freenovelworld Chapter 868 Suspect Appears, Arrest Taken
Chapter 868 Suspect Appears, Arrest Taken
Li Ming, who was in charge of the investigation, quickly organized an action team and convened an emergency meeting. "Comrades, this lead is crucial. We now know that a relative from out of town visited on the day of the incident and left the next day, which is too suspicious. Everyone, pay attention, from now on, all actions must be carried out with extreme caution. We must not let the suspects realize that we are investigating them." Li Ming's eyes were firm and sharp as he scanned each officer.
The task force quickly got to work, patiently communicating with the homeowner at the east end of the village and gradually gathering more information about the relatives. According to the homeowner, the visitors were two men and a woman, distant cousins. One man was tall and thin, the other burly, and the woman had short hair and sharp eyes. This closely matched the characteristics deduced from the unfamiliar footprints and fingerprints found at the scene, further solidifying the police's suspicions about the three individuals.
"We must identify these three people and their whereabouts as soon as possible. Let's start with the social relationships of this family and see if we can find their contact information or other relevant clues," Li Ming instructed the task force. The officers split into several groups. One group stayed in the village to conduct more detailed interviews with the villagers, asking if anyone knew anything more about these relatives from out of town. The other group returned to the police station and used technical means to investigate from household registration files and communication records.
The police officers who remained in the village went door-to-door, questioning everyone who might know something. "Uncle, think carefully again. Have you seen those relatives who came to the house at the east end of the village the other day? Have you heard them mention where they came from or where they were going?" one officer patiently asked a villager. The villager frowned, trying to recall: "I think I heard Old Zhang from the east end of the village mention something, saying that his relatives were working in the city, but I don't know exactly what they did. When they came that day, they seemed to be in a hurry." This information, though vague, gave the officers a glimmer of hope.
Meanwhile, officers at the police station in charge of the technical investigation were also working feverishly. Through the household registration system, they sifted through a massive amount of information to identify individuals related to the family at the east end of the village who matched the description of two men and one woman. After several hours of arduous investigation, they finally identified several potential targets. However, most of these individuals' contact information was no longer valid, making it extremely difficult to locate them.
“We can’t give up like this. We need to dig deeper. Let’s start with their communication records and see if we can find people who have recently contacted them. We can use these people to determine their whereabouts.” Li Ming said firmly in the technical department’s office, looking at the officers’ bloodshot eyes.
The officers rallied and continued their work. Finally, analysis of the communication records of one of the male suspects revealed that he had several phone calls with a man named Wang Qiang after the incident. Through further investigation, the police found Wang Qiang's contact information and quickly made contact with him.
"Hello, is this Wang Qiang? We are police officers investigating a case and would like to ask you some questions. Do you know Li Zhengqun?" the officer asked politely over the phone.
Wang Qiang was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said nervously, "I...I know him. What's wrong? What happened?"
"Please don't be nervous. We just want to know if you've been in contact with him recently? Where is he now?" the officer patiently guided.
Wang Qiang hesitated for a moment and said, "He contacted me a few days ago and said that he and some friends were in Donggou, and it seemed that they were looking for work. I don't know the exact location."
Upon receiving this lead, the police immediately took action and went to Donggou to investigate. With the assistance of the local police, they searched every corner of the town, looking for traces of the two men and one woman. They visited various construction sites, labor markets, and cheap rental houses, showing the suspect's sketch to everyone who might know anything about the situation.
"Brother, take a look at these people. Have you seen them around here recently? They might be looking for work or renting a place to live." The officers, holding a sketch, asked a food vendor selling boxed lunches near the construction site entrance. The vendor looked at the sketch carefully and thought for a moment: "It seems like there are a few of them. They were wandering around here a few days ago, looking like they were looking for work. Later they went to that urban village over there, but I don't know exactly where they live."
Following the clues, the police quickly went to the urban village. The urban village had a complex environment and a large population, making the search extremely difficult. However, the officers did not back down. They knocked on doors one by one, asking questions and leaving no possible hiding place unchecked. After several hours of arduous searching, they finally found the motorcycle resembling the one in the surveillance footage in front of a dilapidated rental house; the red ribbon on the handlebars was particularly conspicuous in the sunlight.
"This is it, everyone be careful." Li Ming gestured to his team, and they quickly surrounded the rental house. Li Ming went up and knocked on the door, shouting, "Open the door, police are checking rooms!" A flustered sound came from inside. After a moment, the door slowly opened, revealing a panicked face—one of the male suspects. The officers rushed into the house and subdued the two men and one woman inside.
"Who are you? Why are you arresting us?" the female suspect screamed.
Li Ming said sternly, "We are police officers investigating a murder case in Lijia Village. You will come with us to cooperate with the investigation."
The interrogation room was brightly lit, its white light illuminating the small space as if it were daytime.
Li Zhengqun was brought in, his steps unsteady, his eyes darting around, his body trembling slightly. The officers pressed him into an interrogation chair. Li Ming and Lao Zhang stood to the side, their gazes fixed intently on Li Zhengqun. Li Ming stepped forward, pulled up a chair, and slowly sat down. His voice was low but carried an undeniable authority: "Li Zhengqun, this is the police station. Now you must truthfully confess the crimes you committed in Lijia Village. You should understand that resistance is pointless; confession is the only way out."
Li Zhengqun swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He stammered, "Officer, I... I really didn't mean to do anything bad." Li Ming frowned and raised his voice, "Stop talking nonsense, get to the point!" Li Zhengqun took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage, and began to confess, "Three months ago, Zhang Huili, Liang Feng, and I went to Lijia Village to attend Li Chenhao and Song Juan's wedding. At the wedding, Liang Feng and I were immediately attracted to Song Juan. She was so beautiful, and ever since then, I've been thinking about her constantly."