Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 581 The Second Suspect
The night was quiet.

Or perhaps it wasn't too quiet.

With so many police officers camping together in the suburbs, the various body odors, foot odors, and the constant low, medium and high-pitched snoring, the creaking of spring mattresses turning over, teeth grinding, and farting continued from the first half of the night until the early morning.

For the first time, Lin Ge realized how terrifying it was to have so many adults sleeping together. It was also the first time he realized that after suffering from insomnia, there was absolutely no chance of falling asleep in such an environment.

During that trip to Zhuzhou, Ling Ge slept very well. Coupled with his worry about the two lynx pups, he didn't pay much attention to the environment.

However, this time... for the first time, Lin Ge realized that Xie Changjun was actually a loudspeaker!

His snoring after he fell asleep was like a symphony: deep, muffled snoring, long, open-mouthed snoring, the constant gurgling of his lips, and a snoring sound like a cow mooing, all intertwined and never stopped for half an hour. This made Lin Ge, who shared a tent with Xie Changjun and Nie Guoqiang, extremely uncomfortable. He lay awake all night, conflicted, exuding murderous intent but completely unable to do anything to Xie Changjun.

The reason I didn't choose to sleep with Li Siyu was because that bastard Li Yiduo shamelessly disregarded the difference between men and women and squeezed into a tent.

To avoid getting a sty, Lin Ge had no choice but to separate from Li Siyu.

"This is...a nightmare!"

The silver shaded eye already had dark circles under its eyes, and after one night, Lin Ge felt that the dark circles around his eyes had become even darker.

Poor sleep and the resulting low mood made Lin Ge look menacing, his fierce eyes seeming like he was about to kill someone. This attitude made Liu Yuan, who had rushed over early in the morning to find Lin Ge to continue working, think it over and decide to back down and wait until the cat finished its breakfast.

Did Mimi not sleep well last night?

Li Siyu, who knew Ling Ge best, could easily tell from Ling Ge's constant yawning that it was very sleepy.

Lin Ge nodded, yawned again, and turned to walk into Li Siyu and Li Yiduo's tent. He sniffed around but didn't find anything unusual, so it seemed the two weren't so shameless after all. Nodding, he jumped onto the folding bed and snuggled into the covers.

"..."

Liu Yuan watched speechlessly as the cat wagged its tail and went back to sleep. He raised his hand, thought for a moment, but ultimately couldn't call it back. He could only shake his head and go find someone else.

Although it was noisy during the day, the noise level at the campsite was still within a tolerable range for Lingo before lunchtime.

He slept until midday, only to be awakened by the sounds of the police returning for lunch. Looking up, he saw two police dogs sitting obediently at the tent entrance, slowly wagging their tails, like two guardian deities watching over their master as he slept. These two unlucky dogs had been trying to get close to the cat since yesterday, but hadn't found an opportunity. Finally, realizing the cat wasn't running around, they quickly stood guard at the entrance, waiting for their leader to reprimand them.

"These two are pretty well-behaved!"

Lin Ge jumped off the bed and went to the two police dogs. He found that one was a rare white bull terrier with one eye that looked like it had been punched, and the other had some features of a wolfhound and a large-eared spotted dog. In other words, both were mixed breeds.

The only thing that surprised him was that the two police dogs were very obedient and well-behaved, unlike those rascals in Zhang City who liked to cause trouble.

These two guys didn't even dare to lick Lingo's head. They were already quite content just to follow their boss obediently, wagging their tails very happily.

Lin Ge led two police dogs to the open-air canteen and quickly found Li Siyu and Li Yiduo.

Unfortunately, today's lunch was again a mix of diced carrots, cucumbers, and corn kernels, along with stewed potatoes and pork. Since it was all stewed in a large pot, it was very salty, and all the potatoes were overcooked and mushy. A spoonful in the bowl tasted like a sticky Japanese curry.

This was definitely not something Lin Ge could accept. He politely declined the food Li Siyu had left for him and decided to continue eating cat food to fill his stomach.

Li Siyu originally wanted to share the food with the two police dogs that came with Mimi, but she didn't expect that they also had owners and had been paying attention to this place.

Police officers can eat bad food, but police dogs can't. The two handlers quickly came over to greet Li Siyu, chatted about the training of police dogs and cats, and then invited Li Siyu to come and give the police dogs and cats a special meal.

"Huh? They even have special meals for them?"

Li Siyu was stunned for a moment. If she had known about this thing, she wouldn't have had to watch Mimi suffer from not being able to eat from yesterday to today.

"Of course! Police dogs are different from humans. They are carnivores and need more nutrition. We just need to fill our stomachs with food, but police dogs need more refined and abundant food to ensure their physical strength and energy for work. This is not special treatment, but something that we, as their trainers, are responsible for providing for them. Hehe... We bring all the food ourselves, without asking the canteen for a single penny. Who would dare to complain?"

The instructor, Jiang Bo, is a young man who, despite knowing that Li Siyu has a boyfriend, still can't help but try to get along with her.

Right?

Even if we're just ordinary friends, having a pretty girl as a friend is pleasing to the eye.

"Do I have to buy it myself and carry it up?"

Li Siyu frowned slightly.

It wasn't that she couldn't carry it herself, but rather that she wasn't familiar with the area, and buying groceries would require searching for suitable farmers' markets. Add to that storage issues, and it seemed much more troublesome than feeding Mimi cat food.

But since the handlers of those police dogs could do it, Li Siyu felt that she could do it too!
Police dogs can eat well, so Mimi should eat well too!
Moreover, Mimi has done far more good than the police dogs, so how could I mistreat her?
Nodding, Li Siyu decided that after she finished her work that evening, she would have Li Yiduo accompany her down the mountain to buy groceries. And if possible, it would be best to bring a small refrigerator up, as Mimi prefers fresh food.

"Officer Li, how about Mimi eats with my dog ​​Ah Wu today? I made a lot, but don't worry, all the ingredients are clean, healthy, and hygienic."

Jiang Bo tried to ingratiate himself with Li Siyu again, and extended an invitation with a smile.

"Uh-huh?"

Li Siyu blinked, vaguely sensing that the name sounded familiar. She quickly realized, and looked at Jiang Bo with a smile, "You're the Bull Terrier's trainer? I didn't expect you to be interested in such an old cartoon."

"Hehe... Well, what can I do? I love dogs. I've loved dogs since I was a child, and I'm very lucky to be able to do a job related to dogs that is also righteous."

The two quickly began talking, focusing on the topic of instruction.

"Siyu!"

Just as the conversation was getting lively, a jealous guy showed up.

Li Yiduo walked over naturally and put his arm around Li Siyu's shoulder. "What are you talking about? I called you several times and you didn't answer. Boss Nie issued a mission, asking you and me to take Mimi to search the area and see if we can find any traces of the suspect coming down the mountain. He and Officer Liu both believe that even the most professional murderer will lower their guard after completing the mission. Although the surrounding environment is complicated, there are only a few paths down the mountain, so we might be able to find some clues."

"Do you need our help? My dog, Ah Wu, is a pro at finding clues." Jiang Bo smiled and leaned closer.

"No! You all have your own tasks, right? My Mimi can handle this. What police dog could be better than Mimi?"

Li Yiduo responded calmly, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

He glanced at Jiang Bo without revealing his thoughts, thinking that this guy really had his eye on Li Siyu. Hmph, he's like a leech, sticking to her like glue, isn't he?
Li Siyu was both annoyed and amused. She shoved Li Yiduo to stop talking nonsense. But she didn't continue chatting with Jiang Bo. Instead, she waved goodbye and followed Li Yiduo back to find Mimi. Right now, business was more important.

When Li Siyu found Lingo, she saw it huddled up in front of a policeman who was eating beef jerky, trying to sneak a bite of his snacks.

The policeman was quite generous; he tore off large, expensive-looking pieces of beef jerky into strips and fed them to the cat. He would take a bite himself, then feed the cat a bite, talking to it as he did so, and occasionally giving the cat a pat on the head.

Lin Ge was also enjoying his meal immensely; the beef was indeed much tastier than the cat food. Unfortunately, before he could finish eating, he saw Li Siyu and Li Yiduo walking over together, meaning they were about to depart for a mission.

"Hey!"

Lin Ge turned away reluctantly, bidding farewell to the delicious beef jerky.

You're shameless!

Li Siyu poked Lin Ge's face, both amused and annoyed. This guy really wasn't shy at all; he would go up to strangers to mooch off any delicious food he saw.

Thinking about how she hadn't brought Mimi any good food on this trip, and how Mimi had suffered so much in this desolate wilderness, Li Siyu felt a pang of heartache. She then pulled Li Yiduo aside and whispered a few words, which immediately left Li Yiduo speechless.

"Are you giving this cat special treatment...?"

Li Yiduo felt a bit of a toothache; it's easier said than done.

The two people and the cat chatted and joked as they arrived at a suitable open space. Li Siyu helped Li Yiduo set up the equipment and launch the drones in their hands one by one.

He didn't intend to search aimlessly using traditional methods. Instead, he would first use a drone to conduct an aerial survey, using a planar perspective to identify possible downhill routes in the surrounding area, and then track and search each route one by one. This was a more efficient way of doing things.

Using the ultra-high-definition image on the remote control screen, Li Yiduo controlled the drone to fly high and low, quickly locking onto four routes down the mountain before setting off with Lin Ge and Li Siyu.

"To be honest, drones have significant limitations when handling cases like this. After all, they're just a tool to change the perspective; they can't help pinpoint the suspect. If I had been at the scene, I could have used a drone to lock onto the suspect, leaving him no chance of escape no matter where he ran. But now the suspect is long gone, so I don't quite understand why Boss Nie specifically ordered me to come and support Baiyan City. Ah, here, give me your hand!"

While complaining to Li Siyu, Li Yiduo reached out and helped her slide down a steep slope.

There are no proper roads in this mountain forest, and even the routes found by drones are still rugged and difficult to traverse. However, this road is the location that Li Yiduo judged to be the most likely escape route for the suspect. It is closest to the highway at the foot of the mountain, and there are no farmlands or roads leading to other places in the surrounding area, making it a highly concealed escape route.

Of course, the police in Baiyan City had already conducted a search in this area, and Li Yiduo couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't find any new clues on this trip. That's how the police solve cases; they search again and again. As long as the suspect has left any clues, they can always find them after searching a few more times.

These are the moments when police dogs and cats shine, as they can always spot unusual situations out of the police's sight, preventing the police from returning empty-handed.

For example, this time, Lin Ge was walking along the rugged mountain path when he suddenly noticed an unusual smell coming from a dense forest on the side. He crawled through the low bushes and then around a wild bamboo grove, when he suddenly discovered something new.

That was a more difficult path, but one that had been missed by the police searching the mountains. Lin Ge also found a discarded wallet in the bushes by the roadside.

Apart from bank cards and ID card, all the cash in the wallet was missing.

But at least the appearance of this item proves that this hidden route is the real escape route of the murderer. By the time Li Siyu and Li Yiduo finally found their way back, Lin Ge had already followed the road to its end and found another discarded cloth bag.

The handbag was filthy; inside were only cheap or unused items like tissues, mouthwash, and sanitary napkins. Everything else had been taken. But none of that mattered. Finding these pieces of clear evidence was already a pleasant surprise, as they might contain the killer's fingerprints.

Li Yiduo quickly called for backup police, and everyone rushed over, overjoyed at the discovery.

The ID card in the wallet belonged to the first victim, so the person who took it is most likely the murderer. Once the murderer is identified through this evidence, his arrest is only a matter of time, and everyone will no longer need to feed the mosquitoes on the mountain.

"It's a pity! No fingerprints or skin flakes other than the victim's were found on the wallet and handbag. The killer was most likely wearing gloves from beginning to end. He was more cautious than we thought."

After the evidence was sent to the technical center, the feedback was not good, and everyone's good mood did not last long.

"This killer... is too professional, isn't he?"

Lin Ge sighed helplessly, feeling that all his hard work today had been for nothing. He'd trekked over mountains and valleys, even getting covered in bugs, only to end up with this ineffective result?
Li Yiduo and Li Siyu exchanged a glance and sighed.

"Wait a moment!"

Nie Guoqiang pondered for a moment and then suddenly spoke up, "I always felt something was off! Now that I think about it, it really is the 'gloves' that's the problem. There was no blood on the wallet or the cloth bag, isn't that strange? Even if the murderer might have changed the gloves, which would explain why there were no fingerprints on the wallet and the cloth bag; but what about the clothes? The cloth bag isn't small, did the murderer deliberately bend over to avoid contact with the bag while searching?"

Nie Guoqiang bent down to examine the body, and seeing that everyone was looking at him, he took a deep breath and said, "There's something even more important: the murderer did lift the body, that's beyond doubt. Even the second victim helped lift the body, which has been verified by the bloodstains on the clothes on the body. So here's the question... the kneeling and kowtowing found on the other side of the cliff seems to have been done by two people. Our guess is that it was a ritualistic act performed by the murderer and the female victim after disposing of the body. But this raises a question: how was it done? The gloves and clothes worn by the victim were stained with blood, and such a violent act as kowtowing didn't leave any abnormal bloodstains at the scene? If the one kowtowing was the second victim, why didn't her actions leave any bloodstains on the ground?"

The people around exchanged bewildered glances; now that they thought about it, the incident was indeed quite strange. It was entirely unavoidable for the killer to get blood on their clothes while moving the body. But the fact that the killer's subsequent actions left no trace of blood was rather odd.

"Was the person performing the ritual on the cliff top not a female victim? Were the kowtow marks on both sides made by the murderer himself? Did he kowtow twice because he killed two people? But he changed his gloves and even his entire outfit after the murders? That's a bit too cautious! If the murderer was really that cautious, why would he just leave these pieces of evidence lying around in the mountains? Was he provoking the police, or betting that they wouldn't find them?"

Liu Yuan proposed a possibility, but felt it was contradictory.

"There is another possibility: the first crime scene was indeed committed by the murderer, and it was indeed him and the female victim who carried the body here. All the traces at the scene can prove that the murderer was alone, and there should be no doubt about that."

Nie Guoqiang said with a serious expression, "But at this body disposal site, there might be a second suspect waiting at the scene. After the murderer disposed of the body and killed the female victim, he appeared and performed the kowtowing ceremony with the murderer. There might have been times when the murderer changed clothes and gloves, etc. The starting point might not have been to deal with the police investigation afterward, but to make the ceremony more solemn and dignified?"

"So, you believe there were actually two murderers! One committed the crime at the scene, while the other waited at the ritual site? According to your deduction, this is clearly a murder committed for a cult purpose. And the fact that the wallet and other belongings were carelessly discarded afterward suggests that the ritual was over and the murderer wasn't particularly vigilant? Hmm... if that's the case, could this suddenly appearing second person be the murderer's 'master,' the same murderer from back then?"

Liu Yuan understood Nie Guoqiang's meaning and thought about it further.

From this perspective alone, the logic is sound. Furthermore, simply sending investigators to the other side of the cliff to conduct a thorough search will likely yield clues that support the reasoning.

(End of this chapter)