Chapter Three: A Subtle Time Lag

Zhang Hao stood in the center of the study, his gaze fixed intently on the shattered wall clock, a surge of unprecedented excitement and urgency welling up within him. He knew that this seemingly ordinary clock might well conceal the key clue to unraveling the entire mystery of the case. As a detective, he was acutely aware that details determined the outcome, and the clock before him was precisely one of those overlooked yet crucial details.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Hao began his work. He carefully gathered the fragments of the clock, inspecting each piece with meticulous attention, searching for any trace of a clue. He noticed that although the hands of the clock had stopped moving, their position and direction hinted at something unusual. He surmised that the clock had likely been struck by some external force at the time of the incident, causing it to stop suddenly and shatter. This impact, he reasoned, was very likely directly connected to the crime itself.

To test his hypothesis, Zhang Hao resolved to use his expertise to reconstruct the clock’s mechanism. He knew this would not be easy, as the clock was broken and there were no diagrams to consult. Undeterred, he relied on his profound understanding of mechanical principles and his keen sense of time to begin piecing the fragments together.

The process was fraught with difficulties. The shattered pieces were numerous and varied in size; some were severely warped or damaged. Yet, with patience and perseverance, Zhang Hao steadily overcame these obstacles. He continually adjusted the position and orientation of the fragments, attempting to reassemble them into a functioning whole. After hours of effort, he finally managed to restore the general shape of the clock. Though not completely as it was, it was enough for him to discern its operational trajectory.

Next, Zhang Hao turned his attention to the surveillance footage within the villa. He knew the recordings were incomplete and the images blurry, but they might still contain subtle hints. He scrutinized the footage from before and after the incident, searching for any clues related to the clock. The footage’s gaps and poor quality frustrated him, forcing him to expend even more time and energy sifting through each detail.

Just as Zhang Hao was on the verge of giving up, he suddenly noticed a subtle discrepancy in timing. In the footage, he picked up on an almost imperceptible detail: a brief flicker of the study’s lights a few minutes before the crime occurred. Although fleeting and easily missed, Zhang Hao’s keen perception caught it. He immediately realized that this timing anomaly might be directly connected to the moment the clock stopped.

To verify his theory, Zhang Hao compared the reconstructed operation of the clock with the timeline in the surveillance footage. He discovered that the very instant the lights flickered, the clock’s hands abruptly ceased moving—precisely coinciding with the time of the crime. This revelation thrilled him; he knew he had found the key clue to the mystery.

Yet this was only the beginning. Zhang Hao understood that identifying the true culprit would require further analysis and deduction. He began cross-referencing the suspects’ statements with the surveillance footage. He meticulously examined the movements and timelines of each suspect before and after the incident, seeking any suspicious behavior that matched the moment the clock stopped.

After considerable effort, Zhang Hao finally uncovered a significant anomaly. He noticed that in the minutes leading up to the crime, one suspect had briefly left the banquet hall and entered the study. The suspect’s departure and return coincided precisely with the clock’s cessation and the time of the incident. More importantly, upon leaving the study, the suspect appeared visibly flustered and behaved abnormally, deepening Zhang Hao’s suspicions.

To confirm his theory, Zhang Hao decided to conduct a thorough investigation into this suspect. By examining the suspect’s background, social connections, and phone records before and after the crime, he gradually pieced together a complete account of the crime. He discovered that the suspect harbored a deep-seated conflict and unresolved interests with Mr. Li, which led to murderous intent. Taking advantage of the chaos during the banquet, the suspect slipped into the study to commit the murder, and swiftly fled the scene afterward.