Chapter 678: A Big Mistake

Noticing that Chen Shi was being ignored by the police, Lin Dongxue quickly ended the conversation. After all, they weren’t getting any valuable information here. The officers, trying to make small talk, asked, “Miss, are you single?”

“No, he’s my boyfriend,” Lin Dongxue said, casually wrapping her arm around Chen Shi’s. The officers were surprised.

At that moment, one of the officers called out to the door, “Xiao Chun, you’re here again?”

A teenage girl was standing timidly outside the office. She said, “I heard experts from the city came to investigate my sister’s case. I wanted to see if I could help… Are you the experts from the city?”

Chen Shi replied, “We’re from the city, but we’re not experts.”

“Great! I’m Chun Qin’s sister, Chun Li. Do you have any questions for me?”

One of the officers said, “Chun Li, you’re not a witness. Don’t cause trouble. We’re investigating the case and will inform you as soon as there’s progress.”

“I know, but my sister and brother-in-law died so horribly. During the New Year, the whole family sat together, and they were the only ones missing. My parents were so sad that they cried again. I’m just anxious and hope the case can be solved soon.” As she spoke, Chun Li rubbed her eyes sadly, the loss of her loved ones devastating her family.

Chen Shi exchanged a glance with Lin Dongxue and said, “Let’s have a brief chat.”

They moved to an empty office, where Chun Li shared many stories about Chun Qin. Often, family members know the least about each other. Chun Li described her sister as kind, gentle, and brave, but her assessment was subjective, and she didn’t know many of Chun Qin’s personal details.

As expected, they didn’t get much valuable information. However, Chen Shi noticed Chun Li frequently glancing at Chang Juan and asked, “Do you know each other?”

“No… I just think city girls dress so nicely,” Chun Li replied, blushing.

“Aren’t you studying in the city?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Yes, I’m a senior in high school, but I rarely go out, so I don’t interact with many people.”

After talking with Chun Li, she left. Chen Shi, looking out the window, said, “The killer is an outsider, probably a repeat offender. We shouldn’t waste time on local trivialities.”

“Why hasn’t Captain Peng returned yet? Should we go find him?” Lin Dongxue asked Chang Juan, “Do you want to stay with us or go home?”

“I’ll stay with you,” Chang Juan replied.

Chen Shi teased, “Since you claim to be possessed by Chun Qin, why didn’t you react when talking to that girl? She’s your sister.”

After a few seconds of silence, Chang Juan said, “Since you’ve exposed the lie, I won’t pretend anymore.”

“Straightforward!” Chen Shi commented, “You admit the possession was a lie, but you still won’t tell us why you’re involved in this case or how you know the details, right?”

Chang Juan nodded.

“Were your parents really killed in a car accident?”

Caught off guard by the question, Chang Juan’s pupils contracted, and she frowned, remaining silent.

Chen Shi then called Peng Sijue, who said he was busy and told Chen Shi not to come over. He would return soon and asked them to book a hotel.

The small town had only a few budget hotels with mediocre conditions. The musty smell from the blankets made Lin Dongxue frown; it had been a while since she stayed in such a place. Taking advantage of the afternoon sunlight, Chen Shi opened the curtains and laid out the blankets to air them.

Looking around the room with peeling walls, Chen Shi said, “This place is like a crime scene itself, yet it costs two hundred a night. It makes you appreciate the convenience of the city.”

“Why are you so eloquent during the New Year?” Lin Dongxue laughed.

“By the way, let’s see what Chang Juan is up to.”

Chang Juan’s room was on the same floor, but she had chosen one away from everyone else’s.

Lin Dongxue went to “scout” and returned, saying, “She’s just sitting.”

“Sitting?”

“Yes, sitting still in her room… This girl is really strange.”

“Honestly, I’m getting used to her weirdness now,” Chen Shi chuckled.

With nothing else to do, Chen Shi wandered around town, revisiting the crime scene with Lin Dongxue to reconstruct the case.

In the evening, they heard police sirens and went to the station. Peng Sijue and his team had returned. The police chief, who had accompanied them all day, was exhausted but kept smiling. As they walked, he said, “City detectives are truly impressive with their advanced equipment and methods. Captain Peng, you’ve been busy all day. You should relax and join us for dinner?”

“Any leads?” Chen Shi asked Peng Sijue.

“You should have come today,” Peng Sijue smiled, then told the chief, “I have a few things to say before dinner.”

“Captain Peng, you can talk at the dinner table too.”

“It’s about the case.”

“Oh, still talking shop? City detectives are really dedicated,” the chief said, eager for dinner.

“Let’s go inside.”

The chief reluctantly followed. Peng Sijue called the other detectives involved in the case. He handed a report to Chen Shi, who read it and couldn’t help but laugh, knowing there was a show to watch.

“Ahem!” Peng Sijue cleared his throat. “Today, during the re-examination of the evidence, I found many procedural flaws with the outsourced medical examiner. The autopsy report was not detailed.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it. After all, they’re not professional medical examiners. It would be great if we had our own forensic team,” the chief laughed.

“Also, did you compare the suspect’s semen found in Chun Qin’s body?”

“Well… we never had a reliable suspect, no samples to compare. Of course, we sent a sample to your city for comparison with the genetic database, but it seems the person has no prior record.”

Many of Peng Sijue’s subordinates stifled their laughter. The chief sensed something was wrong but didn’t know what he had said wrong, looking puzzled. Peng Sijue said, “I compared the semen with the DNA of the deceased, Li Tiezhu, and found that the semen belonged to Li Tiezhu, not the suspect.”

The chief was dumbfounded. This was a significant mistake, with the sample right there, and they didn’t compare it.

The chief’s face turned red, still trying to explain, “You have to understand, it takes three days to do a DNA test here. It’s very cumbersome…”

“No need to explain further. We’re here to assist in the investigation. Fortunately, this loophole was discovered in time. Better late than never. Also, from a forensic perspective, I understand why this oversight occurred. The victim Chun Qin had numerous abrasions inside and outside her vagina, indicating forced non-consensual activity. So the doctors assumed the semen found nearby was from the suspect, overlooking that Li Tiezhu and she were married and had consensual sex before the suspect arrived.”