Chapter 3

William was formally detained at the scene. The evidence against him was ironclad.

The spousal homicide case was officially declared solved within a single hour.

I honestly thought that after making such a great contribution, I would be able to smoothly transition into a permanent position. To my horror, the moment I arrived at the Forensic Science Center on Monday morning, I was greeted by a disciplinary notice.

It was pinned right in the most prominent spot on the bulletin board. "Intern Charlotte Clive is hereby reprimanded for serious violations of investigative procedure during the Cox Villa homicide case.

"By prematurely drawing conclusions about the nature of the case and offering professional opinions without authorization, she severely disrupted the investigation process. Even though the case was ultimately solved, her conduct was highly unprofessional and reckless.

"She's hereby issued a formal disciplinary warning, removed from frontline forensic examination duties, and temporarily reassigned to the logistics department to perform sanitation and cleaning duties. Lastly, she's required to submit a comprehensive written statement of her misconduct."

Clutching the disciplinary notice, I stormed into Dr. Woodward's office and slammed it down on his desk.

"What exactly did I do wrong, Dr. Woodward? The case has been solved, and the real culprit's behind bars. Why am I being punished?"

Leaning back in his chair, Dr. Woodward looked at me coldly. "Why? Because you have zero respect for your superiors and tried to play the hero. This time, you got lucky. But what about next time?

"The field of forensics relies on a rigorous chain of evidence, not blind luck or your intuition! You've set a bad example for the entire center. Quite frankly, disciplinary action is already a lenient punishment."

"I didn't rely on intuition! I made my judgment based on evidence and logic!"

"Oh?" he scoffed. "You claimed the murder weapon was in the garbage shed and the stolen cash was in the garden. What led you to that conclusion? Up until this point, you still haven't been able to explain your thought process. If that wasn't a wild guess, then what was?"

I was at a loss for words. There was no way I could tell him that I had heard it from a fly and an earthworm.

"So, you're defying a direct order?" Dr. Woodward's expression darkened further when he noticed that I was still unwilling to admit my mistake. "In that case, you can handle the janitorial work here indefinitely. The toilets and hallways are all yours to clean. Come find me when you've finally come to your senses!"

I gritted my teeth, turned around, and left. "I'm not at fault. I will never admit otherwise, and I won't write that reflection!"

…

For the following two weeks, I spent every single day wielding a mop, sweeping hallways, and scrubbing toilets. Not only was I unable to get involved in any cases, but I couldn't even get close to the door of the autopsy room.

A few of my colleagues pitied me, while the others took pleasure in my misfortune.

"Young people who are too arrogant are bound to get burned."

"Does she really think she'll get away with going against Dr. Woodward?"

…

One day, while I was mopping the toilet floor, a commotion broke out in the hallway outside.

Several forensic examiners hurried past, muttering among themselves. "It's too brutal. The victim was dismembered, and her body parts were scattered everywhere. And they still haven't found the head."

"The higher-ups have given us seven days to crack the case. Dr. Woodward is breathing down everyone's necks, calling us all incompetent dead weight."

My heart skipped a beat.

A serial dismemberment case had occurred in the city. The victim was dismembered, with her body parts bagged in black plastic and ditched all over various locations on the outskirts of the city.

The police only managed to recover her limbs and parts of her torso. The most crucial piece—her head—was still nowhere to be found, making it impossible to even find out who the victim was.

Public opinion surrounding the case was intensifying, and fear was spreading throughout society. There was immense pressure on the Forensic Science Center.

I tossed aside my mop, turned around, and walked toward the conference room. This was my chance.

…

The atmosphere in the conference room was suffocating.

Dr. Woodward slammed the autopsy report onto the table, his face as black as thunder. "It's been three days, and you haven't even identified the victim! What the hell am I even paying you people for?"

The forensic examiners below lowered their heads. No one dared to make a sound. The victim's body parts were scattered across different locations. There were no witnesses, no surveillance footage, and simply no way to begin the investigation.

When I knocked on the door and walked in, all eyes instantly turned toward me.

Dr. Woodward frowned when he glanced at me. "What are you doing here? Have you finished cleaning the toilets?" he demanded.

"Dr. Woodward, I can help with the dismemberment case," I responded calmly yet resolutely, standing in the doorway.

"You can help?" Dr. Woodward looked as though he had just heard the biggest joke in the world. He leaned back against his chair and sneered. "Why don't you just focus on cleaning your toilets? Criminal investigations aren't a place for your wild guesses. Now get out. Stop wasting our time!"

"I'm not making wild guesses." I took two steps forward. "I'll stake my career on this. Give me seven days. I'll identify the victim and locate the rest of her remains.

"If I pull it off, you'll apologize to me in public, clear my record, and stop targeting me. If I fail, I'll resign and never set foot in the forensic field again for the rest of my life."

The conference room erupted into an uproar.

Dr. Woodward stared at me for several seconds before slamming his fist on the table.

"Fine, you've got a deal! But let me make one thing crystal clear—none of your colleagues are allowed to help you. You can access the evidence and case files, but I won't assign a single person to assist you. Let's see what you've really got!"

"Deal!"

…

After leaving the conference room, I went straight to the first site the victim's body part was found. It was underneath an abandoned bridge.

Several rats were surrounding a garbage bag, gnawing on whatever was left behind. Cockroaches crawled in and out of the cracks in the stones, and mosquitoes buzzed around in circles.

I crouched down and asked quietly, "Have you seen the person who threw the bag? Where did they throw the remaining body parts?"

A cockroach flicked its feelers. "I don't know. We only hang around this area."

A mosquito buzzed near my ear. "I'm nearsighted. I couldn't see what the person looked like."

Only the leader of the group, a large gray rat, remained perched on a stone. It glanced at me and drawled, "If you want answers, you're going to have to pay up. Bring us ten pounds of fatty meat. Not an ounce less, or you get squat!"

I jeered. These creatures actually dared to bargain with me?

I didn't waste my breath on it. I spun on my heel and caught a ride back to my hometown.

I placed Flora, the large tabby cat my family raised, into a carrier. Flora was an expert at catching rats. Every rat within several miles was terrified of her.

That afternoon, I headed back to the first site with the cat carrier. The moment I set it on the ground, Flora let out a loud mewl from behind the mesh. The rats that had been arrogant earlier that day instantly began trembling in fear.

In the blink of an eye, all of them scurried out and collapsed onto the ground, begging for mercy. "Don't let your cat out. Don't use your ultimate move! We'll come clean. We'll tell you everything!"