There is a god in the sky

Chapter 142 The Mystery of the Dock 9

Xiao Ji asked the young man, "When you saw the deceased, what was his posture like? Was there anything else on his body?"

"It was too dark and cold at the time, so I didn't see clearly."

Seeing that Xiao Ji remained silent, he tried hard to recall, then lay on his side on the ground with his hands on his chest, "He was lying like this, yes, just like this!"

Shen Lan walked around him and pondered, "This posture is to protect himself, so most of his injuries are concentrated on his back and limbs."

The perpetrator attacked and then killed, giving the victim no time to recover; the intent from the outset was to kill.

Fu Qingyan suddenly realized: "I know, the murderer wasn't satisfied with just killing him, he had to torture him too. It must be a deep-seated hatred!"

"Although there are not many people on the road after 9 PM, if the murderer dares to commit the crime openly, the crime scene must be either in the murderer's own territory or in a remote place."

The area around the dock isn't large; you might find it if you look carefully.

Shen Lan shared her thoughts, "We can start by searching indoors. I think the crime scene is more likely to be indoors."

Xiao Ji nodded.

He said to the young man, "You may leave now, but you cannot leave the dock for the time being. You must wait for questioning at any time."

The young man readily agreed on the surface, but secretly decided to slip away.

"If I do not see you when I send this message later, you will be on the imperial wanted list no matter where you are in the world."

The young man quickly assured him, "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely not run away!"

"It's strange, why didn't the murderer just throw the body into the river, but instead threw it on a boat or on the bank?"

Fu Qingyan's problem was also something Xiao Ji couldn't understand.

Wouldn't it be easier to just throw the body into the river and destroy the evidence?

Shen Lan checked the contents of the bundle inside and out.

The coat was filthy, covered in mud and shoe prints, but there wasn't a drop of blood.

Moreover, the clothes were very dry, not like they had been rolled in the snow.

Shen Lan picked up her coat and smelled it; she detected a sandalwood scent.

Sandalwood is a fragrance reserved for the wealthy; ordinary people certainly wouldn't have it. It's probably just the incense used in Steward Jiang's own home.

"Hey, what is this?"

Shen Lan pulled a thin thread from the buttons of her coat.

She held it up to the light; it was a white cotton thread.

Manager Jiang's clothes don't have this color; it might be from the murderer's clothes.

She put down her coat and checked the other items, especially the shoes.

Like Miao Niang, Steward Jiang's shoes were also very clean.

Moreover, she discovered that most people wear these thin-soled cloth shoes indoors.

Was Steward Jiang murdered indoors?

She took a piece of paper and traced the shoe print from the upper half of the coat. After carefully tracing it together, she could see the pattern on the sole of the assailant's shoe.

"Miss Shen is amazing, she even noticed that!" Fu Qingyan picked up the paper and compared it with Jiang Zheng's shoes, and it was easy to see the difference.

He took off one shoe and looked at the sole, which was different from the wavy pattern on the sole of the murderer's shoe.

"I never even noticed that the tread pattern on the soles of my shoes was different."

Xiao Ji took the blueprint and said, "Most ordinary people wear straw sandals and handmade cloth shoes with multiple layers of soles, which don't have this kind of pattern."

Shoes with this pattern are mostly sold in shoe stores, and the soles all have a uniform design.

Xiao Ji entered the Jiang residence again and inquired about the origin of the shoes Jiang Zheng usually wore.

When he had nothing else to do, his two concubines would make shoes and socks for Jiang Zheng, so he never wore shoes bought from outside.

Furthermore, there are no shoe shops at this dock; these kinds of shoes can only be bought in the county town.

"In that case, Steward Wang is much more suspicious."

After all, there were only two managers here who could travel back and forth between the county town and the dock.

"Just go and ask him to verify it, and you'll know."

Xiao Ji returned to the inn with his men and found another group of officials investigating the case there.

When Steward Wang saw them, he immediately ran over and said, "It's just in time that Lord Xiao has arrived. The Tongan County government has sent someone over."

How could the authorities have received a report in such a short time?

It seems that Manager Wang has been doing a lot of things behind the scenes.

A man in official robes stepped forward and introduced himself: "I am Zhang Yanqiao, the county magistrate of Tong'an County. Am I Lord Xiao Ji?"

Xiao Ji returned the greeting, "It is indeed I, Xiao Ji. County Magistrate Zhang has arrived at just the right time. Three people have died in succession at the dock, and the murderer is suspected to be the same person."

Zhang Yanqiao, with his refined manner, said politely, "This case occurred within the territory of Tongan County, and it is my duty to handle it. Please leave it to me to investigate."

If two members of their team hadn't been among the dead, Xiao Ji could indeed have handed the case over.

He glanced at the sky and said, "It's snowing, and it's difficult for boats to sail. We'll have to stay at the dock for a few more days, so let's check together."

Zhang Yanqiao found it difficult to refuse.

"I heard that you live in the warehouse, sir. How can you be so negligent? I will prepare a guest room for you right away."

Although the inn was full of people, none of these refugees were as noble as Xiao Ji.

Zhang Yanqiao felt that it was normal for Manager Jiang to be incompetent and offend people.

He's dead, but business must go on. If Xiao Ji notices something amiss, he and the magistrate will likely be in mortal danger.

Xiao Ji, unaware of his thoughts, declined his offer, saying, "The warehouse is warm and spacious; we can stay here for a few days without any problem."

Compared to the noisy inn, the warehouse was much quieter.

Fu Qingyan's gaze followed Manager Wang's footsteps.

Shen Lan knew he was anxious and worried that his behavior would arouse suspicion, so she deliberately coughed.

"Manager Wang, I have a question for you."

Manager Wang had witnessed the woman's skills in performing autopsies and was somewhat resistant to her.

"Excuse me, young lady."

"According to the custom in my hometown, after a person dies, a pair of shoes should be burned for her so that she can safely cross the Bridge of Helplessness. Are there any shoe shops at this dock?"

Manager Wang knew that the dead girl was with her, and he showed sympathy.

"There's no shop, but there are one or two women who make shoes and sell them to passing merchants. Shall I ask them for you?"

"Can they even look good?" Shen Lan asked with a hint of disdain.

She looked down at Manager Wang's shoes. "Your shoes look nice. Where did you buy them?"

"Oh, my wife made this herself. She's quite skillful, but unfortunately she lives in the county town, so she can't bring it to you right away."

"Making shoe soles is hard work, and your skills are truly excellent."

"Yes, every time she makes shoes, her fingers get blisters. I tell her not to do them herself, but she insists."

Manager Wang looked very happy, clearly satisfied with his wife.

Shen Lan withdrew her gaze and said regretfully, "Never mind, I'll take her to the county town for burial."

Zhang Yanqiao was unaware of her identity, but upon learning that she had a close relationship with one of the deceased, he summoned her over for questioning.

Shen Lan spoke frankly and without reservation.

She also wanted to know how capable this county magistrate was at solving cases.

If the two sides can work together to solve the case sooner, they can also get on their way sooner.