Chapter 67: The Unacceptable Truth

After measuring the body temperature, Gao Yi calculated the approximate time of death by combining the rigor mortis and livor mortis.

With a grave expression, he said, "The time of death is between two and three o'clock in the morning today."

Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow. "Look, either the stepmother is lying, or both husband and wife lied. The child died long ago; it's impossible that the adults didn't notice when they woke up in the morning."

Lu Chengfeng walked over and said, "Only the deceased and the stepmother were home last night. The deceased's father was on the night shift at the hotel. We have already verified that."

Shu Yan frowned as she looked at the restraint marks on the child's wrist.

She murmured, "The child may have died of asphyxiation, but we need to return to perform an autopsy to give a definitive answer."

"Gao Yi, take the body back."

Gao Yi nodded. "Understood, Sister Yan."

The Forensic Center has a clear division of labor. The team led by Shu Yan is mainly responsible for external examinations of the deceased and autopsies.

On-site investigations are handled by the trace evidence team and the detective team.

Meanwhile, related laboratory testing work is managed by the testing team.

Such a clear division of labor helps improve work efficiency. With various departments exerting efforts simultaneously, the speed of solving cases naturally increases.

In today's society governed by the rule of law, homicide cases have decreased significantly year by year.

Unlike the period when Shu Yan's father, Shu De, was in office, back then surveillance cameras were not widespread, and public security was poor.

The Forensic Center was understaffed, and the technology of that time was limited, which truly hindered work efficiency.

Shu Yan often lamented that if her father had gone missing in this era, she would definitely have been able to find him.

Gao Yi quickly led some people back, placed the deceased into a body bag, and prepared to transport the body back to the Forensic Center for an autopsy.

Who would have thought that just as they carried it to the doorway, a man blocked their way.

Overwhelmed with emotion, the man suddenly rushed over, hugged the body bag, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"What are you people doing? Where are you taking my son? Put my son down! My son died of illness, he doesn't need an autopsy, I won't allow an autopsy! You want to frame an innocent person, my wife could never kill my child!"

Lu Chengfeng frowned as he looked at Liu Xun.

Liu Xun hurriedly came over to pull the man away. "Chen Mao, your son's death is unnatural. The public security organs have the right to decide whether or not to perform an autopsy. Do not obstruct our work, or we will take you back with us as well."

"This is my child!" Chen Mao shoved Liu Xun aside. "Don't I even have the right to make a decision about my own child?"

"Sir," Shu Yan called out, "we understand your feelings. The reason we are taking the child back for an autopsy is precisely to find the truth behind the child's death. Don't you want to know the truth?"

Chen Mao froze.

Shu Yan paused for a moment and continued, "If the truth is as you claim, that the child died from a cold and fever, then we will not wrong an innocent person. But if there is another reason for the child's death,"

"We will not let the murderer go unpunished either. I suppose you wouldn't want your child to die with his grievance unredressed, would you?"

Chen Mao pressed his lips tightly together and stopped speaking, his body trembling slightly.

Gao Yi gave his colleagues who were carrying the stretcher a look, signaling them to keep moving.

To everyone's surprise, after taking just two steps, Chen Mao suddenly lunged toward them, crashing straight into Shu Yan.

At that critical, split-second moment, Lu Chengfeng tackled Chen Mao to the ground, pinning him down firmly.

Shu Yan was struck with utter terror, her face turning pale.

Taozi quickly stepped in front of Shu Yan, pointing at Chen Mao and scolding:

"What is wrong with you? Why are you so ungrateful and unable to tell right from wrong? We are helping you figure out the cause of your son's death, not harming you. How can you bite the hand that feeds you!"

Liu Xun took out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Chen Mao. "Impressive, how dare you assault a police officer. Come back with us now."

Lu Chengfeng got up and walked over to the shaken Shu Yan, asking, "Did he bump into you?"

It was fortunate he had been close to her just now; otherwise, if Chen Mao had really knocked her down, it would have been disastrous.

Shu Yan instinctively touched her stomach and shook her head. "No."

Lu Chengfeng breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, I'll walk you to your car. Isn't the mobile lab parked over by the hotel?"

Shu Yan refused. "You focus on your work. He's already cuffed, and there are so many of us here. We'll be fine."

The veteran police officer who had brought them there earlier hurried over. "Director Shu, let me escort you back to the parking lot."

Lu Chengfeng hesitated for a moment, then said to the veteran officer, "Then I'll trouble you."

The veteran officer waved his hand. "No trouble at all."

Lu Chengfeng told Liu Xun to handcuff Chen Mao to a fire hydrant and let Shu Yan and the others leave first.

Shu Yan glanced at Chen Mao and suddenly said, "Liu Xun, handcuff both of his hands and let's see."

Liu Xun was puzzled.

Chen Mao wore a bewildered expression, thinking to himself that this woman was trying to exact revenge on him.

He hadn't even bumped into her.

Lu Chengfeng glanced at Shu Yan, then turned to Liu Xun and said, "What are you staring blankly for? Hurry up and cuff him."

Liu Xun didn't know what Shu Yan was planning.

However, she never acted rashly and rarely made such requests, so she must have her reasons.

Gao Yi suddenly realized what was happening and stopped Liu Xun. "Wait, Captain Liu, don't use handcuffs. Use a rope."

"A rope?" Liu Xun grew even more perplexed.

"Yes, use a rope." Shu Yan looked at Chen Mao and asked, "What kind of rope did your wife use to tie your son's hands last night?"

Zhang Yong emerged from the house holding an evidence bag. "It was this kind of nylon rope."

Shu Yan glanced at the evidence bag in Zhang Yong's hand and asked, "Are there any similar nylon ropes inside the house?"

"There aren't any inside, but we have some. Just a moment," Zhang Yong said excitedly. He turned toward the house and shouted, "Wang Qiang, bring a piece of nylon rope over here!"

While others might have thought he was just a spectator enjoying the chaos, he had actually already guessed what Shu Yan wanted to do.

Lu Chengfeng had guessed it as well—his wife wanted to reconstruct the scene and the course of the crime.

Wang Qiang quickly brought out a new piece of nylon rope and handed it to Liu Xun.

Liu Xun and another colleague tied Chen Mao's hands together and suspended him backwards from the fire hydrant.

Chen Mao felt himself losing his breath. "Comrade, I was wrong, I admit my mistake, okay? Can you please stop hanging me like this? I can't breathe, it's so uncomfortable."

"You've barely been suspended and you already feel uncomfortable?" Shu Yan walked up to Chen Mao and sneered.

"Right now, I just want to let you experience what your son went through last night. That's exactly how your wife hung him up for the entire night."

Chen Mao was stunned for a moment, then retorted:

"My wife told me she only tied the child up for a few minutes! She didn't say anything about hanging him up! She wouldn't do that, she loves Kaikai dearly."

"Kaikai is your son's name?" Shu Yan asked.

Chen Mao nodded. "Yes, my son's name is Chen Kai. He's the child from my ex-wife. Even though he's my ex-wife's child, my wife really loves Kaikai. She's always the one who takes care of him."

Shu Yan was boiling with anger. "What kind of love do you call that? Do you mean how she frequently helps you discipline your son?"

Chen Mao argued, "Children are mischievous, isn't it normal to discipline them? Weren't we all beaten by our parents when we were little? As the old saying goes, 'spare the rod and spoil the child.' My wife did it for the boy's own good."

Shu Yan retorted, "Spare the rod and spoil the child, what a wonderful philosophy. So you mean to say that the crisscrossing old and new scars on your son's back were all inflicted by you both? Not just your wife, you played a part in it too, didn't you?"

Chen Mao paused. "What scars on the back? I don't know anything about scars on his back. When we discipline the child normally, we at most use a clothes hanger to hit his palms, and we don't even use much force."

Shu Yan gave Zhang Yong a look.

Understanding immediately, Zhang Yong walked over with his camera and pulled up the photographs he had taken while Shu Yan was conducting the external examination of the body.