After my father left, I rose from the couch and ascended the stairs. Upon reaching my sister's room, everything was in immaculate order. I wandered through, eyes scanning our photographs together, everything seemed normal – her makeup, her accessories all in place.
I searched each drawer of the wardrobe, but nothing out of the ordinary surfaced. However, I refrained from delving deeper, not wanting my father to return and find me there. Subsequently, I retrieved my sister's house keys and secured them, then exited the room and descended to the garden where her body was found.
At this spot, we played as children. I examined the garden beams, using a ladder to get a better look. Oddly, there were two marks on each beam – if she had done this alone, one would have sufficed for hanging. Therefore, the use of both suggests ease of lifting the body, which can only be done with an unconscious subject, as threading the rope over both beams would reduce the necessary lifting force. I snapped pictures with my phone, then descended from there, entered my car, and drove away from that location. All I knew was that I had to handle this delicately. I collected myself slightly and chose to visit my workplace to acclimate. Upon arrival, I introduced myself, met the coroner's assistant – an old primary school classmate – who greeted me, showed me around, introduced me to the team, and briefed me on my role, mentioning on-call duties as a general physician when there were no autopsies.
I was then introduced to Detective Dylan Mollet and got acquainted with the hospital area, ready to start the next day. The day passed uneventfully – I visited some places, did grocery shopping, and then returned to the apartment. With numerous thoughts swirling, I began to formulate my conclusions in writing, yet the worst part was the absence of someone to trust.
I arrived at several conclusions:
- My sister did not take her own life; she was murdered\, and someone is desperate to cover it up.
Motive: ?
Killer: ?
Suspect: ?
Who sent the letter: ?
The mysterious man at the cemetery: ?
What is my father hiding: ?
The peculiar resignation of the coroner: ?
After creating my list, I fell asleep. Prepared for the first day of work, I ate something simple and left for the job. I greeted Tian, my assistant, who informed me about a pending autopsy. I changed into my uniform: the deceased was a 65-year-old man, dead for three to four days, cause of death being a heart attack. I completed the report, made a copy for the family, and asked Tian where the reports were stored.
Tian explained the system's digital storage and the physical files in a drawer labeled with the date and decedent's name.
After finishing my tasks, I observed Tian's departure, and seizing the opportunity of solitude, I searched until I found my sister's report – matching what I already had – but as I refiled it, a scrap of paper fell onto my shoe. Closing the drawer, I picked it up. It read, "This is not a simple suicide. There's more behind this, but my life is at risk."
I was shocked, but at that moment, Tian returned, and I quickly pocketed the note.
Tian: We have some patients to see.
Ali: Ok (I replied)... Tian, may I ask what happened to the previous coroner?
Tian: Ali, I don't know. He started acting strange and then disappeared without a word.
Ali: Are you certain he simply left, or could something have happened to him?
Tian: It's a possibility. I went to his house, but nobody was there.
Ali (as we walked through the hospital): And where did he live?
Tian: Across from Doña Esperanza's restaurant.
Ali: Ok. How many patients do we have?
Tian: There are three.
I began attending to the patients, nothing major, and afterwards, was invited for a welcome meal at a restaurant. The company was pleasant, including two nurses, Laila and Sara, along with Tian, and Detective Dylan joined us. Despite the enjoyable atmosphere, there was something about the detective that didn’t sit right with me.
Following dinner, we went our separate ways and I drove home; it was about 8:30 pm. However, instead of heading straight there, I drove to the address Tian had provided for the coroner’s residence and parked further on. Slipping on leather gloves, I exited the car and surveyed the quiet surroundings, then activated my car's alarm and crossed the street.
The apartment was clearly unentered for some time; dust and dry leaves adorned the entrance. Using a pair of lock picks, I managed to open the door, and entered the dark apartment without turning on any lights, not wanting to alert the neighbors. My cell phone's light guided me to unchecked mail, untouched for months, and his belongings untouched; it seemed he hadn’t left voluntarily. Searching yielded nothing significant, save for medical books, scattered alcohol bottles, and inside a closet his clothes. As I was about to close it, a box tumbled from a shelf, hitting my head and causing my cell phone to fall. Upon retrieving it, I noticed papers - they were investigations of missing girls and a diary. That's when my car alarm blared.
Hurriedly, I scooped up everything; peering through the curtains, I saw no one. I decided to leave everything as it was, taking the box with me. Exiting the building, I deactivated the alarm and entered the car, relieved. Then I noticed a man on a motorcycle entering the apartment. I hid in the car, watching him. But after he entered, I decided it was best to leave the area unnoticed...
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 38 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments