Chapter 115: Thrice Steaming Bone Tes (2/2)

We then packed up and tidied up the place, then rushed back to the police station with the evidence. Xiaozhou tested the bone marrow immediately. The next day when he handed his test report to us, he remarked, “You never cease to impress me, Detective Song! I would never have thought to test the bone marrow for drug residues!”

I smiled humbly and replied, “Human bones aren’t just dead structural organs in our bodies. They are composed of living hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow with blood constantly flowing through them, which means that any drug in the blood system would accumulate in the bone marrow!”

“You should write a dissertation about this topic, Song Yang,” he said while looking at me with admiration. “It would greatly advance modern forensic science.”

That was in fact a great idea. I thought I could earn the last five credits that I needed to graduate with that dissertation paper. It never occurred to me that the paper I would eventually write about would rewrite forensic science textbooks, and it would even earn me a medal of honor from the Red Cross Society of Boston University.

The drug component that Xiaozhou detected from his testing was isoflurane, a general anesthetic that would paralyze the whole body once inhaled.

The next day, Xiaotao decided to use the evidence to arrest Zou Wei. I suggested that she apply for an arrest warrant first, to avoid any possible trouble. Xiaotao retorted that the arrest warrant application must go through Captain Lin, and he would never approve it. Hence, our only choice was to use this evidence we found to take him back to the police station for questioning.

I had no mood to do anything that day. So I just waited anxiously for Xiaotao and Wang Yuanchao in the police station. It was late afternoon when both of them returned, but I noticed that Zou Wei did not come with them. That alarmed me. I asked them, ‘What happened? Was the evidence not watertight enough?’

Xiaotao was about to answer me, but Captain Lin interrupted her by shouting, “What are you waiting for? Get into my office now!”

Before she went, Xiaotao whispered to me, “That bastard was more cunning than we imagined! He prepared an explanation that made our evidence completely useless!”

I was about to go with them, but Captain Lin politely said to me, “You don’t have to come in, Song Yang. I just want to talk to these two about the case.”

As soon as the door was closed, Captain Lin’s thunderous shouts could be heard clearly even from outside.

“Who gave you permission to investigate Zou Wei, Huang Xiaotao? Didn’t I order you to give up the case? How dare you disobey an order from your superior! And you, Wang Yuanchao, you’re just a low-ranking officer now, yet you’re acting independently against the orders of a superior? If all police officers act according to their whims like the both of you, what difference is there between us and the hooligans we’re catching?”

This went on for about half an hour. I stood there waiting for them at the door, worried sick about what would happen to Xiaotao.

When they both came out, Xiaotao smiled to me and simply uttered, “We’re suspended!”

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “This is all my fault. If I didn’t insist on investigating this case, you wouldn’t have…”

“I’m not blaming you,” Xiaotao interrupted me. “Let’s go and get some coffee!”

We went to a Starbucks nearby. I asked them what Zou Wei did. Xiaotao replied that he had a medical record of his dead wife. It showed that she had sinus surgery three days before her death.

I really underestimated Zou Wei. But this further proved his guilt. Why would he keep his wife’s medical record after she died a year ago? The document must’ve been forged. He used to work at an insurance company. There was a high possibility that he would know a doctor who could help him with this.

Just like that, our evidence had been rendered utterly useless. Moreover, Xiaotao and Wang Yuanchao were now temporarily unable to act as police officers. It was almost a complete defeat.

I suggested calling Sun Tiger for help, but Xiaotao shook her head and said, “No, we can’t rely on him for every roadblock that we encounter.”

“But it’s important that we carry on the investigation!” I argued.

“I’ll go to him, alright, but before that, we must find compelling evidence that would incriminate Zou Wei without any doubt. Then we’ll just ask for Sun Tiger to help us bring the murderer to justice!”

“That makes sense,” I nodded.

As we were discussing the case, Wang Yuanchao was constantly on the phone.

“Are you listening, Wang Yuanchao?” Xiaotao rebuked him. “We’re only temporarily suspended. Are you already looking for a new job?”

Wang Yuanchao hung up the phone and said, “My informant told me that Zou Wei just went to see a Chinese medicine doctor…”

1. Bo Le is a legendary tamer of horses, used figuratively to mean someone who is a good judge of hidden talents. In this case, it was implied that Xiaotao was the person who recognized Wang Yuanchao’s capabilities even though he’d been demoted to a low rank.

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