1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 185 Stop digging!
After leaving the deputy superintendent's office, the group headed to the forensic room.

Theodore met the tall, thin medical examiner again.

Upon meeting, the tall, thin forensic doctor yawned first.

He looked tired, as if he hadn't been getting enough rest lately.

Theodore, watching the forensic pathologist chugging coffee, extended another invitation:
"The FBI has a well-established duty roster system, and working in the FBI's laboratories will not result in overwork."

"And there are many researchers who share your vision, state-of-the-art equipment, cases from all over the country, and all kinds of victims."

"You can study the corpse together."

The tall, thin forensic doctor was somewhat taken aback.

Detective O'Malley stared wide-eyed at Theodore in disbelief.

Fearing that the tall, thin forensic doctor's tired brain might momentarily lapse in judgment, he quickly changed the subject after agreeing:

"Was that body sent for autopsy last night?"

The tall, thin forensic doctor stared at him:

"Three bodies were delivered last night. Which one are you referring to?"

Detective O'Malley described it in detail: "The one who was burned to death."

The tall, thin forensic pathologist rummaged through the messy table, then got up and searched through the filing cabinet before returning with a folder:
"DCME-0177, right?"

Detective O'Malley nodded: "Yes, Evelyn Shaw."

He couldn't possibly remember Evelyn Shaw's body number, but surely no one else could have been burned to death last night?
The tall, thin forensic doctor looked down and flipped through the documents:
"The autopsy hasn't been performed yet; only a basic external examination of the body has been conducted."

He paused, then looked up at Theodore:

"The body had 95% of its surface area burned with third- or fourth-degree burns. The carbonized skin was charred black with cracks and would fall off with the slightest touch."

"The deceased's upper limbs were bent at the elbows and clenched into fists, while his lower limbs were bent, presenting a typical boxing stance."

He explained:
"This indicates that the deceased suffered from burning before death, which caused muscle contraction."

The same posture was used when Alan Brennan's body was found.

The fistfighting stance is a typical posture for someone who was burned before death.

The tall, thin forensic doctor continued:
"The lower limbs are covered with grayish-white hard molten beads."

Theodore asked him, "What are those grayish-white beads?"

The forensic doctor shook his head: "I don't know, we're still waiting in line for the test results."

Theodore then asked him whether the grayish-white beads on the lower limbs of the corpse were the same as the grayish-white beads he had collected at the scene.

The forensic doctor continued to shake his head, indicating that they hadn't even had a chance to collect physical evidence from the body yet, let alone any evidence from the scene.

Bernie looked at Detective O'Malley and suggested that the evidence could be sent to the FBI's lab for examination.

Before Detective O'Malley could speak, the tall, thin medical examiner immediately raised his hand in agreement and hurriedly called his assistant to pack up the evidence in the case.

As if afraid Bernie might change his mind, he immediately continued presenting the results of the autopsy after dismissing the assistant:
"On the left side of the body, about 2 inches above the popliteal fossa, there was a 2.8-inch × 1.6-inch subcutaneous hemorrhage with epidermal abrasion in the central area."

“A 3.1-inch x 4.7-inch patch of bleeding was observed in the deep muscles of the right arm, with the overlying skin intact.”

He took out two photos and handed them to everyone, one of his left knee and one of his right arm, displaying his usual confidence.

Detective O'Malley objected: "No blood was found at the scene."

The tall, thin medical examiner looked at Detective O'Malley and explained:

"This is subcutaneous bleeding, not an open wound, so the blood didn't flow out. That's why you couldn't find any blood at the scene."

Theodore asked him, "Blunt force injury?"

The tall, thin forensic doctor shook his head:
"I don't know, it hasn't been operated on yet, so we don't know if there are any fractures or cracks."

“However, common blunt force trauma, kicks, or punches can all cause similar injuries; there are too many possibilities.” He took back the two photos and handed over three more head photos:

"The deceased's scalp was completely carbonized, and the exposed skull was charred yellow."

"The eyeball has completely disappeared inside the eye socket, the orbital fat is carbonized and appears as porous charred residue, and the levator palpebrae superioris muscle is contracted and exposed."

“The tongue inside the mouth is carbonized, the teeth are intact, the crowns are blackened by smoke, and the laryngeal cartilage is deformed and melted.”

The tall, thin forensic pathologist closed the document:

"The skin from the lower back to the back of the calves of the deceased was in a waxy, molten state and emitted a strong odor."

"The accelerant is still awaiting testing, but it smells very much like gasoline."

Theodore asked him, "Were there any other defensive wounds on the deceased?"

The tall, thin forensic doctor shook his head:
"The body was severely burned, making it difficult to identify; an autopsy is necessary to determine the cause."

Theodore then asked, "When will the autopsy report be available?"

The tall, thin forensic doctor silently calculated for a moment and then gave his answer:

"The preliminary autopsy results will be available tomorrow, but a detailed autopsy report will have to wait for the results of the physical evidence examination, which is expected to take five to seven days."

He looked at Theodore:
"Your FBI labs have advanced equipment, professional staff, and detailed duty schedules, so the testing should be faster."

"As long as you have the results, I can provide a complete autopsy report within 12 hours."

Theodore was dissatisfied with the speed and suspected that there was another meaning behind those words.

He asked the tall, thin medical examiner if he could get the results faster, but the medical examiner just shook his head.

Leaving the medical examiner's office, Detective O'Malley solemnly made a request to Bernie.

He told Bernie that the tall, thin medical examiner was the head of the medical examiner's office at the Fourth Precinct, whose budget was limited compared to the FBI's deep pockets and ability to attract talent.

He pleaded with the FBI to stop poaching people.

Detective O'Malley had spent quite a bit of time with Theodore and his team, and knew that talking to Theodore about these things would be pointless; he had to talk to Bernie.

Bernie felt a little embarrassed by what they said, glanced at Theodore, and quickly assured him that it would never happen again.

He suspected that Theodore had done this on purpose.

Detective O'Malley looked at Theodore with skepticism.

Theodore nodded seriously.

Detective O'Malley breathed a sigh of relief and immediately changed the subject, asking about the next steps in the investigation.

Theodore thought for a moment and said:

"I need fire accident investigation reports from recent years."

Detective O'Malley hesitated.

He believed that time was of the essence, and every second wasted reduced Frank Kowalski's chances of survival.

Reviewing the investigation report is a very time-consuming task; by the time they finish reviewing it, Frank Kowalski might already be dead.

Given Theodore's remarkable accuracy in guiding the investigation in their previous two collaborations, he did not question Theodore's hypothesis that the arsonist was a repeat offender.

He reminded Theodore that Frank Kowalski was still in the hands of the arsonists, and that the most urgent task at hand was to rescue Frank Kowalski.

Even catching the arsonist is secondary.

Theodore stared at him for a moment, then asked him:
"The arsonist was skilled at controlling the amount of accelerant used, used cruel methods, and cleaned up the scene very thoroughly."

"If Frank Kowalski was with the deceased last night and was taken away by the arsonists afterwards, why would the arsonists have kept Frank Kowalski alive?"

"Let Frank Kowalski be rescued by us, and then we identify him?"

(End of this chapter)