Miss Forensics – Chapter 26

Human Heart

Song Yuhang rushed downstairs, weaving through the crowd of onlookers, looking around in all directions, yet still coming up empty-handed. Soon, she was surrounded by reporters.

“Officer, officer, can you say a few words?”

“Team Leader Song, what are you searching for?” Duan Cheng leaned his head out of the car window to observe her.

Shaking off her distraction, Song Yuhang shook her head and used her fingers to pry the car door open before hopping inside, leaving the annoying reporters locked outside.

“Let’s go, back to the police headquarters.”

Separated by a river, Jiangcheng City demarcates its eastern and western districts. In the East City District, skyscrapers and buildings shoot up from the ground, wide roads and comprehensive landscaping are in place. Even the greenery along the streets is scattered yet uniform in height. This is where the City Hall, Public Security Bureau, Prosecution Office, and other functional institutions are located, making it a playground for the affluent.

The majority of the West City District comprises the city’s original inhabitants. Situated by the river and nestled against the mountains, it boasts an excellent geographical position. Coinciding with the tide of economic reforms and openness, property prices have soared relentlessly. Some original residents are unwilling to move, while others are eager to capitalize on high prices, pulling the wool over the government’s eyes. The City Government has initiated numerous bidding projects, but developers are repeatedly dissuaded by the sky-high prices demanded by the defiant residents. Consequently, amidst the rapidly changing economic landscape, it appears as though a piece of rat droppings embedded in the gem that is Jiangcheng City, impossible to erase no matter how hard one scrubs.

The alleys are narrow and low, and the sky overhead is segmented by a web of electrical wires.

The ground is uneven and pitted, with people squatting in the water channels washing clothes. Elderly men riding bicycles jingle their bells, creating a melodic ring.

With such road conditions, the cars of the Criminal Investigation Team move no faster than snails, if not slower.

Lin Yan leaned against the back of the chair, her complexion turning pale. “Could you drive faster?”

“This is already the fastest we can go. Once we pass that alley entrance up ahead, we’ll be fine,” Duan Cheng said, gently pressing the brakes to navigate around an approaching electric scooter.

Song Yuhang glanced back at her, but half of Lin Yan’s face was hidden in shadows, making it difficult to read her expression. With the car filled with people, she didn’t feel comfortable asking directly, so she bit her lip and refrained from inquiring.

Upon their shaky return to the police station, the car door opened, and Lin Yan was the first to rush out, leaning against the wall and retching. It was all just sour bile from an empty stomach in the morning.

A few inquisitive female colleagues whispered behind her, “Is she pregnant? Her personal life is so messy. Who’s the unlucky one…”

“Shh, lower your voice, don’t let her hear.”

Song Yuhang furrowed her brows slightly. She intended to approach and offer Lin Yan some tissues, but before she could reach her, Lin Yan tilted her chin and straightened up. Her gaze was sharp, and even though she wasn’t wearing high heels, she commanded respect. Stepping in front of the person she wanted to address, she raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap across the face. Despite her attractive appearance, her expression was full of arrogance and dominance.

“Yes, you heard right. Call me ‘Mom’ right now.”

The young policewoman stomped her foot and hurried away, tears welling in her eyes.

Lin Yan threw her uniform jacket over her shoulder, slipped her hand into her pocket, and continued walking. Song Yuhang stood in her path, and as their shoulders brushed against each other, she reached out and caught her arm.

“Why go to such lengths?”

Lin Yan glanced at the hand on her arm and spoke with a nonchalant tone, “I don’t think Team Leader Song is a cop from Jiangcheng City but rather from the Pacific Ocean. Why does she feel the need to police everyone?”

“She was in the wrong initially, but with the constant flow of people at the police station entrance, you don’t have to… How will you continue to live your life in the future?”

Implicitly and explicitly, apart from calling her impulsive, there was a hint of protection towards the other person. Lin Yan felt an unexplained anger boiling within her. She forcefully shook off the hand on her arm.

“If we’re talking about living life, we’re all living it for the first time. Why should I have to endure it?” She turned her head and spat out vehemently, “Phew! If I hadn’t held back from tearing her mouth apart, that would’ve been fine. What’s it to you, Song Yuhang? Popping up here, acting all righteous and pompous in front of everyone, so fake!”

After finishing her words, she stepped away in her flats, carrying an aura as tall as the 1.8-meter high heels, and she promptly walked into the police station. This left Song Yuhang standing there, utterly perplexed.

“So inexplicable.”

Fang Xin glanced at her sympathetically and departed.

Duan Cheng patted her shoulder and also left.

Zheng Chengrui pushed his glasses up and remarked, “A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.”

Song Yuhang nodded in strong agreement and followed the others’ footsteps, muttering, “A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.”

******

Following strict procedures, even in cases of homicide, it’s typically necessary to first locate the deceased’s relatives before proceeding with the autopsy. However, given the current state of the body and the lack of evidence around the crime scene to establish the victim’s identity, the sole piece of paper with ink on it has been completely smudged and requires further technical restoration.

As a result, Lin Yan decided to perform the autopsy first. Physical characteristics of a body change over time and with temperature fluctuations. Every minute of delay takes us one step further from the truth.

She turned on the water tap and let water splash on her face, helping to dissipate some of the heat. Her hazy mind regained some clarity. Then, she washed her hands, sanitized them, put on protective clothing, and wore a mask. Fully geared up, she entered the autopsy room.

Even when dealing with an unnamed corpse, she maintained an appropriate level of respect. The surgical scalpel was held vertically in front of her chest, and she bowed her head for a moment of silence.

Duan Cheng activated the camera.

“On June 1st, 2008, at 1:45 PM, the deceased is unidentified. This is the first autopsy of the body, and it is commencing now.”

******

Training room.

A whiteboard, adorned with photos from the crime scene and details penned in black marker, was on display.

“Through interviews with eyewitnesses at the scene, we’ve learned that the suspect, Li Li, drove into the construction site around 4:55 AM last night. The vehicle went back and forth over the area in front of the building more than ten times. Around 5:30 AM, the construction site foreman, Liu Zhi, woke up and found the victim.”

“The victim was found already deceased, her body and neck crushed by the wheels. The body was extensively damaged, with a bloodstain area roughly 1.0×1.2 meters. The distribution showed a darker center with a lighter perimeter. From the on-site forensic investigation, we’ve established that the deceased was a young girl under the age of eighteen.”

“The skull exhibited comminuted fractures, and there were visible signs of vital reactions, consistent with the characteristics of a high fall injury.”

“Wait a moment—” Zhang Jinhai interrupted the investigator, “So are you saying the victim died from a fall, not being run over by the truck?”

“Yes.” Song Yuhang stood up and handed over a paper that had already dried inside an evidence bag. “This was found on the rooftop of the scene.”

The paper had dried, but the ink couldn’t be restored. After gazing at it for a while, all they could discern were the words “farewell letter.”

Zhang Jinhai removed his glasses. “If we’ve found a farewell letter, it’s highly likely it’s a suicide.”

“Not necessarily. Even though we didn’t discover any signs of a struggle on the rooftop, and no fingerprints or footprints from a second person were found, doubts still remain. She wasn’t even eighteen yet, at an age like a blooming flower. Why would she choose to end her life?”

No one wants a series of homicide cases happening in their jurisdiction one after another. This question furrowed Zhang Jinhai’s brow, and he managed to suppress his displeasure, turning to give instructions.

“Our top priority is to confirm the source of the body. Have there been any recent missing persons reports in our jurisdiction, especially involving minors?”

A detective opened his computer, took a glance, and stood up. “There are missing persons reports. One in the East District and two in the West City. However, they are all elderly individuals, and the ages don’t match.”

“What about the surveillance at the crime scene?” Song Yuhang directed her gaze toward Zheng Chengrui.

Zheng Chengrui tapped on the keyboard, inputting a code to bring up the layout of the entire street block. He turned back with a somewhat grim expression.

“The closest camera to the crime scene is over a hundred meters away.”

Green Building was one of the urban renewal projects in the West City area subsidized by the municipal government and contracted to Jianxin Corporation. Originally intended as a comprehensive, large-scale shopping center to attract major businesses, the difficulty of the project was evident from its six-story structure and the size of the area.

Even a space as small as a palm was designated as a parking lot. Of course, now it was just a pile of stones and construction debris. The incident occurred in front of the building, and the camera was on the parking lot side, separated by about one hundred and eighty meters. It couldn’t even capture a fleeting shadow.

DNA comparisons, bloodstain analysis, fingerprint matching, and even the autopsy required time, causing the case to be at a standstill.

Supporting her chin with her hand, Song Yuhang always felt that something wasn’t right. She wished this was a straightforward suicide case, but considering it involved a minor, caution and meticulous investigation were crucial. Even in a suicide, there had to be a reason.

Her gaze landed on the paper in front of her. This was the only clue they had for now. She extended her arm and picked it up again, carefully examining it.

The paper was plain and ordinary, without any distinctive features.

Notebook paper?

A sudden spark of insight flashed in her mind. She turned the palm-sized paper over and took a flashlight out of her pocket to examine it closely against the light.

Ink could easily smudge, but what if the characters were printed using lead type?

In Jiangcheng City, various primary and secondary schools distributed notebooks to students at the beginning of the school year. To differentiate themselves from other school districts, they often printed their school name and logo on the cover.

At last, fortune favored the prepared mind. Song Yuhang read aloud the small text, “Yu… Yu what?”

The remainder of the text was no longer legible.

“Immediately contact all primary and secondary schools in Jiangcheng City with names starting with the character ‘Yu,’ including high schools. Ask if there are any students who haven’t attended school today.”

“Alright.” One of the detectives quickly left to make a phone call.

As discussions here intensified, the process of the autopsy also became more intense.

The body was so damaged that it was unrecognizable. Many crucial autopsy procedures couldn’t be performed. They spent a considerable amount of time reconstructing the general skeletal structure, placing cranial bones, scapulae, clavicles, tibiae, femurs, and other bones on the autopsy table according to their categories.

Lin Yan, wearing gloves and a mask, used a flexible measuring tape to gather data, while Duan Cheng was responsible for recording the measurements on a whiteboard.

He was still in the middle of his calculations, “Uh… the approximate height is…”

Lin Yan had already mentally calculated the results using regression equations. “2.30 × maximum femur length of 40 cm, 64.38 ± 3.48 (cm) equals 159.86 cm. However, due to the extensive femur damage, the maximum deviation is around 3 cm.”

“Clatter—” The pen in Duan Cheng’s hand fell to the ground, and he looked at her in shock.

Lin Yan snapped in irritation, “Why are you staring at me?! Keep calculating the tibia, fibula, humerus, ulna, radius, and then give me an average value!”

Once the basic bones were cleared, it was time to examine internal organs. Even the most resilient bones had been crushed beyond recognition, not to mention tissues and organs. It was a challenging task.

Nevertheless, Lin Yan persisted in searching for useful clues amidst the pile of indistinct flesh and blood. The autopsy room was kept cool, but the equipment was cumbersome. After standing for over two hours, her back started to ache, and her forehead glistened with beads of sweat. Her vision gradually began to blur.

The stark white light before her transformed into streaks, swirling around her in circles. Other individuals in white protective suits moved about, and she gradually lost track of their conversation.

Until someone behind her repeatedly called her name, “Forensic Doctor Lin, Forensic Doctor Lin…”

She shook her head, shaking off the dizziness, steadied herself against the autopsy table, and turned around, asking, “What’s the matter?”

“I’ve calculated it. The height is roughly around 160, with a margin of error of 3cm…” Duan Cheng said with excitement, but upon noticing that sweat had already soaked through her cap and her pale face was unsettling, he looked at her with concern.

“Are you… alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Yan turned away, clenched her lips, picked up the forceps, took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes again, her expression had regained clarity.

The organ tissues visible to the naked eye had been labeled and set aside for freezing. Lin Yan immersed herself in the pile of minced flesh, picking carefully. Suddenly, the forceps found a piece about the size of a fingernail, with tissue of a lighter color compared to the other fragments.

She held it up to the light and furrowed her brow tightly, “Bring me a glass slide.”

A transparent slide was handed to her, and she delicately picked up the piece with the forceps and placed it on the slide. Then, she uttered words that astonished everyone present.

“Perform an embryonic examination.”

Duan Cheng exclaimed with disgust, “Holy crap, this is way too sick and twisted!”

******

After coming out of the autopsy room, she crouched down and took a moment to catch her breath when she noticed that the corridor was empty. When someone approached, Lin Yan quickly stood up and began walking back to her office.

Finding no one around in the corridor, she crouched down for a moment of relief. As soon as someone approached, Lin Yan swiftly stood up again, taking slow steps back to her office.

She opened a drawer, searching for chewing gum, but found it empty.

Damn it, it’s gone.

She closed the drawer with a thud, just as someone entered the room, placing things down.

“Hey, Forensic Doctor Lin, why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the meeting?”

Lin Yan steadied herself by gripping the desk and stood up, “I’m just about to go.”

******

As soon as she walked into the training room, she felt that something was off with the atmosphere. All eyes turned toward her, staring directly at her face.

Only then did she realize, damn it, she forgot to wear a mask.

The bruise on her face from where Song Yuhang had hit her was still there. In front of everyone, she couldn’t just turn back and get a mask. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and slowly make her way to her seat.

Of all the luck, the only available seat was right next to Song Yuhang. Who the hell arranged the seating like this!!!

In her mind, Lin Yan cursed the person responsible for this arrangement countless times.

Song Yuhang also felt a bit uncomfortable and touched his nose with his hand, giving a slight cough, “Now that everyone’s here, let’s continue. Forensic Doctor Lin, please share the autopsy results.”

As long as she remained silent, it was fine. But as soon as she spoke, Zhang Jinhai’s gaze turned to them, inspecting their faces back and forth.

There was a prominent blood mark on Song Yuhang’s face, obviously caused by a woman’s nails digging into his skin. Lin Yan’s injuries weren’t light either. Today, their looks could only be rated at around seven or eight out of ten at most. No wonder their colleagues at the scene said they had to keep wearing sunglasses.

The injuries that appeared on the same day seemed oddly coincidental.

And when thinking about the rumors that Song Yuhang’s blind date partner was Lin Yan’s cousin, the flames of gossip burned fiercely among their colleagues. They practically wanted to poke holes in them to find out more.

Lin Yan couldn’t stand being stared at like this anymore. She slammed the documents in her hand onto the table with a loud “thud”: “What are you looking at?! What the hell are you all staring at me for? Look at the case files, why are you all looking at me?!”

Everyone who had been looking at her immediately averted their gaze, some lowering their heads and others pretending to drink water.

“Get up, I’m talking to you. Switch seats with me!” With these words, disregarding what others might think, she gave a nudge to the person next to her, signaling for them to get up. She then stood up herself. In that instant, perhaps due to her haste, everything went dark before her eyes, and she lost her balance, tilting backwards.

“Lin Yan!” Amidst the daze, she heard the sharp sound of a chair. Before she knew it, someone was holding her horizontally, and just before the world plunged into darkness, she caught a glimpse of someone’s worried eyes.

Song Yuhang rushed over, not looking back, “I’ll take her to the hospital. You all can continue.”

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