Animal Detective

Chapter 237 - 226: Old Dog (2)

He was a reserved man, not given to idle chatter. With a slight nod, he drove the two of them toward Qingyuan Town.

It wasn’t close—the GPS showed a distance of nearly sixty kilometers.

The area was situated on the border of two provinces, with its economy centered on the textile industry and the manufacturing of daily necessities.

The town wasn’t large, and its police station was located near the open-air market.

The station itself was small, with a staff of only about ten people.

The station chief was Jiao Guoyi, a man nearing fifty. His temples were already flecked with gray, but he had a very friendly demeanor.

He was somewhat surprised to hear the reason for their visit. "This case is being investigated again?" he asked.

’His use of "again" must mean there have been repeated investigations in the past.’

Lai Yong nodded, then pulled Jiao Guoyi aside to give him a few private instructions.

Jiao Guoyi nodded repeatedly. When he returned, he immediately took out his phone and called Zhao Peizhu, the officer who had taken the initial report for the case.

Soon, Zhao Peizhu arrived.

Jiao Guoyi explained, "Lao Zhao is a veteran officer at our station. He took the call for the case back then, and he was the one who organized the manpower to search for the victim in Wuba Village. The one who ultimately found the body was Xiaolin; I’ll go get him in a moment."

"And afterward, when Liu Zhi and his team came to investigate, Lao Zhao was often involved. So, as far as this case goes, he knows the specifics better than anyone."

With that, he turned to go find Xiaolin, the officer who had discovered the body.

Lao Zhao, a man just over forty with a kind, friendly face, greeted Shen Xin and his companion with a cheerful smile. He even paid them a compliment, remarking on how young and promising they were.

He said he’d never seen an expert so young.

"Officer Zhao, please don’t say that. I’m no expert," Shen Xin quickly replied.

’If I’m not an expert, it’s perfectly normal if I can’t solve the case.’

’But if I accept the title and then fail, it’ll be a disgrace.’

Zhao Peizhu smiled and asked Shen Xin what he wanted to know, adding that he often visited the surrounding villages and was very familiar with the situation in Wuba Village.

Shen Xin started by asking about Luo Limei.

He learned that Luo Limei was still living in Wuba Village, in her old family home.

Six years had passed, and she was now almost 64.

At that age, it was no longer easy to find work.

So now she supported herself by farming. The village had arranged for her to receive social assistance, which allowed her to just barely get by.

Even before Han Xiaolong’s murder, her parents-in-law had already passed away from illness, one after the other.

Now, Luo Limei only had her elderly mother left, who was being cared for by her younger brother in the more distant Qinggai Village. She would visit occasionally, but other than that, she had no other relatives.

She was, for all intents and purposes, a lonely old widow.

Shen Xin greeted Xiaolin, the officer who had found the body.

Though he went by Xiaolin, he was well into his thirties, old enough to be called "big brother."

"Officer Zhao, do you remember the dog Han Xiaolong used to have?" Shen Xin asked. "Do you have any idea where it might be now?"

This question seemed to stump Zhao Peizhu.

"Han Xiaolong had a dog?"

He looked astonished.

’Isn’t he supposed to be some expert? Why is he so concerned about a dog?’

"I think he did," Xiaolin, whose full name was Lin Zhaosheng, chimed in. "I remember when we went to Han Xiaolong’s house, there was a dog in the yard—a black one. It was pretty fierce and kept barking at us."

But he had no idea where the dog was now.

Shen Xin had anticipated this.

’Normally, no one but me would pay any attention to a dog.’

Thanking the two officers, Shen Xin said, "Captain Lai and my team will head to the village for a look. We’ll be in touch if anything comes up. We’ll likely be staying in town for a while, so we might have to trouble you again."

Zhao Peizhu nodded, still looking puzzled.

He had expected Shen Xin to pepper them with questions, but instead, he’d only asked two—and one of them was about a dog.

’What kind of expert was this?’

Lai Yong silently took it all in.

Before they came, Ding Junbao had briefed him.

Therefore, he wasn’t surprised by Shen Xin’s question about the dog; he was just curious how on earth Shen Xin could possibly crack the case with it.

The three of them immediately drove toward Wuba Village.

Compared to years ago, the village had changed drastically. The roads were wider, and many new, modern houses had sprung up.

The entrance to the village even had new landscaping and a large stone marker bearing the two words "Wuba Village" in red.

Lai Yong led the way. Instead of heading straight for Han Xiaolong’s house, he turned left at a crossroads, drove a short distance, and pulled over.

This was the crime scene.

Shen Xin got out of the car.

Recalling the photos from the case file, he noted the changes were significant.

The road had been widened, and the so-called primary crime scene was now just a stretch of concrete.

"The well is over there," Lai Yong said, pointing north. "The village sealed it up the year before last."

They followed a small path between two residential compounds and, after a short walk, came to an irregularly shaped clearing situated between several other homes.

In the middle of the clearing stood an old well.

Just as Lai Yong had said, it was now sealed shut with concrete.

"Captain Lai, why did they seal it?" Ding Yuwei asked.

Lai Yong replied, "The villagers said that since someone had died in it, the well was unlucky. So the village committee had it sealed."

Shen Xin found this odd and asked why people would say that.

’How was it unlucky? Surely they weren’t afraid that Han Xiaolong’s restless spirit would haunt the place?’

’Only someone with a guilty conscience would be afraid of that.’

Lai Yong seemed to guess what Shen Xin was thinking. He pointed to the four houses surrounding the clearing and said, "It was those few families who complained it was unlucky. But we investigated all of them back then; the case had nothing to do with them."

Shen Xin looked from side to side.

The case file had photos of the area around the well.

The house to the southwest had been relatively new at the time, only a few years old.

But now, the other three families had all built new houses, making the one to the southwest look rather dilapidated by comparison.

After glancing at the sealed well, Shen Xin suggested they go find Luo Limei first.

Luo Limei’s home was in the northeast part of the village. They drove down a side road and, at a bend, spotted an old-fashioned house enclosed by a low wall. This had been Han Xiaolong’s home.

Parking on the side of the road, Shen Xin got out and surveyed the area.