Chapter 52: Criminal Detention

That night.

The local branch.

The criminal investigation technical squad performed a material comparison on the summer quilt brought back by Han Ling and Tong Feng, confirming that the fibers from the quilt matched those left behind in the victim's mouth and nose.

This was a major breakthrough, indicating that the case was now accelerating rapidly.

Unfortunately, there were no fingerprints.

It was extremely difficult for that type of material to retain fingerprints, and even if any had been left, the clarity would fall far short of the standards required for trace evidence examination.

Following the comparison, the summer quilt was immediately sent to the forensic room for a comprehensive examination by the forensic pathologists.

Since the victim had been suffocated by violent means, it was highly likely that biological tissue from the victim, such as skin flakes or blood, remained on the murder weapon.

However, there was one catch: the elderly woman who had salvaged the summer quilt had taken it home and washed it.

Han Ling had already asked her about it. She had washed it by hand with plain water.

"Old Jiang, can we still extract DNA from it?" Ji Baiwei pressed Jiang Hai川 (Jiang Haichuan), waiting online and feeling extremely anxious.

Jiang Haichuan replied, "Fortunately, it wasn't tossed into a washing machine with strong detergent to soak and spin-dry."

He explained that in that case, chemical action and mechanical friction would have largely destroyed the cell structures, and consequently, the DNA would have been degraded beyond recovery.

Since it was just a simple rinse with plain water and gentle handling, the cells lodged deep within the fibers might not have been completely washed away, leaving the possibility of residual DNA.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Ji Baiwei said. At least there was still hope.

The criminal investigation brigade's main hall.

Several detectives from the special task force were sitting there—some smoking, others resting quietly. The atmosphere was extremely quiet.

Before the results came out, nobody was going to rest.

Detectives were still working in the field, and Ji Baiwei was not going to call off their operations just yet; he was waiting for the results first.

Colleagues occasionally glanced at Han Ling and Tong Feng. If the forensic team really detected the victim's DNA on the summer quilt, it would undoubtedly confirm the murder weapon.

Consequently, the suspicion surrounding Yang Qi would increase dramatically, essentially meeting the conditions for criminal detention.

A newly confirmed regular police officer and an intern not yet officially instated—nobody expected them to be the ones to unearth this crucial clue.

Of course, since the victim, Hou Jiarou, lived in that residential compound, the probability of finding clues near the compound was relatively higher.

The three team leaders remained silent, offering no immediate affirmation of Han Ling and Tong Feng's work. All their focus at the moment was pinned on the test results.

"Captain Ji, DNA has been extracted. Just a moment, we're running the comparison now."

At that moment, Yang Rui emerged from the forensic room to report the progress.

Ji Baiwei let out a soft breath, shifted his gaze back to Han Ling, and continued to wait.

He was already clear on how the summer quilt had been discovered. Han Ling and Tong Feng had shown immense patience, staking out right next to the garbage recycling station, ignoring the foul stench drifting into their nostrils, and refusing to leave even after nightfall.

It was precisely because they didn't leave that they made this major discovery.

As criminal police officers, patience was a basic requirement, and Han Ling had proven himself fully qualified.

Past midnight.

Chief forensic pathologist Jiang Haichuan walked out of the DNA laboratory holding a DNA identification report.

Everyone looked over, and Ji Baiwei stood up.

"The results are out. The victim's DNA is on it." As he spoke, Jiang Haichuan handed the report to Ji Baiwei.

A commotion rippled through the office hall.

"Good job, Han Ling!" Ji Baiwei glanced over the report and immediately turned to issue an order. "Old Hu! Go yourself and bring Yang Qi back to me! I want to see how long this punk can keep up his act!"

While not direct evidence, Yang Qi was now heavily suspected of committing the crime.

If he truly was the murderer, his acting skills—from the moment he learned of his wife's death to identifying her body and undergoing questioning—had been nothing short of phenomenal.

"Yes!"

After Hu Lihui left with his men, Ji Baiwei turned to Jiang Haichuan. "Old Jiang, is there only the victim's DNA? Can we check for anyone else's DNA?"

The murderer had suffocated Hou Jiarou with the summer quilt, and Hou Jiarou had struggled during the process, leaving numerous traces on the quilt.

Correspondingly, the murderer must have used considerable force during the crime, so wouldn't they have left behind biological information as well?

"We'll try. We'll examine it inch by inch," Jiang Hai川 said, turning back into the forensic room.

The traces left by the victim on the summer quilt were undoubtedly the most numerous, making them easy to find. As for the murderer, it wasn't guaranteed; it would take time, the forensic team's patience, and a bit of luck.

Half an hour later.

The squad's detectives knocked on Yang Qi's door. He should have been asleep just moments before, as his eyes were still heavy with sleep.

"Wh... what's going on?" Seeing that the visitors were police officers, Yang Qi instantly became much more alert.

Hu Lihui stared at him and said coldly, "Yang Qi, you are suspected of murdering Hou Jiarou. Please come with us."

Yang Qi woke up completely.

At two o'clock in the morning, Yang Qi sat in the interrogation room, his hands locked in the iron rings of the interrogation chair, his expression a mix of bewilderment and slight tension.

Ji Baiwei stepped right up in front of Yang Qi.

"Yang Qi, how exactly did your wife Hou Jiarou die?" Ji Baiwei interrogated him directly.

Yang Qi looked up. "I... I don't know! You suspect I killed her? Are you out of your mind?! She's my wife, I love her dearly, what reason would I have to kill her?"

Ji Baiwei sneered and retorted, "Love her? You loved her and yet you cheated on her?"

"I..." Yang Qi was at a wordless loss. "Those are two different things! She hardly ever lets me touch her anyway, so I have no choice but to look elsewhere. Who doesn't have needs!"

Oh?

Ji Baiwei's eyes flickered.

Previously, Han Ling and Tong Feng had discovered that Yang Qi was suspected of soliciting prostitutes, which actually matched this testimony.

If his wife at home wouldn't let him touch her, then no matter how deep their affection supposedly was, infidelity and solicitation wouldn't come as any surprise.

"Have you ever solicited prostitutes?" Ji Baiwei asked.

Yang Qi denied it. "No."

Infidelity and prostitution were two different matters; without evidence, a man would generally never admit to the latter.

Ji Baiwei continued, "We found a discarded summer quilt at the garbage recycling station outside the residential compound, and Hou Jiarou's DNA is on it. Hou Jiarou was suffocated to death, and based on our assessment, the summer quilt is the murder weapon. How do you explain that?"

"What? A summer quilt?!" Yang Qi exclaimed in shock. "It... it wasn't me! You said the summer quilt was found in the garbage recycling station outside the compound, but that doesn't mean it came from my home! Anyone in the entire compound could have owned it!"

His statement was correct, and Ji Baiwei had anticipated that he would say this.

However, such an explanation was pale and feeble; criminal detention was already unavoidable.

In theory, any resident in the entire compound could have owned it, but as the husband, Yang Qi was the most probable suspect.

All they needed to do was verify that the summer quilt came from Yang Qi's household.

There were three ways to do this.

First, trace the purchase channel.

Second, obtain testimony from others, such as Hou Jiarou's mother, Li Hui.

Third, detect Yang Qi's biological information on the summer quilt.

At this moment, the scope of the investigation had suddenly narrowed, and the task force focused its attention primarily on Yang Qi. Of course, other possibilities could not be completely ruled out yet, and personnel still needed to be deployed to continue neighborhood visits and investigations in the compound.

The rotational interrogation continued until dawn. Yang Qi stubbornly insisted that he had absolutely nothing to do with Hou Jiarou's murder. Ji Baiwei submitted the report for review and executed a criminal detention order against Yang Qi.

During the period of criminal detention, the task force would spare no effort in searching for more clues and evidence.

Criminal detention was a compulsory measure rather than a punishment, with a theoretical maximum duration of thirty-seven days. If the task force failed to find evidence within the detention period and Yang Qi continued to refuse to plead guilty, he would be released unless the procuratorate approved an formal arrest.

Arrest was also a compulsory measure, which would extend the detention period to seven months, or even indefinitely under special circumstances.

Based on the clues currently in hand, the probability of the procuratorate approving an arrest was not particularly high.

In the morning, Fang Zhou led a team to the hotel where Li Hui was staying and met the middle-aged woman, whose eyes were hollow and hair was disheveled.

She no longer had the heart to care about her appearance.

"Ms. Li, sorry to disturb you."

Fang Zhou produced a photograph of the summer quilt and asked whether she had ever seen it in the home shared by Yang Qi and Hou Jiarou.

This matter was crucial, and he hoped Li Hui would look at it carefully and recall meticulously.

"It seems... I've seen it, but I'm not sure." Li Hui could not give a definitive answer.

Fang Zhou did not give up. "Is the southern bedroom your room?"

Li Hui replied, "Yes, but I don't live there often. I only go over during holidays, festivals, or whenever I miss my daughter."

Fang Zhou said, "I'll send the photo to you. Think about it carefully, and if you remember anything, you can call me."

Li Hui asked anxiously, "Does this mean there's a breakthrough in Jiarou's case?!"

Fang Zhou answered, "We are still investigating. Rest assured, we will do our absolute best."