I'm not a genius detective

Chapter 165 Finding the Murder Weapon
Interrogation and peripheral investigation were conducted simultaneously. During the interrogation, new clues and evidence were constantly being brought in, gradually breaking down Zhang Zhenhua's psychological defenses from multiple angles.

When his wife and children were mentioned, Zhang Zhenhua reacted; you could see his brows furrowing unconsciously, but he still didn't say anything.

Seeing this, Wu Bin changed his approach, using Li Dechang and Zhu Guilan as entry points to slowly guide the conversation: "How about I ask you a simple question first? Why did you follow Li Dechang and take those photos?"

Don't tell me you didn't follow them. We're already here, there's no point in joking or cheating.

There's no need to remain silent any longer; you should know that silence is futile.

Zhang Zhenhua took a deep breath and finally spoke: "Teacher Zhu was a good person. Li Dechang killed her while driving under the influence of alcohol. I want to see how he lives after being given a suspended sentence, and whether he feels guilty about Teacher Zhu's death."

Wu Bin: "Li Dechang did make a big mistake. No one can do anything about an accident. You've been seeing Zhu Guilan a lot these past few years. Have you developed feelings for her?"

The task force believes that a single rescue could not justify Zhang Zhenhua's act of revenge killing. The life-saving grace and the debt of being given a second chance were just the beginning; the subsequent emotional bond was the main reason.

Zhang Zhenhua nodded: "Of course there are feelings involved. Teacher Zhu is like a second mother to me. Her appearance was a restart for my life."

She made me realize that what I thought was a relief would actually leave my wife and children with irreparable emotional trauma.

For his wife and children, seeing their seriously ill husband and father every day was far better than facing a cold tombstone.

Zhang Zhenhua talked on and on, and Wu Bin listened attentively.

For several years, Zhang Zhenhua frequently visited Zhu Guilan, since it wasn't far away, just a short walk away. From that day on, Zhang Zhenhua began to receive treatment, confessing his fears and guilt to his family, and gradually building a deeper emotional connection with them amidst his vulnerability.

He no longer sees himself as a burden, but strives to make the most of every day, using his limited time to create high-quality time with his family, becoming the strongest spiritual support for his wife and children.

The same was true for Zhu Guilan. She filled the void in Zhang Zhenhua's emotional connection with his elders, and over time, a mother-son relationship that transcended blood ties developed between them.

This bond between mother and son has become Zhang Zhenhua's new spiritual belief.

"So, after Zhu Guilan died, your life was turned upside down." After Zhang Zhenhua's voice stopped, Wu Bin began, "She taught you to face challenges bravely and to protect and accompany others, but in the end, she was hit and killed by a drunk person. This was absurd to you, causing your trust in life to collapse again, and you to believe that good people don't get good rewards."

"Good people don't get good rewards"—this kind of anger overwhelmed the psychological peace that Zhang Zhenhua had built up over the years. People suffering from terminal illnesses are prone to paranoia, not only because of psychological factors but also because of physiological factors, such as the side effects of treatment and changes in organ function.

Zhang Zhenhua must have experienced depression and anxiety during his treatment, but these were masked by his family and Zhu Guilan. When Zhu Guilan died, his negative feelings suddenly erupted.

Zhang Zhenhua did not respond to these remarks.

"Did you think about the children when you took action?" Wu Bin asked.

The father abandoned suicide years ago and returned to his family. Years later, he killed someone and destroyed another family. In the eyes of onlookers, he should have just jumped into the river back then.

The children are labeled as descendants of murderers, the wives as husbands of murderers, and the victims' families are struggling in pain—all of this is caused by those who were redeemed back then.

The guardian eventually became the destroyer; Zhang Zhenhua's mental journey is difficult to comprehend.

If Zhu Guilan had died unjustly, that would be one thing, but her death was an accident. We can only say that it was her fate, and there's nothing we can do about it.

"I didn't kill anyone," Zhang Zhenhua denied.

Wu Bin was very patient; this was just the beginning.

Interrogating a murder suspect can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the case and the suspect's psychological state.

Moreover, this is a series of murders.

Task force meeting room.

During the interrogation, most members of the task force had a temporary break. An investigation into Zhang Zhenhua may be launched later, but not now.

Now is the time for a surprise attack; use evidence to break through Zhang Zhenhua's psychological defenses.

If we can't break through today, it will be even harder later, and we'll need more solid evidence to get the other party to talk.

The case is quite clear now. The only thing that doesn't make sense is why Zhang Zhenhua killed Xiong Chuan and Wu Cuicui. If the interrogation is fruitless, the task force may have to investigate the events of three years ago, which seems quite difficult at the moment.

"Stop staring at our people. Even if you want them, we won't give them to you." Ji Bowei handed a cigarette to Qiao Yuanqi, who had been keeping an eye on Han Ling.

In the investigation of this case, Han Ling's performance was outstanding, and her abilities were evident to everyone.

Given his other contributions since joining the company, it's understandable that Qiao Yuanqi would pay attention to him.

Qiao Yuanqi smiled, took the cigarette, lit it, and said nothing.

At this moment, Han Ling was not participating in his colleagues' idle chatter, but was carefully reading the autopsy report, especially the deviated stab wound.

"Is there a problem?" Fang Zhou leaned closer. "Are you wondering why the murderer deviated from the angle?"

Han Ling shook his head: "No, Zhang Zhenhua is not a professional assassin. Killing two people wouldn't raise his proficiency to the highest level. Besides, he was in a hurry when he killed Li Dechang, so it's not surprising that he went astray. It won't affect the result."

After saying that, he pointed to the wound on the corpse and continued, "I was thinking that penetrating the sternal angle where the body and manubrium of the sternum meet requires a lot of strength. The autopsy report also said that this area is covered by tough pectoralis major muscles. External force needs to overcome the dual resistance of muscles and bones to penetrate it. Zhang Zhenhua must have had considerable strength to do it."

Strength is what Han Ling focuses on.

The first eight stabs involved the killer using a sharp blade to penetrate the skin, subcutaneous fat, and pleura, before slicing through the ribs and piercing the heart.

Some of these strikes penetrate the pectoralis major muscle, which covers about 60% of the area around the heart. Statistically speaking, unless one has a very thorough understanding of body anatomy, it's difficult to avoid, but the required force isn't particularly great. However, if the strike were to penetrate bone simultaneously, that would be a different story.

Han Ling had some doubts about whether Zhang Zhenhua, who was suffering from cancer and was physically weak, could possess such power.

Of course, it was just a suspicion; he didn't doubt that Zhang Zhenhua was not responsible for the case.

Fang Zhou said, "Zhang Zhenhua must have made ample preparations to prevent a mishap in this premeditated murder. Didn't you notice that although he looked a bit pale, he was in great shape?"

Han Ling nodded: "I saw it, they must have trained."

He closed the autopsy report and picked up the cigarette pack on the table.

Fangzhou sighed, "A man who was pulled back from the abyss by kindness ultimately fell into another abyss because he chose to repay that kindness."

Humans are truly complex creatures, but I still feel that this motive is hard to justify.

Han Ling lit a cigarette and said, "The problem should lie with Xiong Chuan and Wu Cuicui. What these two did is crucial. If they indirectly caused Zhu Guilan's death, then Li Dechang is an innocent victim and can be dealt with as well. Anyway, killing two or three is the same."

Fang Zhou's eyes brightened slightly: "It's so easy to discuss problems with you. What you said makes more sense."

Han Ling laughed and said, "This isn't my opinion. We discussed it yesterday. Xiong Chuan and Wu Cuicui might be the preconditions for the car accident."

The two men were the trigger, Li Dechang was the result; both were on the killer's kill list.

After chatting for a while, Gao Bingyang opened the door and walked in, saying as he went, "We have a mission. Everyone, set off."

Everyone stood up.

Gao Bingyang: "Zhang Zhenhua's house and storage room have been thoroughly searched, but the murder weapon was not found. Since he brought it back, it can't be thrown away far. We should expand the search from the community center outwards, focusing on the garbage cans and the community's green soil."

Search carefully, don't miss anything!

All officers: "Yes, sir!"

The police car set off for the residential area where Zhang Zhenhua lived.

It was morning, and the arrival of the police was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, attracting the attention of the residents. They watched as dozens of people wearing white gloves conducted a thorough search in an orderly manner, whispering among themselves as they observed.

This is the second wave of police.

Something big must have happened.

At each trash can, officers carefully searched every plastic bag inside with long tongs; the pungent smell made people frown.

At the same time, a thorough search was conducted in the grid-divided areas of the green belt. It was unrealistic to dig up the entire area, so the main focus was on finding any new soil.

The police arrived at Zhang Zhenhua's door shortly after he returned home last night, so he won't be able to handle the situation promptly.

The green area is quite large, and it would take some time to go through it all. Moreover, the murder weapon may not be buried in the ground; it could be in any corner of the community.

A knife is small, so there are plenty of places to hide it.

The search continued into the afternoon; trash cans and green belts were searched thoroughly, but the murder weapon was not found.

The search team was led by deputy team leader Liang Yan. After gaining a thorough understanding of the community's structure, he issued new search instructions via walkie-talkie.

Drainage pipes, air conditioning outdoor unit platforms, building ventilation openings and louvers, fire hydrants, etc., no place can be overlooked if a knife can be stuffed inside.

Police forces dispersed again, and a new round of search operations began.

……

8pm.

The interrogation of Zhang Zhenhua has lasted for more than ten hours, during which three different interrogators have been on the case, but Zhang Zhenhua has not given a word.

The interrogation room door opened, and Wu Bin walked in again.

This time he didn't come empty-handed; he was carrying two evidence bags, one of which contained a sharp Western-style chef's knife with a thin blade.

As you can see, the blade is curled up, which was probably caused when it pierced the bone during the third murder of Li Dechang.

This knife cannot withstand the force of hard bone.

Wu Bin placed the knife on the table, making a sound.

Zhang Zhenhua looked over and his gaze fixed on him.

"I told you, there will be more and more evidence. Now tell me, how did Li Dechang die?"

The knife was found in the water meter well of the unit next to Zhang Zhenhua's house. It was lying in a dark corner and could only be seen by looking carefully with a flashlight.

With sheer numbers, hiding anywhere is useless.

(End of this chapter)