is now unable to take care of himself, and his foreign friend just sent him to the island and then abandoned him?

All I can say is that there are still people helping her.

Shen Xin thanked him.

It's almost 5 p.m. now. If I drive there now, it'll be rush hour, and I estimate it will be 6 or 7 p.m.

But there was no other way; we'd already come this far, so we might as well go all out and find the person directly.

Wang Cheng even offered to come over, saying that it would be more convenient if he were there to coordinate anything.

And he happened to be not far away.

He also mentioned that last time Shen Xin had to leave in a hurry to get her child checked out, and he didn't have time to treat Shen Xin to a meal.

After finishing the case today, I must do my best to show my hospitality as a host.

I heard there's a restaurant on Xishan Island that serves lake delicacies, and the food is especially delicious.

When we arrived at the location, it was already 6:30 pm.

it's getting dark.

At the entrance to Shushan Island, Shen Xin met Wang Cheng.

He is not alone.

Accompanying him was a middle-aged man of similar age to Sun Zhao, who was not tall and slightly hunched over, appearing rather stocky.

But when he stands there, his cold and aloof face gives off an aura that makes him seem unapproachable.

I only found out after being introduced that he was actually the deputy head of the criminal investigation branch, named Liu Jie.

They are going to Songling District to provide guidance today, so they live nearby.

Shen Xin and Ding Yuwei hurriedly greeted each other.

Although Pingyu is also a prefecture-level city, it is larger than Nanjiang. Being able to become the deputy head of the city's criminal investigation detachment, while not yet qualified to wear a white shirt, is already a high-ranking position.

When he wasn't speaking, he had a very imposing aura, but once he opened his mouth, he gave people a feeling of warmth and gentleness, shaking hands with Shen Xin and Shen Xin with a smile.

"Shen Xin, I've heard so much about you for a long time."

Liu Jie didn't let go immediately, and said with a smile.

Shen Xin quickly replied, "Director Liu, please don't joke with me. I don't have any famous name."

"How not."

Liu Jie smiled and said, "I went to Ningshan for a meeting before the New Year, and I heard them mention that you helped solve the biggest drug case last year."

"Moreover, I've heard about the several cold cases you've handled. Our Director Han even discussed it with us, saying that he wanted to learn from you and tackle those cold cases as well."

Shen Xin remained modest, saying that it was all good luck, and that the main reason was that the leadership set the right direction and gave good specific instructions.

Ding Yuwei remained silent beside her.

Liu Jie glanced at Wang Cheng and thought to himself, "You should learn from him and think more about being a leader."

The group got into the car and drove up to Shushan Island.

There was also a police station on the island. After parking the car, Liu Jie casually asked Shen Xin what case he was investigating.

Shen Xin did not hide anything and explained Bai Jifei's situation.

Wang Cheng suddenly realized, "Isn't this the case of the million-dollar financial elite who murdered and dismembered his wife that's been making headlines online? So he staged the whole scene himself; his wife just ran away."

Shen Xin nodded.

Wang Cheng was embarrassed: "What was this guy thinking? Even if he manages to force his wife out, he'll end up in jail himself."

Given Bai Jifei's situation, he'll likely be in jail for at least a year.

Liu Jie, however, seemed unfazed, saying, "It's normal. You guys are just young. When you reach my age, you won't find any kind of person strange anymore."

There's only one person on duty at the police station.

Upon seeing Liu Jie, I was startled.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that they weren't looking for him.

There are police surveillance cameras on the island, located at several major intersections in the residential area.

Jiang Qi landed on the island at 4:36.

According to the police station's surveillance footage, they quickly located the foreigner's Mercedes-Benz.

After arriving on the island, he drove north along the island's paths, stopped on the northeast side of the island, and disappeared from the surveillance footage.

Then he reappeared on the surveillance footage at six o'clock and left.

"It's easy to find. Most of the guesthouses on the island are concentrated on the east and south sides. There are only a few scattered homes of local residents on the north side. I'll take you to find them."

With that, he went out, got on his electric scooter, and led the way.

It was already completely dark, but the island was still bustling with activity because it was during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The police officer at the police station is surnamed Qin.

He knew the way well, so when the car couldn't go any further, everyone got out and followed him along the cement path.

The island has a really nice environment.

Located by the lake, the scenery is absolutely stunning.

Along the way, Lao Qin could chat with anyone and say hello.

He also understands the local dialect.

Shen Xin could hardly understand these old sayings anymore.

“I know, Grandma said she saw it a few days ago. A foreigner pushed a woman in a wheelchair over and then went to Aunt Zhang’s house upstairs.”

"Aunt Zhang has an old house, which she has not lived in for a long time, but is now rented out."

With that, he headed straight for the rented room.

Just follow the cement path a little uphill, facing Lihu Lake, surrounded by several camphor trees.

A two-story courtyard house.

"Shen Xin, the lights aren't on," Ding Yuwei whispered.

Shen Xin noticed it too.

The lights should be on at this time.

Old Qin arrived at the courtyard gate and pretended to knock, but the door opened with a single touch.

"Not locked?" He was somewhat surprised.

Liu Jie's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Let's go in and take a look."

Everyone immediately entered the courtyard.

The yard isn't big, but it's planted with flowers and plants and is quite clean.

The door to the main room was closed. As the group approached, Liu Jie suddenly asked, "Have you smelled a certain odor?"

His expression had become extremely serious.

Shen Xin sniffed, his heart skipped a beat.

Damn, there's no mistake, it stinks to death!
"Liu Zhi?"

Shen Xin looked at Liu Jie.

Liu Jie didn't say anything, but casually took a plastic bag out of his pocket, put it on his hand, and opened the door.

"Wang Cheng, call the Songling branch. Lao Qin, go and ask for this family's contact information. Xiao Shen, come in with me."

He quickly made arrangements and then casually turned on the light switch next to the door.

The entire house is a setback two-story building. Upon entering, you are greeted by the living room, with bedrooms on either side. A faint stench emanates from the living room.

Inside should be the kitchen, and there's also a staircase leading to the second floor.

The two leaned against the wall and slowly walked inside.

Soon, under the light, at the corner of the stairs leading to the second floor at the deepest part, Shen Xin saw the corpse.

Jiang Qi's body twisted as she collapsed at the corner of the stairs.

This posture makes it look like he's rolled down the stairs.

On the evening of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, she came here with the foreigner. Today is the twelfth day of the first lunar month, and six days have already passed.

Winters in the south are slightly warmer, usually around zero degrees Celsius.

Now that the New Year is over, the weather has warmed up a bit, and the temperature has been above zero these days.

In this weather, the decomposition of corpses will definitely be slower.

Even if it's slow, the body will begin to decompose in three to four days.

Jiang Qi is now emitting the stench of death, so she must have died four or five days ago.

It could be the seventh or eighth day of the Lunar New Year.

Even later, the body should not yet smell of decay.

What a mess.

Jiang Qi said she wanted to disappear and find a place to end her life.

And now he really is dead.

Shen Xin couldn't help but think of Bai Jifei again.

To be honest, if Jiang Qi had gone missing on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, he would have immediately called the police. If he had been lucky, he might have found Jiang Qi the next day.

Jiang Qi might not die then.

Truly self-righteous.

But is it really true that Jiang Qi just fell down the stairs?

Ultimately, the investigation revealed a murder case.

(End of this chapter)