087 New Clues

After He Shirui went near the bar, the surveillance cameras could no longer track her. The two men checked other cameras, but there was no sign of He Shirui anywhere.

“Could this be the last footage of He Shirui before her death?” Li Hui speculated.

Han Bin stood up and stretched. “Come on, let’s go to the bar and ask around.”

“You’re right, we should move around a bit,” Li Hui said, supporting himself on the table as he slowly stood up.

Han Bin chuckled, “Your old problem acting up again?”

“Nonsense. I’ve just been sitting too long, that’s all,” Li Hui retorted with a snort.

“Young people should exercise more. Sitting for too long is bad for you—not just for your back, but for the front as well.” Han Bin winked.

“Get out of here. I haven’t even used mine yet—it’s brand new, how could it be bad?” Li Hui protested like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Han Bin laughed heartily and walked out of the surveillance room.

Li Hui’s face darkened further. “You brat, stand right there! Tell me what’s so funny!”

The two left the hotel and soon arrived at the small bar.

Though Han Bin often came to the seaside for fun, he had never been to these open-air bars. The reason was simple: “expensive.”

At this hour, there weren’t many people around the bar. Han Bin sat on a high stool at the counter, ready to experience it for himself.

Li Hui hesitated for a moment before standing beside Han Bin.

“Gentlemen, what would you like to drink?” asked a young female bartender.

Han Bin glanced around. “Are you here alone?”

“Usually there are two of us at this time, but today business is slow, so I’m the only one needed,” she replied.

“Were you here last night?” Han Bin asked.

“Why do you ask?” the bartender responded.

Han Bin produced his badge. “Police.”

“Oh, officers—you’re here about the woman who was found dead on the beach, right?” the bartender inquired.

“From the way you speak, it sounds like you know something,” Han Bin said.

“I know that as long as this case isn’t solved, our business will keep suffering,” she sighed.

“You’re just an employee—why worry for your boss? If there are no customers, just take a break,” Li Hui said.

“Sir, it’s different for us workers. More customers and more drinks sold means more commission. If we relied only on our base wage, we wouldn’t have enough to cover food and lodging,” she answered with another sigh.

“Does your bar have surveillance cameras?” Han Bin asked.

“No. In our boss’s words, ‘Why invite trouble?’”

“If everyone thought like your boss, no wonder crime rates are high,” Li Hui snorted.

“Were you here last night?” Han Bin pressed.

“That woman drowned last night?” the bartender asked in return.

Han Bin frowned. “Do you want us to solve the case quickly or not?”

“Of course I do,” she replied without hesitation.

“Then I’ll ask, you answer. Okay?”

“Okay.” She made an “OK” gesture with her hand.

“Were you here last night?”

“No, I work the day shift.”

“Who was working last night?”

“Before half past nine, there were two people on duty. After nine-thirty, when business slows, usually only one person stays.”

“Who was here after nine-thirty?”

“Jiang Anyang.”

“Do you have his number?”

“We usually communicate in a WeChat group, but at this hour he’s probably sleeping and might not reply.”

Just then, Han Bin’s phone buzzed. It was a message from the second team’s WeChat group.

A message from Zeng Ping read: “New lead—meet at the police station.”

Han Bin wrote his number on a piece of paper. “When Jiang Anyang comes in, have him contact me.”

…

Ten minutes later, Han Bin and Li Hui returned to the police station. Tian Li and Zhao Ming arrived one after another as well.

Zheng Kaixuan and Zeng Ping were speaking quietly nearby. When everyone had gathered, they approached.

Zheng Kaixuan checked his watch. “It’s four o’clock in the afternoon. You’ve all been out investigating for three hours—let’s summarize what we’ve found.”

“Captain Zheng, I’ve contacted the victim’s parents—they’re on their way here,” Tian Li reported.

Zheng Kaixuan nodded. “Anything from the telecom company?”

“I printed out the victim’s call and text records. There are several people she contacted frequently. I’ve already tracked down their identities,” Tian Li said, producing a file and placing it on the projector.

“One number stands out. In the three days before He Shirui’s death, this number called her eleven times. She only answered once—the other ten times she hung up,” Tian Li explained.

“Who does it belong to?” Zheng Kaixuan asked.

“It’s Mao Yiran, the victim’s ex-boyfriend.”

“Eleven calls in three days, hung up ten times—isn’t that practically a death call from a thousand miles away?” Zhao Ming quipped.

“If someone kept hanging up on me, I’d be furious,” Li Hui shrugged.

“Zhao Ming, find anything in He Shirui’s room?” Zheng Kaixuan asked.

“Forensics didn’t find much, but I did discover something,” Zhao Ming replied.

“Don’t keep us in suspense. Out with it.”

“He Shirui’s family must be well-off. She stayed in a sea-view room—step onto the balcony and you can see the ocean. The daily rate, including breakfast, is eighteen hundred yuan,” Zhao Ming said.

“How does that compare to your place?” Li Hui teased.

“Hui, my family got compensation for relocation, not a windfall. If I spent money like that, my dad would beat me,” Zhao Ming grinned, adding, “Of course, honeymoon trips don’t count.”

“Pretty ambitious for a bachelor,” Li Hui snorted.

“That’s enough,” Zheng Kaixuan waved his hand. “Li Hui, save your energy for the case.”

“Captain Zheng, we reviewed the hotel and surrounding surveillance. Tang Yu’s account checks out—at eight o’clock last night, He Shirui left the hotel. Around ten past ten, she was seen near a bar. After that, there’s no further footage of her,” Li Hui reported.

“What was the victim doing between eight and ten?” Zheng Kaixuan pressed.

“She wasn’t seen on any surveillance cameras,” Li Hui replied with a shrug.

Zheng Kaixuan thought for a moment, then gestured to Zeng Ping. “Let’s hear what you found.”

“I went to the internet company and retrieved the victim’s WeChat records. Her last chat was at ten-thirty last night—with her ex-boyfriend, Mao Yiran,” Zeng Ping said, placing a transcript on the projector.

“This is their conversation. He Shirui invited Mao Yiran to the seaside to talk things over and get some closure,” he explained.

“Looks like He Shirui had quite a bit to drink last night,” Li Hui smacked his lips.

“That’s what I thought too, at first. But then I looked further back in the chat history and discovered that Mao Yiran arrived in Qindao City on August 23rd—the day before yesterday,” Zeng Ping said.

“Mao Yiran arrived on August 23rd, and He Shirui died on August 24th? That’s too much of a coincidence,” Tian Li said in surprise.

Zeng Ping pointed at the chat history displayed. “What’s even more coincidental is that at eleven o’clock last night, Mao Yiran showed up at Golden Sands Beach.”