Ji Bai answered slowly: “The location of the crime scene was quite discreet, but not far from the road, it has convenient transportation. The victim and the suspect came to the location late at night. I predicted that the trafficker had chosen that location to make the transaction with the buyer.”
Su Mu finally clarified: “Other than the victim’s and suspect’s footprints, there’s only Zhang’s footprint, so that’s why you suspected that he’s the buyer.”
Ji Bai nodded: “Not only that, he left two rows of footprints indicating that he came to the scene twice. One row is steady and uniform while the other one is in panic, moreover it stopped 10 meters away from the victim’s body indicating that he had stood there hesitating for a while.”
Yao Meng continued: “So the first time he went was likely to meet with the trafficker and the next time was to look at the corpse, he hesitated and panicked then called the police to report.”
The police officers understood, quietly imagined the scene for a moment then Su Mu said to the other two police officers: “Today, we had the opportunity to learn a skill from captain Ji.”
Ji Bai stood up and patted Su Mu on the shoulder, and walked out with him. Yao Meng was about to follow, and had just looked up, when she saw Ji Bai’s thoughtful face and admiration in everyone’s eyes, she was slightly dazed. Her heart slightly constricted, a slight bitter-sweet feeling thickly poured inside her chest. Just by seeing his tilted face, immediately a feeling of pride appeared inside her along with a painful feeling that could not be disclosed to others.
After hastily eating lunch, everyone received the report that someone had seen a man that looked like Chan Yong in the neighborhood district. Su Mu led the team which he and Ji Bai directed together to the Linxian County. Ma Rong Rong’s death made everyone feel heavy and angered. The criminal policemen couldn’t believe that Ji Bai hadn’t sleep for one whole night and day. Because the famous investigator was involved in the search, it made everyone excited and determined.
While nobody was around, Yao Meng gently pulled Ji Bai’s sleeve: “Boss, do you need to rest for half a day?”
Ji Bai said no, he need to catch the suspect first.
The first two days that Ji Bai left, Xu Xu didn’t miss him and didn’t think of calling or texting him… When there are cases, everything else was put aside, this is the
most basic principle for a criminal police officer and it cannot be shaken. This principle was imprinted in Xu Xu’s consciousness and behavior.
What she thought more about was, how to help his case. Therefore she took the initiative to study and analyze documents of related cases, she revised everything and then gave it to Zhao Han. If there is a need for it, Ji Bai could always use it whenever needed.
But at lunch break, she inadvertently glanced at the encrypted folder she still kept among the pile of crime scene photos. After that, she could not control herself but opened the folder to stare at his face for a couple of seconds then closed it.
After a while, she once again opened it to stare at it for another couple of seconds.
While Xu Xu was in a daze, Zhao Han came and handed old Wu a stack of documents: “The forensic lab is done with the report, I’ll scan them and then fax them to boss.”
Xu Xu kept silent for a moment, then she also picked up the stack of documents, and followed Zhao Han to the photocopying room next door.
What they needed to inspect was the powder particles exacted from the suspect’s footprint, yesterday the Sichuan police had taken the whole night to bring it to the city police station. Zhao Han stood before the scanner, and carefully examined each page. Xu Xu said: “You go notify the district police, I’ll help you scan so it’s faster that way.”
Xu Xu had always worked carefully and quickly, Zhao Han nodded, and handed the documents to her: “Once you’re done, call Boss to notify him.”
Hearing the sound that the call had been connected, Xu Xu felt a faint indescribable joy.