We approached the girls, and on the surface, their reactions seemed normal. I initially held out hope, but after asking several times, we discovered they truly didn't know Jiang Pingqing. Their reactions were also perfectly normal. We then had people search them and test their palms with machines, but found no trace of grapefruit components. The killer wasn't among them.
With everyone on stage ruled out, it meant Jiang Pingqing must have ingested the grapefruit elsewhere. While this substance, when mixed with red wine, causes immediate poisoning, what if the killer had a way to encapsulate the grapefruit? This could delay its dissolution in the stomach. Based on this hypothesis, I realized I had to perform the autopsy myself.
I had my team withdraw. I returned to the provincial department. Recently, Zhang Ting and I have been discussing establishing a morgue, a facility mentioned in my grandfather's secret manual. It's essentially a specialized autopsy site for us coroner's assistants.
I drew up the design plans and gave them to Director Zhang, asking for his help in constructing it. I expected him to hesitate, but upon learning it was for autopsies, he agreed without much thought. He even found a plot of land behind the provincial department and hired a construction team. The morgue will be built soon.
I arrived at the forensic laboratory. Xie Chuchu and Xiao Dong were already waiting. We had previously contacted Jiang Pingqing's family and obtained their consent for the autopsy.
Facing Jiang Pingqing's body, I first used a scalpel to open her chest. Then, with a single cut, I reached her stomach. My primary focus was on examining the stomach. Using a shadowless reflector, I illuminated the interior, feeling from the stomach lining to the stomach wall, and then to the stomach contents. Amidst the cloudy gastric fluid, I discovered some plastic-like objects. I picked them up with tweezers and placed them one by one into a glass dish. Upon careful examination, I realized they appeared to be fragments from capsules.
This confirmed my earlier suspicion: was the grapefruit somehow encased? I sent them to Xie Chuchu for analysis. If my hunch was correct, the plastic would definitely have traces of grapefruit.
The fact that she could be given these substances, and that there were no signs of struggle on her body, indicated that Jiang Pingqing had willingly ingested them. The perpetrator was likely someone she knew well – her personal physician, a close friend, a boyfriend, or someone else with a close relationship.
I continued to examine the deceased's lower body and discovered that her... well, this woman was still a virgin. She had a slight layer of fat on her abdomen and showed signs of having had hyaluronic acid injections. The atrophied stomach muscles, along with traces of chicken and slimming tea, indicated she had been on a strict diet recently.
Perhaps she wanted to leave the most beautiful impression for her beloved celebrity. She must have suffered a lot during this period.
Suddenly, I envisioned a fanatical fan who would sacrifice everything for their idol.
I recalled a news report about a woman who, desperate to meet her idol Andy Lau, forced her father to sell a kidney and drained the family's finances. Such mindless fan behavior is indeed foolish and ignorant.
The issue of celebrity worship has not changed over the years, and the values of young people seem to be developing in a distorted way.
However, these phenomena have improved somewhat in recent years.
I asked Xiao Dong to help me turn the body over. I noticed needle marks on the deceased's shoulders and the back of her head. Xiao Dong remarked, "Was this woman injecting herself with drugs for weight loss too?"
"It was detected in her blood. Yes. She was quite determined, which seriously worsened her physical condition recently. This is also why she was poisoned. Most people wouldn't get poisoned by grapefruit components, or it would be digested directly. But for someone with a weak constitution, it's very easy to be killed."
"No wonder. I was puzzled during my earlier tests. Alright, now I finally understand. Team Leader He, I'm learning so much from you."
"You flatter me. You'll have many more opportunities like this in the future."
Before removing my rubber gloves, I asked Xiao Dong to test the deceased's anal temperature to confirm the time of death. I then examined the deceased's face and noticed distinct wrinkles on her skin. I also observed that her earlobes and the contours of her auricles were somewhat asymmetrical, and there were issues with the angle of her nose. Some areas of her skin also showed residual scar marks from incisions. I inferred that this woman had undergone plastic surgery, and not just once.
Subsequently, I called Liu Yuning, asking her to investigate Jiang Pingqing's relatives or close friends. She said she was already on it and that her parents were currently in the interrogation room.
I handed over the remaining work to Xiao Dong and went to the interrogation room myself. It was time to meet the victim's parents.
Jiang Pingqing's father appeared to be a burly farmer, with incredibly dark skin and unkempt hair. Her mother, on the other hand, was a bit plump with fair skin. Her eyes were closed, and at first, I wondered what was wrong with her. Only after sitting down did I realize she was blind.
I addressed Jiang Pingqing's father, "First, I want to offer my condolences to both of you. Jiang Pingqing was a very excellent girl, and her personality was very quiet. I know her death must be..."
Before I could finish, Jiang Pingqing's father interrupted me impatiently, "Alright, Officer He, just ask what you need to ask. We've heard enough of these polite words."
"Okay, since you're direct, Mr. Jiang, I won't beat around the bush. What was your relationship with Jiang Pingqing like?"
"What do you mean, asking that right off the bat!" Jiang Pingqing's father asked curiously.
"No offense, these are just routine questions. I hope you'll cooperate."
"Sigh!" Jiang Pingqing's father let out a sigh, as if his daughter's topic made him unhappy. I waited patiently until he was ready to speak.
"Ever since she started chasing idols, her entire personality changed. Every day she found ways to change herself, to make herself more beautiful. She went for plastic surgery, lost weight, and participated in beauty pageants. She quit her sales job and became an extra at the TV station, all just to gain fame and have a chance to appear in public, so she could see Jay Chou. That was her idea. But our family paid too much for it, almost to the point of ruin."
Listening to Jiang Pingqing's father's account, I felt this family was collapsing, all for Jiang Pingqing's wish. This girl was truly thoughtless. I suddenly noticed Jiang Pingqing's mother; tears seemed to be streaming down the corners of her eyes. Jiang Pingqing's father seemed about to say something more to me, but his wife pulled him back.