Chapter 195: Dealing with Mr. Jia
Lin Qiupu entered the interrogation room, sat down, and began questioning, “Mr. Jia, where were you on the evening of February 24th?”
The lawyer answered on his behalf, “My client states that he was visiting Zhou Taiyang’s home for a private visit.”
“What time? From when to when?”
The lawyer glanced at his notes, “From 6:40 PM to 7:20 PM.”
“Are you sure?”
“My client has a strong sense of time and is confident in his statement. Moreover, he had an appointment at 8 PM that evening. The travel time from Zhou Taiyang’s home to the meeting location is approximately thirty minutes. You can verify this.”
Lin Qiupu looked at his notebook. The first time Jia Xingyun’s car was caught on surveillance was at 7:30 PM, which seemed to align.
However, Gan Ping said she left the building at 7:20 PM and crossed paths with Jia Xingyun, who was going upstairs according to her description. Could Gan Ping be lying?
It seemed necessary to see Gan Ping again after the interrogation.
Lin Qiupu asked, “Did you use the elevator or the stairs at that time?”
The lawyer whispered with Jia Xingyun before answering, “The stairs, because the floor wasn’t high, and the elevator was taking too long.”
“How did you come to know Zhou Taiyang given your vastly different statuses?”
“A work-related connection.”
“What kind of work-related connection? One is a media company CEO, and the other is an electroplating worker.”
The lawyer whispered with Jia Xingyun again and said, “This is unrelated to the case.”
“I’ll determine if it’s related or not. Just state the facts!”
“Officer, please watch your tone and don’t intimidate my client.”
Lin Qiupu glared in frustration. Having a lawyer mediating was indeed vexing. He always thought lawyers were a profession that legally lied. He said, “Let’s change the question. Why did you give Zhou Taiyang five million yuan?”
“My client denies this allegation.”
“Really?” Lin Qiupu sneered, taking out documents faxed from the bank. “The bank confirmed that a savings card with five million yuan found in the deceased’s home belonged to your secretary. On the 22nd, you instructed your secretary to sell some of your stocks to open this account. How do you explain this?”
The lawyer had a lengthy whispered conversation with Jia Xingyun. Lin Qiupu patiently waited, curious about what ridiculous reason they would come up with.
Finally, the lawyer spoke in a flat tone, “That was merely a business transaction.”
“A business transaction? Can I interpret that as buying and selling? What was bought, and what was sold?”
“An idea!”
Lin Qiupu sneered, “An idea? Clever, you don’t even need evidence for that. Just a made-up term!”
The lawyer reminded him to watch his words. Lin Qiupu ignored this, asking, “Mr. Jia, what idea is worth five million yuan?”
The lawyer replied calmly, “A slogan. My client once held a slogan competition, and Mr. Zhou Taiyang’s idea impressed him.”
“What exactly was it?”
“Commercial secret.”
What a laughable lie. Lin Qiupu was now more certain that the five million yuan was related to the murder.
Calming himself, he reviewed the case file again and decided to reveal part of the case details to Jia Xingyun.
“At 9 PM on February 24th, Zhou Taiyang was found dead at his home, with multiple signs of torture. Do you have anything to say about this?”
As expected, Jia Xingyun showed some surprise upon hearing about the body. The lawyer emphasized, “Such speculative questions cannot be answered.”
“If you don’t admit what you said or did at Zhou Taiyang’s home, I can assure you that the situation will turn very unfavorable for you.”
The lawyer consulted with Jia Xingyun again. Lin Qiupu heard Jia Xingyun say, “…don’t contact my family…it’s okay, you can leave now…”
The lawyer kept negotiating, but Jia Xingyun insisted. Finally, Jia Xingyun himself spoke to Lin Qiupu, “Captain Lin, how unfavorable are we talking?”
“Major suspect status. I can detain you temporarily.”
“That’s your right. I have no objections!” Jia Xingyun raised his hands with a serene smile.
“Mr. Jia!” The lawyer was shocked and then said to Lin Qiupu, “By law, you can only detain him for twenty-four hours.”
“No need to remind me!” Lin Qiupu picked up the internal phone and called for someone to take him away.
As Jia Xingyun was taken away, he smiled and said, “I’ve stayed in many places, but a detention center is a first for me. Quite novel.”
“I guarantee the detention center will be even more novel.”
The lawyer loudly said, “Please don’t threaten my client!” and then told Jia Xingyun, “Mr. Jia, I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“A bit later is fine,” Jia Xingyun nodded with a smile.
After Jia Xingyun was taken away, Lin Qiupu felt utterly drained. He had never encountered such a thick-skinned suspect before…no, there was another named Chen. But in any case, Jia Xingyun was bizarre, showing no intention of exonerating himself.
Thinking of Chen Shi, he wondered if he should ask for Chen’s help.
He shook his head to dismiss the fleeting thought. He could solve this case himself without seeking Chen Shi’s help.
It was already 7:30 PM. Lin Qiupu grabbed a quick bite in the cafeteria and then went to the convenience store where Gan Ping worked. He arrived a bit early, and Gan Ping hadn’t started her shift yet.
He waited until 8:50 PM when Gan Ping finally showed up. She looked up and asked, “Officer Lin, what’s the matter?”
Lin Qiupu showed his notebook, “You told me that you left Zhou Taiyang’s home at 7:20 PM that day and encountered a suspicious man.”
“Yes, so?”
“We found this ‘suspicious man.’ Your testimonies conflict. In his version, 7:20 PM is when he left.”
Gan Ping looked surprised and recalled. Lin Qiupu showed her a photo of Jia Xingyun on his phone and asked, “Is it him?”
Gan Ping shook her head, “I don’t know what he looks like. I only remember his height and clothes… Also, I didn’t lie. I delivered an order shortly after 7:20 PM. You can verify with the company. The customer received it around that time.”
“Give me his contact information.”
Lin Qiupu wrote it down and said, “I’m not doubting you, just clarifying these details.”
“I understand! I understand.”
“Also, the ‘suspicious man’ has been detained…I shouldn’t have told you that.”
“I hope you catch the killer soon!” Gan Ping smiled, “Officer Lin, can I get you a drink?”
“No, no need!”
Gan Ping ran into the store and brought out a hot drink, insisting Lin Qiupu take it. Holding the warm bottle in the chilly night air, Lin Qiupu felt a warmth spread through him.
He then called the delivery company and visited the customer. Both confirmed that Gan Ping delivered an order shortly after 7:20 PM.
This meant that during the crucial time of the crime, Gan Ping was not in that neighborhood. Knowing this, Lin Qiupu felt a strange sense of relief.
But the case seemed to have hit a dead end. Jia Xingyun, with his nonchalant attitude, was hiding something, but the timeline indicated he had no opportunity to commit the crime.