The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective-Chapter 461 - 268: Has the Direction Been Reversed?
Inside the Criminal Investigation Team meeting room.
After a brief silence, Zhang Yean was the first to speak: "Junior, why do you think the killer isn’t a first-time offender?"
"I remember that in the initial stages, our task force concluded through multiple discussions that even though this person killed two women, analysis of their methods suggested they were a first-time offender."
Zhang Yean frowned slightly, eyes filled with confusion.
Wan, standing to the side, nodded in agreement and chimed in, "Exactly!"
"During the task force discussions, Senior Sister and I listened in quite a few times."
"Why?"
"Did you discover any other clues?"
Wan scratched his head, eyes wide open, curiously staring at Jiang An.
Jiang An nodded slightly, then stood up and walked decisively to the projector screen.
At this moment, the screen displayed four photos critical to the crime scene and the bodies.
Standing to the right of the board, Jiang An raised his hand, pointing with a somber expression.
"Everyone, look at this; the killer’s process is exceptionally clear."
"Through my detailed analysis of the time of death and process of death of the two victims, the killer first murdered Victim Number Two, then went downstairs to kill Victim Number One, and escaped with the money soon after."
His voice resonated powerfully in the meeting room as if trying to glean more clues from the photos.
After a brief pause, he continued, "There are no signs of a transaction just before the crime on these two bodies."
"What does this indicate?"
"This suggests the killer’s motive wasn’t just pleasure."
"From a motive perspective, the likelihood of the killer bearing grudges against both simultaneously is very low."
"After all, the two women come from far-apart places."
Zhang Yean nodded continuously.
"Indeed, you’re making sense."
"Please carry on."
Zhang Yean sat up straight, hands folded on the table, fully focused on Jiang An.
Jiang An continued his analysis: "Personally, I believe the killer’s motivation was financial gain."
Wan raised a hand to scratch his head, looking puzzled as he interjected.
"That doesn’t seem right, does it?"
"Sure, some money went missing from the salon drawer, but we don’t know exactly how much was lost."
"Moreover, the killer didn’t take the gold and silver jewelry the victims wore."
"The victims wore accessories that were golden in color."
Wan tilted his head, eyes full of confusion, slightly shaking his head.
Jiang An smiled slightly, explaining unhurriedly.
"Brother, the reason these gold and silver pieces weren’t taken might really be related to their value."
"What do you mean?"
Wan and Zhang Yean asked in unison, exchanging glances before quickly turning their attention back to Jiang An, eyes brimming with curiosity.
"I mean, have you closely observed how these gold and silver items are quite peculiar."
"Take the bracelets they wore on their wrists, for example."
Then, Jiang An pressed a button, bringing up a photograph of the bracelet as evidence.
"Though they appear golden, did you notice that parts have discolored, revealing the stainless steel beneath?"
As he spoke, Jiang An picked up a magnifying glass, walking over to the projector to enlarge a close-up photo.
"Look here! These areas have yellow, patchy discoloration."
"Moreover, although the styles differ, the jewelry is strikingly similar."
Jiang An squinted slightly, eyes scrutinizing the photo through the magnifying glass, as if trying to pierce through the minute details.
Next, Jiang An took out two more photos, depicting the rings and earrings of the two victims.
"Despite their differing ages and appearances, the jewelry they wore was nearly identical."
"Would people in their line of work really spend money on such expensive gold and silver to wear on their bodies?"
"Furthermore, these pieces seem more like their ’standard’ work attire."
"Therefore, considering their personal situations and actual conditions, I believe the killer likely realized the jewelry was fake."
Jiang An’s eyes exuded confidence, occasionally gesturing at the photos to emphasize his point.
"Fake?"
Zhang Yean looked shocked, eyes wide with interest, and pursued the question: "Could the killer really be so intelligent?"
"Could they distinguish genuine from fake jewelry with just a glance?"
Jiang An chuckled, his tone relaxed yet assured: "The killer’s intelligence, in my opinion, cannot be low."
"If it were, how could they pull off such well-disguised methods?"
Zhang Yean, pensive, remarked in a deep voice: "Indeed, otherwise, the case wouldn’t have dragged unresolved for so long."
Wan pouted, clicking his tongue and said, "Wow, the way you analyze it, it really does seem to make sense."
Jiang An continued, "Wan, let’s put ourselves in the killer’s shoes."
"If we were the killer, seeing their identical jewelry styles and partial color loss, what does this indicate?"
"This indicates the jewelry is fake."
"If the motive was financial gain, the killer would certainly abandon such counterfeit pieces."
As Jiang An spoke, he mimicked the possible mindset of the killer, shaking his head slightly, eyes showing a hint of cleverness.
"Indeed..."
Zhang Yean crossed her arms, furrowing her brows, lost in deep thought.
It was undeniable that Jiang An’s perspective was watertight; the series of coincidences practically compelled one to question the genuineness of the jewelry worn by the two victims.
After all, the cost of such gold-plated iron items isn’t high.
Just as the two were deep in thought and had a moment of revelation, Jiang An threw another heavy punch.
