Chapter 31: Xiao Yu’s Intuition

Xiao Yu furrowed his brow, unable to pinpoint anything particularly suspicious about the other person. Was he overthinking things? 

Deciding to put aside the whirlwind of thoughts for now, he proceeded with the interrogation.

“The case involves three victims. A male victim who was once a close friend of yours, a female victim who was your ex-girlfriend, and their child.’ Xiao Yu locked eyes with He Xiao, “Before you visited the victims’ home, you received a text message from your ex-girlfriend. The message said, ‘He Xiao, aren’t you curious why I chose Dajun? Come see me now, and I’ll explain.’ Correct?”

“Yes, that’s right,” He Xiao nodded eagerly, now highly cooperative, seeing a glimmer of hope. 

No one could fathom the depth of panic swirling within him. It was common sense that if he was indeed pegged as the murderer, the outcome awaiting him would be unspeakable.

“Following that, you left your home to visit the victim’s residence,” Xiao Yu proceeded with his inquiry, “Upon your arrival at the victim’s home and just as you entered… you experienced a lapse in memory, and by the time you awoke, the police had already arrived, correct?”

“Yes, exactly,” He Xiao affirmed with a nod.

Could a normal person fall unconscious for 33 hours?

Xiao Yu squinted thoughtfully.

Could it have been medicine? Or some other drug?

However, it wasn’t due to an assault. When the police apprehended the suspect, they didn’t find any signs of physical attack on him. Moreover, what was peculiar was that blood tests did not reveal any traces of drugs in the suspect.

If indeed another perpetrator had done something to the suspect, how did they manage it?

Or rather, did the issue lie with the suspect himself?

No. After conducting a thorough physical examination and reviewing his past medical history, it was clear the suspect was physically healthy. He experienced some psychological issues in his youth, but those were promptly addressed and cured.

It was clear that the suspect couldn’t have lost consciousness on his own. It was highly likely that some external force caused him to be unconscious for over 33 hours.

Subsequent interrogation by Xiao Yu aligned perfectly with He Xiao’s previous statements to the police.

Feeling disappointed?

Indeed, Xiao Yu felt a bit let down because he discovered no new leads from the suspect.

Xiao Yu offered He Xiao some reassurance, suggesting that the actual perpetrator might be someone else. For now, he remained a suspect and needed to stay in detention for a while longer, but he would eventually be released.

He Xiao expressed his profound gratitude, thanking Xiao Yu repeatedly before being led away by the guard.

As He Xiao’s figure receded, Xiao Yu’s gaze followed, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“Any findings?” Niu Peng, who had refrained from interrupting Xiao Yu’s interrogation, finally spoke up.

“I might be reading too much into it,” Xiao Yu regained focus, “There might be something about the suspect that we’ve overlooked. However, I’m not sure whether it’s directly related to the case.”

“Why would you think that?” Niu Peng furrowed his brows, puzzled.

“Intuition,” Xiao Yu responded, a spark of determination in his eyes. “Let’s go. First, we need to search for the murder weapon. I suspect the murderer wouldn’t have taken it far from the crime scene.”

To grind human bones to powder, ordinary tools won’t suffice. If these tools weren’t left at the scene, where could they be?

By the time they returned to the detachment, it was already 7 PM.

Xiao Yu accessed the surveillance footage of the victim’s residential area.

If the murder weapon was big, it surely would be hard to conceal. 

Using surveillance to uncover leads was a staple investigative method for the police. This footage had been thoroughly analyzed by the task force earlier, with no abnormalities detected. But Xiao Yu disagreed.

The tools didn’t need to be brought in one piece, they could have been disassembled and brought into the community in several trips.

Individuals who made multiple trips in and out of the community during a certain timeframe were marked as suspects by Xiao Yu. Eventually, he narrowed it down to three individuals. A young woman, a middle-aged man, and a groundskeeper from the community.

Especially the groundskeeper, who was the prime suspect for smuggling tools into the community. However, further investigation would have to wait until daylight.

Xiao Yu checked his phone. It was already 9 PM. Thoughts of Mu Qingwu flashed through his mind.

He had promised to return home.

After taking a cab back to the Criminal Investigation Brigade, he drove his sports car back to the villa. The car needed to be returned to Mu Qingwu since they weren’t actually a real couple.

Upon arriving at the villa, Mu Qingwu wasn’t resting but was engrossed in something on her tablet in the living room. Her expression remained neutral upon seeing Xiao Yu.

“Have Auntie and my mom left?”

Sitting down on the sofa and spotting a drink on the coffee table, Xiao Yu, feeling parched, didn’t hesitate to take it and drink.

Mu Qingwu watched Xiao Yu drink, momentarily caught off guard. Normally, she might have been annoyed, right? It wasn’t about being petty, it was because she had drunk from it.

“This sweet?”

After a few sips, Xiao Yu examined the drink in his hand.

Mu Qingwu’s face flushed suddenly. 

Was it the drink that was sweet? Or was it the sweetness of lipstick? What was he trying to say?!