"You didn't tell me earlier, what kind of red ribbon was it? The kind from the hospital morgue?" I asked.
Liu Yuning nodded. "Yes, and you still haven't told me why you knew there were other victims."
"Instinct. Just by you describing the victim's condition, I knew."
"Isn't that just baseless speculation?" Liu Yuning clicked her tongue disdainfully.
"Speculation and instinct are two different things!" I retorted, closing a notebook. "Alright, if you want my help, I'll take a look. Provided, of course, that this case sparks some interest in me. I doubt it will disappoint."
"Then let's go! My great detective He!" Liu Yuning teased, guiding me out of the courtyard and into her Chevrolet, which sped us all the way to the police station.
I needed to examine the body first. I would likely need to perform a secondary examination.
Liu Yuning led me to the morgue. With Xie Chuchu's assistance, a body was pulled out and placed on a steel slab in the laboratory.
I quickly pulled back the shroud. Before me lay an extremely alluring and delicate female corpse, bearing a resemblance to Liu Yuning. She was indeed her cousin.
I asked Xie Chuchu, "How thoroughly have you examined the body?"
"The cause of death was poisoning. Large amounts of toxic components were found in the victim's body, but I haven't identified the specific substance yet. However, I discovered it entered through the victim's neck, meaning the poison was introduced into her body by the animal that bit her."
Xie Chuchu pondered for a moment, then continued, "Also, the time of death was around 10 PM on the 30th of last month. The victim had just returned to her room after her wedding banquet, and before her husband could return, she was killed, less than 30 minutes later."
"Perhaps it wasn't left by an animal. Let's call Gao Mingqiang over first!" As I replied, I observed the wound on the victim's neck. Its size resembled that of a hound, but also a venomous snake, or even a bat??
At that moment, my nose twitched, detecting a strange odor emanating from the deceased.
"I'm here! What's wrong, Consultant He?"
"Go buy me some gauze netting, a magnifying glass, some glycerin, and two potted cacti!"
"Ah! Consultant He, are you planning to grow plants at the crime scene? And cacti?"
"Just go buy them. No more talking!" I said.
He immediately turned to leave. Xie Chuchu remained silent, but Liu Yuning, curious, asked, "Consultant He, aren't you wasting time? Can't you just examine it directly?"
"I can't verify without the materials. This corpse was soaked in corpse oil! Direct examination will lead to inaccuracies!"
"Corpse oil, you say?"
"Precisely. It's when a body in a state of advanced decomposition, its fat turns oily and seeps out. This usually happens with heavier individuals. In many parts of South Asia, it's said that sorcerers cut off the chins of deceased pregnant women and burn them with white candles. The oil that drips down is corpse oil."
"I see. But how can you be so sure it's corpse oil and not something else? Also, if the killer could obtain corpse oil, does that mean they've already killed others? And kept the bodies for a long time?"
I picked up a test tube, used tweezers to lift a piece of the victim's skin, revealing a trace of grayish-yellow oil. I dripped it into the test tube, shook it, and showed it to Liu Yuning. "Human skin is different from animal skin. Human skin is predominantly populated by Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus, which tends to produce a more yellowish corpse oil. This is unlike animal corpse oil, which is generally lighter in color, appearing light gray. The killer might work at a funeral home or morgue. For bodies that have been unclaimed for a long time, even with protective measures, they will slowly decompose. Regardless, their access to corpse oil would certainly be much easier than that of an ordinary person."
"That seems plausible, but are you sure it's corpse oil based on just a few sentences? Isn't that too hasty?" Liu Yuning said, unconvinced.
"Xie Chuchu, go find someone to verify this!" I handed the test tube to Xie Chuchu. She took it, called over a male forensic examiner, and instructed him to handle it.
Liu Yuning said, "The results won't be available for a day. Don't jump to conclusions so quickly!"
Xie Chuchu became displeased. "Captain Liu, every time you bring someone in, you don't trust them. So why bother asking him to come?"
"Forensic Examiner Xie, don't say too much. Just do your job!"
Rank trumps all. Xie Chuchu had no choice but to watch me quietly. I smiled at her. "It's alright, Chuchu. I'll prove it to her later!"
"I'm really looking forward to it. What use are those things you're getting?" Liu Yuning scoffed.
I remained silent, waiting until Gao Mingqiang returned. He handed me two black plastic bags. "Buddy! Everything's here!"
"Good! Well done! Thank you!"
"No need. If it weren't for you, it would be difficult for me to get into the police force! This is nothing. If you hadn't helped me, I wouldn't have solved a single case. Now I've at least benefited a little!"
"Alright, help me. Cut open the cacti from the middle, let some of the sap seep out, and heat it up for me with an alcohol lamp!"
"Okay!"
"Chuchu, smear this glycerin all over the corpse. Remember not to miss any part, especially those two wounds."
"Got it!"
The final steps were up to me. I took out countless pieces of gauze netting. Once Gao Mingqiang's cactus sap was heated, I asked him to help me spread the netting over the deceased.
Seeing our actions, Liu Yuning anxiously said, "Don't mess around! Aren't you damaging the body?"
"I'm performing a post-mortem examination!" At times, I felt an urge to push Liu Yuning out, but I suppressed it.
After a layer of gauze netting was spread, I called Xie Chuchu over. "Gao Mingqiang, both of you pour the cactus sap and glycerin onto the netting."
Liu Yuning was about to speak again, but I said, "My grandfather taught me this. It's the He family coroner's examination method, the gauze netting re-examination technique."
"It's your grandfather again. Don't always use him to suppress me!" Liu Yuning said, somewhat annoyed.
I ignored her, thinking to myself, "Liu Yuning, Liu Yuning! You're dismissive, aren't you? I'll make you wholeheartedly convinced later, and you'll have to listen to me for the rest of your life! That bet last time, you've probably forgotten it completely? But it's okay, this time I'll make it unforgettable for you! You'll be completely impressed with me!"
While they poured, I continued to spread layers of gauze netting over the deceased's body. Her head, shoulders, chest, abdomen, waist, arms, thighs, and calves – almost the entire body was covered.
"This looks like a mummy, doesn't it?" Gao Mingqiang couldn't help but exclaim, looking at the female corpse.
"Heh, that's right. I want her to become a mummy!" My words caused everyone present to gasp in astonishment.