China's Bo Tried Blocking Wife's Murder Probe: Report

Soap operas have nothing on the unfolding saga of ousted Chongqing boss Bo Xilai. The latest revelation in the saga: Bo's downfall was triggered when his police chief, Wang Lijun, came to him with evidence that his wife had murdered British lover Neil Heywood. Bo originally agreed to let Wang investigate, but abruptly changed his mind two or three days later, demoting Wang in an attempt to sweep things under the rug, sources tell Reuters.

At first Bo was "shocked and outraged," and vowed to "seriously punish his wife," sources say. But later, he "saw what a threat the case was," and deposed Wang. That led to Wang seeking US asylum, which led to Bo losing his job. Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, has since been detained as a suspect, but this weekend reports surfaced that it was Bo himself who ordered Heywood killed,either because he was going to help Gu sneak $1.26 billion out of the country, or expose her plan to do so. (More Bo Xilai stories.)