The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective-Chapter 538 - 305: Do You Want to Change Your Answer to My Question?
At 1:30 in the afternoon, Jiang An, Mr. Fu, and Wan hurriedly set off.
A cloud of dust was stirred on the country road as the police car headed straight for the destination.
The target of this investigation is very clear—focusing on identifying the lovers Wang Cuilan had associated with before her death.
This is currently the most likely breakthrough for the case.
It was the off-season time for farming, and the village was especially quiet under the blazing sun of the afternoon.
Even the watchdogs, usually the most active, were napping in the shade.
The three went straight to the neighbor’s house on the right side of Wang Cuilan’s home, and upon entering, they saw a middle-aged woman sitting on the concrete steps in front of the door, scrubbing clothes in a large wooden basin.
Mr. Fu stepped forward and gently knocked on the rusted iron frame of the courtyard door: "Hello again."
The woman looked up at the sound, "Oh dear, officers, are you here about that case again?"
She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and stood up.
"Yes, we are here about Wang Cuilan’s case."
Mr. Fu nodded slightly, with a tone of apology.
"No problem, please come in and sit."
The woman warmly invited them, "It’s hot outside, it’s cooler inside."
"I’ve been neighbors with Cuilan for so many years, and we got along well, ask anything you need."
She said while pushing open the wooden door to the main room, the door hinges creaking.
After sitting down, Mr. Fu glanced at Jiang An, who nodded in agreement.
Mr. Fu started to speak, "We mainly want to learn more about Wang Cuilan’s personal relationships today."
As soon as he finished speaking, he keenly noticed a flicker of unnaturalness passing over the woman’s face.
"Didn’t I talk about this last time?"
The woman’s fingers were unconsciously twisting the edge of her apron, her eyes somewhat unfocused.
"You did provide some important information."
Jiang An took over the conversation, "But we hope to know more details, which are key to solving the case."
Wan also chimed in timely, "Especially specific information about her past relationships."
The woman pursed her lips, hesitantly asking, "What else do you want to know then?"
"Apart from Li Guang, did Wang Cuilan associate with any other men before her death?"
"Other?"
The woman’s eyes flickered.
"Please answer our questions honestly."
The woman raised her eyebrows at the words, lowering her head in thought.
The room fell into silence, with only the "tick-tock" sound of the old-fashioned wall clock standing out clearly.
Jiang An noticed her fingers uneasily rubbing her knees, clearly engaged in an intense mental struggle.
Seeing this, he softened his tone, "Please don’t have any concerns, we will keep everything strictly confidential." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
"The clues you provide may help solve the case and bring justice to the deceased sooner."
Seeing the woman still hesitating, Mr. Fu also tried to reassure her, "I completely understand your worries."
"But think about how police deal with drug dealers and hardened criminals every day, some sentenced to twenty years or even more serious."
"If everyone feared retaliation, this job would be impossible."
He paused, his voice becoming more earnest, "Moreover, we will take strict protective measures and absolutely won’t let you fall into any danger."
These words seemed to have touched the woman.
After 2 minutes, she sighed deeply, "Alright, I’ll tell you."
"Before Li Guang, there actually was another man, for a longer period."
She lowered her voice, unconsciously leaning her body forward, "I’ve seen him come to Cuilan’s house several times."
"At that time, Cuilan’s husband was often working odd jobs out of town, that man took the chance to meet her."
"Sometimes he would dare to come in broad daylight, very bold."
"So blatant?"
Wan couldn’t help but interrupt, his pen gliding swiftly across the notebook.
"Yes!" The woman shook her head.
Mr. Fu asked, "Does her husband know who this man is?"
"Probably not."
The woman recalled, "If he knew, it would be disastrous."
Mr. Fu and Jiang An exchanged a meaningful glance, reading surprise and excitement from each other’s eyes.
This new lead was very significant.
"Do you know who he is?" Jiang An deliberately softened his voice.
The woman hesitated again, her fingers continuously twisting her apron.
The room resumed its silence, even the "tick-tock" of the clock seemed slow.
Finally, she seemed resolute, speaking in a near whisper.
"I will tell you, but you must never say it was me who told you."
"He’s Chen Ke from the neighboring village, a carpenter, often takes jobs around here."
"Does he smoke?"
Jiang An immediately pursued the question, his voice slightly raised with urgency.
"Yes, has quite a smoking habit."
The woman affirmed with a nod, "When he came around for work, I’ve seen him, one after another, his fingers stained yellow from it."
Hearing this, the three showed expressions of exuberance.
These details highly matched the crucial clues of the case.
Mr. Fu swiftly noted "Chen Ke - Carpenter - Heavy Smoker" down in his notebook, heavily underlining it twice.
"Did this man continue to have contact with Wang Cuilan later?" Zhang An asked.
The woman shook her head, "I’m not sure about that."
"Since Cuilan got involved with Li Guang, I haven’t seen him again."
"Thank you so much!"
"This information is incredibly valuable. We will keep everything strictly confidential."
"If you ever feel unsafe or if anyone comes to inquire, you can call 110 at any time, and we will provide immediate protection."
When parting, the woman suddenly grabbed Jiang An’s sleeve.
"Officer, though Cuilan’s conduct wasn’t great, she was actually kind-hearted."
"Last year when I was ill, she even helped take care of my child... you must catch the killer!"
