Chapter 220: Record-breaking Detective Work (2/2)
”What's the big deal?” I retorted. “Chinese Detective Li Changyu once solved a case in which the murderer urinated at the scene of the crime. He managed to identify the murderer by testing the urine.”
”That's not as disgusting as this!” he cringed.
Having obtained samples, I glanced at my watch. ”We might break the record with how quickly we’re going to solve the case this time.”
Xiaotao widened her eyes in shock. ”You’re confident about that?”
”According to our previous hypothesis, the murderer is likely an old person, and the elderly are stubborn and set in their ways,” I observed. “Besides, their usual motive is vengeance for an old grudge. Combined with the fact that the murderer’s MO requires a lot of effort and has left behind plenty of evidence, I’m certain the case will be solved by tomorrow at the latest.”
”If we solve the case by tomorrow,” started Xiaotao. “I’ll treat both of you to a seafood dinner.”
”We’ll starve tonight,” I said to Dali. “And feast tomorrow!”
Dali made a gluttonous gesture of wiping his saliva. ”Then I’ll start starving myself at noon.”
Right then, I received a call from Bingxin. ”Song Yang-gege, where have you guys been?” she asked. “I found something!”
”Wait for us. We’re heading back to the station now.” I said.
Downstairs, just as we were leaving the community, I asked the security guard at the gate if anyone elderly had driven in this morning. The security guard shook his head and reported that he hadn’t seen anyone like that.
Fixing my gaze at the camera above my head, I asked, ”Do you have the surveillance video?”
The security guard looked away in embarrassment. ”The facilities in our community are outdated. The residents don’t stay for long so we often have trouble collecting maintenance fees. These cameras have long broken down but we’ve never repaired them. They’re merely for show.”
”Why do you think the murderer drove here?” asked Xiaotao.
”It’s impossible for the murderer to have folded the kite, yet such a huge kite would’ve been conspicuous if it were carried into the community on foot. Hence, the murderer must have a car! Unless... ”
”Unless what?” questioned Xiaotao.
My eyes lit up. ”That’s right! Get someone to find out where the old man lived!”
”Can’t you finish what you were about to say?!” grumbled Xiaotao. “That’s only going to make me more anxious!”
When we returned to the station, Bingxin asked us where we had been. Hearing that we went kiting, she pursed her lips in discontent. ”How could you go without asking me? You’re too much!” she complained.
”We only went to investigate the case,” I explained. “What about the lab results?”
Bingxin reported that saliva enzymes not containing the victim’s DNA had been detected on the human skin kite. It must have been left by someone else, most likely when the murderer sneezed.
I nodded and handed her samples of the phlegm I had found and the old man's DNA. ”Could you test the phlegm against the saliva left on the kite and see if they match?” I instructed. “Also, please compare the human skin kite and the old man’s DNA.”
”Why compare the two sets of DNA?” asked Xiaotao. “What secrets are you hiding, Song Yang?”
”I’m not intentionally keeping you guessing,” I replied. “At the moment, I can’t be certain so let’s wait until the lab results come out.”
Vague conjectures had formed in my mind but it wasn’t yet appropriate to share them since they weren’t necessarily correct. So I had to confirm them first.
”As a Traditional Coroner, you seem perfectly at home using modern technology!” laughed Xiaotao.
”The method isn’t important,” I clarified. “I’ll use whatever means helpful to solve the crime. I believe if Song Ci were alive today, he wouldn’t have left such convenient technologies unused.”
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