Overly Intense [Criminal Investigation] 11

Chapter 11: Who Can Take It

“Here.”

Shen Yiyi looked down. The ice cream bowl being handed to her was resting on a neatly folded napkin.

Qin Luo was more effective at dispelling the summer heat than the cold air blowing from the convenience store, soothing her tense nerves from the day.

She took it. “Thanks.”

The two walked to the parking lot, got in the car, and Qin Luo drove toward the funeral home.

During the two hours they had dinner, Qin Luo’s choice of topics had been almost entirely focused on old friends and acquaintances. She hadn’t asked about Shen Yiyi’s work or her life, as if deliberately avoiding putting the spotlight on the two of them.

Qin Luo didn’t want sixteen years of growth to be summed up in a sentence or two. Communication between people was more interesting when it developed slowly, not to mention the regrets of their missed connection were still vivid.

But now she couldn’t help but ask, wanting to know how the other’s schedule could be even more chaotic than her own. “It’s already nine o’clock. If you go for an autopsy now, won’t you be working until the early hours of the morning?”

Shen Yiyi put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, the sweet and tart vanilla melting on her tongue. “I have other work during the day, and the family members have work too. We can only meet at night.”

“Then why do the autopsy at the funeral home?” Qin Luo asked curiously.

“The lab at the identification center has limited space, and non-critical bodies are generally kept at the funeral home. It’s a police department regulation.”

“Oh.” Qin Luo nodded, then glanced at Shen Yiyi.

Shen Yiyi was practically cradling the ice cream bowl with both hands, every spoonful brought to her mouth with extreme care, as if afraid a single drop of melted ice cream would fall on her pants. She would swallow before speaking, and when she spoke, her voice was very soft.

She looked so well-behaved.

Qin Luo bit her lower lip, quickly retracting her gaze. But the funeral home was too far, and she couldn’t help but glance at her several times along the way.

During dinner, they were face to face, the close proximity too direct. To avoid staring too intently, Qin Luo hadn’t dared to look openly. Now, through her peripheral vision, she could trace her outline with a clear conscience.

Hmm, she hasn’t changed much. Her features are delicate, slightly sharper, giving off a faintly chilled feeling. But as soon as she speaks, it’s diluted by her reserved personality. Her hair is long, soft like a glass of cool water, as if it will never fade, with nothing superfluous.

What did it feel like to kiss her back then?

I think I’ve forgotten…

At this thought, Qin Luo’s throat suddenly felt dry and itchy. She held the steering wheel with one hand, wanting to grab the mineral water in the cup holder to quench the fire in her heart.

“Do you want some water?”

Shen Yiyi was a person who cherished her life dearly. The traffic on the elevated highway was heavy, and Qin Luo was driving fast. So when she saw her distracted, trying to twist open a bottle cap, she immediately offered to help. She wasn’t ready to be carried into the funeral home just yet.

“Let me help you.”

But she was still holding the ice cream bowl and didn’t have two free hands to twist the cap. She could only take the water bottle and hold the cap part out to Qin Luo’s hand. “Here… it’s easier for you to twist it like this.”

The high speed couldn’t withstand her lovesick distraction. Qin Luo lightly tapped the brakes.

“Thanks.”

She and Shen Yiyi had cooperated perfectly, and she had successfully taken a sip of water. But the thought of kissing her had just been elevated to a new level.

This had nothing to do with any sexual impulse.

It was just that Qin Luo felt her passenger seat was a perfect fit for Shen Yiyi. On an insignificant night, they would cross half the city, without needing to say any important lines. All she would need to do after dropping her off was to say lightly, “I’ll wait for you to come home.” The boring summer would roll on and on in her life. Qin Luo could even see the scene already: Dr. Shen sitting in front of her wall of books. The picture would be beautiful.

She took another sip of water, smoothing over the mischievous desire, and cursed her overactive imagination.

***

The car finally arrived at the remote funeral home.

As Qin Luo drove in, she saw a group of people standing at the entrance. The burly men were not dressed in mourning clothes. Several police cars were parked nearby, making the surroundings seem eerie.

The car stopped. Shen Yiyi was still holding the ice cream bowl. She looked at Qin Luo, showing no intention of getting out.

Seeing her motionless, Qin Luo blinked a couple of times.

“My hands are not clean,” Shen Yiyi said.

How dirty could a person with OCD and mysophobia’s hands be?

Qin Luo looked at Shen Yiyi’s hands. Her fingers were long and slender, looking like they could saw through a skull with no effort at all. Her palm was holding the bowl through a napkin, with no water stains on her fingertips. Her nails were trimmed so neatly they could be in an ad for finger cots.

Shen Yiyi added, “I don’t want to get your car dirty.”

Qin Luo didn’t understand what Shen Yiyi thought was dirty, but she knew it was a hallucinatory experience for people with OCD, a psychological pressure that couldn’t be cut away.

She didn’t want to make things difficult for Shen Yiyi, nor did she want to lean over her on their first date to reach the door. Since Shen Yiyi wanted to maintain a friendly distance, she would give her that distance.

“Wait, I’ll get it for you.” Qin Luo unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open her door, and got out.

But as she walked around the front of the car, a heated argument erupted behind her. By the time she reached the passenger door, the group of impotently furious men were scuffling again.

Qin Luo looked over. The group of people were pushing and shoving, trying to sort out right from wrong.

She reached out and pulled open the car door, naturally taking the empty ice cream bowl from Shen Yiyi. She gestured with her chin toward the men at the entrance. “That group of people wouldn’t be the family members you mentioned, would they?”

Shen Yiyi’s gaze went over the front of the car to the entrance.

Lin Puping and two colleagues from the case-handling department were caught in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by several local police officers.

She gave a nonchalant “mm,” then turned back and smiled at Qin Luo. “Thanks for bringing me here. You should head home now, don’t be too late.”

…

Qin Luo looked up at the crowd again, worried. “I’ll go with you.”

“No need.”

Shen Yiyi took a wet wipe from her pocket and carefully wiped between her fingers. “You should go back.”

The order to leave had been given twice. Qin Luo could understand plain language.

But besides being worried, the most important thing was that she was reluctant to leave. “Then… can I treat you to dinner next time?”

“It’s best to contact me in advance. My work schedule is very unstable, so I might not be free.” Shen Yiyi finished wiping her hands and held the wet wipe between her fingertips. Her tone became distant and polite again.

A noncommittal answer, a vague response. This was the precursor to ambiguity. She and Shen Yiyi had experienced this at eighteen.

Being stood up for a date at the bookstore, being abandoned halfway through a walk in the park. Qin Luo’s heart was numbed by the resurfacing memories, a tightness in her chest. People, they know ambiguity is dangerous, yet they willingly jump right in.

Qin Luo nodded. “Alright, then I’m leaving.”

“Drive safe.”

Qin Luo took three small steps back toward the driver’s side, then pulled open the door and got in. She looked at Shen Yiyi’s retreating back through the window as she strode toward the crowd at the funeral home.

The woman showed no sign of reluctance, not even a wave goodbye.

Qin Luo pouted, found the car trash bag on the back seat, and threw the empty ice cream bowl into it. She huffed lightly, started the car, and drove away.

The roar of Qin Luo’s sports car brushed past the crowd. Lin Puping looked up at the sound and saw Director Shen walking toward them.

He whispered a few words in his colleague’s ear, then quickly broke away and ran toward Shen Yiyi.

Lin Puping intercepted the director halfway, his 180cm frame completely blocking her.

He bent down and whispered, “Director Shen, why don’t you go straight to the freezer room and wait for us? The key to the freezer is at the entrance.”

“You’ve been here for so long, don’t tell me you haven’t thawed the body yet?” Shen Yiyi’s brow was furrowed with fatigue, her voice deep and cold. “What… did they refuse the autopsy again?”

Lin Puping shook his head, then nodded. But he said confidently, “It’s fine, Director. You go in first. I’ll handle things here.”

“If there’s a problem, just say it.”

“Well… the family wants someone else to do the autopsy,” Lin Puping said awkwardly.

Shen Yiyi suddenly felt a pain in her lower back. She hadn’t noticed it while having dinner with Qin Luo, but now, hearing the commotion, the weight of her job came crashing down, and her whole body felt uncomfortable.

She put a hand on her lower back and shouted toward the group, “Ask them who they want to do the autopsy! Who’s willing to stay up all night at a funeral home to do an autopsy for them? What? Do I look like I want to?”

She said this in a loud voice, not mincing her words for the family’s feelings.

This kind of work-related emotion was not allowed in police work. If the other party had evidence to file a complaint, Shen Yiyi would be in big trouble. But she couldn’t help it; she was numb to this kind of situation. She knew that without a firm stance, even if Lin Puping argued with them until morning, there would be no good outcome.

“Director Shen…” Assistant Lin hadn’t expected the director’s temper to be so fiery. Even he had a hard time talking to those men, let alone expecting them to respect the director. “Please, just leave it to me.”

“Leave what to you?” Shen Yiyi glared at him. “Leave it to you to persuade them?”

“…” The male forensic pathologist blinked.

“This is a scene you will often encounter in your future work. You must remember that family members always have the potential to be criminals. If you persuade them to agree to the autopsy today, what if they’re not satisfied with the results? Or what if the cause of death still can’t be one hundred percent determined? How will you handle the aftermath?”

“But… what if things get out of hand?” the assistant said, looking down.

Shen Yiyi frowned, frustrated. “Although the criminal law stipulates that the public security has the right to perform autopsies, and we have a legal basis, it doesn’t mean the family won’t cause trouble, file petitions, or pick at other procedural flaws. If you start your career with the mindset of avoiding future trouble, seeking temporary convenience in your work, it will make you hesitant in everything you do. Don’t think that a flawed examination is no big deal. If you go back to work in your hometown, have you ever thought that once a case gets to the provincial level, it won’t just be you handling it? The procuratorate will do an autopsy, the department will do an autopsy. What will you do if the evidence overturns the case? An examination, whether it’s at the scene, of the evidence, or an autopsy, is a lifelong responsibility once you take it on. If you hastily close a case today because you compromised with the family, and the lack of an autopsy leads to difficulties in later litigation, or even a miscarriage of justice, can you live with yourself?”

Lin Puping’s face was pale. He lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Director. My attitude was wrong.”

“Alright, having the right attitude is the most important thing. Now, can you tell me why they want to change the person doing the autopsy?” Shen Yiyi asked, fighting off her sleepiness.

“Because they think… um…” Lin Puping stammered, “You’re a woman.”

“Don’t be embarrassed.” Director Shen walked past Lin Puping’s frame and toward the crowd. “Your hesitation makes it seem like a female forensic pathologist is indeed not qualified to perform an autopsy.”

“No, it’s not a matter of ability.” Lin Puping quickly explained, “It’s, the family feels that their son… um, was still a virgin. They feel that with a female forensic pathologist present…”

As he spoke, he himself found it absurd.

Shen Yiyi strode forward and took out her police ID from her pocket. “I am the forensic pathologist in charge of your son’s case. The autopsy was decided after a review by the public security’s case filing department. Whether you sign or not, the autopsy will be performed. This is not our right, but our duty. It’s fine if you don’t agree. We will notify the police station not to issue a death certificate, and after fifteen days, you will be responsible for the storage fees at the funeral home.”

She put away her ID. “Right now, in the entire identification center, I am the only one who can clearly determine the cause of your son’s death. You can use your connections to find a more capable male forensic pathologist from another province. I’d like to see who is willing to take it, who wants to take it, and who can take it.”

“Lin Puping,” Shen Yiyi called her assistant’s name. “Give them Director Hong’s number. He’s an authoritative male expert. Let’s see if Director Hong will answer his phone when he’s not on duty.”

With that, she turned and left the mess for her male assistant to solve. She muttered to herself, unable to help but laugh, “A virgin… hilarious. Female forensic pathologists have seen plenty of virgins.”

After laughing, her face grew serious again.

But far fewer than the number of female virgins she had seen.