Chapter 366: A Man at Thirty

2022-05-20

When Uncle Chen called again to say they’d found a divorced man, I had a gut feeling this was most likely our suspect.

“What’s his situation?” I asked.

Uncle Chen replied, “He matches the description you gave perfectly. We checked the school records and found that he divorced his wife a year ago. His child was awarded to the ex-wife, so he’s been living alone ever since.”

“His name is Zhang Zijun. His son’s name is Zhang Zuochen, eight years old now. Their child attended first grade at Taishan Elementary, then transferred to another school. We’re not sure what happened, just that they left.”

I frowned. “Did you dig into the child’s background?”

Uncle Chen said, “Not in much detail. We’re mainly focused on the adults right now; the child is just a possible lead. For now, we want to concentrate on the grown-ups. I’m almost at your location now. Do you want to go with us to this address first and check on the child later?”

“Alright, come pick us up,” I said.

After hanging up, I turned to the others. “Let’s have the three of us go with Uncle Chen to check this guy out.”

The two nodded in agreement.

I told the Principal, “Look into Zhang Zuochen, see what you can find. Call us if you get any info, understand?”

“Got it,” the Principal replied.

A few minutes later, Uncle Chen arrived.

Gu Chen drove, Uncle Chen hopped into our car, and Mary pulled out her laptop. She said to Uncle Chen, “I just pulled up a map of the town. At an average speed of forty miles per hour, we estimated the possible hideouts for the suspect.”

Mary handed the map to Uncle Chen, who studied it and then shook his head. “Either your calculations are off, or this guy isn’t the perpetrator.”

He pointed to a spot far from our current location. “The town’s speed limit is forty miles an hour, but there are no speed cameras on small lanes. Speeds might go up there, but the roads are rough, so not by much. Still, it could just fit in this range. If that’s the case, he might not be our man.”

“At our current pace, it’ll take about an hour and forty minutes.” Uncle Chen indicated a location. “Here.”

“Drive faster,” I urged. “We’re on official business.”

Uncle Chen nodded and called the lead car.

With two cars racing over, we made it to the address in about an hour. The place was right by the highway—handy for a quick escape to any city. The building itself looked to be about ninety square meters.

Uncle Chen stepped forward and knocked, but got no answer at first.

After a short wait, a low, hoarse voice called from inside, “Who is it?”

When the door finally opened, a man appeared. He was about five-foot-nine and quite thin, dressed in black. He frowned at us and asked, “Hello, who are you looking for?”

Uncle Chen flashed his credentials at him and said, “Mr. Zhang Zijun? We’re investigating a case. We hope you’ll cooperate. We aren’t saying you’re the suspect—this is just routine procedure to clear you. Understand?”

The man nodded. “I’m Zhang Zijun. Can I get a closer look at your ID?”

Uncle Chen handed him the credentials.

Zhang Zijun nodded and welcomed us inside while the rest stayed outside to keep watch.

I glanced around the place. From the layout and furniture, it was obvious only one person lived here. That fact alone made him a plausible suspect.

I didn’t see any car parked outside, but judging by the mid-range interior and furnishings, Zhang Zijun could definitely afford a car. Cars aren’t that expensive these days.

Naturally, if he really was the culprit, he wouldn’t just leave the car involved in the crime where we could spot it.

I whispered to Uncle Chen, “Have someone check the area for any vehicles that look like they’ve been deliberately hidden.”

Uncle Chen got my drift, winked at me, and said, “Got it.”

Just then, Mary spoke up. “Mr. Zhang Zijun, do you live alone here?”

While she questioned him, I kept looking around. The place was spotless—not a speck of dust. That alone suggested Zhang Zijun had a thing for cleanliness.

I ran my finger along the shoe cabinet by the wall. Nothing but clean. Clearly, this guy paid extra attention to detail. I rubbed my temples, closing my eyes to think about the possibility he was the killer.

As I did that, I heard their conversation. Zhang Zijun said, “Yes, I divorced recently. Ever since, I’ve been living alone. You’re here to investigate something? Make yourselves at home.”

I sized him up and said, “Mind if I have a look around? You know, standard procedure for an investigation.”

He hesitated a second, then nodded.

First stop—the restroom. For a single man, it was almost squeaky clean. The toiletries were all men’s products. I examined the sink. There were some stray hairs, but it was hard to say if they belonged to a man or a woman.

Still, I couldn’t tell if anyone besides him had been in the bathroom recently. Frankly, the whole thing looked overly polished—no trace left at all.

Leaving the restroom, I caught Mary still questioning him: “I heard your child switched schools. Why was that?”

As I walked out, I saw Zhang Zijun sitting across from Mary, leaning against the sofa with arms folded. That defensive posture said it all: he was on edge but trying to shield himself. Then again, anyone would feel uneasy with strangers poking around their home.

Zhang Zijun glanced at me. “My wife and I were divorcing at the time. We weren’t sure who the kid would live with, so at her suggestion, the kid switched schools before the divorce went through. Afterward, he stayed with his mother.”

As I wandered toward other rooms, Zhang Zijun said, “I hope you won’t go through anything too personal.”

I just shrugged.

Inside the bedroom, it was neat but not very large. Given how calm he seemed, it was hard to believe someone could be hidden here—least of all Hu Ningning. Still, he matched every trait I’d associated with the killer in my mind.

But there was one big problem. This house was farther from the area we’d predicted. It was impossible for the person who made the call to have already reached here so soon. That meant either he wasn’t the killer, or he’d stashed Hu Ningning elsewhere before coming here by car. Both options were possible. But did he actually own a car?

I didn’t find anything useful in the bedroom.

After a sweep of the room turned up nothing suspicious, I was left with a weird feeling. Everything was just too neat and tidy—almost like he was covering something up. With no new leads in sight, I headed back out.

“You’ve already looked around my whole house. Are you ready to tell me what it is you’re actually looking for?” Zhang Zijun asked, watching me.

I shrugged. “Do you own a car?”

He nodded. “I do.”

“Where is it right now?” I asked.

“Not here. A friend borrowed it,” Zhang Zijun said.

I sat down and nodded toward a framed photo on the divider by the living room. I’d spotted it as soon as we walked in—a family photo, all three smiling. Hard to believe such happy faces had broken apart. What could’ve happened to cause such a split?

In the picture, Zhang Zijun held Zhang Zuochen. His wife stood beside him, arm around his shoulder.

“Why did you get divorced?” I asked.

“That’s private. If we’re done, I’d like some time alone,” Zhang Zijun replied.

“Fine. If anything comes up, we’ll be back,” I told him.

With that, I took the others and left.

“Do you think something’s off about him?” Mary asked me.

“Absolutely,” I said. “Let’s have someone keep an eye on Zhang Zijun while we look into other leads.”