Resumo do episódio 13 de The Truth
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Police successfully located the suspected vehicle, which traffic police had recovered a week prior, finding it stuck in a drainage ditch leading from Sishui River to the city. It was believed the driver had inadvertently veered off the road in the dark and then abandoned the car after its fuel tank ran empty. Forensic investigators discovered cosmetic smudges and long strands of hair on the trunk lining, which they collected for testing.
The accidental ditching of the car meant the perpetrator likely hadn't had time for a thorough cleaning, suggesting that further evidence could be found. Indeed, a magnetic car camera was found in the passenger seat, which Ye Qian believed had fallen off when the vehicle jolted. Subsequent analysis confirmed that the tire wear patterns on the car matched the marks found at the riverside dump site, and a dent on the car's rear aligned with surveillance footage.
The cosmetic residue and hair in the trunk were identified as belonging to the victim, Zhan Qiuman. Moreover, short-acting insulin was found in the car. DNA from sweat on the steering wheel was collected, which matched other DNA evidence, and the suspect seen in the camera footage was described as thin and sweating. This vehicle was registered to Wang Meng's company, who had assigned it to Zhan Qiuman for her use.
Police determined that the individual who drove the car was likely unaware of the hidden camera and was not an employee of Wang Meng's company. The footage showing the suspect moving the body indicated the primary crime scene was nearby, possibly a residential complex parking lot. Through painstaking enhancement, the name "Hexie Jiayuan" was identified from the video.
Upon arrival at Hexie Jiayuan, the property management confirmed that the man in question was a tenant, but the apartment had been leased by Pang Xianglan. She quickly arrived, revealing she had rented the unit for her brother, Pang Xinghua. Upon entering the apartment, she was horrified to discover her brother dead. Initial police investigation into Pang Xinghua's death revealed he suffered from severe diabetes but had continued to consume sweets and alcohol, leading to speculation of suicide.
His death was estimated to have occurred at least three days prior, likely the day after Zhan Qiuman's body was dumped, with the air conditioning having delayed decomposition. Pang Xinghua's DNA matched the DNA found under Zhan Qiuman's fingernails, and defensive wounds were present on his body.
Signs of a struggle were evident in his apartment; Zhan Qiuman's bag was found under the sofa, and the shape of her head wound perfectly aligned with the edge of the end table in his living room, suggesting his apartment was the primary crime scene. Pang Xinghua's computer showed frequent logins to overseas gambling websites, and his phone contained numerous debt collection calls and messages from online loan companies, with repayment deadlines from a week earlier.
This circumstantial evidence led investigators to conclude that Pang Xinghua had murdered Zhan Qiuman for money. His cause of death was determined to be ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes with a low mortality rate if treated promptly. The short-acting insulin found in the car meant he required multiple daily injections to manage his condition.
The approximately six hours he spent moving and dumping the body, coupled with strenuous activity and intense psychological stress, without medication, was extremely dangerous for someone with a disrupted endocrine system. No other medication was found in his home. Surveillance footage showed Pang Xinghua returning home near dawn, his mode of transport unknown, and he did not leave again. Pang Xianglan visited him a few hours later but stayed only briefly.
During an interrogation, Leng Qiming questioned Pang Xianglan about her brother's repeated calls to her the night of the crime, which she hadn't answered, claiming her phone was dead. She said when she finally spoke to him at 5 AM the next morning after charging her phone, she just asked if something was wrong and if he had taken his medicine.
Leng Qiming noted that a normal person would immediately call back a family member after so many missed calls, fearing an emergency. Footage from the night before the murder showed Pang Xianglan leaving her brother's apartment visibly agitated. She admitted to arguing with him about money, as his gambling debts were due, and he was pressuring her for funds again. She had told him she couldn't help, which led to a fight, and she left in anger.
She explained that Pang Xinghua frequently used her phone number for loans, and she had always repaid his debts in the past. This time, however, she couldn't, as her club income barely covered her own expenses, and she had exhausted all sources of borrowing from friends, colleagues, and clients, feeling too ashamed to ask again.
Pang Xianglan confirmed she knew Zhan Qiuman, as they were from the same hometown, and believed her brother might have learned about Zhan Qiuman's financial situation through casual conversation. That night, Dan Qing arranged a date with Ye Qian, which he approached with guarded skepticism. Si Yuanlong, teasing Ye Qian about Dan Qing's invitation to a theme park, suggested he reciprocate her interest. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Leng Qiming accompanied his father for a follow-up check-up.
His father, exhibiting signs of severe memory and cognitive impairment, along with hallucinations and aggressive behavior, wandered off. Leng Qiming frantically searched for him, eventually finding him sitting alone outside an operating room, repeating, "Who am I?" Leng Qiming gently reassured his father that he was his son. A doctor informed Leng Qiming that his father's symptoms indicated a progression of his disease, suggesting further tests including an MRI.
However, given his father's remaining self-care abilities and non-persistent aggressive behavior, hospitalization was deemed unnecessary at this stage due to limited beds, with home care being encouraged for its stable and comforting environment. Dan Qing and Ye Qian visited an amusement park, a place Dan Qing remembered from her childhood and where she still enjoyed collecting commemorative stamps. She recalled wanting to ride the Ferris wheel as a child, a wish Ye Qian now fulfilled.
As they ascended, Dan Qing offered him water. Ye Qian, with lingering suspicion, wondered if it was drugged, but chose to drink it, then asked her about her experiences over the years. In another development, Jiao Lei’s pet dog tragically died after accidentally ingesting rat poison, leaving Jing heartbroken. Jiao Lei launched an investigation into the poison's source.
Neighbors reported similar incidents in their community and others, despite the local authorities no longer deploying rat poison due to concerns about children accidentally eating it. Jiao Lei noted that while such incidents were usually classified as public security cases resulting in fines, the recurring nature raised questions about deliberate acts, especially given recent severe incidents involving dogs, including a child's death from a rabid dog bite. Meanwhile, Leng Qiming continued to investigate Zhan Qiuman's case.
He learned that Pang Xianglan had abruptly resigned from her job, vacated her rented apartment without taking her belongings, and only left with her car. Surveillance footage showed her car parked for an hour and a half on a small road outside Hexie Jiayuan the day Pang Xinghua died; she neither exited the vehicle nor made any calls.
Leng Qiming contacted Pang Xianglan while she was driving out of Yunxi, having just received a threatening debt collection call which she firmly rejected. Leng Qiming revealed that he knew she had used Pang Xinghua's electronic health insurance card to obtain insulin from the hospital on the day of his death. He pressed her about what she was thinking during those 90 minutes in her car while her brother slowly died.
Pang Xianglan initially denied her brother had confessed to the murder, even though he had confessed to her earlier that day, and maintained she believed he was faking his illness when they met.
She admitted to buying the medicine but claimed she didn't take it upstairs because she was still furious from their argument and didn't believe he was truly out of medicine, when in truth she had decided to abandon him and deliberately delayed going upstairs, allowing her brother to die. She expressed profound regret for failing her brother and their parents' trust, and for Zhan Qiuman, stating she would apologize in the afterlife.
Leng Qiming challenged her, asking if she truly wasn't sad about her brother's death and if she believed she could find an easy life free of burden. Pang Xianglan replied that she wanted to try. The conversation triggered a flashback to Pang Xinghua’s confession to Pang Xianglan. He was drinking and unwell, begging her for help, saying he had killed "Xiao Man." He explained he had urgently borrowed money from her, and in a panic, pushed her, causing her death.
He then admitted to driving her car and dumping her in the river because her phone was off, adding that he had tried to call Pang Xianglan but she didn't answer. Pang Xianglan, rushing out for medicine, was torn by an inner monologue: if he didn't get the shot, he would die; if he did, she would die with him.
Her inner voice scorned him as a parasite, a cash machine, questioning her parents' dying wish for her to care for him. She wrestled with the thought of watching him die versus the years of being dragged down by his endless troubles. She bitterly asked herself why she, who diligently worked and supported their parents, was constantly exploited, while they cherished him until their last breath. She wondered if she didn't hate him, if she hadn't considered escaping his burden, or even killing him. Despite her internal turmoil, she repeatedly stated, "He's my brother."
