Chapter 102: The Psychologist – 9
At eight in the evening, just after Tao Qianya had finished Xin Sumei’s autopsy report, Tang Yingli and Fang Zijun and the others returned in a grand procession.
He was quickly reminded to go to the chief’s office, and as soon as he stepped in, he saw Tang Yingli quickly writing new information on the whiteboard.
“Ah Qian, you’re here. Is the autopsy finished?”
He nodded. “This new arson case, can you find any connection to the previous cases?”
“At least the personal relationships are there.”
Xin Sumei had a son who worked at the same branch as Tao Youchun. They had even worked in the same unit before, but now that employee had been transferred to the customer service department as a team leader.
Tao Qianya looked at Tang Yingli, who was only wearing a long-sleeved dress, and her feet were clearly wet, and even the hem of her skirt was dirty. “Teacher, you’ve worked hard at the scene.”
“Is the autopsy report out yet?” she asked, quickly writing down the information from her notebook, fully multitasking.
“It’s out. I can print it now.”
“Please print at least one copy. I need to confirm the cause of death of the owner.”
“Got it.” Tao Qianya was about to go to the printer outside.
“Just ask someone else to help. Dr. Tao, you should join the discussion.” She let out a breath and tapped the whiteboard with her knuckles. “It’s all organized. Let’s begin.”
While collecting evidence at the scene, Chen Huomu had asked the neighbors about Xin Sumei’s usual interactions with them and had gotten the following information.
“The neighbors said Xin Sumei had a strange temper, and the people she interacted with were mostly her mahjong friends. They would usually get together to gamble, and she would only smile when she won. When she lost a lot, she would even get into fights with others. Only a small portion of the neighbors could stand her.”
“So that means there’s a high chance she had enemies?” she rested her chin on her hand, “no wonder her son couldn’t stand her.” She had personally spoken with Zeng Chonghao—Xin Sumei’s son—and had gotten a similar account.
“Yes, but her son still provided her with financial support every month, although most of it was used for gambling.” Chen Huomu shook his head slightly.
“Did you come to any conclusions from your conversation with her son, Teacher?” Fang Zijun asked.
“The specific key points are all written on the whiteboard.” Her black-painted fingertips pointed to the red text. “There are a few things I want to find out. One, where was he when the fire started? Two, what was his relationship with his mother like? Three, did he understand his mother’s interpersonal relationships?”
“And the results?”
Facing everyone’s expectant gazes, Tang Yingli pushed up her glasses. “First, he said he was at the bank working, which still needs to be confirmed. Chief Fang, what time did you say the Molotov cocktail was thrown?”
“According to the witness, it was around three in the afternoon.”
Around three, and the house had caught fire not long after. She had arrived at the scene around 4:20, which meant the fire had spread very quickly, and even with all their efforts, the entire house was still burned beyond recognition.
“The Molotov cocktail hit the side of the wall, but it wasn’t the main cause of the fire.” She pondered for a moment and continued, “Second, Officer Chen’s information just now has already explained a part of it. His relationship with his mother was not good. He didn’t live at home, and there was no room for him in the house. At most, he was just fulfilling his basic filial duties.”
“Uh, although that’s true, not many young people these days can even fulfill their basic duties…” Chen Huomu muttered.
She snorted and tilted her head up to continue, “Third, he was quite clear about his mother’s interpersonal relationships. Xin Sumei basically had no friends, at most just the occasional mahjong friends. According to him, her best companion was the parrot she kept herself.”
“That’s right, that’s right. Others also mentioned this.”
“I heard that parrot was very talkative, but just like its owner, the things it said were not very pleasant.” She smiled faintly. “But I’ve encountered a hated pet before. This parrot is probably of that kind. The suspect broke into the house before the fire, hid the walker, and killed the parrot beforehand.” She showed everyone a photo. “Although the feathers were blackened, the obvious cause of death was that its neck was broken. It fully shows his hatred for this parrot.”
And Xin Sumei, after waking up and discovering the fire, couldn’t find her cane for a moment, and was also concerned about her precious pet, so she could only drag her leg and limp to the living room. In the end, she may have discovered that the parrot had already been killed, and with the shock and the rapid spread of the fire, she had been unable to escape and had died in the fire.
“The results of the autopsy can support the teacher’s argument. The deceased did not suffer any external injuries, but died in the fire.”
“But this can still be classified as a deliberate murder. The killer was very familiar with the environment of the house, and… he didn’t have to be at the scene to do it.”
“So you’re saying you already have a suspect, Teacher?”
“Chief Fang must know who I’m referring to.” She crossed her arms. “Besides, when I was questioning Zeng Chonghao at the scene, Huizhu provided another clue she had observed.”
“What clue?”
“Although he was well-dressed, and his clothes and accessories were impeccable, his heart may not have been as confident as he appeared on the surface.” In fact, it may have been the opposite. Those clothes and accessories actually showed his inner lack of confidence, his desire to control everything but his failure to do so.
“Compared to Officer Chen’s description of him crying his eyes out when he first arrived at the scene, his calmness during the subsequent questioning was closer to his true feelings for his mother. It’s not hard to see that he actually longed for more of his mother’s attention and love, but what he actually got was probably less than Xin Sumei’s love for gambling… or that parrot.”
“Actually, the neighbors also mentioned one thing. The security at her main door was very lax. In fact, anyone who knew the neighborhood could have gotten in without any difficulty…”
“Ah Mu, what are you trying to say?”
“Nothing, Chief. I was just thinking that the teacher’s conclusion might have been too hasty. Maybe it really was a fire caused by an electrical fault.”
She said in a slightly cold tone, “Then how do you explain the bird with the broken neck and the cane hidden under the bed?”
“That parrot was annoying anyway. Maybe the person who hated it was afraid it would squawk before they acted, so they took care of it at the same time. As for the cane… maybe she accidentally kicked it in herself, right?”
“If that’s the case, and they’ve already gone to such lengths, then why not get rid of the owner at the same time?”
“They’re afraid of getting caught. In Taiwan, killing an animal is at most a fine.” Chen Huomu’s voice grew more and more urgent. “I just have a problem with the teacher’s attitude of seeing her son as a killer. He’s already been paying to take care of his mother every month, and he’s still being suspected like this…” he said roughly, his face turning very ugly, “by that logic, I could have also gone after my parents.”
Fang Zijun was at a loss for words. “Why are you bringing yourself into this?”
After Chen Huomu explained, it turned out that he also had parents he didn’t get along with. Their interaction was quite similar to that of Zeng Chonghao and Xin Sumei.
“But at least Officer Chen hasn’t shown any resentment toward his parents,” Tang Yingli said seriously. “Personality development is absolutely related to genetics, education, and early environment. Especially in criminal profiling, when interviewing criminals who have committed serious crimes about their childhood, the information we get is almost always that they have experienced a dysfunctional family or have been abused to some extent in their childhood, which has led to all sorts of deviations and criminal behavior.
“Although this doesn’t mean that a dysfunctional family and abuse will definitely lead to a criminal, it is one of the important factors, which is the ‘triangle theory’ proposed by Chomsky.”
Chen Huomu was only half-understanding. “So you mean… Zeng Chonghao has shown the deviation you mentioned, Teacher?”
“It was my junior who discovered that he has some potential psychological states, which can be used as a reference for judging criminal behavior…”
“Dr. Tao.” A detective suddenly burst in, bowed to everyone, and said to Tao Qianya, “The family of the deceased who was autopsied today has come with the prosecutor.”
After listening to Tang Yingli’s explanation and knowing that this person had worked with Tao Youchun and was likely the suspect they were looking for, Tao Qianya couldn’t help but feel a little tense.
“I understand. I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll go with you,” Tang Yingli immediately said. “Dr. Tao, you just act as you normally would with a family member. I’ll observe his reaction when he hears the report, and then I’ll find a chance to probe him.”
Hearing her say that, Tao Qianya instantly felt a lot less psychological pressure.
When Zeng Chonghao arrived at the station with the prosecutor, he was wearing a mask, and when he was listening to Tao Qianya’s explanation, he showed an extremely pained expression.
Tao Qianya seemed to be moved by his performance. “Please accept my condolences, Mr. Zeng. I can understand the feeling of losing a loved one.”
“My mom, she… although she loved to gamble and was a little harsh to the neighbors, she was very kind to small animals. Not only did she often feed the stray cats in the neighborhood, but she also cherished the parrot she kept at home…”
“I can see that.”
In the end, Zeng Chonghao declined the invitation to view Xin Sumei’s body. It was common for family members to be unable to bear the sight of their loved ones after an autopsy, so it was understandable.
After finally listening to the autopsy report, while the prosecutor and Tao Qianya were privately discussing whether Xin Sumei should be classified as a criminal case, Tang Yingli quickly approached Zeng Chonghao, who was waiting on the side.
She pretended to have met him by chance. “Mr. Zeng?”
“Ah, Miss Tang.” Zeng Chonghao couldn’t hide his surprise. “How are you here…”
“I’m here to give a statement.” When she had visited Xin Sumei’s house, she had deliberately hidden her identity and had only said that she had been passing by and had witnessed the fire. “You, have you seen your mother’s…”
He shook his head. “I can’t bear to look. It’s scary enough just hearing the medical examiner talk about it.”
“I can imagine.”
After a brief chat, Tang Yingli mentioned that the cause of the fire might have been an electric heater. Zeng Chonghao’s face was filled with grief. “Sigh, I told her a long time ago not to use that old thing, but she just wouldn’t listen.”
“It might have been a fire caused by a malfunction, but the machine itself was completely burned. Do you remember the brand and model?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Can you write it down for me…” Tang Yingli proactively took out a notepad, pretended to feel her dress pocket, and gave him an apologetic smile. “Ah, I forgot to bring a pen.”
“It’s fine, I have one.” Zeng Chonghao reached for the high-end fountain pen in his chest pocket, but hesitated for a moment before he took it out.
“Mr. Zeng?”
“Ah, I have one in my bag.” He took a regular ballpoint pen from his briefcase.
After he had written down the model number, the prosecutor also happened to come out. They said goodbye to each other and then left with Zeng Chonghao.
“Did you get anything, Teacher?” Tao Qianya asked, looking at the two of them leaving from the main door.
“This is one thing. And the other…” she held up the notepad in her hand and pressed her index finger firmly against her glasses, “I think I know what kind of pen was used to stab your uncle.”
**
He tried to draw a line on the paper, but no matter what angle or force he used, the fountain pen just wouldn’t write.
“Damn it, that guy… even in death, he’s making me pay for a precious pen.” He angrily wanted to throw the pen on the table, but his reason forced him to stop.
It was all his fault, and hers. Even if she had died in the fire, and he had broken that bird’s neck, it couldn’t vent his hatred.
Opening the drawer, a dazzling array of high-end fountain pen boxes appeared before him. He put away the broken one and took another one to put in his chest.
The flame of the match effectively soothed his emotions. He lit a cigarette, blew a smoke ring, and lay back in his lounge chair.
He thought of it… yes, there was another place he could burn.
With a smile, he took another deep drag from his cigarette.
**
With the clues Tang Yingli had pointed out, the Criminal Investigation Division began to focus on Zeng Chonghao.
Cai Yuwei specifically called the branch where he worked to ask.
“How is his usual work performance… what about his social and spending habits? Does he get along well with his other colleagues?”
He jotted down the other person’s answers one by one. “Yes, thank you for your cooperation.” Hanging up the phone, he found that Xiangrong was looking in his direction.
He smiled and gave a big thumbs-up. “Let’s compare the comments from different employees about him.”
“Okay.”
“First of all, this guy loves to buy pens, and he’s also very generous with his phone and other products.” It was said that his performance was very good.
“He doesn’t have many friends, especially not a single female friend. It’s either work or smoking.” Cai Yuwei drew the other employees’ descriptions of Zeng Chonghao. “So this person’s life is quite boring.”
“You have to be especially careful when you talk to him. He often gets angry at the slightest disagreement, and he doesn’t get along very well with his colleagues, but it’s not too bad either.” Xiangrong raised an eyebrow. “But I guess the reason it’s not too bad is because he’s very generous.”
“Yes… let’s organize this and then give it to the chief.”
“Oh, okay. Wait a minute. I’m organizing it?”
“Whoever is the rookie organizes it.” Cai Yuwei chuckled.
Meanwhile, Chen Huomu continued to investigate the neighbors near Xin Sumei’s old house.
“I heard she would feed the stray cats around here.”
As soon as he mentioned Xin Sumei feeding the stray cats, the neighbor immediately showed a displeased expression. “Instead of feeding… it’s more like ‘poisoning.’”
His eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know? There used to be a lot of stray cats here. I saw her feeding them before, and two days later, the cats were dead. They died here, by the Earth God temple, and it stank so bad.” The neighbor pointed to the grass near the small Earth God temple. “You can imagine she was trying to protect her parrot. She would hang the bird outside, and the stray cats would go after it.”
This also showed how much she cherished that parrot. Chen Huomu nodded to himself. “Thank you.”
And as for the work situation on the day of the two incidents, Fang Zijun had personally gone to the branch to ask the department head.
“He, he’s used to taking leave at the end of the month and the beginning of the month. At least, that’s how he is in customer service.” The supervisor seemed to have some reservations about his leave habits. “I don’t know how he is in the business department. You’ll have to ask old Tao… never mind.”
Fang Zijun smiled to dispel the awkwardness and heard him say, “Before, it was because of the new year holiday. He came to work during the new year, and then he took leave after that…” he pulled up the leave schedule, “ah, he took leave on the 26th of last month.”
That was the day Tao Youchun had been murdered and his body dumped.
As for Xin Sumei’s date of death, it was March 6th. Zeng Chonghao had not taken leave that day, but in the afternoon, he had felt a little unwell, and after his lunch break, he had gone to the restroom for about forty minutes.
“Were the two periods of time connected?”
“No, there was a twenty-minute gap in between.” When asked about his lunch habits, the supervisor said that Zeng Chonghao was a person who valued his quality of life, was very good at financial planning, and mostly chose to dine at high-end restaurants.
His lunch break was nearly forty minutes, and then he had come back for twenty minutes and had pretended to be unwell, and had disappeared for another forty minutes. Although a colleague had said they had heard him on the phone when they had gone to the restroom, Fang Zijun still felt that something was amiss.
“Are you close to Manager Tao Youchun?”
“Yes, I’m quite close to old Tao. Sigh… to lose such a good colleague like that, it’s really a shame.”
In the middle, he had mentioned how good Tao Youchun was to people, and Fang Zijun had ignored it. “Then, do you know if he had any enemies before he died, or if he had any disputes?”
“Are you still looking for the cause of old Tao’s death?” Seeing Fang Zijun nod, the supervisor’s expression was clearly hesitant. After some struggle, he finally said, “Actually… old Tao had borrowed money from me before.”
