Chapter 535: A New Theory

An hour later, Chen Shi lay in bed, holding his phone and watching a video. Lin Dongxue leaned over, saying, “What are you watching? Isn’t that the surveillance footage?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for any other clues.”

“I’ve noticed you and Captain Peng are both workaholics. Don’t you ever get tired?” Lin Dongxue asked curiously.

“I can’t stand not understanding something.”

“Alright, I won’t bother you… sleep! sleep!” Lin Dongxue said, wrapping herself in the blanket and lying down.

The next morning, Lin Dongxue woke up to find Chen Shi still in the same position, watching the surveillance footage. She was surprised, “You didn’t stay up all night, did you?”

“No, I slept in between. I got up early… I had a dream, a different theory about this case. What if Lin Hui is the killer?”

Lin Dongxue laughed, “That’s a bit far-fetched, isn’t it?”

“No, dreaming is a way to integrate information. In dreams, there’s no constraint of reality’s logic, which often leads to bold ideas. Many scientists have gained inspiration from dreams.”

Lin Dongxue shifted positions, propping her head on her hand, looking at Chen Shi, “So, according to your bold theory, what would the case look like?”

Chen Shi put down his phone, “There’s a discrepancy between Lü Hao and Zhang Rui’s statements. Lü Hao said the wig and women’s clothes were for storing money, but according to Zhang Rui, Lü Hao wore those clothes to impersonate Lin Hui and divert him.”

Lin Dongxue nodded, “I did suspect this point. Lü Hao impersonating Lin Hui, carrying fake money to divert the followers while Lin Hui took the real money, is the safest plan.”

“If Zhang Rui’s statement is true, then Lü Hao is lying. Once Zhang Rui was successfully diverted, Lin Hui took the money and left. But on her way, she encountered an unexpected situation: me. I was driving a car identical to Zhang Rui’s, so Lin Hui thought Zhang Rui was chasing her. She abandoned the car and the money to disappear.”

“But would she really abandon ten million yuan?”

“One possibility is she kept part of it beforehand, sacrificing the large sum to save the smaller one. Another possibility is that her motive wasn’t money. We’ve been assuming everyone is after the ten million, but we might have overlooked other possibilities.”

“Like what?”

“Revenge.”

“Revenge against her husband?”

“Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if you were the one involved?”

“Uh…” Lin Dongxue looked at Chen Shi thoughtfully. “I love you. If I found out one day you were gay, I’d be devastated. But to kill over it? I don’t think I could do that.”

“Betrayal isn’t the whole motive, but it could be the trigger. Escalating conflicts, issues over property division, wasted youth.”

“Alright, let’s assume she had that motive.”

“If she had that motive, then the hair in the car was prepared in advance to frame someone.”

“Wait, she saw your car and thought Zhang Rui was chasing her. Would she still need to frame someone?”

“That was an unplanned event. In her original plan, there should’ve been another framing strategy. But let’s not analyze that now. From her perspective, she thought Zhang Rui was behind her when she disappeared. So, the money is likely with Zhang Rui. In that case, the motive for Zhang Rui to kill for money holds.”

“Two birds with one stone, seeking revenge on two people simultaneously? What about the man in the gray coat?”

“She orchestrated it. She knew Zhang Rui liked model guns and worked with lathes. The police would think Zhang Rui made a gun to kill. The poison found in Zhang Rui’s apartment suggests his original plan was poisoning, which is more discreet. Why would he abandon the safest method and openly shoot someone? It doesn’t make sense!”

Leaning against Chen Shi, Lin Dongxue pondered, “It sounds plausible, but…”

“I know, without finding Lin Hui, nothing is certain!” Chen Shi adjusted to a more comfortable position. “Last night, I noticed a truck stopping at the gas station for a few minutes. If Lin Hui hitched a ride on that truck, she could’ve disappeared from the surveillance.”

“Really?”

Chen Shi showed her the footage. The back of the heavy truck was indeed in the blind spot of the camera, and it was heading towards Lieyang.

“Let’s investigate!”

“Then we’re not going home today?”

“Change the tickets.”

“You’re impossible!” Lin Dongxue laughed.

When Xu Xiaodong heard they weren’t leaving, he was surprised. But Chen Shi’s determination to solve the case made him follow their lead.

Zhang Rui was still being interrogated repeatedly. Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue traced the truck via the traffic bureau, watching footage segment by segment. In one clip at an intersection in Lieyang, they saw a woman climbing out of the truck’s cargo area and walking onto the sidewalk.

Although blurry, it was clear enough to recognize Lin Hui. She walked without any signs of injury.

Lin Dongxue was excited, “Chen, you were right! She disappeared by hitching a ride. She must be in Lieyang now.”

“Think about who she might go to.”

“Lü Hao?”

“Possibly, but not necessarily. She might stay in hiding during this crucial time.”

“But she needs a place to stay and food.”

“She probably prepared a hiding spot in advance.”

In the afternoon, they went to the local police station to check Lin Hui’s ID usage. Recently, she hadn’t used her ID, and her bank cards were untouched, showing she was very cautious.

During the investigation, they discovered that Lin Hui withdrew a large amount of money before her disappearance. The money’s whereabouts were unknown. She probably transferred the funds in preparation for hiding.

Chen Shi said, “Lü Hao seems to be the only lead.”

Lin Dongxue said, “We don’t have evidence to forcibly summon him. This isn’t our jurisdiction, and we don’t have the authority.”

“We’ll have to investigate Lü Hao thoroughly.”

With the help of Lieyang’s police, they carefully investigated Lü Hao, finding he covered his tracks well. However, they discovered something interesting: before becoming a hairdresser, Lü Hao had worked at a machine shop for two years. He had the skills or connections to acquire a homemade gun.

Three days passed. They had stayed in Lieyang for almost a week, and the case had stalled. Lin Qiupu called daily, urging them to return, with other work piling up.

On the afternoon of September 16, Lin Dongxue looked at the pile of documents on the table and sighed, “This case isn’t progressing. Lin Hui won’t surface now. As long as she’s ‘missing,’ Zhang Rui remains the prime suspect.”

“Are you planning to stay in Lieyang forever?” A voice said. They turned and were shocked, “Captain Peng?”