-~*~-
After the negotiation, they went to the central police station to see the corpse and results of the autopsy. Since Yanyi's employment is rather unexpected and everyone in the circle had seen her storming off, they're quite shocked to see the girl again. This time, their very own chief inspector escort her into the station which is a bit weird. Luyao had plan on bringing her to his office- sorry, their office... but Yanyi request for something else.
Yanyi — "Where is the body?"
Luyao — "It has been safely transported from the crime scene for post-mortem. The room and the morgue is in that direction. *pointed to the hallway leading towards the secluded area*"
Yanyi saw how barren it is. Guessing that no one is brave enough to walk along the corridor where dead body that has been preserve in a cold environment and still has the face of a living healthy human stay. Good for her since she has no reaction to these things. Please, she lives for the thrill especially horror. She walk over to the corridor, intending to see the state of the victim up close.
Upon entering the room, she was quite surprise to see a young man who seem to be around 19 years-old stand inside with a lab coat. And here she thought that the police men are braver, turns out a younger generation of them is much braver. Realising the young man didn't pay attention to them Luyao knock against the glass part of the door which the boy caught on to.
"Oh, Inspector Chen, Young Marquess. Are you here for the report?" He nodded and takes a hold of the documents on the table. Turns out it has been completed earlier and he is merely testing and playing with the body. Seriously, who dares play with a dead body, let alone something that came out of an explosion that can be describe as a horror monster. "Um, sire. Who are they?" He pointed towards Yanyi and Irene who is still looking around the room.
Luyao — "The blue one is my new partner, the brown one is her friend. This is Daniel, the youngest and second in command of this whole... process."
Yanyi — "Nice to meet you. The name Yanyi, Xue Yanyi. * points towards Irene* That is Irene, Irene Millar."
Irene — "Hello!"
Daniel — "It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you here for the report or-!"
"I want to look closer to the body, if you don't mind." Daniel gives out some space and gives Yanyi a pass to walk to the body. It was covered in white sheet of plastic to make sure that no dust is able to disturb it while it is mot being used. Yanyi thinks that it is quite the eyesore to her and proceed to lift the plastic halfway, Daniel wasn't quick enough to stop her. She should give out a warning beforehand because the view in front of her is enough to make you loss your appetite. And they had just eaten.
Irene saw the state of the victim and her stomach can't help but try to push out all of those unfinished digested food. Yanyi realise her mistakes and cover the other area of the body except the area of exposure. Kazuto also help and pull the curtain in between the office table and the dissecting table, he tries to sooth Irene's pale features while the others are uncovering their mystery.
Luyao came in with the documents and handed it over to Yanyi. She skim through them throughly and turn over for a much more define analysis. I won't bother you with those complicated work and will personally describe the state in which our body is in. Beware, gore descriptions will be presented.
The body is currently laying face flat on the table with his back visible. Every area on the victim's back has injuries, red burn patches, skin layer gone showing the muscle and bone area and more severe one. However, the middle area just behind the lungs and heart is by far the worse state it could be at. There's a hole in a size of half of a chair pillow shows directly into the victim's internal organ.
The skin is basically none existent and the muscle tissues are 95% vanish while there only left a few marks of his spinal bone left. Since protection layer is non existent, it's not much of a surprise that a few organ got damage as well. Literally, with a little force put onto the spine, you'll be able to break them in half. "The victim experience sixth degree burn before death? Wait, he didn't die from those deathly burns?" Daniel shake his head and grab his tools. He slowly takes out the heart on the left side and explain his observation.
Daniel — "The burn is already bad enough but his heart seem to have a stab mark on them. To be more specific a 9 cm stab mark that gradually becomes bigger and bigger from he end to the start. *placing back the heart* I believe that the victim somehow survive a few minutes after the incident."
Luyao — "Perhaps this stab mark is a second degree measure to make sure that they died immediately. Is there any indication of what the weapon could be?"
Daniel — "Neagtive. Even an army knife that has a bigger structure didn't gradually became bigger overtime. It's a continues flow, not even one bit the same size as the previous few millimetres. Also, to have something as severe as sixth degree burn, the explosion must've happen at a rather close proximity, like only a few steps behind."
Yanyi — "A sixth degree burn can cause death but there are some chances in which someone manages to survive with the appropriate healing item. This must also be the case, the heart and the brain aren't damage so there is still chances that surviving could be a plausible outcomes. However, a stab to the heart is almost like a guaranteed death. With only 3 to 4 minutes windows, there is basically no chance of survival without on scene direct medical help."
Daniel — "Also, I've noticed that the stab mark has no chard area and is still clean even on the inside."
Luyao — "It must've happen after the explosion. But there aren't any items that is on top of the victim whenI arrive on the site. Did someone removes them?"
Yanyi — "Daniel, what is the death time of the victim?"
Daniel — "That I can't quite point out specifically but I assume it to be this morning. At what hour? I don't know. The chard has even spread to his veins and I can't investigated them without turning the victim which in turn would ruin the structural body of the only support bone keeping it together."
They continue to talk for around 1 hour more. "Hey! Are you guys done discussing? Irene is about to die here." Kazuto can no longer stand these comments that he hears from behind the curtain. It's a curtain, not a sound proof wall. Any conversation inside would surely be heard to the outside. Irene is sitting on the office chair still holding onto his sanity and writing down every information that they've discovered for easier analysis.
"Check if the victim has any relatives and ask Max to contact them for further process whether they wants to bury it or cremate it." Luyao instructed Daniel to get over the playing and cutting and continue to proceed with the initial procedure. After all, each person or a few of them has family that they have to return to even if they're dead.
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They went back to the office and saw yet another young man standing by the table in which Yanyi assume to be Luyao's. "Sire, these are the documents relating to the previous explosion case from the last 4 years." Luyao instructed him to place down the pile onto the coffee table. He then proceed to introduce this young gentleman who seem to be 2 to 3 years older than Luyao.
"This is Max, Max Millan, my right hand man. This is your second boss, Xue Yanyi, my partner. Treat her like how you treat me." Max salute to him and makes a small bow to Yanyi which she respond with a small curtsy. Luyao then ask him to meet him outside, wanting to talk to him in private. While he is doing those, the others open the documents case which has been labeled neatly.
Kazuto — "I don't think that any of these are related to our cases. The type of explosion use in ours does not match or semi match these formulas."
Irene — "Why does it need to be a match? They can change the chemical formula to enhance the damage, right."
Kazuto — "Yeah, but it is one of the safety procedure used that if a new formula is being invented then it's best to test them first. You don't want your fingers or arms or face to be distorted, right? Which is why I think that this criminals is someone new yet experience."
Yanyi — "Kazuto, military data is stored inside the security chamber of the head noble within each state. Could you possibly go there with Irene later and took out a few documents? I'll brief you on what they are later."
Kazuto — "Really bossing people around, aren't ya?"
Yanyi — "This is your territory, not mine. You know it best than I do."
Kazuto — "Fine."
Luyao enter the room again but with a plastic evidence. He toss it over to Yanyi rather rudely and said these words which fume the girl with anger. "That's the evidence, well one if the evidence that can be found on the crime scene. The rest aren't much of a help to us. So, great detective, deduce them." Yanyi grab the pillow behind her and quickly throw them in his direction. The man didn't have enough reaction time and ended up taking the blow directly to his face.
By the time the pillow fell down an irk mark appears on his forehead and he seem ready to start a possible war with the girl. Before they could continue their war, Irene frantically caught Yanyi's attention. "He-Hey! Let's look at the evidence first. If it's broken than we lose the only lead to our investigation." "It can't even be consider a lead since there's only one piece of them and nothing sort of description to help."
Luyao — "Well if you're so well verse, why don't you go and find them yourselves! Miss over confidence!"
Yanyi — "Oh I will, and I will make sure that what I got is much more than yours Mr useless Inspector!!!"
Kazuto & Irene — "*sigh*"
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Just as they bet, they soon arrive at the crime scene once again. However the difference is that now the hours of working is almost coming to and end, so there aren't a lot of people walking around. Besides, I doubt that anyone is brave enough to actually look through those chard corridor where people died. So it is easy enough fir them to enter without peoples' eyes.
"Sire! Young Marquess!" The officers' on duty give out their salute and the two easily pass across the yellow forbidden tape. But not the same can be said to the other two. Naturally seeing an unknown person that has any connection to the police forces or the authorities they are stop just before their legs can cross the line. "They're with us. Don't worry, she's my new partner. -whisper- Partner my ass."
"Watch your fucking mouth, stupid as bitch!" His whisper can't really escape her ears and with the amount of tension building up between them two, it's impossible to hold back from giving out slurs. Yanyi enter the hallway by herself while the others are looking else where. The walls are covered in black torn up wallpaper. She walk further in, specifically towards the main hall where most of the stage performances takes place.
The condition inside is not as bad as the hallway with only the entrance of the hallway path covered in ashes and a few tables and chair fell down from their respective position. Oh and to mention that the chandelier that hung itself in the centre of the room just barely hanging on its dear life. 'It will probably fall this night. Eh, not my problem.'
She then check the wallpaper here and found that it was a bit different from the one by the hallway. If I do have to compare them let's just say that the one in hallway is much more smooth texture than the one outside. Like it is made with plastic materials while the one in the hallway is made out of paper more. "No wonder this area didn't catch any severe damages. The composition of this wallpaper is of plastic and would probably be hard to spread. The one outside is made of paper making it much more vulnerable to fire."
That aside, she focus on another thing. She had this instinct that the explosive use is likely to be a dynamite since the small object is much easier to be carried around. 'I'll ask for the picture of the hallway before the explosion later.'
Using her smell senses she follow the traces of the explosive smell. Though it is less noticeable since it has been a few hours pass by there is still a few dust that has been mixed into the air. The more concentrated it is the more likely that is where the bomb was located. Slowly, she makes her way to the hallway area and eventually stop at the gaping hole that once holds the painting for the decoration. "Found your clue, Miss Ego."
"Much better than yours, Mr Douchebag." She perk inside the hole and almost hit her head if it weren't for a hand that lay between her head and the wooden beam inside. Luyao handed her a torchlight with a hiss hidden inside his mouth. She notice that he place his hand above her hand from hitting the beam. "-whisper- Thanks..." she said with a low voice.
She search the ares with her torchlight and found out that the inside of the plaster wall isn't covered with chard ashes. Instead it was completely clear of anything involving the explosion. Looking down she found a piece of clay that has somehow survive the whole ordeal. Giving it a quick sniff, she retract her head from the object. Luyao handed her a piece of evidence ziplock and takes it away to place it inside.
Luyao — "Explain."
Yanyi — "The smell came from a substance known as nitroglycerin. It is commonly uses to treat heart diseases like heart failure and pulmonary edema. It is also uses as explosive substances to expand the damage results from the spark that came from the inside of dynamites."
Yanyi — "The piece of evidence that you gave me *took the evidence plastic out* This is a piece of plastic uses for dynamites, but a rather cheap one at that. I figure that this hallway must have been deck out with luxurious object and the with the security for this place, a small yet powerful explosive must have been involve. Instead of a bomb that has a ticking time and is much more complicated to make, dynamites is our only answer."
Luyao — "The distance between this spot to the front isn't far apart. I reckon that the victim must have been at most 7 feets further to the front. Makes sense with the amount of force he experiences as well as the distance in which his body was found."
Yanyi — "Where do you think they got this dynamite from?"
Luyao — "Man made."
Yanyi — "Really?"
Kazuto — "Really. After all the head noble if each state control the underground transaction and weapons. And he got the same access privileges as I do. Must've sneak a peek into them while you have time, huh?"
Luyao — "Sneak a peek this morning."
Kazuto — "Oh~ so that's why you didn't pay attention to her interview."
Luyao gave him a fierce glare which shut him up. "The records of the explosive weapons in Kinsel is more high tech and more guarded. Dynamites is not in our possession." They slowly make their way outside where Irene is busy taking notes and saw the three coming out. Immediately she hand something to Luyao. "Me and Kazuto found this metal thing and chip laying around the perimeter. It doesn't belong to any outsider seeing that it has traces of burn on them."
Luyao asks a nearby police officers to take the evidence that they've gather to the station and keep them safely. After leaving, Luyao strode towards the area in which the victim was found. He spontaneously kick a metal plate that randomly lays there. Irene thought that it was an accident but the other two thinks otherwise.
Without a second thought, Kazuto flip the metal plate which is quite big over and it was a normal looking one. If you look at it roughly. An edge of the metal plate is bent outside, rather cleanly but not so much. Yanyi took a closer look and see that it has marks of pliers on them, uses to bent the metal slowly. If you bent them with one motion it would look suspicious because of how unnatural it is.
Luyao — "This metal plate landed and was found near the victim's dead body. To be more precise near the heart area. You understand?"
Kazuto — "This is our stabbing weapon."
Irene — "Wait, but Daniel didn't mention it being slanted, right? If this edge pierces the heart would there be a slight slant inside the wound?"
Kazuto — "That is if the plate landed directly on top of him and balance itself on him. But in our case, it was not balance and instead slid to one side. That's why the stab wound appear in a straight line."
Luyao — "*points to the ceiling* This hole is enough for someone as big as Kazuto to squeeze in, spider crawling method. My suspicion is that this is where one of our killers hid themselves in. Therefore, I suspect that it wasn't a one killer ordeal but rather a group of them. At the very least two."
They spend almost three hours wondering around the premises to find anything that could help them. At last, most of them are only casualties cause by the bomb. Yanyi tilt her head towards the sky which has turn into a crimson gradient and people passing by with their suits and carriages, going back home to rest. "The night is coming near. Let's stop our investigation here first."
They are preparing to depart before Yanyi stop Luyao, she has a specific task that he has to send over to the one in charge of the witnesses. They have been focusing on the evidence that they forget the witnesses that has seen the whole crime happening. If they were to be neglected much longer they will think of a story plausible enough to trick them.
Luyao — "What do you suggest I should do?"
Yanyi — "Lock each of them in a separate cell. One on the west, east and south respectively. If they are close together I'm afraid that they'll band together to twist the story to their advantages."
Luyao — "You have a suspicion on them?"
Yanyi — "You can say that."
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-~*~-
Ah~. Who wouldn't enjoy the cold breeze in the morning where birds are chirping with delight, taking good care of their young ones. It's equivalent to a fairytale about a young girl who was treated badly by their step family. You'll know which one I'm talking about if you watch it in your childhood.
But much to your disappointment, this story is not a fairytale. Vendors' voice that starts to walk around the neighbourhood and working citizen who is talking and complaining about their life is the first thing that wakes Yanyi up from her sleep. Somehow with a bird nest like hair she still retain that beautiful look. Just with her sleepy eyes closed. It is already 7:30 in the morning and she hasn't prepared herself yet nor did she has any breakfast. And so she did.
After dressing up, she went to the living room to prepare her breakfast. What she didn't realise is that there are two individuals that sits by the dining table. Kazuto and Luyao had come prior to the normal clock in time. Wait, this is not the station! What are they doing here? Is what Yanyi is probably thinking inside her noggin.
Yanyi — "This is not the police station. What are you two doing here? And how did you know about our address?"
Kazuto — "Oh? Irene invited us from yesterday to have breakfast over at your place and she gives out the address."
Yanyi turns to the kitchen to find Irene preparing a full set of breakfast alongside glasses of orange juice. Irene can feel the burning eyes behind her head from Yanyi's threatening stare. She didn't make any use of it. She's the only one who has a problem with one of these people and she has nothing close to a vendetta against them. In fact, she is indebted to them for making taking her friend from the world of jobless.
"They're my guest. If you have any problem with them, you have a problem with me as well. Now, sit down and eat." She command her like it is not her problem in the first place to shoo them away, which is true. Seeing her logic, Yanyi reluctantly sat down and drink the hot Vesqin cream tea that Irene had prepared for her. If you're wondering why she constantly drinks this specific tea is because it is the only thing that can calm her down when she's in rage. How does it work, I don't know.
Kazuto — "A pre-made breakfast? Not hot from the stove?"
Yanyi — "She's not really good in cooking but beverages is her specialty. Just bare with it, we still have lunch and dinner for today."
Irene smack her head to her friend embarrassing her in front of other people. Her face has a tint of pink from those sudden statement. "Talk shit about me again and I will cook your dinner to ashes later!" The girl immediately silence her mouth and continue to nom away her breakfast.
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After breakfast, they went together to the police station and review back the case from yesterday while going down to the interrogation cell underneath the station. They didn't want to delay the interrogation process any longer as they fear that they might have come up with a story. Since talking one on one could lead them to trick the other, they decided to interrogate them separately but together. Irene will stand a few cell down to avoid them getting any way of twisting the words, afraid that it might appear on the newspaper.
They ask the question of where were they before, when and after the incidents occurs and if they wish to share any information with them. Through out this whole process, Yanyi didn't speak a single vowel out. She has yet to build a name for herself and might think that people can easily trick her with a few words. She wasn't there to intterogate in the first place anyway. She was there to witness them. Yes, witness the witnesses.
Let's get back.
After 1 hour and 30 minutes, the interrogation process end and each person are then brought back to their previous cell. Until either the case is close or until the end of 48 hours they will be held under custody and shall help them in their investigation. "You got everything?" Irene brings her head up and down, showing that she had heard everything and note them down.
"Let's go back up, we have to sort out everything we have so far." Sitting down on the sofa, Irene starts to talk about each of their testimony and alibi. Here how it goes.
Irene — "The first one is the victim, Mr Santrick's bodyguard, Mr Kou. At the time before the incident, which I assume as they are about to get out, he stood by Mr Santrick's side, helping him to walk over after a consumable amount of alcohol. The victim shakes him off and demand to walk on his own, threatening him with a cut of his payment. He was in a drunken state and can hardly make any word of what the others around him says."
Irene — "He is then task to prepare and check the vehicle before setting for departure. That is when the explosion happen. He claim to be in a state of shock and after hearing that he has to go to the nearby police station he did so and ran there."
Kazuto — "Next!"
Irene — "Next on the line we have yet another bodyguard of Mr Santrick named Mr Bertham and he claim to walk behind the master and watch every step that this master takes, making sure he did not fall while drunk walking. The same goes, he was chased away from the surrounding and was task to start the car engine for an immediate departure. That is when the -BOOM!- happen. He was still inside the car and was told to drove to the fire station.
Kazuto — "Last one."
Irene — "This one is the personal secretary of Mr Santrick and has been working for him for 4 years already. He was in the same position as the first bodyguard to which he tried to keep victim steady on his feet. After being chased away he was about to open the passenger seat before the- you know it already. After running over to the victim and trying his best to put out the fire on top of him, he instructed the other to do their respective task while he stayed there with the victim."
Irene — "That's it. They didn't give out much information nor share any additional information at all."
Luyao — "They are trying to play safe. Yanyi, you have been staring at their facial features all this time. Know anything?"
Yanyi — "All of them are lying and hiding something big from us. Something that could make this case much easier to be solve. They are trying to waste time until the 48 hours of detaining end."
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-~*~-