Chapter 948: The Autopsy

After Tao Yuanyuan left, Lin Dongxue invited Cai Zhengkai to the hallway and asked, “I’d like to know what you were doing tonight.”

Cai Zhengkai calmly responded, “After shooting, I was in my room reading the script. I had dinner there too. Later, I went out for some fresh air, sat in the bar for a while, and returned at nine.”

“We’re on the same floor, and during the fall, I noticed you arrived about ten minutes later. Can you explain why?” Lin Dongxue asked.

Cai Zhengkai raised an impeccably groomed eyebrow, “I don’t like crowds. Who says you have to rush out when someone dies? Being late by a few minutes makes me a suspect? Is this how you cops handle investigations?”

Ignoring his sarcasm, Lin Dongxue said, “But someone reported that you might have been the last person to see the deceased.”

“The last person to see him? Are you implying I’m the murderer if he was pushed? Please, he’s a petty man. I avoided him, let alone provoke him.”

“Stop beating around the bush. When was the last time you saw Xiao Ai?” Lin Dongxue demanded.

Cai Zhengkai maintained his calm demeanor, “During dinner.”

“Leave your contact information,” Lin Dongxue said.

Cai Zhengkai nonchalantly provided his number and posed for a photo.

After interviewing everyone, Lin Dongxue told them they could leave for now. Tao Yuanyuan returned and asked, “Did you finish questioning everyone?”

“Some might need to be interviewed again,” Lin Dongxue replied.

“When I took the photo, I learned something. Xiao Ai is actually the producer’s illegitimate son,” Tao Yuanyuan revealed.

“Really?” Lin Dongxue was slightly surprised.

“The producer said Xiao Ai was born from an affair he had years ago. His wife is his boss’s daughter, and he’s the son-in-law. Naturally, he couldn’t let this get out, so he sent money every month in secret. Later, when Xiao Ai started acting, the producer had already risen in the company and used his own money to promote him.”

“Does Xiao Ai know?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“I’d guess he does,” Tao Yuanyuan replied.

“Interesting. The father took his son’s girlfriend. The scene must have been ‘dramatic.’ This lowers the producer’s suspicion a bit,” Lin Dongxue mused.

“Who do you suspect the most?” Tao Yuanyuan inquired.

“Cai Zhengkai,” Lin Dongxue answered.

“But what’s his motive?” Tao Yuanyuan wondered.

“I think it’s a crime of passion. During their argument, Cai Zhengkai could have pushed him, which explains why he arrived late. We haven’t properly examined the body yet. Are you scared?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“What’s there to be scared of?” Tao Yuanyuan shrugged.

Lin Dongxue lifted the cover from Xiao Ai’s body. He lay on his back on the table. His pale skin and the blood-matted hair, combined with the eerie nighttime silence, made Tao Yuanyuan a bit anxious.

“He looks like he’s sleeping. I keep thinking he might suddenly sit up,” Tao Yuanyuan remarked.

“Captain Peng told me that dead bodies aren’t scary. It’s the imagination of people seeing them that makes it frightening,” Lin Dongxue said, reaching out but then remembered she didn’t have gloves. “We’ll wait for the police.”

“There were disposable gloves when we had roast lamb. The kitchen should have plenty. I’ll get some,” Tao Yuanyuan offered.

Before Lin Dongxue could say, “Isn’t the kitchen closed?” Tao Yuanyuan had already run off and soon returned with two pairs of disposable gloves.

They donned the gloves, and Lin Dongxue opened the deceased’s eyelids, examining them closely. Tao Yuanyuan asked what she was looking for.

“I’ve handled cases where people died from falls. From that height, there should be hemorrhages in the lens, but Xiao Ai doesn’t have any,” Lin Dongxue explained.

The victim’s eyes were bloodshot due to brain injury, not a unique feature of falling deaths.

“From the first glance, I noticed something odd. He landed on his front, but there’s dust on his back,” Lin Dongxue said.

“Can I take a look?” Tao Yuanyuan asked. “I’ve read some of Uncle Chen’s forensic books.”

“Sure, go ahead. We’re both amateurs here, just seeing what we can find,” Lin Dongxue encouraged.

Tao Yuanyuan lifted the victim’s head and pressed on the scalp. “This feels like subgaleal hematoma,” she said.

“Yes, that’s typical in fall deaths,” Lin Dongxue confirmed.

Handling the clammy hair, Tao Yuanyuan felt her heart race. While she found forensic knowledge fascinating, facing a real body was challenging. The familiar features—eyes, nose, ears, hair, skin with tiny bruises and abrasions—made it hard to know where to focus.

Tao Yuanyuan felt a difference under the scalp, pressing it. “Lin, there’s a fracture here.”

Lin Dongxue checked. “Indeed! It’s a depressed skull fracture. Measuring it, this doesn’t seem like it happened from hitting the ground,” she noted.

“An unusual detail means there’s a reason,” Tao Yuanyuan said.

“Right, we’ll find out why. We should also check the ribs. Falls usually cause rib fractures,” Lin Dongxue suggested.

“You look like a little detective,” Lin Dongxue praised, making Tao Yuanyuan blush.

Lin Dongxue unbuttoned the victim’s shirt, revealing his chest. “Strange, not a single broken rib,” she noted. “Look at his hands, the nails are broken, there are abrasions, and dust!”

“Lin, you’re so observant!” Tao Yuanyuan exclaimed. “I think Uncle Chen’s brilliance overshadowed your excellence.”

“Nonsense! I’ve been a cop for years, seen hundreds of bodies and autopsy reports. I have some experience, but I’m not systematic. I can’t even pinpoint the time of death… Someone falling from a height without breaking ribs is nearly impossible. Even Tian Nan survived a six-story fall but had broken ribs.”

“And then he died from a second-floor fall at home. Ironic,” Tao Yuanyuan said bitterly.

“He hit his head on a flower bed… a flower bed? Right! The victim must have hit something on the way down, causing the skull fracture. Many falls involve hitting objects mid-fall before reaching the ground. We should inspect the scene,” Lin Dongxue concluded.