At first, I found no useful traces in the restroom, but I didn't give up. I squatted down and examined the toilet from left to right. Suddenly, I noticed some oily stains on its back. I smelled it and thought it was gasoline. I collected some and put it in a test tube. Then I stood up, closed my eyes, and simulated the scene of the fire burning here. If Cao Leping indeed set the fire, he should have lit the gasoline in the toilet with a torch. He was quite something; why choose to start a fire in a place with water, and indoors at that? What if he couldn't escape if the fire spread?
Could it be that this fire wasn't deliberately set?
As I squatted near the gasoline, I inadvertently found a cigarette butt. I picked it up and placed it in an evidence bag. I walked out of the restroom and saw footprints all over the floor. I followed them to a room not far away. As soon as I pushed the door open, I found a charred body on the floor.
It seemed this person was first set on fire in the restroom and then made their way to the room through the corridor. Their body must have been completely engulfed in flames, and they painfully managed to reach the room before collapsing on the ground, weakened.
Because the body was severely burned, I couldn't identify the person at first glance. I had to call for backup temporarily.
Liu Yuning quickly arrived at the scene with her team and discovered the body. They were also a bit surprised.
Xie Chuchu and Zhang Keying helped me with the autopsy, but due to the severe burning of the body, they couldn't ascertain anything immediately. Xie Chuchu said, "Senior, it seems we'll have to use bone identification!"
"Don't you know how to do that too? Go to the mortuary, and let's examine him together!"
"This deceased might be the second Cao Leping. If that's the case, we'll have found the mastermind behind the strongman Cao Leping," Liu Yuning said.
I nodded. "Let's hope so. We've been struggling with this case for too long. If we don't find results soon, I'll be exhausted."
Back at the provincial department, the body was placed in the mortuary. Using the ancient bone identification technique, the deceased was estimated to have died about a month ago. The cause of death was burning, as a large amount of smoke and soot was found in the trachea.
I had originally thought he was murdered and the death staged as a fire. Given the current situation, could this Cao Leping have committed suicide?
Why would he do that? He didn't seem like someone who would commit suicide out of fear of punishment.
Looking at the darkened corpse, I couldn't figure it out. Later, I never found the reason. After hearing about this case, a fire broke out at the drug rehabilitation center, completely reducing its buildings to ruins. I don't know who set that fire either. After the final verdict for the strongman Cao Leping was delivered, I stopped investigating this case.
As for the arsonist, they were never found. After about a week, the police decided to give up, and the case was left unresolved...
An alibi, typically, criminals would alter clocks to make witnesses believe the time is correct. Another method is to appear with friends in a crowded place, have the friend stay behind while you briefly leave to commit the crime, and then return as if nothing happened. In this scenario, the friend believes you never left the scene, thus becoming your alibi witness.
Alternatively, they might overlay events from yesterday onto today, when the actual crime occurred at some point today. With evidence of presence, time, and individuals, this type of deceptive criminal tactic is collectively known as montage.
In fact, the term montage originally comes from architectural studies, meaning composition or assembly. After the invention of cinema, it was extended in French to mean "editing." In 1923, Sergei Eisenstein published an article titled "Montage of Attractions" in the magazine "Left Front of Art," first extending montage as a special technique to drama, and later, through his film creation practice, further extending it to cinematic art, pioneering film montage theory and the Soviet montage school.
My name is He Sheng. I am currently a criminal investigation consultant affiliated with the Guangming City Provincial Department. I graduated from the Forensic Science Institute. In fact, my grandfather was once a coroner.
I mentioned earlier that I was from Fuming City Police Department. At that time, I hadn't been promoted, and it seems I forgot to update the records. The story I am about to tell next is from a recent case. The day I returned to the provincial department, I saw many reporters surrounding Director Zhang. I initially wondered what they were up to. Several police officers whispered in my ear, "Your matter has alerted the television station. They are here for an interview and to make a special feature. I thought Director Zhang would kick them out, but I didn't expect him to accept."
Uh, I don't want to be famous. If it were really reported by the media, the situation would be completely different. I'd probably be recognized wherever I went, just like celebrities.
As I was about to go and speak to Director Zhang about it, to ask him to be low-key, I hadn't found him yet when many reporters surrounded me. They seemed to recognize me instantly, "Detective He, why are you only arriving now? We've been waiting for you for a long time!"
"Uh, I'm not Detective He. You've got the wrong person!" I said deliberately.
A female reporter grabbed me and said, "How could you not be? I've already made your photo my phone wallpaper. Look!"
The reporter showed me her phone. I was left speechless. This person had put many red hearts around my photo. With the photo as a reference, everyone was convinced I was He Sheng.
"Detective He, we are here today specifically to interview you. We hope you can share some details from your cases. We can make a short video to promote you, and then you can become famous!"
"No, I don't want to be famous. If you have questions, ask a few. Given my position, I cannot be too ostentatious!"
"We understand. Don't worry, the news will only mention a Chinese police officer surnamed He, and we won't use your photo. Is that acceptable?"
I felt it was acceptable, but I still suggested they find someone else to replace me for the short video. Director Zhang had been watching us. Only after we finished negotiating did Director Zhang walk over and say, "I thought you would refuse outright!"
"Of course not. My father once told me that one should not give up the glory that belongs to them; one must be confident!"
"Yes. In the blink of an eye, your grandfather and your father have been gone from us for some time. These days have passed so quickly. It feels as if everything happened just yesterday. People truly cannot look ahead!"