freenovelworld Chapter 1233 Preparing to Pump Water
Chapter 1233 Preparing to Pump Water
The irrigation canal was shallow, about half a meter deep, and the flow was slow. Xiao Yang carefully observed the canal and, in a spot overgrown with aquatic plants, found a half-piece of transparent plastic film floating on the surface, with a small amount of brownish stains on it. "Let's scoop it up and see if we can extract fingerprints or DNA," he said. He carefully used a special net to lift the plastic film and found tears along the edges, as if it had been torn from a package. The stains were oily, and their composition was initially unknown.
On the other side, Xiao Sun also found something on the path in the fields to the south. The path, about one meter wide, was made by villagers working in the fields, and its surface was mostly mud and gravel. In the middle of the path, he found a set of tire tracks. The tires were 30 centimeters wide, matching the size of a farm tricycle, and the tire treads were longitudinal stripes—the same type of tire tracks found on the field ridge at the crime scene!
“The wheel track is about 1.2 meters, which is consistent with the wheel track of a common agricultural tricycle,” Xiao Sun measured the distance between the wheel tracks with a ruler. “The edges of the wheel tracks are covered with soil from the cornfield, and the marks are fresh and the edges are clear, so they should have been left recently, most likely by the suspect when transporting the body.” He followed the wheel tracks to the east and west. The wheel tracks on the east side extended to the village road and then disappeared (the road has heavy traffic, so the tracks were covered), while the wheel tracks on the west side led towards the cornfield, perfectly connecting with the tire tracks on the field ridge.
In the pile of rubble next to the tire tracks, Xiao Sun also found a cigarette butt—the brand was "Hongtashan," with bite marks on the filter and it wasn't completely burned, suggesting it had been discarded no more than 48 hours ago. "We'll take a saliva sample from the cigarette butt to see if it matches the suspect's DNA," he said. He put the cigarette butt into an evidence bag. "Also, there were a few metal fragments in the rubble, like they fell from tools; we'll take those back for testing too."
When the two met up, it was nearly noon. Their investigation kit was filled with newly discovered evidence—a size 43 leather shoe print model, black fiber samples, transparent plastic film, a longitudinally patterned tire print model, a "Hongtashan" cigarette butt, and metal fragments. Xiao Yang wiped the sweat from his brow: "These clues seem numerous, but they all need to be tested to determine their value. For example, the fiber needs to be analyzed to see if it matches the deceased's or suspect's clothing; the cigarette butt and the samples on the plastic film also need DNA comparison to narrow down the possibilities."
Xiao Sun nodded and flipped through the investigation records: "Although the tire tracks have been confirmed to be from a farm tricycle with longitudinal patterns, there are too many of these tricycles in the surrounding villages and towns. Without any other distinguishing features, the investigation is very difficult. Moreover, we still have no clue about the deceased's identity. The clothes were severely decomposed, and we couldn't find any items that could prove his identity. His pockets were empty, as if they had been deliberately cleaned by the suspect."
After listening to their reports, Li Ming frowned as he looked at the evidence bag on the table. "Send all samples back to the brigade's technical section immediately. Prioritize testing for fiber components, DNA from cigarette butt saliva, and metal fragments. Also, for the agricultural tricycles with longitudinal patterns, contact the police stations in the surrounding villages and towns to assist in investigating vehicles with recent abnormal usage records—such as those with recently replaced tires, cleaned cargo beds, or whose owners have recently gone missing."
Regarding the identity of the deceased, Li Ming added, "We need to compile the characteristics of the deceased's clothing, height and build (estimated to be about 175-180 cm based on the skeletal remains) and send them to the missing persons registration departments throughout the city, especially the surrounding counties and districts, to see if there are any recently missing persons who match the characteristics."
Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun immediately took the evidence to the branch office. The technical staff were already prepared and quickly began testing after receiving the evidence. "The fiber sample is preliminarily identified as cotton, consistent with the material of the black coat worn by the deceased, but further testing is needed to determine if it came from the same garment; the metal fragments are made of iron and may have come from farm tools such as hoes or shovels; DNA is being extracted from the saliva sample on the cigarette butt, with results expected in 6 hours; the brown stains on the plastic film, preliminarily identified as engine oil, may have come from a tricycle or farm tools," the head of the technical department reported to the two men on the preliminary testing progress.
Meanwhile, news that Xiao Wang had ruled out Zhang Laosan as a suspect reached the branch. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes—the narrowed-up suspect pool had expanded again. The only good news was that the newly discovered clues at least ruled out the possibility that "the suspect had no means of transportation" and "no burial tools," providing direction for subsequent investigations.
At 3 p.m., the two returned to the cornfield and marked the locations of the newly discovered clues again. They also cordoned off key areas such as the woods and irrigation ditches with caution tape. "We need to arrange for someone to stand guard here to prevent villagers from accidentally stumbling upon signs of vandalism," Xiao Yang told Li Ming. "In addition, the irrigation ditches need to be drained and thoroughly searched. We might find the tools used in the crime, such as the shovel used to bury the body, or other items discarded by the suspect."
Li Ming nodded: "I've already contacted the municipal department, and they'll come to pump the water out of the canal first thing tomorrow morning. That's all for today. Go back and keep an eye on the technical department's test results, and report back immediately if there's any news."
As the sun set, the investigation team left the cornfield, leaving only two officers on guard at the cordon. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun sat in the police car, watching the fields gradually darken outside the window. They knew that these seemingly scattered clues might be the key to solving the case—but until the test results came back, all speculation was just conjecture, and the mystery of the deceased's identity and the suspect's whereabouts remained shrouded in mist.
“Hopefully we can get a breakthrough in the DNA analysis of the cigarette butts,” Xiao Sun said wearily, leaning back in his chair. “Otherwise, with so many tricycles, we’ll never know when we’ll be able to finish the investigation.” Xiao Yang looked at the fiber sample bag in his hand and replied softly, “Don’t worry, at least we’re one step closer to the truth. As long as the test results come out, we’ll eventually find a connection, and the deceased can’t just lie there nameless forever.”
The police car drove away from the country road and headed towards the city. The fields outside the window were gradually shrouded in night, with only the lights of distant villages flickering intermittently. The technical department's testing continued; a race against time was still quietly underway in the criminal investigation team's laboratory—everyone was hoping that these small samples would bring a crucial turning point in solving the case.
The temperature control system in the autopsy room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment was maintained at 18°C, 2°C lower than the usual autopsy temperature—this was specially adjusted by Zhang Lin to slow down the decomposition process of the corpse and preserve as many clues as possible for testing. At 8 p.m., the refrigerated truck carrying the corpse slowly drove into the passageway outside the autopsy room. Two staff members, wearing protective suits, carefully lifted the body onto the autopsy table. The body was wrapped in a heavy, sealed bag, and even through the bag, the stench of decomposition could be faintly smelled.