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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 91: The Mystery of the Deep Alley (Part Six)
The foam on the deceased's head became rich, and the murky bubbles were quickly washed away. After applying Jasmine Shampoo for the second time, the foam was now white and clean, and her long hair hung down, faintly glimmering. Both Qin Jian and I focused intently on the Young Female Mortician as she washed the deceased's hair when suddenly, my hand was gripped by something icy. I looked down to see the once vacant eyes of the deceased now wide open. Her lips moved slightly: "Why aren't you helping me?"
I was startled!
Although I had seen countless dead bodies and had even prepared them myself, this was the first time I was so shocked that my scalp tingled. Instinctively, I jumped to one side.
My reaction startled everyone.
"What’s wrong with you?" I instinctively rubbed my still-cold wrist and stepped back from the Coroner's Van, feeling uneasy as I said, "It's nothing."
"Please be quiet and respect the deceased."
I felt embarrassed; the young Embalmer was diligently attending to the deceased, while I, as a Mortician, had been startled by her. However, it truly was a terrifying moment; anyone else might have bolted out of the room.
Once her hair was washed, the young female Embalmer used a hairdryer to dry it. The remaining tasks were our responsibility. She removed her mask in front of us, her expression frighteningly serious. At that moment, I was astonished to realize that this young Embalmer bore an uncanny resemblance to Mi.
It was as if they were carved from the same mold; every feature, from her eyes to her eyebrows, and even her gestures were strikingly similar to Mi's.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Han Lan."
"Han Lan, Han Mi's cousin."
Han Lan did not respond to my words but maintained her serious demeanor and said earnestly, "Alright, I won't delay your work." As she walked out, I stood there dazedly staring at the doorway.
"Ma Qi, what's wrong with you? Get back to work." Qin Jian called out, snapping me back to reality. I saw him and the female forensic doctor conducting a series of examinations on the deceased. If necessary, they would perform an autopsy. In rural areas, many people are reluctant to allow autopsies on their loved ones; such actions often lead to a body being unrecognizable.
That is a foolish and ignorant belief; it is precisely this kind of ignorance that results in countless unsolved cases.
The female forensic doctor was an experienced veteran; she discovered that the deceased had received an IV not long before death and noted needle marks on her arms, hands, and buttocks. At this point, it seemed appropriate for me to speak up. I blurted out, "I know her."
Qin Jian and Du Zhen, the Female Forensic Doctor, froze.
"It’s like this: this woman was hospitalized at Sixth People's Hospital. I met her there but we didn’t talk much. Then she went to Taling; I bought fruit from her stall on Fruit Street that night."
"Right, the deceased's family has been in the fruit business for many years and they have never had children. It is said that when she fell ill, her family refused to sign for treatment and forced her discharge."
Qin Jian was indeed thorough, a trait that came from his background as a criminal investigator. He noticed details I had overlooked.
"Does this have anything to do with her cause of death? How do the family members view this matter?" I stood aside, watching Du Zhen meticulously examine the deceased's body, checking every part—her soles, armpits, even the roots of her hair.
"The family is quite calm; they haven't shown any particular signs of grief. They didn't come to the funeral home today," Qin Jian replied. Noticing Du Zhen remained silent while pressing on the deceased's abdomen, I saw a small rash on her belly.
The cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrest.
Witnesses reported seeing the deceased enter the wrong restroom. They thought it smelled bad and rarely saw anyone there, so they didn’t intervene. When other vendors finished packing up, she still hadn’t come out, prompting them to look for her, only to discover she was already dead.
The autopsy confirmed cardiac arrest, compounded by respiratory distress leading to asphyxiation.
"Do you suspect potassium cyanide?"
"It’s not just a suspicion; this is a classic case of potassium cyanide poisoning. The toxin accumulates over time, which explains the rash."
"Could her husband have harmed her?"
I raised the question, and Qin Jian exchanged a glance with Du Zhen, both appearing helpless. "That would require evidence."
"The deceased's eating habits and drinking utensils can be examined, right?"
"We've already done that. After discovering her body, we thoroughly checked her stall and storage area. The water cup was spotless; she refused medication and didn’t carry any with her. Moreover, there's a crucial point: her husband didn’t agree to let her run the stall; she insisted on coming out herself, and this time it led to tragedy."
"Alright then! Since it's confirmed as potassium cyanide poisoning, is an autopsy still necessary?"
"As for the autopsy, her in-laws are indifferent while her family disagrees."
What did it mean that her in-laws were indifferent but her family opposed? If Zheng Kai had thoughts of murdering Bao Hui, he would surely employ various methods. Yet no matter how casually he approached it, he couldn't avoid leaving traces behind. As the saying goes: if you’ve done something wrong, you’ll fear the ghost knocking at your door at midnight.
Wasn't Bao Hui's in-law family Zheng Kai? He seemed unconcerned about the autopsy of the deceased; indifference meant he was either uninvolved or completely confident that no matter what happened—be it an autopsy or otherwise—even if Bao Hui’s death was linked to him, we wouldn’t find any clues.
The body was covered again and remained stored in the funeral home. As Qin Jian, Du Zhen, and I stepped outside, we spotted Han Lan.
She walked briskly toward the exit.
Was it already time to clock out? I glanced at my watch and realized it was indeed quitting time.
Hearing Qin Jian invite Du Zhen to "have lunch together," my eyes followed Han Lan until she walked out of sight before I pulled my gaze away.
"I'll skip lunch; I need to go back to the dorm and rest a bit," the forensic expert Du Zhen said. It made sense; she had just left the body, and facing a table full of delicacies right after would be hard for anyone. Du Zhen drove here, and as I watched her take her car and leave the morgue, Qin Jian and I also headed to a nice diner. Faced with delicious food, we both smiled casually, picked up our knives and forks, and dug in without hesitation.
After finishing our meal, Qin Jian wanted to visit the deceased's home.
As his partner, I naturally followed him.
The deceased's home was not far from Fruit Street, just five blocks away. The deceased's husband lived in a residential area that was about to be demolished. At the entrance of the area, people were coming and going—dog walkers, cyclists, strollers, and shoppers were all around.
Upon entering the area, a temporary mourning hall came into view. Rather than a hall, it resembled a rectangular shed constructed entirely of horizontal plastic sheets. Inside the shed was very quiet, with a portrait of the deceased hanging at the highest point.
A well-dressed man with a bright demeanor and a smile was handing out cigarettes to the workers setting up the shed. To my surprise, he looked quite plump. He had a bag slung over one shoulder, wore a suit, and was tied with a tie, exuding an air of authority as he directed things on-site.
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