Chapter 237: Murder Suspect (Third Update – Vote for Me)

Lin Dongxue was worried she might be too excited and said, “I’d like to take a look at Jiang Ming’s room.”

“Sure! I’ll take you there.”

As soon as Lin Dongxue entered Jiang Ming’s room, she felt it was in a different league. The walls were adorned with Jiang Ming’s childhood art photos, giving him a cute, chubby look. There was a high-end computer on the desk, and many comic books were scattered around haphazardly, with leftover snack wrappers in the trash can.

The stepmother awkwardly said, “The room’s a mess. I haven’t had the energy to clean up since the two kids disappeared.”

“Did Jiang Ming say anything the day he disappeared?”

“Not really. He stayed up late studying the night before, overslept the next morning, and rushed to school.”

“Where do they go to school?”

“They both attend Experimental Middle School. One is in the junior section, and the other in the senior section.”

“Has Jiang Ming mentioned anything unusual to you recently?”

“Oh, right. He said he wanted a cat, but I refused. With the heavy workload in the third year of middle school, where’s the time to take care of a cat? Jiang Ming might be in his rebellious phase; he doesn’t communicate much with us, just stays in his room all day. To understand him better, I often chat with his teachers. He likes playing that game ‘Honor of Kings.’ I even tried it out myself. I’m worried he might be overusing his brain, so I bought him some supplements. This box alone cost a thousand yuan…”

As soon as she started talking about her son, the stepmother couldn’t stop. Lin Dongxue quickly interrupted her and asked, “How is the relationship between the siblings?”

“How could it be? They live their own lives, rarely speaking to each other except at the dining table. They used to play together often when they were younger, but as they grew older, they had their own things to do, which is inevitable.”

“Jiang Hui’s diary mentions some incidents. I’d like to verify them with you.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Once, Jiang Ming took Jiang Hui’s USB drive to an internet café to copy a game and deleted a document she had created. Jiang Hui was furious and argued with him, but you scolded Jiang Hui.”

“Did that happen?”

“Think carefully.”

“Oh, I remember now. They did argue once about a USB drive or something. I was on the phone at the time, and when I heard the noise from the living room, I told Jiang Hui off, saying she should know better as an older sister to be more accommodating to her brother.”

“The diary says you didn’t just scold her but said, ‘If you keep this up, you’ll be kicked out sooner or later!'”

“No, no!” The stepmother denied vehemently. “You can ask anyone about my character. I would never say such things.”

Lin Dongxue thought, if only Chen Shi were here; he could tell if she was lying in a heartbeat. Not wanting to dwell on this matter, she continued, “But Jiang Ming seemed to be quite considerate. He apologized to Jiang Hui and comforted her, telling her not to cry.”

“Yes, Jiang Ming is very considerate. This child is very understanding. Once…”

“Another thing mentioned in the diary is that when Jiang Hui had a cold and couldn’t get out of bed, you made her stand in the bathroom early in the morning while you disinfected the room. She stood there in her pajamas for half an hour.”

Lin Dongxue’s recounting was very objective, but the diary entry was even more shocking.

“That kid’s talking nonsense! I was in a hurry to leave that morning. The grandparents were at home, and I couldn’t risk them getting infected. Plus, colds spread easily. I was thinking of everyone. So, I asked her to get up for a moment so I could disinfect the room. I spoke as gently as I could. It’s not like I was harsh with her!”

Lin Dongxue thought, I never mentioned your tone. Maybe the stepmother had already read the diary.

The stepmother continued, “Officer, don’t listen to her exaggerations. I never mistreated her. I treat both children equally, whether it’s Jiang Hui or Jiang Ming. I wouldn’t favor one over the other. If Jiang Ming had a cold, I would disinfect the room for him too.”

“She also mentioned you slapped her in front of Jiang Ming.”

“Never happened!”

“Do you remember the cause of the incident?”

“Let me think… Once, I made a chicken dish, and she didn’t like it, so she threw the bowl. I just slapped the table and asked who she was throwing a tantrum at. I never hit her!”

Lin Dongxue set a trap. She only mentioned the slap, but the stepmother revealed the whole story.

This indicated the slap did happen.

Lin Dongxue said, “That’s not what Jiang Hui said…”

“Don’t believe her side of the story!”

“She said she’s allergic to peanuts, which everyone in the family knows. But you added peanuts to the dish, so she refused to eat it, and you hit her.”

“Peanut allergy? Jiang Ming and Jiang Hui share the same father; why isn’t Jiang Ming allergic? She’s just nitpicking! I’ve always been devoted to both kids, never favoring one. She’s been hanging out with some bad kids outside, picking up bad ideas, and then comes home to find fault with me. Did you know she even hit me once?”

“When?”

“A few months ago. I just said a couple of words to her, and she pushed me. I nearly fell. At my age, a serious injury would be no joke. But after hitting me, she ran to her room to cry as if she were the one wronged.”

Lin Dongxue felt a surge of disgust for this woman. She now had a clearer picture of Jiang Hui’s situation at home.

She also understood why Lin Qiupu had assigned her this case. As an orphan herself, she could empathize with Jiang Hui’s circumstances and feelings. Even if things were as everyone suspected, she might still gather evidence and testimony favorable to Jiang Hui.

Lin Dongxue said, “I’d like to examine the children’s bedrooms closely.”

“Sure, sure.”

Lin Dongxue put on gloves and started checking Jiang Ming’s drawers. Besides comic books and game discs, nothing notable was found, except for a “Horror Fan” magazine under Jiang Ming’s pillow.

She then turned on the computer, but it required a login password. She called the station to get a tech-savvy officer to come over.

Next, Lin Dongxue went to Jiang Hui’s room. In Jiang Hui’s drawer, she found a bank card and took it as evidence.

She took down the books from the shelf and noticed some sentences highlighted with a ballpoint pen. These parts detailed specific methods of murder and body disposal.

Could this girl really have killed her brother?

Lin Dongxue meticulously checked for any other clues, examining behind posters, inside CD cases, and even the trash can. When she lifted the bag from the trash can, she found a plastic wrapper used for syringes underneath.