fourth person

　　"Based on my speculation, someone must have suddenly visited at that time, and William hid in the closet to avoid being discovered by that person.

　　Note that the visitor I'm referring to is not Ethan," Benjamin reminded intentionally.

　　"Something must have happened later, and it's very likely that this person had a dispute with Sophia.

　　This person is the fourth person we're looking for." At this point, he looked at Emma.

　　"Do you remember what the deceased said after you examined her? You said she was attacked by two people." "Yes, according to the injuries on the deceased's body, she was attacked by two people before she died." Emma remembered this, and the wounds on the deceased's body were the best evidence.

　　Benjamin asked James, "The DNA flakes found under the deceased's fingernails were from only one person, right?" "Yes," James nodded.

　　Benjamin continued, "Based on these deductions, Sophia fiercely resisted the first person she encountered, which is why her fingernails had DNA flakes.

　　If I'm not mistaken, what William witnessed was this dispute.

　　The reason he didn't intervene may be because he thought he didn't need to go out since Sophia could handle it alone.

　　Unexpectedly, Sophia suddenly fell down and hit the edge of the tea table, causing severe head injury and bleeding.

　　She must have fainted at that time, while the person she had the dispute with thought she was dead.

　　In panic, they fled the scene without realizing that they left behind their crime evidence, which was witnessed by someone who saw the entire incident." James nodded, thinking that Benjamin's analysis was impeccable.

　　"Are you saying that William saw what the fourth person looked like?" "Exactly.

　　Also, if I'm not mistaken, this fourth person is female," Benjamin said.

　　"Why?" Emma asked.

　　While she could understand everything Benjamin said, she couldn't determine the gender of this fourth person.

　　"If it was a man, do you think William would hide in the closet and let Sophia face them alone?" Benjamin asked in return.

　　Emma looked at Benjamin in astonishment.

　　The reason was so simple.

　　Because this fourth person was female, William believed that Sophia wouldn't be at a disadvantage and could handle it alone.

　　"But why didn't William mention all of this?"

　　"James furrowed his brow, suspecting that there was more to the case due to William's uncooperative attitude.

　　'Only he knows,' Benjamin said.

　　'Damn it,' James cursed, 'I'll make him talk and tell me who the fourth person is!' 'Hold on,' Benjamin stopped James, 'how do you plan to make him talk, by using torture?' 'Then what do you suggest?' 'First, we need to find something.' 'What is it?' 'A pair of shoes.' 'The sneakers that William wore?' 'Yes.

　　If we can find those sneakers, we can prove that William was indeed in the wardrobe at that time, and then making him talk won't be a problem.' 'Oh my god, where are we going to find those sneakers? If he took them off, he must have hidden or thrown them away.

　　Besides himself, I'm afraid no one knows,' James exclaimed.

　　'Let's check his grandfather's house, there may be some outcome.' James looked at Benjamin suspiciously, as if he couldn't possibly know everything.

　　James sent someone to William's grandfather's house and quickly received news.

　　They found a pair of sneakers there that matched the footprints in the wardrobe.

　　'This is amazing!' James exclaimed to Benjamin, 'How did you know the sneakers were at his grandfather's house?' Benjamin said, 'Actually, it's quite simple.

　　First, William grew up in poor living conditions, which made him develop a frugal habit.

　　It's impossible for him to casually throw away a pair of shoes that are still wearable.

　　Second, he and Sophia did extort some money from Ethan, but that money must still be in Sophia's hands.

　　He doesn't have any money himself, so he's even less likely to throw away his own shoes.

　　Finally, the first place he went after Sophia's death was his grandfather's house.

　　Apart from there, he couldn't have hidden the shoes anywhere else.' 'I really admire you!' James impulsively wanted to hug and kiss Benjamin, in his eyes Benjamin was simply a genius who could think of everything.

　　'Now we don't have to worry about that kid staying silent!' William's sneakers were quickly brought to the police station, and James specifically sent them to the technical department for identification.

　　Only after confirming that they matched perfectly with the shoe imprint in the deceased's wardrobe did he have someone bring William over.

　　During the time they waited for William to arrive, Benjamin picked up the sneakers, looked at them, and carefully inspected them.

　　A barely perceptible smile flashed across his face, then he put the sneakers back in their original place.

　　When William saw Benjamin and the other three again, he felt scared, like a mouse awaiting judgment in front of a cat.

　　He timidly asked, 'Are you going to charge me? It was Sophia who forced me to extort Ethan, and she has all the money.

　　I didn't take a single penny.

　　I've already confessed everything, can you go easy on me?'"

　　"James stared at William's shoes and said, 'These shoes are very beautiful.' As soon as the topic of his shoes came up, William's face showed a complicated expression and he relaxed a bit.

　　'These shoes are from a famous brand and worth several hundred yuan!' 'How much is your monthly salary?' James suddenly asked.

　　William was a bit puzzled by James' question and hesitated for a moment before honestly replying, 'A little over a thousand.' 'You only earn a little over a thousand yuan a month, yet you spent several hundred yuan on a pair of leather shoes.

　　It seems like you think highly of yourself,' James remarked sarcastically.

　　'I have never worn such expensive shoes, they must be very comfortable,' he continued.

　　A hint of shame flashed across William's face as he lowered his head and said, 'They were given to me by a friend.' 'Which friend? Such generosity, can you introduce me to them?' James asked.

　　'It's Bai...

　　Sophia.' William's head lowered even further.

　　He felt like he was living off a woman, and to make matters worse, this woman was now dead.

　　'Why did she give you such a valuable gift?' James asked, looking at William with a serious expression, starting an official interrogation.

　　'She said my shoes were not presentable, and a man should at least have a pair of shoes that can be worn outside,' William explained.

　　'She gave me this pair of shoes a month ago, but I had never been willing to wear them before.' 'Then why did you put them on now?' 'I...' 'I heard that you always used to wear sneakers?' 'Yes.' 'We found a sneaker mark in Sophia's closet.' 'I...

　　I don't know,' William nervously trembled, his head hanging low, sweat dripping from his forehead, his eyes devoid of life as he stared at the ground.

　　'Do you recognize these shoes?' James took out the pair of sneakers and placed them on the table.

　　They emanated a strong odor, but he didn't mind, as they were crucial evidence.

　　When William looked up and saw his sneakers, his face turned pale.

　　He had hidden them so well, how could they be here? 'How did you find it?' 'It wasn't difficult to find.

　　Nothing can escape our police force!' James stared at William with sharp eyes.

　　'Our technician has already confirmed that the sneaker mark in Sophia's closet matches these sneakers.

　　William, do you have anything else to say now?' 'I...

　　I have nothing to say,' William lowered his head again.

　　James had completely dominated William in his presence.

　　'According to our investigation, Sophia had a bit of an obsession with cleanliness, there is no way she would have allowed a sneaker mark in her closet.

　　It would have risked Ethan discovering your relationship.

　　Therefore, the mark was left shortly before she died.

　　Tell me, why were you hiding in the closet at that time? What did you see?' 'I...' William recalled the scene at that time, and his body involuntarily trembled.

　　'William, you better confess honestly.

　　This is your chance to demonstrate your merits!' James said firmly."