Chapter 516: The Missing Grandfather
Lin Dongxue took a taxi back to the station, where she found Chen Shi waiting at the entrance, looking excited.
“Why so excited?” Lin Dongxue asked with a smile.
“What did you find out?” Chen Shi asked eagerly.
“Nothing useful. Zhang Hao has been abusing his wife and son for years, and it seems his wife has become numb to it,” Lin Dongxue sighed. “Poor woman.”
“The DNA from the bones matches Zhang Hao 99.99% and Zhang Farong 99.98%. It’s almost certainly Zhang Hao’s father, Zhang Farong’s brother. This could be a case of patricide!”
“Where’s Zhang Hao now?”
“In the interrogation room, waiting for you.”
They went to the interrogation room where Zhang Hao sat calmly. Chen Shi said, “I didn’t expect to see you here. I really like the soup noodles from your shop, but now I have to interrogate you. It feels a bit awkward.”
Zhang Hao replied, “It’s your job, nothing to be sorry about.”
“You know what we found in the wall of your shop, right?”
Zhang Hao shook his head.
Chen Shi showed him a printed photo of the bones found at the scene. “Recognize this?”
“Not at all.”
“Two years ago, how did your father go missing?”
“You should ask him yourself.”
“These bones were charred, the soft tissue burned off, so they didn’t rot in the wall. At the scene, I asked your staff. They said the freezer blocking the wall was bought two years ago, just when the bones were hidden. Coincidence? Also, we heard you’ve been buying beef essence from a cannery. This explains the missing flesh from the bones. We suspect you mixed human meat with beef essence, made meatballs, and sold them for 16 yuan a bowl, 13 yuan for a small bowl.”
Lin Dongxue kicked Chen Shi under the table. How could he joke at a time like this? When Lin Qiupu reviewed the interrogation record later, who knows what he would say.
Zhang Hao lifted his head. “Got a cigarette?”
Chen Shi walked over and lit one for him. Zhang Hao exhaled a puff of smoke and stared at the burning tip. “I can answer all these questions. The bones being charred—I have no idea. In fact, I didn’t even know they existed. I bought the freezer two years ago because the old one broke down. You can ask the staff. We were closed for a few days because of that. Why place it against that wall? Look at my shop’s layout: seating area, workbench, cashier… The freezer could only go there. As for mixing human meat with beef essence, I never imagined or did such a thing. But I admit, we don’t use beef.”
“What meat do you use?” Chen Shi asked.
“Pork, lamb, duck, and chicken.”
“Did I hear that right? Lamb is more expensive than beef.”
“That’s our recipe. The best taste comes from mixed meats. Lamb makes up about ten percent.”
“Interesting. How much of the other meats?” Chen Shi asked, genuinely curious.
Lin Dongxue kicked him again. He was actually interested in how to make beef meatballs. She said, “I just spoke with your wife. She said you’ve had a strained relationship with your father and grew up in an abusive environment. Could this be your motive for murder?”
“I have one question. Who born in the ’80s didn’t experience some abuse? If everyone who was abused killed their parents, China’s aging problem would be solved.”
They exchanged glances, surprised at his defiant attitude. It was time to present the decisive evidence. Chen Shi said, “Your father went missing two years ago, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do the bones in the wall belong to your father?” He showed the DNA results. “This proves it’s your father. Anything to say?”
Zhang Hao smiled faintly and shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know, but someone does. Your uncle has been blackmailing you, implying he knows something.”
Zhang Hao sneered.
“Last night’s events—each of you tells a different story. He claims you recognized him before attacking, while you say you didn’t. But you struck three times: once on the shoulder, twice on the back. Recreating the scene, it’s unlikely he stayed silent after the first blow. You recognized him and kept attacking to silence him. This shows you’re hiding something!”
“You can question me however you want, question whoever you want. I didn’t kill anyone. My conscience is clear.”
Zhang Hao was taken back to the holding cell. Lin Dongxue said, “This guy’s tough to crack!”
Chen Shi shook his head. “We have no concrete evidence. He won’t confess easily.”
“Shall we question the uncle again?”
“We have to.”
In the interrogation room, Zhang Farong animatedly said, “My brother was definitely killed by that kid. The shop was our father’s, then my brother’s. Suddenly, my brother disappears, and he inherits everything. Do the math! Now you find my brother’s bones in the shop. Isn’t that proof? Get him to court!”
Chen Shi sighed, “Do you have any other evidence?”
“What other evidence do you need? Catching an adulterer in the act, catching a thief with the loot. You found the body. Use some tough methods—tiger bench, chili water—he’ll talk!”
“You blackmailed him with this?”
Zhang Farong shrugged. “Heaven’s my witness! How is it blackmail? Half of that property is mine. Property prices are skyrocketing, at least 30,000 yuan per square meter. I just want my share back. Fair and square!”
Chen Shi felt a headache coming on. “Tell me more about your father’s death.”
“My father didn’t die.”
“Your father didn’t die?”
“He disappeared. After two years, the authorities declared him dead. So I came for my inheritance. Fair and square!”
“What year was this?”
“’99 or ’00.”
“Did you report it?”
“I did. They found nothing. I was too busy fighting with my brother for the inheritance to care about the old man’s fate. My brother didn’t care either, just kept running the shop.”
Chen Shi leaned back, deep in thought. Lin Dongxue asked, “When you were young, did your father often abuse you?”
“Abuse?”
“Beat you.”
Zhang Farong chuckled, “Mostly my brother. He was stubborn and disobedient, always getting beaten. I was well-behaved, always telling my dad to take breaks during beatings. I was the family’s treasure, rarely got hit… My nephew, just like my brother, has a bad temper. Deserved to be beaten!”