Chapter 1006: Arresting Wang Meili

Chen Jiang stood up, handed the courier slips he had to the people beside him, along with Lu Chuan, each passing some around, then began to talk about some problems he had discovered.

“The first problem is that all the couriers remember not having seen Zhang Chao in person; in fact, every courier slip at his house was signed by Wang Meili.”

“Secondly, these signatures — everyone, take a look — they’re a bit different from our usual signatures.”

Everyone held the courier slips in their hands and passed them around as Lu Chuan glanced at them and immediately noticed the issue.

“These are… stamped signatures, not penned?”

Lu Chuan’s expertise in Crime Scene Investigation was absolutely top-notch, so when it came to comparing handwriting, Lu Chuan understood immediately.

Earlier this morning, while reviewing the documents brought by Huang Jianmin, Lu Chuan hadn’t noticed since the files only contained photos, not the original documents, from which he could only confirm the consistency of handwriting without identifying other issues.

Now, with the original courier slips in hand, the problem became apparent.

Every signature supposedly from Zhang Chao on these courier slips was actually stamped, not penned by hand.

The difference between the two is obvious; although they look the same, what’s stamped is merely a surface layer of ink.

If it were a penned signature, there would be indentation marks that feel uneven to the touch, demonstrating a sensory difference.

“Exactly! Captain Lu, these signatures are stamped, not penned!”

Chen Jiang continued his report.

“It seems someone used Zhang Chao’s authentic handwriting to create these black ink stamps, then used these stamps resembling handwritten fonts to sign off his courier slips.”

“Moreover, regarding the Huang Street precinct’s documentation stating that they were investigating whether Zhang Chao was missing or when he went missing, Zhang Chao’s wife, Wang Meili, had presented some courier slips to Huang Jianmin.”

“These courier slips included Zhang Chao’s own signatures, and Huang Jianming and his team found the handwriting to match Zhang Chao’s, leading them to believe the signatures were indeed Zhang Chao’s. But realistically, who would keep a few courier slips at home without reason?”

“Therefore, I think Wang Meili kept these slips specifically for the police to see, to prove Zhang Chao signed them, suggesting there’s definitely something wrong here.”

After both had finished reporting, Sun Biao also stood up.

“I’ll report on what I’ve found; this afternoon, I visited Zhang Chao’s company and found some major issues.”

Sun Biao continued, “Zhang Chao’s company is in foreign trade, not a desk-bound type of company, so they often travel for business, and Zhang Chao himself was in sales, sometimes going on trips lasting two to three months.”

“However, according to the company, Zhang Chao himself voluntarily resigned a year ago, but he didn’t submit any resignation letter, he simply sent a text to his superior saying he couldn’t do it anymore and never returned.”

Resignation?

What a load of resignation.

From the present tripartite clues, Zhang Chao didn’t resign, nor did he vanish at the time of reporting; as his parents mentioned, Zhang Chao likely disappeared a year ago.

As for why he disappeared, who caused his disappearance, perhaps others don’t know, but his wife Wang Meili surely does.

Because Wang Meili insists he is not missing and is living with them, the biggest issue arises here; since Zhang Chao has already disappeared, why does Wang Meili deny and actively conceal this matter?

Wang Meili even tried to fake Zhang Chao’s presence at home by delivering small kumquats to neighbors and fabricating Zhang Chao’s courier signatures.

Additionally, according to Huang Jianmin’s investigation findings, Zhang Chao’s WhatsApp activities have consistently been updated, and he has been communicating with his parents, even interacting with some relatives.

If Zhang Chao indeed disappeared a year ago, then who has been sending these interactions claimed to be his?

“Let’s go! Head to Zhang Chao’s house and arrest Wang Meili!”

The Huaguang Street precinct’s investigations were somewhat crude, though they identified problems, they didn’t thoroughly analyze or investigate them.

Yet, it’s understandable, given their specific capabilities and their proficiency in handling basic police work compared to the Criminal Investigation Team’s complex inquiries.

Quickly, members of the Criminal Investigation Team arrived at Wang Meili’s home again.

At this hour, Wang Meili was in the kitchen preparing a meal for her daughter.

“Wang Meili, I’m Wang Zhaokai from the High-tech Zone Criminal Investigation Team. We suspect your involvement in the case of Zhang Chao’s disappearance and need you to come with us for investigation!”

Facing Wang Zhaokai and other detectives, Wang Meili’s demeanor was unexpectedly calm.

She untied her apron and glanced at her daughter emerging from the bedroom.

“Mom…”

Wang Meili shook her head, “You go back to your room first.”

The girl, eyes brimming with tears, obediently returned to her room.

Lu Chuan gave a perplexed look but said nothing.

“Officers, today is my daughter’s birthday; she especially loves my braised ribs, and they’re just 10 minutes away from being done. Can you give me a moment to finish cooking them before I leave with you?”

Wang Meili’s tone was almost pleading.

Wang Zhaokai couldn’t decide and turned to Lu Chuan, who nodded.

Given the arrest, Wang Meili’s current demeanor suggests involvement in Zhang Chao’s disappearance, so a 10-minute delay makes no difference.

Besides, once Wang Meili is taken away, who knows when they might see each other again.

Ten minutes later, Wang Meili brought out a fragrant dish of braised ribs.

“Ya, come out and eat.”

Wang Meili’s daughter emerged from her room, eyes swollen.

Clearly, she had just been crying.

Wang Meili served her daughter a bowl of rice, “Ya, stay home and I’ve called grandpa. He and grandma will be here tomorrow.”

“You must study hard, understood?”

“Don’t let mom down.”

“Mom…”

Daughter Ya’s tears flowed uncontrollably; Wang Meili raised a finger, “Remember what I’ve said, promise me, understand!”

Ya nodded, “I will… I understand!”

Then Wang Meili changed her clothes and left with the police, seemingly having anticipated her arrest.

In the interrogation room, she cooperated seamlessly with the police questioning.

“Zhang Chao… I killed him, his body is buried under the kumquat tree in our bedroom.”