kingnovel Chapter 1200 Fresh Traces at the Scene
Chapter 1200 Fresh Traces at the Scene
There was a fresh scratch on the inner wall of the brick kiln, about 30 centimeters long and 5 centimeters wide. Xiao Sun used tweezers to pick up the fibers from the edge of the scratch: "The wall is made of clay bricks, and there are obvious brick fragments at the scratch, indicating it wasn't formed by natural weathering." He compared the fibers with those from the body's overalls jacket. "Both are made of the same material, a cotton blend, suggesting the body was leaned against the kiln wall or rubbed against it during transport." In the pile of rubble below the scratch, he also found a few drops of light brown liquid. After testing with test strips, it showed a positive reaction, suggesting blood. "Samples need to be taken and sent to the laboratory for testing to confirm whether it is related to the deceased."
Xiao Wang placed the interrogation record in the police car. Zhao Jianguo sat in the passenger seat, his hands still trembling, his knuckles white from gripping the sheep whip so tightly. "I go up the mountain to graze my sheep every morning around 5 a.m., and today I was thinking of going deeper into the mountains to find a good pasture," his voice trembled with tears, the chattering of his teeth particularly clear in the enclosed car. "When I got to the entrance of the brick kiln, I saw what looked like someone inside. I thought it was some homeless person seeking shelter from the wind. I called out twice but got no response, so I used my sheep whip to push through the grass and went in. But when I saw... his face was pale, and his hands were ice cold to the touch. I was terrified and ran down the mountain to call the police!"
"When you were herding sheep yesterday, did you see this person? Or hear any unusual noises from the direction of the brick kiln?" Xiao Wang's pen slid quickly across the paper. Zhao Jianguo tried hard to recall: "I went down the mountain around 4 pm yesterday and didn't see anyone. But the night before last, I was smoking in front of my house when I heard the sound of a car engine on the mountain, intermittent, like it was going uphill. I wondered who would drive up the mountain at night, since the mountain roads are difficult to navigate." He paused and added, "Besides sheep herders, very few people come to this mountain, especially to that abandoned brick kiln. I heard there was an accident there more than ten years ago, so no one dares to go near it."
Xiao Yang's investigation light found something in the rubble next to the body. He pulled out a silver lighter, its casing deformed, with the words "Beishan Auto Repair Shop" printed on it, and reddish-brown dirt stuck to its edges. "The lighter has obvious crush marks on its surface, suggesting that the deceased had been holding it in his hand before his death," he said, carefully putting it away in an evidence bag. "A fragmented fingerprint was extracted from the inside of the lighter, a whorl pattern, with only 8 characteristic points remaining. It needs to be sent to the laboratory for enhancement." In the cracks between the bricks under the body, he also found a black nylon rope, different in material from the hemp rope clutched by the deceased's fingertips, but the end of the rope also showed signs of wear. "It may have been left by the suspect and needs to be sent for testing along with the hemp rope to confirm whether there is a connection."
"Have you found any vehicle tracks around the brick kiln?" Xiao Wang continued to ask. Zhao Jianguo pointed to the mountain road on the west side of the brick kiln: "There is an open space over there. I usually rest there. Yesterday morning, I saw tire tracks on the open space. They weren't the tracks of our village's tractors. They looked like the tracks of a car. I didn't pay attention to them at the time, but now that I think about it, they might be related to this!"
Xiao Sun immediately rushed to the open area and, sure enough, found clear tire tracks in the soil. "Two sets of car tire tracks, model 205/55 R16, presumably from a compact car," he carefully extracted with rubbing paper. "The track spacing is 1.5 meters, and the wheelbase is 1.2 meters, consistent with the parameters of models like the Volkswagen Lavida or Toyota Corolla. The tire treads are embedded with reddish-brown soil, consistent with the soil composition on the body's trouser legs. There are obvious braking marks at the edges of the tracks, suggesting the vehicle had been parked there for a considerable time." In the grass beside the tracks, he also found several pieces of black plastic, which, when pieced together, resembled parts of a car bumper. "They need to be sent to a lab for testing to confirm whether they match the material of a bumper for a specific car model."
As the technicians prepared to secure the evidence at the scene, Li Ming's gaze fell upon the hole in the roof of the brick kiln. "Check the traffic surveillance footage from the night before last around Beishan, focusing on the mountain road entrance leading to the brick kiln," he ordered into the walkie-talkie, "especially the 'cars going up the mountain at night' that Zhao Jianguo mentioned; make sure to confirm the vehicle model and driving route." In the distance, flocks of sheep scattered across the hillside, their occasional bleating unable to dispel the somber atmosphere surrounding the brick kiln.
As Xiao Wang closed his notebook, Zhao Jianguo was still muttering, "This mountain is too unsafe. I'll never dare to graze my sheep so deep in there again..." His voice was filled with lingering fear, and he repeatedly rubbed the cracks on his sheep whip with both hands. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun's investigation records were already two pages long. From the characteristics of the body to the footprints, fibers, and lighter, every clue pointed to the possibility of "homicide," but the identity of the deceased, the motive, and the specific information of the suspects remained hidden behind the morning mist of Beishan and the shadow of the abandoned brick kiln.
Li Ming directed the follow-up work into the walkie-talkie: "Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun, continue to expand the investigation area, focusing on the woods and gullies around the brick kiln, and look for more traces and physical evidence; Xiao Wang is responsible for retrieving the surveillance footage from the entrance of the North Mountain road, visiting the villages at the foot of the mountain, and looking for more witnesses; the technical department should immediately send the fiber, suspected bloodstains, lighter, and other physical evidence extracted from the scene for testing to confirm whether they are related to the deceased."
As the morning mist gradually dissipated, sunlight streamed through the holes in the brick kiln roof, casting dappled shadows beside the corpse. Li Ming looked at the body curled up deep inside the kiln, knowing that behind this cold body lay an untold story. Their task was to piece together the truth from these scattered traces, allowing the deceased to rest in peace.
After the morning mist over Beishan completely dissipated, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Xiao Yang placed his investigation bag on a flat stone at the entrance of the brick kiln and took out a spare footprint light and measuring tape. As per Li Ming's instructions, he and Xiao Sun needed to expand their investigation area, extending from inside the brick kiln to the surrounding woods, ravines, and the mountain path leading down the mountain, in an attempt to find more traces related to the case.
“Let’s start with the open space west of the brick kiln. Zhao Jianguo said there are tire tracks there, and we might find more vehicle traces.” Xiao Yang slung his survey bag over his shoulder and walked towards the open space, stepping through the reddish-brown soil. The open space was about 20 square meters, and the ground was relatively flat. Xiao Sun had previously found two sets of car tire tracks there. The sunlight was just right, so Xiao Yang squatted down and held his survey light close to the ground. The beam of light illuminated new traces in the soil.
“Xiao Sun, look here. Besides the two sets of tire tracks we found earlier, there’s another set of blurry wheel tracks.” Xiao Yang’s voice was tinged with excitement. Xiao Sun immediately came over and took out a ruler to measure: “The wheel is about 60 centimeters in diameter and 10 centimeters in tread width. It’s not a car tire; it looks like the tracks of a motorcycle or electric tricycle.”