Chapter 802: Chapter 427: For Cunning People, You Need Irrefutable Evidence
Hearing this reason, Jiang An’s expression instantly became serious.
In his view, any detail that defies logic often hides a key clue behind it.
Li Xiang’s explanation not only failed to dispel his doubts, but made him even more certain of his judgment.
This contradictory, evasive statement is precisely a common manifestation when a criminal attempts to cover up the truth.
He discreetly observed every subtle expression and movement of the other party, his speculation growing stronger: this Li Xiang is very likely an important suspect in the case.
"Officer, please, you have to understand my situation."
"That night, I really went fishing. I found out nothing, and only heard the next day that something happened there."
"Tell me, who wouldn’t be scared if something like this happened to them?"
"I was in a panic at the time, and my words might have been disorganized, but I absolutely wasn’t trying to hide anything."
As he spoke, he spread his hands, trying hard to show the posture of an innocent victim, but his eyes involuntarily glanced elsewhere.
After a long time, Jiang An slowly raised his head, staring at Li Xiang with eyes as sharp as a torch, "Li Xiang, your mind really works fast."
"However, I want to remind you that sometimes being too clever can backfire."
"No, really no!"
Li Xiang waved his hands quickly, his tone anxious, "Every word I said is true."
"That night, I really went fishing alone, and didn’t notice anything wrong until it was daylight. If you don’t believe me, you can check..."
Jiang An suddenly interrupted him, abruptly changing the subject: "Don’t rush to explain just yet."
"I ask you, do you know the two deceased? Were you familiar with them?"
Li Xiang was startled for a moment, his eyes a bit evasive, and he answered with caution: "Our relationship was just average... We’re from the same village, familiar but not close."
"The couple ran a vegetable and fruit business in town, and I occasionally bought some produce from their stall."
"By the way, officer, how did they... die? Can you tell me a bit about it?"
Jiang An lightly patted the notebook in his hand, "Now I’m questioning you, not providing you with details about the case."
"You said you went fishing that night. Is there anyone who can prove it? How many people went with you?"
"Just me, no one else."
Li Xiang answered very quickly, almost without thinking.
"What time did you get there approximately?"
"About six or seven in the evening, I like night fishing, it’s quiet."
"When did you leave?"
"The next morning at six or seven when daylight broke."
"During those twelve hours, you stayed by the river the whole time? Did you leave at all?"
"No, my electric bike was parked by the roadside the entire time, I didn’t leave at all."
After a moment, Jiang An suddenly raised his hand and patted Wan’s shoulder, speaking calmly: "Alright, let’s leave it here for today."
Wan was noticeably taken aback, clearly surprised by the decision to abruptly end the interrogation.
Once outside the interrogation room, he immediately whispered to Jiang An: "Mr. Jiang! This guy is obviously lying!"
"His timeline doesn’t match at all; staying at one spot for twelve hours of night fishing without moving just doesn’t make sense."
"If we press him a little harder, we might be able to break through his psychological defense and get the key confession!"
Jiang An slowly shook his head, looking at his colleague beside him, his tone steady yet solemn: "As it stands, we do lack solid direct evidence."
"Based on the motive, timeline, and behavioral logic, Li Xiang’s suspicion is very high."
"Additionally, his reactions and wording during the interrogation indeed further confirmed our initial judgment — but the problem is, this person is extremely cunning, with a strong sense of counter-surveillance."
"Without finding decisive key evidence, it might be difficult to convict him."
"Key evidence..."
"But the primary scene is in the water, the flow might have already washed away most traces, not to mention physical evidence, where do we even start?"
Just as the two fell into silence, Zhang Yean and Qin Feng hurriedly walked over from a distance.
Hearing the sound, Jiang An turned his head, his gaze swept over his two capable assistants, and then he stood up straight, speaking decisively: "Good timing."
"Based on the current situation, I suggest we focus on the following directions for breakthroughs."
He first looked at the experienced Zhang Yean, and instructed: "First, conduct a thorough and meticulous inspection of Li Xiang’s vehicle."
"You’re in charge of this, senior sister."
Zhang Yean immediately nodded, responding promptly and clearly: "Understood, leave it to me."
Jiang An further supplemented the details, with particular emphasis: "While examining the vehicle, pay special attention to areas like underneath the driver’s seat floor mat and the crevices of the pedals where it’s easy to overlook, specifically looking for any special attached soil."
"I’m not talking about ordinary road dust, but underwater silt — sediment from the riverbed or lakebed, whose composition, texture, and the microbe community it contains often significantly differ from shore soil. If found, it would be strong environmental evidence."
"I understand,"
Zhang Yean responded knowingly, "Once any suspicious soil samples are discovered, I’ll immediately extract them and professionally compare them with the silt from the crime scene to confirm their source."
Jiang An nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Qin Feng: "Qin Feng, your task is to check the surroundings of Li Xiang’s vehicle parking site that night."
"Interview nearby residents, and retrieve all possible public surveillance or private dashcam footage from that area during the daylight to dusk and after nightfall to precisely verify the specific times his car appeared, the duration of its stay, and whether there were any unusual activities in that period."
