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墨書 Inktalez
In a small alley next to the County Bureau, the accommodations were just as expected. The white walls had a slight yellow tint, and the air was thick with a mix of dampness and cheap soap. Captain Zhao escorted me to the door, politely saying a few words about being available if I needed anything, before hurriedly leaving, as if he feared that staying with me any longer would bring trouble.
Dragging my suitcase into the room, I locked the door behind me and secured the shaky bolt as well.
Standing in the center of the room, I felt the cold sweat on my back soaking through my shirt, clinging uncomfortably to my skin. The contents of Fang Huai'an's phone call echoed in my mind like a haunting melody:
“...the one from the provincial department... has seen it...”
“...yes, according to Old Rules...”
“...don’t worry, it’s been handled cleanly...”
“That one” must be referring to me.
“Has seen it” meant the autopsy.
“Handled cleanly” — what exactly was handled? The suspicious marks on the body? Or… me?
“Old Rules” — these three words felt like a cold chisel, chipping away at my heart. What kind of rules could allow a forensic doctor to “handle cleanly” any potential signs of homicide?
Fear washed over me like icy tidewater, creeping up from my feet and drowning my rationality. I began to question whether my transfer to this godforsaken place was truly coincidental or if someone had deliberately sent me here, an inexperienced rookie without connections, just to facilitate some sort of “cleanup.”
I shook my head vigorously; I couldn’t let myself be scared. The most important thing now was to calm down and figure out what was really going on.
Zhou Dahai’s death was undoubtedly suspicious. The bruise on his shoulder, Fang Huai'an's reaction, and that phone call all pointed toward a terrifying possibility: this esteemed Old Forensic Doctor might very well be involved in covering up the truth.
But why? What was the motive?
I sat slumped on the edge of the bed, my mind racing. Was it to help that neighbor, Brother Wang, clear his name? It didn’t seem so. Captain Zhao said Brother Wang had an alibi, and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. If Brother Wang was indeed responsible, then fabricating the scene and the alibi would be no small feat; Fang Huai'an alone might not be able to pull it off.
But what was the motive? An accidental death might raise suspicions among the family, but without evidence, it would likely fade away over time. Why would he go to such lengths, risking everything to "clean up"? Unless... unless there were greater interests at stake or something even more unspeakable involved?
"Old Rules"… Did this principle apply only to Zhou Dahai's case, or had it always existed?
The thought sent a shiver down my spine. If this was the norm, then how deep did the waters run in this small Luoshui County Police Station? Fang Huai'an had been here for over thirty years; how many cases had he "handled"? How many people were entangled in this web?
I felt like a rabbit caught in a hunting ground, surrounded by invisible traps and predatory eyes.
I had to save myself.
But what could I do? Should I confront Captain Zhao directly? Tell him I suspected Teacher Fang? Don’t be ridiculous; before I could finish my sentence, I’d probably be labeled as delusional and sent back. Without evidence, everything was just talk. Moreover, given Captain Zhao’s respectful demeanor towards Fang Huai'an, even if he wasn’t directly involved, he was undoubtedly part of the "Trust Teacher Fang" faction.
Reporting directly to higher-ups? The provincial department? The City Bureau? That was even less realistic. I was just a temporary forensic pathologist with little influence. How could I hope to take down a local power player who had been operating for over thirty years based on an atypical bruise and some vague overheard phone conversation? They could twist this into a misunderstanding or coincidence in a thousand ways and even turn it against me, claiming I was young and reckless, slandering an elder. By then, I might not even know how I ended up in trouble.
The only way forward was to find concrete evidence—proof that the bruise was indeed a sign of homicide or that Fang Huai'an had tampered with the autopsy report or crime scene records.
But how could I find it? The body had already been taken away for cremation. Fang Huai'an had penned the autopsy report; he would surely have covered his tracks perfectly.
Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling trapped in a deadlock.
Calm down, Qin Ming, calm down! The more urgent the situation, the less I could panic.
I forced myself to stand up and walked to the window. Pulling back a corner of the curtain to look outside, I saw several old residential buildings across from the guesthouse. As dusk fell, lights flickered on in every household, wafting out the aroma of cooking food. Occasionally, a few residents chatted below; everything appeared so peaceful and full of life.
Yet this tranquility felt particularly eerie at that moment. Who knew how many hidden secrets and transactions lay beneath this calm facade?
Suddenly, something struck me—autopsy photos and crime scene photographs!
These are all electronic files and should be backed up on the department's server. If I could take a closer look at those photos, especially the close-up of the shoulder bruise, I might discover some details that were overlooked at the scene due to tension and pressure. There are also the scene photos, the position of the coffee table, and the items on the floor... perhaps I could find clues that support or contradict the notion of an "accidental fall."
Yes, this is currently the only possible course of action! The risk is relatively low; after all, reviewing case materials is within my scope of duties.
With my mind made up, I felt a bit more at ease. But a new problem arose: how could I "naturally" obtain these materials? Should I go directly to the archives or the Technical Department? Would that raise suspicions? Especially since Fang Huai'an had already classified it as an "accident," my persistent probing as an outsider would surely draw attention.
Moreover, I had a nagging feeling that someone was watching me. Was it just paranoia? Or had Fang Huai'an become alert and sent someone to keep an eye on my movements?
This feeling of suspicion made me restless. I walked to the door and peered through the peephole; the corridor was empty, with only a dim motion-sensor light flickering. I moved to the window and repeatedly checked for any suspicious figures outside.
No, I couldn't remain so passive.
The next morning, I acted as if nothing was amiss and went to the cafeteria for breakfast. The cafeteria was small, with only a few uniformed officers scattered around, quietly chatting while eating buns and fried dough sticks.
I found a corner to sit in and listened attentively to the surrounding conversations. Nothing out of the ordinary—just family matters and work complaints, similar to our provincial department's cafeteria atmosphere, though I struggled to understand their dialect.
Captain Zhao approached with a bowl of congee and sat down across from me.
"Xiao Qin, did you sleep well last night?" He seemed much more refreshed, likely because the case had been "resolved," easing his stress.
"Not bad, it was quite peaceful." I smiled and casually asked, "By the way, Captain Zhao, has there been any more trouble from Zhou Dahai's family?"
"Oh, it's all settled." Captain Zhao waved his hand dismissively and took a sip of congee. "Teacher Fang personally explained the autopsy results to them. Older folks can be stubborn sometimes; once you clarify things, it's fine. Teacher Fang's reputation still carries weight around here."
His admiration for Fang Huai'an was evident in his tone.
"Teacher Fang is indeed experienced," I replied in agreement before shifting my approach. "By the way, Captain Zhao, I'd like to take another look at that case's scene photos and autopsy images. I rushed through them yesterday and want to confirm some details; it would also be good for my learning."
I fixed my gaze on Captain Zhao's eyes, trying to catch any hint of unease on his face.
However, Captain Zhao only paused for a moment before breaking into a hearty laugh. "Oh, what's the big deal? It's only right! You're an expert from the provincial department; what can our cases teach you? But if you want to take a look, no problem! I'll have a word with Xiao Li from the Technical Department later to grant you access to the electronic files. You can check them out on the computer yourself."
His reaction was so normal, almost too normal, that it left me feeling… disappointed? Or perhaps more unsettled. Did he really not think much of it, or was he just acting too well?
"Thank you, Captain Zhao," I said, suppressing my doubts and forcing a grateful smile.
In the morning, under the guise of "learning for reference," I smoothly entered the Technical Department's office and sat down at an old computer by the window. Xiao Li from the Technical Department was a shy young man with glasses; he helped me log into the system and opened the folder for the Zhou Dahai case before returning to his own work.
The contents of the folder were comprehensive: scene investigation records, interview transcripts, preliminary autopsy reports, and a large number of photo files.
My heart raced as I forced myself to stay calm and moved the mouse to click on the scene photos. The living room, coffee table, bloodstains on the floor, and the position of the deceased… I scrutinized each photo carefully; nothing seemed out of place. There was indeed some disarray on the floor next to the coffee table, with a few newspapers scattered about and a pair of reading glasses that looked like they had fallen during a struggle.
Then, I clicked on the autopsy photo folder. My fingers trembled slightly as I navigated directly to the subfolder labeled "Left Shoulder."
The photos were clear, and the angles were standard. I opened up a close-up photo of the bruise on the shoulder and zoomed in to examine it closely.
The dark purple subcutaneous bleeding had somewhat blurred edges… wait!
I leaned in closer to the screen, my eyes nearly touching it.
At the edge of the bruised area, near the armpit, there was an extremely subtle and almost imperceptible mark of skin abrasion! It looked as if something rough had rubbed against it, leaving a very faint scratch that was less than half a centimeter long!
This detail had completely escaped my notice during yesterday's autopsy! The lighting at that time might not have been as clear as in the photos, and my attention had been focused on analyzing the shape of the bruise and guessing fingerprints without noticing this minute skin injury.
What did this scratch signify?
An accidental fall typically results in blunt force trauma leading to bruises or contusions but usually wouldn’t cause such small linear abrasions. This type of injury seemed more like… a fingernail?!
If it really was a scratch from a fingernail, combined with that area of suspected pressure-induced bruising…
A terrifying image flashed through my mind: someone had grabbed Zhou Dahai's left arm from behind or the side, forcefully pinning him down or dragging him, and in the struggle, their nails had scratched his skin!
My breath quickened instantly. This was undoubtedly crucial evidence! It was enough to overturn the conclusion of an "accidental fall"!
I was so excited that I almost shouted out loud, quickly covering my mouth with my hand and glancing around cautiously. Xiao Li was still focused on his computer, seemingly unaware of my agitation.
I suppressed my excitement and immediately thought about saving this photo or taking a picture of it with my phone.
Just then, my gaze swept across the list of files in the folder, and my heart sank suddenly.
Something was wrong! The number of photos was off!
I clearly remembered that during the autopsy yesterday, I had taken more than one close-up of that shoulder bruise—at least three or four shots from different angles. But now, there was only one photo in this subfolder!
Where were the others? Where did they go?!
I quickly returned to the previous folder and scanned all the autopsy photos. The head wound, limbs, torso… the number of photos for other areas was normal, but for the left shoulder, there was only one!
Cold sweat soaked through my back again.
There were only two possibilities: either only one photo had been taken during the shoot, or… someone had deleted the other photos!
Why delete them? Unless… the deleted photos showed the bruise and scratches more clearly than this one that remained!
Was it Fang Huai'an who did this? Had he "cleaned up" not just the conclusions in the autopsy report but also these original pieces of evidence?!
Just as I stared at the screen, my mind in chaos, Xiao Li from the Technical Department suddenly stood up and walked behind me.
"Qin Forensic Expert, how's it going?" he asked with a smile, his tone very casual.
I was startled and quickly turned my head, nearly knocking over the water cup on the table.
“Oh... quite detailed,” I forced myself to sound calm, my fingers instinctively tightening around the mouse.
Xiao Li glanced at the computer screen, his gaze landing on the photo of the bruised shoulder. For a moment, his smile seemed to freeze, then it returned to normal, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—was it tension?
“Is the Qin Forensic Expert interested in this injury?” he asked casually.
My heart raced. Did he notice? Or was it just a random question?
“Um... just taking a look,” I replied vaguely, quickly closing the image viewer and pretending to examine other documents.
Xiao Li didn’t say anything further and turned back to his seat.
But I could clearly feel a faint gaze lingering on my back.
It’s over. I might have exposed myself.
Fang Huai'an's "Old Rules" had likely woven an invisible net that covered every corner and person here. And I had just brushed against the edge of that net.
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