Miao Zhengxiong also saw the photo on Lin Chen's phone. Quietly, he said, "Lin Chen, you say these shoes betray the suspect because the anti-slip grooves contain sand, which leads you to believe the suspect has been here, making him highly suspicious."
Upon hearing the mayor's guess, Zhang Tian'ai and the others nodded slightly, understanding Lin Chen's thinking.
Lin Chen glanced at Miao Zhengxiong and nodded. "You're right. It's precisely the sand in the sole's grooves that confirms Bao Qingshan came to this rooftop, linking him to Wang Xuefeng's death."
Bao Qingshan was stunned and then glared at Lin Chen with anger and disbelief. "Officer, are you out of your mind? You say I killed Wang Xuefeng just because there's sand stuck in my shoe soles?"
"Yes," Lin Chen said calmly.
"Ha ha…" Bao Qingshan laughed and pointed at Lin Chen. "I really don't know what to say. If I say something rude, you'll probably accuse me of insulting the police. Officer, let me ask you — are there no other places in Tianhai City besides this rooftop with sand?"
"I walk on the streets, visit people's homes, walk in alleys — are those places spotless and free of sand?"
Bao Qingshan's voice was loud, echoing across the rooftop, clearly heard by everyone.
Everyone present wanted to know who the murderer was, but Bao Qingshan's rebuttal was flawless.
Miao Yunfei frowned, looking at the scattered sand on the ground. "Lin Chen, your deduction is unreliable. How can you say Bao Qingshan was here just because of sand in his shoe soles? Streets and alleys have plenty of sand."
"Right," a young officer stepped forward and said to Lin Chen, "Your deduction is groundless. It's normal for shoe soles to have sand embedded in the anti-slip grooves."
This young officer was the one who earlier fawned over Miao Yunfei and wanted to beat Lin Chen up. He was also the one who drove Bao Qingshan's family.
The landlord and some tenants nearby whispered, thinking Lin Chen's deduction was unreliable.
Mayor Miao Zhengxiong's secretary Xiao Zhu shook his head and said to him, "Mayor, this Lin Chen isn't as impressive as people say. His second deduction is laughable."
Miao Zhengxiong stroked his chin thoughtfully. Though he thought the deduction was weak and unfounded, Lin Chen's attitude made him feel the case wasn't that simple.
"What's suspicious about sand in the soles…" Miao Zhengxiong squinted, pondering deeply.
After hearing the discussions and noticing everyone's expressions, Bao Qingshan's voice steadied. He felt he had successfully refuted Lin Chen's deduction.
"Officer, everyone agrees with me. Your deduction is invalid. Wang Xuefeng and I haven't seen each other for one or two weeks. How could I have come here and harmed him?"
Bao Qingshan's wife, holding their daughter, looked relieved.
All eyes turned to Lin Chen, eager to see if he could continue to refute or if he would have to admit his reasoning was flawed.
"Lin Chen, speak up," Zhang Tian'ai urged.
Lin Chen bent down slowly, picked up a handful of sand, and held it out in front of Miao Yunfei. "Smell this sand."
Miao Yunfei frowned, unsure why Lin Chen suddenly wanted her to smell sand.
She didn't question him and leaned in, sniffing a few times before shaking her head. "It's just sand. What smell could it possibly have?"
Lin Chen then handed the sand to Zhang Tian'ai. "She can't smell anything. Try."
Zhang Tian'ai sniffed hesitantly. "My sense of smell is sensitive, but I've never deliberately smelled other sand. I can't detect anything unusual."
Lin Chen nodded, scanning the room and stopping at an older officer.
"Please give me your mineral water," Lin Chen said to the veteran officer.
The officer, puzzled, handed over his half-full bottle of mineral water.
Lin Chen opened the bottle cap and poured some sand into it.
Everyone watched curiously, wondering why Lin Chen put sand into a water bottle.
After shaking the bottle, the water mixed with the sand, turning cloudy.
Lin Chen handed the bottle back and said, "Taste this water. You don't have to swallow it; just let your tongue feel it."
The officer frowned but, seeing the mayor watching, drank a sip of the murky water.
"Ptooey…" The officer immediately spat out the water.
Lin Chen asked, "What does it taste like?"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]