Chapter 581: Face-to-Face Confrontation
On October 12, Yan Ke was formally interrogated. Sitting in the interrogation room, he was drenched in sweat, but he only had one response to every question: “I won’t say anything until my lawyer arrives!” Soon, Lawyer Wang Chengda from Chengda Law Firm arrived at the police station, introducing himself: “I’ve been appointed by Mr. Yan to represent him.” Entering the interrogation room, Lawyer Wang whispered a few words to Yan Ke.
The interrogation was conducted by Lin Qiupu and another officer, with Chen Shi, Lin Dongxue, and other officers observing from outside. After asking basic questions, Lin Qiupu said, “Suspect, where were you and what were you doing around 6 PM on September 30th?”
The lawyer responded on Yan Ke’s behalf, “We have no obligation to report on this matter. All evidence points to the fact that the victim was murdered on October 1st, and my client has a clear alibi for that day.”
“But we have testimony indicating that you had a heated argument with the victim on the evening of September 30th, followed by suspicious actions.” Lin Qiupu presented two bloodstain analysis reports, “We found the victim’s blood in two places in the office. Neither you nor the victim had keys to that office. The blood must have been left there on September 30th.”
The lawyer responded, “Officer, Mr. Liu, a colleague of the victim, was in that office on the morning of October 1st and witnessed the victim. Are you suggesting that the victim was killed on September 30th and then came back to life on October 1st?”
“That’s correct!” Yan Ke nodded confidently. They had strategized this response, knowing the opposition would try to bring up the three eyewitnesses’ testimonies. This was a trap, and Lin Qiupu avoided answering. He insisted, “I’m asking you, not the other way around. What were you doing on the evening of September 30th?”
Yan Ke replied, “We argued. Lin Xiaoxiao and I argued.”
Outside, Lin Dongxue said to Chen Shi, “That lawyer is sly, trying to pit one testimony against three. Can Lin handle it?”
Chen Shi replied, “The key point is that the three eyewitness testimonies constitute evidence, but we have photographic evidence. It’s fifty-fifty.”
Lin Qiupu continued, “According to the security guard’s testimony, you and your colleague Zhou Tiannan were the last to leave the school. They didn’t see the victim. How did you leave the school?”
Yan Ke said, “Simple, I drove my car.”
“But the surveillance didn’t capture that. In fact, that day’s surveillance footage was tampered with. We analyzed the data and found it was a loop from the previous day, edited with software.”
Yan Ke panicked, whispering to his lawyer. Chen Shi praised, “Your brother used that seemingly disadvantageous evidence to counterattack the lawyer.”
The lawyer said, “My client knew nothing about the surveillance. It could just be a coincidence.”
“Don’t you think it’s too coincidental? Especially on the day of the incident? In fact, your testimonies are unsupported by physical evidence. The package that Lin Xiaoxiao allegedly sent to her father had fingerprints, but the grease secretion level was unusually low, and the fingerprint distribution was unnatural. We believe the fingerprints were forged. Why would someone forge fingerprints?”
The lawyer said, “There could be many reasons for low grease secretion, like applying hand cream or chalk blocking the pores.”
“Are you pretending not to understand, or do you really not understand? You can read the analysis report yourself.”
The lawyer didn’t respond. He clasped his hands together, saying, “But you can’t prove the eyewitness testimonies are false. Would the victim’s own father lie? If these three testimonies are false, should I suspect your witness testimony is false too?”
Lin Qiupu smirked. The opposing side had finally raised this issue. He said, “This photo was taken by an eyewitness, Mr. Yan. It shows you and Lin Xiaoxiao on the playground.”
Yan Ke’s eyes widened, swallowing nervously. The lawyer demanded, “Show us the evidence, or I’ll consider it false!”
Lin Qiupu handed over an enlarged, enhanced photo. The image showed a person resembling Yan Ke, carrying a long sack across the playground, with red liquid seeping from one end. Although the side profile wasn’t clear, the pixel enhancement revealed no moles or distinctive marks. Yan Ke broke out in a cold sweat, his hands trembling.
The lawyer whispered, “Don’t be afraid!” Lin Qiupu took the opportunity to ask, “This is just one piece of evidence. What were you carrying across the playground that night?”
Yan Ke stammered, “I…”
The lawyer interrupted loudly, “Wait, how does this photo prove it’s my client?”
Lin Qiupu stared at Yan Ke, saying, “You’re a teacher with hundreds of students who can confirm you wore that outfit that day. Your height and build match perfectly. Mr. Yan, please explain!”
The lawyer argued, “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t prove anything. I could even suspect this photo was staged to frame my client!”
“We’ve verified the authenticity of these photos.”
“But the person in the photo isn’t necessarily my client. Anyone could wear that outfit. Many young men fit that build. And you mentioned the surveillance was tampered with. This is isolated evidence, meaningless.”
Yan Ke regained his confidence. Lin Dongxue fumed, “That lawyer is infuriating. Any normal person would crack under such evidence!”
“Have faith in your brother. The fight isn’t over!” Lin Qiupu said, “This photo, taken by the eyewitness, supports his testimony. According to the security guard, only four people were at the school: you, Zhou Tiannan, Lin Xiaoxiao, and the eyewitness. From the distance shown, we can rule out Zhou Tiannan due to his build. So who is in the photo, and what were they carrying?”
The lawyer confidently replied, “Yes, provide more evidence! You have no proof!”
Lin Qiupu, teeth clenched in frustration, announced a temporary halt to the interrogation. Stepping outside, he said to Chen Shi, “Bring the kid in to identify him on the spot!”
“I see he’s being stubborn. Don’t lose your patience. You still have twenty-four hours with him!”
The lawyer, stepping into the corridor, made a call. “Mr. Zhou, there’s a witness, possibly a student… I can’t hold on much longer. If identified, it’ll be trouble.” There was a brief silence on the other end before the reply, “You’ve delayed enough. I’ll handle it!”