“Perhaps his determination to die was just that overwhelming, so he struck himself particularly hard?” E’Yuan still believed Qiao Guang had died by suicide.
Yan Qing said, “The wound on Qiao Guang’s wrist is too clean — that’s the suspicious point. Someone taking their own life is usually in a very unstable psychological state. They tend to probe their body, searching for the best spot. Others, though they want to die, lack the courage — and that hesitation leaves behind a cluster of shallow, non-fatal test cuts around the main wound. We call those hesitation marks.”
“On top of that, Qiao Guang had been drinking. Given how sharp the smell is, he must have had a great deal. After drinking that much, to still cut his own artery with such precision — that doesn’t hold up.”
“I agree with Yan Qing.” Shi Ting’s expression showed clear appreciation. “Qiao Guang would not have taken his own life.”
He pointed toward the dining table. “Have any of you ever seen a person intending to die treat themselves to a proper spread of food and drink? He’s not a death-row inmate in a prison cell. Besides, I just found some wrapping paper in the kitchen rubbish bin. I can confirm that everything Qiao Guang ate last night came from the Luofangzhai shop on Xinkou Street. Qiao Guang’s workplace and residence are quite far from Xinkou Street. If he wanted Luofangzhai, he could easily have chosen the Tongtai Avenue branch, which is far closer to him.”
Bai Jin nodded in wholehearted agreement. “Seventh Brother makes a good point.”
“Now look at this wine rack — every bottle on it is the same brand of Shaodaozi. That tells us Qiao Guang’s finances stretched only to this affordable, everyday liquor. But the two empty bottles on the table are a cut above — two bottles of quite decent wine. Why would Qiao Guang leave all those bottles of ordinary liquor at home untouched and go out to buy two bottles of good wine instead? According to what Luo Baimei said while she was alive, Qiao Guang was a drunkard and a womanizer with essentially no savings.”
“When you put it that way, it really doesn’t look like suicide. Even a man who wants to die couldn’t have thought this far ahead. Surely someone with death on his mind wouldn’t have the mood to eat and drink.” Bai Jin pinched his chin, lost in thought.
Shi Ting said, “It wasn’t Qiao Guang who thought ahead. It was the killer who arranged it all on his behalf.”
At those words, everyone turned to him in astonishment.
“Neither the Luofangzhai meats nor the two good bottles of wine were purchased by Qiao Guang. The killer brought them deliberately to his door.” Shi Ting spoke with complete certainty. “The killer knew Qiao Guang was devoted to drink, so he bought good wine and good food and left them at Qiao Guang’s doorstep. Qiao Guang, just as the killer intended, drank himself into a stupor. The killer then waited for the right moment, entered using a key, and used a fruit knife from the kitchen to sever Qiao Guang’s artery.”
“I have a question.” Bai Jin raised his hand. “If Qiao Guang was dead drunk, how did the killer get inside? If you knock on the door, Qiao Guang wouldn’t be able to hear it.”
Shi Ting said, “The killer had a key.”
That answer deepened everyone’s bewilderment, and they all pressed forward, eager to hear the rest.
“I examined Luo Baimei’s belongings. Most of her daily-use items were intact in her handbag, but a set of keys was missing. Luo Baimei was heading home, wasn’t she? If you’re going home, you can’t possibly leave without your keys. So why did those keys vanish without a trace? The only explanation is that the killer took them from her bag at the time of her murder, specifically in preparation to come and kill Qiao Guang.”
“But that’s still just a theory. Maybe the keys fell out, or she left them at her office — either is possible.”
Shi Ting nodded. “The keys remain a theory for now, but the evidence that someone entered the scene is quite plain.”
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