Chapter 30 Section 6

Even if he hurried back to the Shimadzu Police Station from the old man on the mountain, it was already past noon.However, Yusaku had already called beforehand, saying that he seemed to have caught a cold and would go to see a doctor this morning. He made the call without guilt, also because the recent investigation has stalled.It has been four days since Hongchang was arrested, but it is still uncertain whether his confession is true or false. The dissatisfaction of many criminal policemen is clearly written on their faces.They thought that since the most likely suspect had been arrested, why couldn't a thorough interrogation be conducted to force him to confess? That is to say, Hongchang was forced to confess.In fact, the police often use this method when they encounter such a situation.

However, the police could not do that this time.After all, the other party is a descendant of the Gua Sheng family.The police are worried that if the facts are true as Hongchang's confession, it will not end.Because UR Electric has great influence in the local area.As a result, a low pressure has been hanging over the task force lately. However, today is different. When Yusaku entered the police station and walked up the stairs, he felt that the atmosphere in the station was different from usual.Although the noise in my ears was still there, I could feel a sense of tension from it, as if the silent air suddenly moved.

As soon as Yusaku walked to the meeting room, two detectives rushed out of it, and one of them bumped into his shoulder.The man hurriedly said "Sorry" and walked away. The detectives gathered around the conference table as usual.As soon as Xixi saw Yong Zuo, he immediately asked, "Is the cold serious?" Yong Zuo apologized: "It's okay. I'm sorry to make you worry." At this time Oda came over and said sarcastically: "Is the big man coming to work?" He stretched his arms and put on his suit. "We're going to Zhenxian Temple to investigate clues. If you don't feel well, it doesn't matter if you don't go."

"True Immortal Temple? What did you find?" "Early this morning, the bureau received a confidential letter." "Confidential letter? What kind of secret letter?" "If you want to come together, I can tell you as we walk." "Of course I will." Yusaku and Oda walked out of the conference room side by side. Oda said that the confidential letter was signed by the chief of the Shimadzu Police Department by time-limited courier.The commercially available cowhide envelope contains white letter paper, with handwriting written in black pen on it.Oda has a copy in his hand, and the handwriting is quite correct.

"Neatness is a matter of course. After careful investigation, I found that the characters were written with a ruler - a standard way to hide handwriting." Oda said while waiting for the bus to Zhensenji Temple. The content of the confidential letter is as follows: You have worked hard to investigate non-stop every day.Regarding the murder of the president of UR Electric, I have something to tell you, so I wrote this letter. At noon that day (the day the murder occurred), around 12:30, I went to the cemetery of Zhenxian Temple. There I saw a strange sight.When I walked outside the wall of the cemetery, I saw a black plastic bag behind a fir tree.I remember it was a cedar tree with a thick trunk and branches that were split in two at the waist.At first I thought someone had thrown away the trash, but it didn't look like it. I looked into the bag and found what looked like a bow, about 50 centimeters in size, like the bow used by hunters in Western picture books.

I thought to myself: What is this? Who put this thing here? But I put the plastic bag back where it was and left. I didn't know that the murder happened until I watched TV that night.My knees trembled with fear when I heard that the victim had been killed with a bow and arrow.It turned out that the bow I saw was the murder weapon. I thought, should I tell the police what I saw as soon as possible? That might help the progress of the investigation.However, I have my own difficulties in not being able to do that.I was there for a reason that day, and it had to be kept secret.However, that doesn't mean I have anything to do with the case.To be clear, I didn't want my husband to know where I was that day.Because from the night before until the morning, I was with another man, and I was going home.

It is for this reason that I have remained silent until now.Besides, I don't think my testimony will be of much help. After hearing that Mr. Guasheng Hongchang was arrested, I hesitated again whether to speak out about it.The police seem to believe that the culprit did not use the bow to commit the crime.I think innocent people will suffer if the truth is not told. After much thought, I came up with this method.Be sure to take my word for it.Also, please don't come after me.Please please. The beginning and end of this letter are very strict.After reading it again and again, it feels like it was written by a woman of a certain age, but I can't fully believe this first impression.

"The sender must not have signed it?" Yong Zuo turned the paper over and asked. "The name on the letter is Yamada Hanako, so it must be a fake name, and the address is also made up." Just as Oda was talking, the bus came.The two got into the car and sat side by side in the last row. "According to the letter, the sender should be a woman." "Moreover, she is a woman who is having an affair. She claims to be meeting her lover. On the way home in the morning, she passes Zhenxian Temple. As far as creation is concerned, it is indeed remarkable. But one cannot help but wonder why secret letters are used. ?”

"creation?" "I think so. A woman of that sort would hide it, and I think she'd write in a man's voice." Be brave and feel the same way.He always felt that from this letter that seemed to be written by a woman, he could see the man's tricks. "However," Oda said, "the content should not be all false." "Huh?" Yusaku looked at Oda's face. Oda coughed dryly, and then said: "Anyway, the superior ordered us to investigate hotels or hotels near Zhenxian Temple that are suitable for trysts between men and women. If what the sender said is true, she is likely to be a guest of that kind of place."

However, their actions did not yield the desired results.While it is true that there are a few such hotels, the guest lists are generally not at all convincing.The two met the employees in the store, but did not find any useful clues.The two ran around and returned to the Shimadzu Police Station in the evening. "We roughly took down the names and addresses of the guests who went to the hotel, but I think those were probably fake names." West listened to Oda's report with an unexpected expression on his face. "Didn't you see the pseudonym Yamada Hanako?" "Unfortunately, no."

"Oh. But even if it's true, she will probably try her best to hide it." Xixi added, "You have worked hard." The other detectives are also back.They seem to have gone to the taxi company to investigate.The sender may not have walked to Zhenxian Temple that morning, and he may have taken a car from somewhere.However, they don't seem to have much to gain either. "If this informer is not the woman mentioned in the letter, who would it be? Someone related to the murder?" Police Department Watanabe asked for the opinion of the West. "Of course, this possibility should also be considered—the other party resorted to this method to save the life of Hongchang. Because as long as the crossbow is hidden before committing the crime, Hongchang's alibi can be created." "A member of Gua Sheng's family?" "More than that, anyone who has a deep friendship with the Guasheng family may want to save Hongchang." "If," Oda interjected, "this secret letter was written by a related person who simply wanted to save Hongchang, then wouldn't everything written in the letter be fabricated? Even the testimony of seeing the crossbow at the scene is false. of." "That's the problem." Xixi leaned back in his chair and sat down again as if to emphasize the importance of this secret letter. "At this stage, we have no way of determining who this person is. However, in this secret letter, there is a certain Some parts do refer to the truth, namely, the account of the circumstances in which the crossbow was concealed. The first is the tree, which the letter states in great detail, is a fir tree with a thick trunk and branches split in two at the waist. Hong Chang surfaced as a suspect, so this was not taken seriously, but footprints were found near the scene. The second point is that the crossbow was packed in a black plastic bag. When the crossbow was found the next day, it was indeed a In that kind of bag. However, newspapers and other news media did not announce the matter.” Everyone was silent for a long time.The informer wrote in such detail that he must have witnessed the crossbow. "If a crossbow was actually witnessed at the scene, the sender should be someone who has nothing to do with the murder," Watanabe said. "It is unlikely that someone involved in the murder happened to be at the scene." Yuzuo also thinks this opinion is reasonable. Xixi said: "The police department added that it is correct. It is indeed unlikely that the person involved in the murder case happened to be at the scene. Therefore, the sender is not only a person who wants to save Hongchang, but is also involved in the case or knows the truth in some way." As soon as this remark came out, there was a commotion all around, and some people even got up from their chairs reflexively. "You mean, someone knew who the real culprit was, but deliberately concealed it?" Watanabe's face showed excitement. "Don't be so surprised." Xixi's expression was exactly the opposite of that of his subordinates. He said calmly, "This murder actually happened in a very small interpersonal circle. The suspects are all relatives or people close to the victim. It wouldn't be a surprise if someone knew the truth. I'd rather think that someone deliberately covered up the murderer, which is why this case is so difficult." Several criminal policemen sighed upon hearing this, they must have sensed something faintly from Xi Jinping's words. Watanabe said: "No matter who sent the letter, what is said is true?" "It's very likely." When the police department said this, sighs for another reason sounded from all around.Originally, I finally saw the end point, but at this moment, I returned to the original point. "If the content of this secret letter is true," Oda stood up and picked up the copy of the secret letter placed in the middle of the conference table, "Why did the murderer do that?" "I don't think it's difficult to understand. After the murderer took the crossbow from Gua Sheng's house, there was still a period of time before he started. During this period, it would be bad if someone saw the crossbow in his hand. Besides, the murderer could not Murder is walking around with something that big. So I think hiding the crossbow at the murder scene beforehand is the right answer." No objection was raised. "By the way, can you deduce from the content of this secret letter the time when the murderer took the crossbow?" "According to Sonoko's statement," Watanabe said, "she sneaked into the study after leaving school early. It was about half past eleven. She said that the crossbow disappeared at that time." "Hmm... But it may not be taken out of Gua Sheng's house at this time." "That's right. The secret letter said that the crossbow was found at half past twelve. Assuming that it takes fifteen to twenty minutes to move the crossbow, then the murderer left Guasheng's house after twelve o'clock." "After twelve o'clock!" Xixi exaggeratedly showed his impatient face, "Almost all visitors meet this condition." "No, this may be the purpose of the sender—to let us release Hongchang instead of catching the murderer. So maybe the sender found the crossbow as a fact, but the time of discovery has yet to be verified." Yong Zuo said. "Exactly." West agreed loudly, "The sender may have written the time as 12:30 in order to prevent us from identifying the suspect. It may have been discovered earlier." "We're trying to figure out the right time," Watanabe said, too. "Try to find people who have been to Zhenxian Temple and the cemetery that day. Maybe someone has seen that black plastic bag." At present, the possibility of Hongchang committing a crime has decreased, perhaps because he feels that there are too few clues to solve the case. With a pang of sadness.