Silent Witness - Chapter 19

As evening deepened and twilight settled, they finished their meal and continued to stare intently at the monitor.

Zhao Xiaoting, her face etched with fatigue, pinched the bridge of her nose. “My eyes can’t take much more of this.”

“Just hang in there a little longer, everyone,” Li Hewei urged. “Regardless of what we find, we’re clocking out at 9 sharp.” She sped up the video playback to double speed, finally reaching the late hours of July 22nd.

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by the clicks of mice.

Around 8 PM, after repeated confirmations, Tao Ling looked up and called out softly, “Sister Wei, I’ve found something.”

“What is it?” Li Hewei asked, withdrawing her hand from her chin and hurrying over.

As Li Hewei approached, Tao Ling flipped open her meticulously annotated notepad. “I’ve been recording the information of every vehicle exiting the parking lot each day. This is the first time I’ve seen this car. The driver wore a baseball cap and a mask, deliberately keeping their head down to avoid the security cameras.”

“License plate number and exact time?”

“Nissan Sylphy, white exterior, license plate Shu A2WK89, July 23rd at 1:37 PM.”

An Yu pointed out the crucial detail: “A sedan worth around 100,000 yuan doesn’t fit the profile of a villa owner.”

“Maybe it’s just a visitor?” He Ying suggested. “We could ask the neighbors to check their visitor logs.”

“Right. Everyone, find the video footage from around 1:00 PM on July 23rd and keep an eye out for the car Tao Ling mentioned,” Li Hewei said, hurrying back to her desk. She sat down, grabbed her mouse, and began scrolling through the unzipped folder. To her surprise, she couldn’t find any footage from the 23rd. She immediately sent a WeChat message to Qiu Wan:

Team Leader Qiu, surveillance camera #8 has no footage from July 23rd.

Ten seconds later, Qiu Wan replied: Cameras #8 and #9 malfunctioned. The image processing units failed, so the footage from the 23rd and 24th is only in black and white.

Cameras #8 and #9 were the two closest to the entrance of Sun Hao’s villa in the indoor parking garage.

Don’t you find that suspicious?

Li Hewei forwarded the screenshot Tao Ling had sent to Qiu Wan: At 1:37 PM on the 23rd, a suspicious vehicle was captured at the parking garage exit. We can’t see the driver’s face clearly from the front, but we’re looking for footage from other angles.

“Xiao Li, at 1:42 PM, this car was spotted across the street from the villa complex. But the windows are tinted with privacy film, so we can’t see anything inside from the side.”

“Sister Wei, it’s the same here.”

“Me too.”

“From my position, I can see the car through the windshield, but like Tao Ling said, the driver’s head is bowed.”

Colleagues continued to report sightings of the sedan, but none provided useful leads. Li Hewei’s index finger hovered over her phone screen as she drafted a message. Qiu Wan entered the room, her expression serious. “Sisters, please bear with me. We’re heading to Ten Thousand Peaks City in the northern suburbs.”

“I was just about to request that,” Li Hewei replied, already making arrangements. “Sister He, Xiaoting will be working overtime with me tonight.” Her gaze shifted to Tao Ling, who appeared ready to go. “And Tao Ling too.”

Crime scene investigators were required to wear uniforms and carry their investigation kits. Li Hewei and Qiu Wan waited outside the changing room. Qiu Wan leaned against the wall, hands in her pockets, and chatted casually. “Director Liu’s ‘treat’ turned out to be just boxed lunches. With over eighty people involved in this investigation, the lunches alone cost nearly two thousand yuan.”

“I know. Regulations strictly prohibit department-level officials from hosting lavish banquets.”

A faint smile played on Qiu Wan’s lips. “That’s why I’m treating the Technical Team to dinner separately.”

A smile touched the corners of Li Hewei’s eyes and lips. “Hmm? That’s not necessary. It’s just a dinner for four on the weekend, but our Technical Team has eight people. You’d be spending a fortune.”

“We’re having hot pot. Five or six hundred yuan for a meal—I can handle that.”

“What about your Major Crimes Unit? Between the police officers and auxiliary officers, you’d need at least three tables.”

Qiu Wan shrugged. “Director Liu will just give them boxed lunches.”

Li Hewei’s smile deepened. “Good idea.”

Qiu Wan was about to say something when her phone suddenly rang. It was Director Liu calling. She answered.

“Hello, Xiao Qiu.”

“Yes, Director Liu. What is it?”

“Sun Hao claims he’s out of town and refuses to let you search his private residence late at night.”

Qiu Wan’s delicate eyebrows furrowed instantly. “Everything’s ready on my end. Can’t we make an exception?”

“Citizens have a legal right to privacy. With insufficient evidence, I can’t approve your request.”

Li Hewei pondered for a moment, then suggested, “Team Leader Qiu, let’s go to Ten Thousand Peaks City first and talk to the security guard who was on duty that day.”

“Alright,” Qiu Wan agreed, then spent another half-minute negotiating with Director Liu. He finally relented, promising that if they uncovered any new leads, she could try communicating with the bureau chief again.

Around 9 PM, a seven-seater investigation vehicle came to a smooth stop at the east gate of Ten Thousand Peaks City. Qiu Wan and Li Hewei stepped out, while the other three officers remained in the vehicle, awaiting further instructions.

Having been notified in advance, the security guard spotted the two officers approaching with determined expressions and immediately opened the gate to greet them.

“Officers, coming out this late at night—you’re truly dedicated to your work.”

Qiu Wan produced her police badge, her expression serious. “Hello, Puchen Public Security Bureau, Criminal Investigation Brigade.”

“I know, I know,” the guard said, waving them in. “It’s hot outside. Why don’t we talk inside?”

The two officers followed him into the guard booth but remained standing near the door.

Qiu Wan handed him a printed photograph. “On July 23rd, this white sedan entered the parking lot at 10:23 PM. Do you remember it?”

The guard took the photo, examined it closely, and frowned in thought. “Yes, I remember it quite clearly.”

Qiu Wan’s eyes lit up. “Please tell me everything you can recall, such as the driver’s gender and appearance.”

“It was a woman. She was wearing a mask and didn’t speak. I asked her a question, and she just nodded.”

Qiu Wan pressed further. “Why was she wearing a mask? Didn’t you find that odd at the time?”

“She had a bad cold. She coughed a couple of times, and her voice sounded particularly hoarse.”

“Did she sign in?”

The guard reached for the logbook. “Of course, everyone has to sign in. Here, take a look.”

Qiu Wan held the register in her left hand, took a photo, and sent it to her colleague working overtime at the police station with the message: Check her out.

“Brother, I remember Rongke Group’s projects place special emphasis on security. Why is she the only one who didn’t specify which villa she was visiting?” Li Hewei asked, scrutinizing the register and noticing the discrepancy.

The security guard’s face paled. He swallowed hard and stammered, “She… she gave me a pack of cigarettes after signing in, so I didn’t look closely. It was Great China, you know, retails for 95 yuan a pack.”

Qiu Wan groaned in frustration. “You might have traded something big for something small.” To make matters worse, her colleague informed her that the woman had used a fake ID, and the lead seemed to have gone cold again.

Li Hewei reassured her, “Don’t rush.”

“Right, we can’t rush.” Qiu Wan replayed all the evidence gathered since the incident. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She asked the security guard, “Which company supplies the water to this community?”

Still feeling guilty, the guard blurted out, “North An Water Conservancy Development Company.”

Qiu Wan looked up the water company’s emergency hotline and hurried outside. After explaining the situation, she was asked to wait two minutes.

“Officer, there’s an abnormal water usage pattern at Villa 1, Unit 23.”

To be safe, she contacted the power company as well, receiving the same result.

Sun Hao wasn’t home, so why were the water and electricity usage patterns abnormal?

“Call Director Liu. The application will definitely be approved. I’ll have them prepare,” Li Hewei said, turning to walk back.

Thirty minutes later, Aunt Zhang, who cooked for Sun Hao, arrived to open the door. Fully equipped, they headed straight for the swimming pool.

Li Hewei, who had taken forensic pathology as a required course in college, and Tao Ling meticulously examined every blade of grass and tree around the pool.

Meanwhile, Qiu Wan spoke with the housekeeper. “Aunt Zhang, when did you start your vacation?”

“The 20th. General Manager Sun said he was going to Lang City to escape the heat and wouldn’t be back until late August.”

July 20th—this matched the date provided by the suspected perjurer.

“Did any of Sun Hao’s friends or family visit the villa during that time?”

Aunt Zhang shook her head. “No, General Manager Sun’s friends always let me know in advance when they’re coming.”

Li Hewei walked past them and asked the same question at Sun Luying’s villa: “Sister Zhang, when was the pool water changed?”

“Around the 23rd, I came specifically to open the gate.”

Qiu Wan quickly pressed, “What time on the 23rd?” Choosing to commit the crime on the day the water was changed revealed the killer’s exceptional counter-investigation skills and composure. However, they had overlooked the fact that the police could obtain precise water and electricity consumption data from the utility companies, accurate down to decimal points.

“8 AM. This is Villa 1, so we were the first ones. The draining and disinfection were finished by around 9 AM.”

The residential area consisted of nine villas, so the sound of water pumps ran constantly from morning till night, conveniently masking any unusual activity at the Sun Residence. Aunt Zhang left around 9 AM, and the murderer entered at 10:30 AM. But how did the victim end up in the villa?

Who was Yang Guang’s last contact, the one who convinced him to go to Ten Thousand Peaks City?

Li Hewei crossed her arms, her mind tangled in the mystery. Unconsciously, she drifted behind Tao Ling.

“Sister Wei,” Tao Ling said, tilting her head to gaze at the two osmanthus trees outside the wall. Noticing Li Hewei’s approach, her expression softened.

Li Hewei followed her gaze upward. “Hmm?”

“If the northwest wind blows, the petals will drift into the pool.”

“Yes, but that’s just a theory. We need proof. After all, osmanthus trees grow all over Puchen.”

“Sister He said the murderer was cunning, wiping away every trace of evidence. But didn’t Luo Ka say that every contact leaves a mark?” Tao Ling turned, her voice gentle. “Sister Wei, what do you think?”

Li Hewei met Tao Ling’s clear, poetic gaze. For once, she didn’t look away. A faint smile curved her lips as she replied with unwavering conviction, “I firmly believe that every primary crime scene inevitably leaves behind some trace, however faint.”