Could it be that we made a mistake, and who really wrote the will?
This guy is trying to slander Perseus, could it be the real killer framing him?
As I pondered, a police officer quickly walked in and whispered a few words in my ear. I nodded immediately and said to Perseus politely, "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Perseus. Our鉴定 result is out, that's not your handwriting!"
"I told you, you're wasting your time. If you have energy, go investigate the real killer. Just like you Chinese say, wasting our taxpayers' time! I'm leaving!"
Perseus stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and left. Zhang Keying, however, pulled me and said, "Didn't he just say the handwriting identification was consistent?"
"Don't rush. Didn't you notice Perseus's attitude? He won't admit it. I have a plan..."
"I see, I hope it works!"
Zhang Keying and I whispered to each other. Hearing the villagers outside making concerned noises, we walked out to see Perseus surrounded by them. The villagers were asking about the situation nervously. Perseus smiled and said, "I'm fine, the police have cleared me of suspicion, don't worry, everyone!"
"That's good, I knew Mr. Perseus wouldn't do anything bad!" a villager said.
"Then let's all disperse and go back to farming!" a village woman said. Everyone dispersed. Uncle A Long came to me and politely said, "Police officers, thank you!"
"Uncle A Long, you should go back if you're alright. We will continue to investigate the case. At the current pace, I believe we'll find the real killer soon!" I said intentionally.
You know, we've actually locked onto Perseus, but we just haven't found any other strong evidence, or eyewitness accounts. A will alone wouldn't make Perseus confess. This person has strong psychological resilience.
Watching Perseus's receding back, Uncle A Long bid us farewell. I asked Xia Hou and Xie Chuchu to continue surveillance. The next day, we deliberately summoned Perseus's wife, Bantou. She was brought in for questioning separately. Bantou seemed exceptionally nervous. Her arms had been trembling uncontrollably since she entered the temporary interrogation room.
I knew this woman was hiding something. I sat down calmly. Zhang Keying, beside me, took out her notepad and said, "We can begin. Mrs. Bantou, hello. We've summoned you today to assist us with our investigation. But you don't need to be nervous. Just tell us what you know, alright?"
"I understand. Please proceed, officers!"
Bantou's Chinese was fluent, with no discernible foreign accent. I said, "Bantou, tell me, do you know anything? Huh?"
"I don't understand what you mean, Officer He."
"You've been nervous since you came in, your hands are trembling irregularly, and even your jaw muscles..."
"Don't spout nonsense, Officer He. Without any evidence, these actions of yours are coerced confession, you know? I can sue you for defamation at any time!"
Bantou, who appeared incredibly elegant, suddenly erupted. I admit I was startled at the time, but I quickly calmed down and let out a cold laugh, "Oh really? See what this is?"
I took out the will, not a photograph, but the original shredded paper. Beside it was a handwriting analysis report. I believed Bantou wouldn't understand the other data, but she could understand the words "ninety-nine percent" at the bottom.
As she stared at the will, Bantou's expression showed a momentary flicker of panic. Although she concealed it well, it didn't escape my eyes.
"What does this represent?" Bantou asked hesitantly for about a minute, looking confused.
"Don't you know? We haven't shown this to Perseus yet! But if you tell us what you know now, his situation can improve. Do you understand what I mean, Mrs. Bantou!"
"I don't know, the contents of this will are fake!" Bantou tried to remain calm, but her trembling legs betrayed her severely.
"But the handwriting is the same as your husband's, how do you explain that?" Zhang Keying suddenly interjected, startling Bantou so much that she almost cried out. I could tell that Perseus had instructed her on something before she left, but given her psychological fortitude, she was likely beginning to waver.
I continued to pressure Bantou, "If you confess now, your husband can see you again in this lifetime. Otherwise, you will be separated forever. You wouldn't want to give up such a good opportunity, would you, Mrs. Bantou!"
Bantou lowered her head, afraid to look at us. Her hands were clenched tightly. I noticed her collar was soaked and her forehead was covered in sweat. Yet, she ultimately remained silent.
It was only after 24 hours that we had to let her go. Although this wasn't the police station and we could act outside the law at any time, it would be detrimental to us if we were to be caught out later.
The moment Bantou was released, Gao Mingqiang patted my shoulder and said, "Letting her go just like that? This woman clearly knows something."
"What can we do? Are you going to point a gun at her head and force her to talk?"
"Uh, that's even worse. Let's question her daughter."
"That's precisely what I intended."
And so, the entire Perseus family was summoned.
Viya entered the temporary interrogation room, gazing at us with incredibly helpless eyes. She looked exceptionally innocent and pure, only in her teens. If she weren't in Osiris Village, she would probably be in high school now.
However, we learned that Perseus had hired many private tutors, and she studied at home.
Viya rarely interacted with the outside world. We understood she was a quiet and well-read young woman.
"Miss Viya, you should know why we asked you to come, right?" Zhang Keying spoke first.
"I do. Officers, you don't still suspect my father, do you?"
"Not at all. As a prominent family in the village, it's natural for us to conduct interviews. Besides, you have a close relationship with Wales."
Zhang Keying replied politely.
Viya nodded slightly. Her movement was very light and subtle. It was the first time I had seen such a gentle girl.
"That's good. Then what do you want to know? Feel free to ask anything, I'll tell you everything."
Viya's Chinese was quite good, at least not like Mercia's.
"What's your relationship with Wales?" I asked.