Chapter 202: Passenger Conflicts

“A flat awl?” Chen Shi pondered, stroking his chin. “Anything else?”

Peng Siyue said, “The victim’s teeth were loose, and there were hemorrhages on his gums and the inside of his lips. We also found a bottle of medication on him.” He held up a small plastic bottle covered in English text. “This is labeled as a sleeping pill. We’ll need to analyze its exact contents. But there’s a more critical clue: we found what appears to be skin flakes under his fingernails.”

“That’s great. We can match the DNA from all the passengers to identify the killer,” Lin Dongxue said.

“Let me take a look,” Chen Shi said.

Peng Siyue handed over the victim’s hand and a magnifying glass. Chen Shi examined the fingernail. “Are these really skin flakes? The color seems…”

“We confirmed it’s human skin, but there are also some fibers.”

“From clothing. I’ll check the scene,” Chen Shi said.

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue left the room. Xu Xiaodong asked, “Did you find anything?”

“I’ll tell you later. Xiaodong, I need you to do an experiment for me,” Chen Shi said.

“Experiment? Sure thing, Brother Chen,” Xu Xiaodong replied.

“Try to find a way to smuggle a pair of scissors or a small knife through security. See if you can get past the metal detectors.”

“How should I do that? They use metal detectors.”

Chen Shi glanced at Xu Xiaodong’s shoes. “Remember how you had to take off your shoes earlier? Your shoes have metal parts. If you hide a sharp object in your shoe, will it still be detected?”

“Got it. I’ll give it a try!”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue headed to the airport runway, where a plane was parked. A group of passengers was gathered on the steps, shouting, “Give us our luggage!” and “Who allowed you to investigate without our consent?”

Several police officers were trying to explain, but the passengers weren’t listening.

“This is a mess,” Chen Shi sighed.

“We’re not getting on that plane,” Lin Dongxue said.

As the argument continued, Lin Qiupu arrived in an airport vehicle. He jumped out, holding a search warrant, and said, “This is a search warrant. There’s been a serious crime on this plane. Everyone must cooperate with the police investigation.”

“Why should we? Who’s going to compensate us for the lost time?” A bald man in a leather jacket shouted.

Others, influenced by him, began complaining about missed important meetings and critically ill relatives. Their frustration grew.

Encouraged by his fellow passengers, the bald man became even more aggressive. “Let us go! It’s just an old man who died. Why should we all be detained? You police are unreasonable!”

Lin Qiupu’s face turned stern. “If you continue to cause trouble, I have the authority to detain you.”

“Try detaining me! Do you know who I am?” the bald man boasted, thumping his chest.

“Lin Dongxue, handcuff him,” Lin Qiupu ordered.

Lin Dongxue moved forward, and the bald man panicked, trying to hide in the crowd. But Chen Shi yanked him out. The bald man glared threateningly, raising his fist, but Chen Shi calmly said, “Assaulting a police officer? You really don’t want to leave, do you?”

“Let’s talk this out. No need for this,” the bald man said with a forced smile, his hands hiding behind his back as Lin Dongxue tried to handcuff him.

Determined to make an example, Lin Qiupu said, “If you resist, I’ll call for backup!”

Finally, the bald man was handcuffed, and the other passengers fell silent, muttering complaints under their breath. Lin Qiupu said, “Your belongings will not be touched. Please cooperate and return to the hotel. Do not leave without permission.”

With the guidance of airport staff, the passengers gradually dispersed, and the commotion settled.

Lin Qiupu checked his watch and frowned. “It’s 10:20. We’ve wasted an hour.”

“Which hotel are they staying at?” Chen Shi asked.

“A four-star hotel near the airport.”

“Do they have surveillance?”

“Of course. Why do you ask?”

“The killer is among them. They might make a move during this time. We should have someone keep an eye on them.”

“I’ll assign Team One to handle it,” Lin Qiupu said.

The three of them boarded the plane, heading to the first-class section. Officers were opening and inspecting luggage in the narrow aisles. Lin Qiupu said, “The only way from first class to economy is through this passage.”

“That’s obvious. There’s only one way to move around on a plane,” Chen Shi replied.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Lin Qiupu pointed to the doors. “Up front are the cockpit and the first-class lavatory. This door separates first class from economy. Behind the door is another lavatory and the flight attendants’ rest area, with a curtain blocking it. According to the flight attendants, there was no passenger movement between the classes after takeoff.”

“So, all eight first-class passengers are cleared of suspicion!” Lin Dongxue said.

“Not necessarily. I don’t fully trust witness statements, especially since there’s no surveillance here,” Chen Shi said.

“There is, but we can’t access it right now,” Lin Qiupu said.

“You mean the black box? Let’s check economy class,” Chen Shi suggested.

They moved to economy class, lifting the curtain to reveal a seat marked off with police tape. Due to the limited space, the tape was only symbolically placed on the floor.

Lin Qiupu pointed to an aisle seat. “This is the victim’s seat.”

Chen Shi looked ahead. “Everyone’s faces were turned this way. Were the lights on during the incident?”

“The incident occurred around 6 AM. The plane took off at 4 AM. Most passengers were either still awake or had woken up early. To help them rest, the cabin lights were dimmed, leaving only night lights on.”

“Was there anyone seated next to him?”

Lin Qiupu picked up a passenger list. “Here are all the passengers’ names.”

Chen Shi glanced at the list. The victim’s name was Deng Shirong. The seat next to him was empty. The window seat occupant was named Li Zhaodi, female, 58. Lin Qiupu said, “Ms. Li was asleep with an eye mask on and didn’t hear anything unusual.”

“Not a single witness?” Chen Shi asked.

“We’re still questioning everyone, but so far, no,” Lin Qiupu replied.

Imagining the scene, Chen Shi said, “The victim was stabbed in the throat, had gum bleeding, and loose teeth.” He had Lin Dongxue sit in the seat and then crouched down, pretending to cover her mouth with one hand and stabbing her throat with the other. “I think the killer did it like this. It’s the safest way under the circumstances.”

“That matches what I thought,” Lin Qiupu said, noticing Chen Shi’s skeptical look. “I really did think of this!”

“Okay, okay, I wasn’t doubting your reasoning ability.”

“You totally were!” Lin Qiupu muttered.

Lin Dongxue changed the subject. “Was this premeditated or spur-of-the-moment?”

“Both, I’d say,” Chen Shi replied. “What did the victim do? Who did he offend?”

“We’re still investigating that.”

“Let’s check the luggage. Maybe we’ll find something useful.”