LOGINOn the day of the department-wide case briefing, the conference room was packed. Before announcing the results of the two investigations, Dr. Woodward rose to his feet. He was dressed in a crisp, sharp uniform, and it looked as though his temples had turned gray overnight. "Before I brief you on the cases, I would like to address my own failures," he started firmly, and he didn't make any excuses. "Three years ago, I was the lead forensic examiner for Brian Bellamy's accidental death case. I relied too heavily on my past experience and allowed my preconceived assumptions to influence my judgment."Because of that, I failed to conduct the required diatom test according to protocol and determine the true cause of his injuries. Consequently, I came to the wrong forensic conclusion, resulting in a wrongful ruling. "I've failed Brian and his family, and I'm ashamed to wear this uniform. I've already submitted my resignation letter, and I'll be stepping down from my position as direct
After Harold was arrested, his boss, Leon, who was now suspected of two murders, went missing.Captain Truman assigned a large number of officers to track down Leon's whereabouts. However, Leon was extremely good at avoiding detection. He powered off his phone and avoided all major roads covered by surveillance cameras. It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth. The task force scoured the city for a week but still couldn't find a single clue.I didn't sit on my hands, though. Using my special ability, I issued commands to the stray cats and dogs on the streets, as well as the sparrows perched in the trees. I asked them to help keep an eye out for a middle-aged man with a round face and a slightly plump build who constantly smelled of cigarettes. I also showed them Leon's photo.In less than three days, the sparrows from a poultry farm on the outskirts of the city sent word back. A man was hiding inside an abandoned warehouse. He ate instant noodles in there every d
Harold inadvertently let a crucial detail slip during the interrogation. "Mr. Kenyon told me that three years ago, when someone died at the construction site, he was able to make it look like an accident. So, he said I didn't need to worry about something this small."My heart sank. Three years ago, this construction site was indeed the scene of a case where a worker allegedly fell to his death while intoxicated. The deceased was a migrant worker named Brian Bellamy. The lead forensic examiner in charge of the case at the time was Dr. Woodward. The final forensic conclusion was that Brian accidentally fell into the site's fire reservoir while intoxicated and drowned. Because it was ruled an accidental death, Leon paid the compensation fee to Brian's family, and the case was closed soon afterward. While I was sorting through the old case files, I took the opportunity to pull up the autopsy records and crime scene photos from that case. I combed through them page by page, word by
Now that we had a name for the body, the case finally had a clear direction. The police started screening Verna's social circle. In no time, they narrowed down their primary suspect—Harold Gibson, a maintenance worker at the construction site. The man had a long criminal record for stealing and a reputation for being a loose cannon. More importantly, there was a three-inch-long knife scar running down his left cheek in his mugshot, matching the rats' description.Even though I couldn't reveal my source, there was plenty of real evidence to go around. A week ago, due to a payroll discrepancy, he and Verna got into a heated argument in the office, and he even spat out, "Just you wait, bitch!"That established a clear-cut motive. However, after two rounds of interrogation, Harold insisted that he was sleeping in his dormitory on the night of the crime. To make matters worse, three of his roommates testified for him, giving him a flawless alibi. After poring through the interroga
Scared out of their wits by Flora, the rats competed with one another to spill the beans. The remaining body parts—including the head—were dumped in manhole number three at the abandoned construction site on the east side of town. The person who dumped the body had a three-inch-long scar on his left cheek and wore navy blue overalls. Right after dropping the bags, he sprinted toward the urban village in the east. Now that I had what I needed, I moved the cat carrier aside. I looked down at the huddle of rats and nodded. "Consider yourselves lucky. I won't let Flora loose on you today." The rats nodded frantically, kissing the ground and expressing their endless gratitude. …Early the next morning, I took the map marking the sites where the body parts had been disposed to Conan Truman, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Department."I've mapped out the sites, Captain Truman. They're all clustered along the city's sewage network. The killer is familiar with the undergr
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







