Chapter Seventy-Five: The Left Hand

Thank you to Hexi 2170 for the reward, and thanks to all the brothers for your support!

"Qiu, what are you doing here? You're not a police officer..." Ke Fen tried to stop Qiu Fengyu from entering the cordoned area, but Qiu Fengyu lifted the tape and walked right in.

"Who's the unlucky one?" Qiu Fengyu chuckled.

Ke Fen was helpless in the face of Qiu Fengyu's somewhat shameless behavior; she could only shrug and let him be. She walked beneath the large screen, surveyed the scene, and left two people guarding the perimeter to keep others out.

"Ray Breslin," Ke Fen shook her head. "Honest men always get the worst luck."

The one hit was Ray Breslin, the watchmaker. This fellow really was out of luck; the bullet ricocheted and struck his shoulder, likely shattering his scapula. No one knows whose bullet it was; even after analyzing the rounds and trajectories, the place was chaotic at the time, and only heaven knows who fired the shot.

Well, this guy was undeniably unlucky.

Just as Ke Fen said, Breslin was not someone skilled at dealing with others. His temperament was rather meek. He had intended to leave during the commotion, but was pushed around and ultimately struck by a bullet.

With nothing better to do, Qiu Fengyu found a step to sit on and watched Ke Fen deal with the situation.

It was not a complicated matter. After finishing up, Ke Fen left two officers to guard the scene, got into her car, and prepared to leave. As she turned the car around, she suddenly spotted Qiu Fengyu sitting on the steps.

She had thought Qiu Fengyu was just here for the spectacle and would soon leave, but to her surprise, he remained. She glared and said, "Still planning to follow me to the station?"

Qiu Fengyu walked over with a smile, leaned on the car window, and asked, "How do you plan to handle this case? Is this poor fellow just going to be shot for nothing?"

"You're not a cop!" Ke Fen replied irritably, then stepped on the gas and drove off.

Qiu Fengyu smiled, wandered around the scene once more. The two officers recognized him. They respected him greatly, and as soon as he approached, they greeted him. They didn't stop him from wandering around, thinking he had Ke Fen's permission. They even pointed him to where Breslin had fallen.

Qiu Fengyu observed the spot where Ray Breslin had collapsed, wandered a bit more, then bid the officers farewell and leisurely headed home.

Late at night, Tim returned from school, dropped off by a classmate. He got out at Qiu Fengyu's noodle shop, waved goodbye, and entered.

Qiu Fengyu was drinking on the rooftop.

Tim found him, grabbed a can of beer, and sat beside him.

"Go crash at Britt's place," Qiu Fengyu took a swig.

"I called him, but tonight I'm staying here," Tim grinned. "I want to calm myself down."

Qiu Fengyu nodded, saying nothing more, raising his beer can in a toast to Tim.

Tim clinked his can with Qiu Fengyu's, laughing, "You're not stopping me from drinking? That's terrible guardianship!"

"I'm not your guardian. I don't worry about things like that!"

After a can each, Tim went down and brought up two more. He popped the tab and handed one to Qiu Fengyu, opened another for himself, and they toasted again.

"Hey, still unsettled?" Qiu Fengyu nudged Tim.

Tim shook his head, then looked at Qiu Fengyu. "How did you feel the first time you killed someone?"

"Not much," Qiu Fengyu gulped his beer and exhaled. "But... killing different people, in different ways, feels different."

"Were you afraid?"

"No, quite excited!" Qiu Fengyu shook his head, smiling at Tim.

"Hey, that's how I felt too," Tim laughed.

They fell silent, just drinking, until both were somewhat drunk.

Early the next morning, Qiu Fengyu woke up; Tim was already up. They went out for a run, as usual, and met Officer Ke Fen on the road. Tim, being sensible, sped ahead.

"Have you found out who did it?" Qiu Fengyu asked.

"No, no clues!" Ke Fen frowned, slowing her pace. "We narrowed it down based on the bullet, settled on ten people whose guns fit that caliber. Then, based on their movements that day, eliminated six. That leaves four—two of whom didn't bring their guns—so we're down to two!"

Apparently, Ke Fen had spent the night working hard, swiftly ruling out most suspects.

Qiu Fengyu smiled, "You really are a good captain."

"Hey, are you mocking me?" Ke Fen couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Since the suspect had not been identified, she still felt a bit uneasy.

Qiu Fengyu shook his head, laughing, "Actually, you're just a step away from finding the suspect. Just a bit more effort."

Ke Fen suddenly stopped, looking at Qiu Fengyu, her eyes shining. "You know?"

"You know, everyone's habits are formed naturally. Look at the angle of the bullet's trajectory. If you stand at a certain angle, the bullet could ricochet and still hit Breslin right here," Qiu Fengyu touched his own shoulder.

"Let's go check the scene!" Ke Fen was impatient.

"Now? No, it's not urgent. The answer is right there..."

Ke Fen gritted her teeth, but ultimately followed Qiu Fengyu's advice. They finished their run, showered, and afterward, Ke Fen could hardly wait to return to the scene.

The wall struck by the bullet was still there, the crater visible. The angle of the bullet's entry could be discerned, so Ke Fen insisted Qiu Fengyu accompany her.

Qiu Fengyu watched with a smile as Ke Fen compared angles again and again.

"There is an angle, but... what's the difference?"

Ke Fen felt her mind wasn't quite up to the task and looked up at Qiu Fengyu.

Qiu Fengyu shrugged, and after a glare from Ke Fen, he smiled and beckoned her over with his finger. Ke Fen walked over, expectant.

"Give me your pistol!"

"What?" Ke Fen was startled, unconsciously stepping back.

"I said give me your sidearm. I can demonstrate!" Qiu Fengyu winked at her.

Ke Fen, though puzzled, handed over her pistol, choosing to trust him.

Qiu Fengyu fired a shot with a bang, startling Ke Fen. Just as she was about to yell at him, he fired another.

"Damn it, what are you doing?" Ke Fen scolded, quickly snatching her pistol back.

"Everyone has their own shooting habit..."

"You've already said that. What's the difference between your shooting and theirs?" Ke Fen complained.

"Of course. Did you notice the details just now? I used two different hands to shoot." Qiu Fengyu grinned. "If you habitually use different hands, it will create different angles. So... among your remaining suspects, whoever habitually shoots left-handed—that's your culprit!"

Ke Fen's mouth hung open.

"Alright, officer, can I go back to prepare my ramen?" Qiu Fengyu said, clapping twice, and strode toward his noodle shop, not caring whether Ke Fen agreed.

Ke Fen was deep in analysis; once Qiu Fengyu was gone, she realized he'd left, but her mind was elsewhere. She hurried into her car, started it, and sped to the precinct.

She reanalyzed the ballistics, and summoned the two remaining suspects again.

"Hey, Officer Ke Fen, I told you, it wasn't me!" One of the two, clearly disgruntled, shouted at Ke Fen.

"Alright, gentlemen, show me your hands," Ke Fen silenced him, looked, and walked over to the other man. He said little, but stared at Ke Fen without blinking.

"Darren Hobson... Looks like you've got plenty of experience with firearms," Ke Fen said, noticing his left hand, then smiled.

"Yes, I admit I fired last night, but that doesn't prove anything..." Darren Hobson shrugged indifferently.

"So, you habitually shoot left-handed!"

"So what? Is there a law saying cowboys must shoot right-handed?" Darren Hobson looked at Ke Fen, but sensed something was off.

"Alright, now I have evidence that you fired the shot that injured Breslin. The court's arrest warrant will be here soon, but until then, we'll hold you as a suspect—twenty-four hours!" Ke Fen smiled triumphantly.