Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Mysterious Evidence Bag

Lu Ji’s attempt at self-defense won him little sympathy, let alone trust. An Changpu and Qin Ruonan listened absentmindedly, barely responding at all. After his brief solo performance, Lu Ji gradually ran out of words and finally fell silent.

“When was the last time you saw or contacted your sister-in-law?” An Changpu spoke up once Lu Ji stopped talking. He didn’t respond to any of Lu Ji’s justifications but instead inquired about Lu Anmei’s whereabouts.

Lu Ji blinked, as if trying to read something from An Changpu’s expression. After a moment’s observation, he seemed disappointed. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have almost forgotten I have a sister-in-law! She and her sister have never been close since childhood. That girl’s personality isn’t exactly likable—always sullen, never outgoing, keeps everything bottled up and is indifferent to others. She takes after my mother-in-law in that respect…”

“Just answer the question, don’t digress,” Qin Ruonan interrupted his evasiveness.

“My point is, I haven’t seen her for a long time. The last time was when you called her into the police station as well! She never contacts us unless something comes up. We don’t really have much interaction,” Lu Ji said, then stopped abruptly, as if recalling something important. “Now that I think of it, a few days ago my wife wanted to call her sister, but apparently she’d changed her number and couldn’t be reached. My wife was so annoyed she cursed a bit at home. Why are you trying to find her, anyway? Could my father-in-law’s death be related to her? Is that it?”

“We wanted to talk to you as well. By your logic, does that mean you’re involved in your father-in-law’s death?” Qin Ruonan shot back mercilessly.

Lu Ji’s face flushed a deep red in an instant. He tried to force a smile but was too nervous, and his features twisted into an odd expression.

“All right, let’s go!” An Changpu got to his feet. Lu Ji, already overwhelmed by Qin Ruonan’s retort, couldn’t muster any resistance. Though An Changpu was still not entirely used to it, after working together for so long, he was becoming increasingly adept at playing the peacemaker. “We’ve kept you long enough, and we need to return to the station. We’ll give you a ride home.”

“No need, really! Don’t trouble yourselves. If you have work, go ahead. I’ll just tidy up here for my mother-in-law. There’s no rush,” Lu Ji said, rubbing his hands together and rising to his feet, but not moving.

“Don’t be so polite—civic cooperation is important. Besides, it’s on our way. If you want to show filial piety, do it when your mother-in-law’s home, so she can see it for herself. Don’t be an unsung hero!” Ignoring his protests, An Changpu warmly put an arm around Lu Ji’s shoulders and half-guided, half-pushed him out of the living room, through the yard, and even opened the car door for him.

Standing by the car, Lu Ji seemed hesitant. His cheek twitched, his hand clinging to the door, unwilling to get in.

“Do you still suspect me? After everything I just said, you still don’t believe me?” His voice trembled, barely short of a full-body shudder.

Even An Changpu, and certainly Qin Ruonan, who could hardly stand Lu Ji, couldn’t help but suppress a smile at his obvious distress.

“If you’ve done nothing wrong, relax and get in the car. If you’re guilty, then consider whether you should turn yourself in. Shaking there won’t solve anything,” she said, both amused and exasperated.

With a miserable expression, Lu Ji climbed into the car, shivering. Qin Ruonan closed the door for him and got in herself. The engine started, exhaust dust billowed, and the car disappeared into the haze.

When they dropped Lu Ji off at his home, he looked incredulous. Once he realized he was indeed free to go, he jumped out without so much as a goodbye and dashed off, his legs still unsteady from fright.

“Do you suspect him?” Qin Ruonan asked as Lu Ji’s figure vanished from sight.

“It’s hard to say. What about you?” An Changpu didn’t give a clear answer, merely tossing the question back.

Qin Ruonan shook her head. “You might think my view is subjective, but I don’t particularly suspect him. Not only is there not enough evidence, but his personality doesn’t quite fit this case. Lu Ji is greedy—he’ll do anything for profit, no sense of loyalty or morality—but he’s also timid and shirks responsibility. Killing Lu Min would bring him more trouble than gain, especially since Lu Min was dismembered after death. Besides making it easier to dispose of the body, that indicates hatred. I can’t imagine, after extracting so much money from his father-in-law, what could drive Lu Ji to such deep hatred.”

An Changpu nodded slowly. “I feel much the same.”

“Then why insist on taking him with us earlier? I almost thought you’d found some clue and were bringing him in for questioning,” Qin Ruonan asked.

“Think about it. Earlier, he marched in and ordered Ding Mulan to make tea, showing no respect for his mother-in-law. Then he tricked her into leaving so he could ‘talk’ to us, and even volunteered to stay behind to help clean. Do you find that believable? If he wanted to stay, he must’ve had a reason. As you said, he’s greedy. Think about it.”

Qin Ruonan reconsidered the scene. Suddenly, understanding dawned on her. “He wanted to get Ding Mulan out of the way so he could steal her household registration or other documents and sell her house?”

“It’s possible. We can’t be sure, but better safe than sorry. Ding Mulan’s already lost her husband; if she lost her house and land as well, that would be too cruel,” An Changpu replied, his tone full of compassion.

“I never thought you’d be so softhearted,” Qin Ruonan said quietly.

An Changpu glanced at her in surprise. This time, he didn’t hold back but asked directly, “Are you implying something? Have we met before? I’m not forgetful, but my memory isn’t perfect either. If we’ve crossed paths and I’ve wronged you, just tell me. No matter how long ago it was, if I was at fault, I’ll apologize now.”

His sincerity left Qin Ruonan momentarily at a loss. She stared at him, unsure what to say.

After a long silence, An Changpu waited patiently. At last, Qin Ruonan shook her head. “Forget it. I didn’t expect you to say that. Clearly, you really don’t remember. Since you never cared, let’s let it go. Telling you wouldn’t mean much, and would only embarrass me.”

Her words only piqued An Changpu’s curiosity. He stopped her as she reached for the ignition. “Wait a minute—so there really is something between us, and it doesn’t sound trivial. But I have no memory of it! The less you tell me, the more uneasy I feel. I want to get to the bottom of it.”

Qin Ruonan suddenly laughed. She pried his hand off the steering wheel. “Then be uneasy. Call it my revenge. If you’re curious, find out for yourself, just don’t ask me.”

With that, she refused to pursue the topic further and started the car. An Changpu hadn’t expected this response, but after considering for a moment, he accepted it cheerfully. “All right, you punish me if you wish. I can solve criminal cases; I doubt this will stump me. We’ll see.”

“We’ll see,” Qin Ruonan agreed, and for the first time since they’d become partners, her smile was genuine and bright.

Yet An Changpu’s next words quickly dimmed her expression.

“There’s something else that needs your attention first—find out where Lu Anmei has disappeared to,” he said after a brief pause.

Qin Ruonan pressed her lips together and nodded. Though she sympathized with Lu Anmei, the case of Lu Min’s murder remained unresolved. At such a sensitive time, Lu Anmei had abruptly canceled her phone number, quit her job, and vanished without a trace. For the sake of the investigation and her own safety, it was necessary and urgent to find out where she was.

Upon returning to the station, An Changpu seemed to have already decided to leave the search for Lu Anmei to Qin Ruonan. As soon as he got out of the car, he pulled two evidence bags from his briefcase and hurried toward the lab.

Qin Ruonan immediately noticed that one bag contained a rodenticide package identical to the one retrieved from Lu Jun’s house, except this one was empty. The other bag held a small, dark clump, but An Changpu moved quickly and closed his hand around it before she could see clearly.

“Is that the rat poison package? Where did you find it?” Qin Ruonan caught up with him, asking.

“What do you think?” An Changpu replied, certain she could guess the most likely answer.

“What about the other thing?” Qin Ruonan pointed at his closed fist.

“I’m not telling you yet. I’ll explain once the results are in!” An Changpu said mysteriously, then strode away, leaving Qin Ruonan behind.