The Scheming Ex-Husband's Courtship-Chapter 683 - 591: Murder in the Secret Room (Part 2)

Chapter 683: Chapter 591: Murder in the Secret Room (Part 2)

Jian Si blushed and said in a low voice, "What are you doing? This is a homicide case, and you still have the mood for flirtation."

Nan Zhan straightened up, looking into her clear eyes, which were like mountain springs, devoid of any evil or sin, let alone slaughter and crime. If everyone’s eyes were as kind as hers, then the evils of this world would vanish without a trace.

He said, "I’m seeking inspiration to better solve the case."

"So, have you found the inspiration yet?"

Jian Si scoffed, knowing that his so-called search for inspiration was nonsense. She urged him to quickly solve the puzzle, while she herself muttered as she stared at the messy floor, "Really, now to find someone who can fix the door."

The door?

A sudden unusual feeling crossed Nan Zhan’s mind, like bubbles rising from the bottom of the water. He quickly returned to the doorway, looked up, and saw Nan Yu there. The brothers exchanged glances as if understanding each other’s thoughts and then crouched down together at the doorway.

Because the door was damaged, debris was scattered all over the ground.

Nan Zhan cleared all the wood chips and blew away the dust on the surface to reveal the tile below. Though inconspicuous, he still displayed a confident smile.

"There really is something." Nan Yu said joyfully, "It really is as expected."

Nan Yu then looked up at the damaged lock on the door. "If our deduction is right, there must also be something on this."

"Hey, what did you two find?" Jian Chuan walked out of the house and asked curiously.

Nan Zhan didn’t speak, but instead properly protected the discovered trace and returned to the body, circling it another two times.

The problem now is what the victim came into contact with before death that could introduce the poison into her wound, and then disappear without a trace, leaving no evidence.

Was it a cellphone? If it was the cellphone, the only reason for it to go missing would be that the victim threw it out the window or that the murderer took it after she died. But the doors and windows were locked from the inside. How could the murderer take the phone and leave without a trace? That seems unlikely.

If not the cellphone, then what is it?

"Nan Zhan." Bai Chengxi’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. "There’s something that might be useful to you."

Nan Zhan came out and asked, "What is it?"

Bai Chengxi handed him a camcorder, "Didn’t you say you wanted to record the whole banquet? My wife set up this camera on the table and kept it running; maybe there’s something inside that could give you some clues."

"Yuqing filmed it?" Nan Zhan took it off without gloves, "Where did she place it?"

"She was sitting at the table close to the staircase. But don’t ask her if she saw any suspicious people, she was mostly bored, playing with her phone and eating. This is a murder case, don’t scare my daughter." Bai Chengxi winked at him, "That’s all the help I can offer."

"That’s enough." Nan Zhan smiled, "At least it will help me narrow down the suspects."

Nan Zhan called over Nan Yu, "According to Jian Chuan’s estimation, we received the WeChat message at 8:10. This is the recording; find all the people who went upstairs before 8:10, the perpetrator is among them."

"Okay." Nan Yu took it over, "Who filmed this, it’s really a good thing."

"How long till the police arrive?"

"They are already on their way, about an hour."

"The efficiency of you police is too slow, can’t you use a helicopter?"

Nan Yu: "Brother, our police station is very poor, why don’t you sponsor us? Besides, with you here, why should we rush? You’ll solve the case soon enough."

Nan Zhan glanced at him, "Ask your chief, I’ve solved so many cases, when will they pay me a salary?"

Nan Yu scratched his head, "Hehe, then I’ll go back to work."

"Let Jian Si help you, she has a good memory, don’t strain your eyes."

"I know, even if you didn’t say it, I was going to do that." Nan Yu called Jian Si and the two of them went up to the second-floor room to watch the footage.

Nan Zhan stepped outside the room to smoke, leaning against the wall in thought.

After a while, Jian Chuan came out and said, "That’s all we can conclude from the body examination; I need to take it back to the autopsy room for further conclusions."

"That’s enough," Nan Zhan said, "Nan Yu’s results should be out soon as well."

As he was speaking, Nan Yu and Jian Si emerged from the room, Nan Yu excitedly saying, "There weren’t many people who went upstairs during that time period, look, this is the list."

Nan Yu handed him a paper: "There are eight people, namely Han Feiyi, the butler Qin Yong, maid Yuan Xiaoxian, handyman Feng Guang, Gao Ruobing, Lian Yang, Niannian, and Zhengzheng."

Nan Zhan: "Except for the two kids, call the others over."

Soon, the five people other than the deceased gathered together.

Nan Zhan separated them and questioned each one individually.

The first one was the butler, Qin Yong.

Qin Yong said, "I went upstairs to get fireworks from the second-floor storage for the lakeside fireworks show at nine o’clock. Many people saw me when I took the fireworks downstairs, and besides, I have no grudges against this lady; I really can’t think of any reason to harm her."

"What time did you take the fireworks?"

Qin Yong shook his head, "I don’t remember exactly, but the fireworks had to be set up before 8:30, so it should be around 8:10 or so. Mr. Nan, the door was locked from the inside and the key couldn’t open it. Are you sure this is a murder?"

The second to speak was the maid, Yuan Xiaoxian.

"I went upstairs to get some clean towels because a guest accidentally knocked over a wine glass. You can ask the guest who knocked it over; he can vouch for me. His last name is Wang,"

"Do you remember the time?"

"I remember. I was helping that guest wipe the wine off his clothes when I saw his watch. It was very beautiful, so I also checked the time. It was 8:16 PM."

The third one was the handyman, Feng Guang.

"I went upstairs to move fireworks because we have a fireworks show at nine o’clock!"

"Did you go up with Qin Yong?"

"No, the butler is old; he only takes care of some lightweight stuff. I handle the heavy things. Moreover, since the fireworks had to be set up before 8:30 PM, I was constantly checking the time. I was still by the lake at 8:15 PM. Later, when the butler told me something had happened upstairs, I hurried up."

"Did anyone see you by the lake?"

"Yes, many guests saw me." Feng Guang scratched his head, "Also, Mr. Nan, I didn’t even know this lady who died, why would I have any reason to kill her?"

"How did you know she was murdered?"

"Everyone on the second floor knew it."

"Alright, you may leave."

The fourth one was Gao Ruobing.

As soon as she sat down, she crossed her arms and lifted her chin slightly: "I couldn’t possibly commit murder, especially not someone like Han Feiyi, it would dirty my hands."

"From what I know, you had an argument with her during the banquet, and she splashed your dress with wine."

"You don’t think I would kill someone over such a trivial matter, do you? Absurd."

"Han Family once reported your winery for selling fake wine. Is that motive enough?"

Gao Ruobing slammed the table and glared at him angrily: "Nan Zhan, are you trying to frame me?"

Nan Zhan sneered: "Then tell me, what were you doing upstairs?"

Gao Ruobing, of course, wouldn’t say she was looking for a chance to trick him upstairs,

"Do you have a time alibi?"

"No."

Nan Zhan said, "Okay, call Lian Yang in."

Upon hearing the name Lian Yang, Gao Ruobing immediately sat down in front of Nan Zhan again, very seriously saying, "If anyone wanted to kill Han Feiyi, it definitely would be Lian Yang."

"Why?" Nan Zhan frowned, "What do you know?"

"Lian Yang has always been pursuing Han Feiyi, but how could someone like her look at him? However, she treated him like a backup plan; when lonely or sad, she’d summon him to her side. In her eyes, Lian Yang was a dog, called and dismissed at whim. But this dog had developed intense feelings for its owner. If he couldn’t have her, he’d rather no one else did."

Nan Zhan pondered for a moment: "I see, you may leave now."

Gao Ruobing’s plans had been thwarted by a murder, leaving her deeply frustrated.

As she left, she muttered in frustration: "Couldn’t have died earlier or later, truly irritating."

The last one to enter was Lian Yang.

His demeanor was somewhat depressed, as if he had lost his soul.

After sitting down in front of Nan Zhan, he immediately said, "I didn’t expect Xiaoyi to die, who could be so cruel to kill her?"

Nan Zhan stared intently into his eyes, "Could it be you?"

"Not me." Lian Yang looked up, "I loved her so much, how could I kill her?"

"Love turned to hatred, desires unmet."

"No, it wasn’t me."

"Why did you go to the second floor?"

"I... I just saw Xiaoyi going up, and soon after, I followed."

"Then, did you see Han Feiyi?"

Lian Yang shook his head: "No, there are so many rooms on the second floor, I don’t know which one she was in. I couldn’t just knock on each door. I couldn’t find her, so I had to go back downstairs, waiting to talk to her when she came down. I think someone saw me coming downstairs, but I wasn’t paying attention."

Everyone had been questioned, and it seemed to lead nowhere.

"It seems that except for Gao Ruobing, they all have alibis during the time the victim was killed." Nan Yu sighed, "It’s really baffling, did the murderer evaporate from the room after the killing? Or maybe, he wasn’t here for the banquet at all."

"No, my intuition tells me that the murderer is among these five people," Nan Zhan said, puffing on his cigarette, his eyes narrowing in the curling smoke, "Maybe we got the direction wrong from the start."

"Got the direction wrong? What do you mean?" Nan Yu asked puzzledly.