Beneath the Dome, Sin within Sins - Chapter 62 - The Suspect

Su Mo’s reasoning made sense, but I still felt like there was something off. So, I casually asked, “Are you basing your conclusion that this is all Zhang Tu’s doing solely on this?”

“Of course not. If it were just that, it would be far too hasty. There’s another key piece of evidence that makes me suspect Zhang Tu.”

As Su Mo spoke, his expression turned unusually serious. It was clear that what he was about to say was crucial.

My curiosity piqued, I asked, “What is it?”

“I had someone look into it. Ever since Zhang Tu’s wife and child passed away, he’s been struggling with depression. I did some research, and this illness can vary greatly in impact. In milder cases, it might not affect daily life, but in severe cases, it can lead to suicide-or even homicide.”

Su Mo’s explanation was delivered with conviction, and it indeed sounded plausible.

However, I still felt that this was too much of a coincidence. Deciding someone is the murderer based solely on these two points seemed a bit rash.

But at the moment, I had no other evidence to suggest otherwise. I couldn’t impede Su Mo’s progress in handling the case, especially since this was a murder case. Even a slight delay could give the murderer the chance to escape.

I had no evidence to prove Zhang Tu wasn’t the murderer, nor anything to suggest someone else was. But I had a lingering feeling that something here was off, and the key to it all lay in that office.

The unsettling atmosphere in the office still nagged at me. I was certain there were clues I had overlooked.

Noticing my silence, Su Mo patted my shoulder and asked with concern, “Are you okay? You’ve seemed off since earlier. Are you feeling unwell?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing, really. Just some details that are bothering me.”

“What details? I think you just need some proper rest. Go home and take it easy. Once this case is wrapped up, I’ll treat you to a nice meal!”

Su Mo left with the police officers after speaking. As Lu Xun passed by me, he raised his hand and patted my shoulder. “You’re still bothered by that, aren’t you?”

Lu Xun knew what I had experienced in the office, but the fact that he could immediately tell what was on my mind still surprised me. I nodded and let out a deep sigh. “Of course. My gut tells me that the sense of incongruity is important.”

“Your gut feeling alone won’t cut it.”

Lu Xun’s words made me look up abruptly. When my gaze met his deep, enigmatic eyes, he continued, “If you want to uncover the truth about this, wouldn’t it be better to go back and check? At least that way, you’ll have some peace of mind.”

“Do you think Zhang Tu isn’t the murderer?” I asked.

Lu Xun shrugged. “What I think doesn’t matter, Lu-Ge. You’ve been in this line of work long enough to know that solving a case is all about evidence, right?”

With that, Lu Xun turned and walked away, leaving me standing there alone.

I didn’t know whether Zhang Tu was the murderer or not, but Zhang Yang was also a suspect. And the fact that both of them shared the last name Zhang got me thinking-could there be some connection between the two?

As soon as the idea surfaced in my mind, I hurried off to an internet café. I didn’t have the habit of carrying a laptop, so whenever moments like these arose, I had to go hunting for a computer.

Using the computer at the police station was out of the question because what I was about to do was illegal. If I used the police station’s computer, I’d be exposing myself.

At the internet café, I hacked my way into a system and pulled up a relationship chart of Zhang Yang’s family from a remote database. After carefully analyzing the data, I found something peculiar.

Zhang Yang had an aunt with the last name Li, and Zhang Tu’s wife also had the last name Li. Even more interesting was the fact that these two turned out to be the same person. This revelation raised Zhang Yang’s suspicion level significantly.

From my investigation, I discovered that Zhang Yang’s aunt treated him exceptionally well, as if he were her own son. Tragically, this aunt had been killed in a hit-and-run accident, along with her little son. Later, Zhang Yang’s father was driven to his death by the very person responsible for the accident. To be honest, faced with such deep-seated hatred, if I were in his shoes, I would’ve sought revenge long ago.

However, this familial connection alone wasn’t enough for me to conclusively identify Zhang Yang as the murderer. The next step was clear-I had to track down the source of that lingering sense of incongruity!

I went to the group’s building, but because its leader had recently passed away, the place was completely shut down and not open to anyone.

No matter how much I tried to reason with them, they simply wouldn’t let me in.

Just as I was getting increasingly frustrated, I suddenly remembered the photos of the office that Su Mo had sent me. Surely, I could find that so-called sense of incongruity from the pictures!

Thinking of this, I quickly opened my email on my phone and retrieved the photos Su Mo had sent over. I began examining them carefully.

The police officers who collected information at the crime scene had done a thorough job. The photos captured the entire scene from multiple angles. Their clarity and attention to detail magnified everything, allowing me to scrutinize every element.

After flipping through the photos several times, I finally realized what felt off.

Among all the Western-style furniture, there was one out-of-place item-a Chinese incense burner. This incense burner was exactly the source of the incongruity I had been sensing!

It was clear that I needed to visit the office. I had to see if the incense burner was still there. If it wasn’t, that would complicate things significantly!

With this thought in mind, I pulled out my phone, ready to call Su Mo. Just then, the building’s door suddenly opened, and a red-eyed woman walked out. Judging by the state she was in, it was obvious she had been crying.

She looked very familiar to me. After a moment of thinking, I realized she was Zhou Haifu’s widow. The items she was carrying must have been his personal belongings.

Realizing this, I didn’t waste any time. I rushed over and asked, “Excuse me, I’m with the police station. Were you just upstairs gathering Mr. Zhou’s belongings?”

The woman looked up at me, her face streaked with tear stains. She nodded hurriedly while wiping her face.

“May I ask something? While organizing his belongings, did you come across this item?”

After saying this, I pulled up a photo on my phone and showed it to her.

When the woman saw the picture, she nodded and then retrieved the incense burner from her bag.

The moment I laid eyes on the incense burner, a rush of emotions surged through me. At last, I had found it. The truth behind this case now rested on the results of the examination of this incense burner!