The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

”From the time the case occurred up to now, we still haven’t been able to grasp even a single clear lead... The scene was destroyed beyond recognition, physical evidence is hard to find, and the direction of the investigation has yet to be determined.”

”If a stalemate like this were to spread, it would not only affect the public’s attention to and trust in the case, but would directly impact the reputation of our Jiangcheng City criminal investigation detachment.”

Jiang An’s expression grew even more tense when he heard this.

He took a deep breath and responded, his tone slightly hurried, ”Mr. Li, this is exactly where I’ve been under the most pressure lately.”

”The case is vicious in nature and has an enormous social impact, yet the investigation has made no substantive progress.”

”As the person directly in charge, I truly... feel guilty.”

Li Jian waved his hand, cutting him off.

”Don’t be in such a rush to blame yourself.”

”Criminal investigation work has never been smooth sailing. The more complex the case, the more it tests our patience and perseverance.”

”So many tough cases we’ve handled in the past—weren’t they all chewed through step by step?”

”Evidence doesn’t jump out by itself, and clues have to be dug out bit by bit.”

After a brief silence, Jiang An spoke again, pondering as he did so: ”You’re right, Mr. Li.”

”But this case does have its own particularities—the perpetrator deliberately set the fire and completely destroyed the scene.”

”Almost all trace evidence was swallowed by the blaze. Not just conventional clues like footprints and fingerprints—even the bodies themselves were severely damaged.”

”Damage to the skin, possible defensive wounds—none of it can be easily identified or collected as evidence.”

”During the initial autopsy, even determining the cause of death was extremely tentative.”

Li Jian sighed, nodded in agreement, and then proposed a new line of thought: ”Since the path of on-scene physical evidence is temporarily blocked, can we switch directions?”

”For example, start from their interpersonal network, or expand the scope of peripheral investigation?”

”The killer couldn’t have been completely invisible. As long as there was an act, there will definitely be traces left behind.”

Jiang An responded at once: ”Actually, I was just thinking about that as well.”

”Before going to bed I already instructed Wan and Senior Brother Qin Feng to focus tomorrow on screening the social circle of the victim’s elder daughter.”

”I noticed that at the fire scene, the way her elder daughter’s body was burned and covered was clearly different from the other victims.”

”Coupled with those four stab wounds on the male victim’s chest... this doesn’t look like a typical killing for money, but more like an emotional outburst.”

Li Jian nodded thoughtfully. ”Makes sense. This kind of method does suggest an emotion-driven crime.”

”Approaching it from this angle may open things up.”

Jiang An straightened slightly, his tone a bit more energized than before: ”Then it all depends on the results of tomorrow’s peripheral investigation.”

”As long as the screening is meticulous enough and their social relationships are clearly sorted out, I believe we’ll definitely find new leads.”

Then Li Jian paused for a moment in thought, and went on to ask: ”Regarding the possible biological material remaining in those female victims’ bodies, has Mr. Wu done any further extraction and identification?”

After thinking briefly, Jiang An replied: ”From the body of the woman under the bed, some biological material was extracted, but no signs of assault were detected.”

”As for the victim’s elder daughter... because her body was burned too severely, most of the physical evidence was destroyed, and for the time being no effective trace evidence has been recovered.”

On hearing this, Li Jian let out a light sigh, a hint of regret in his tone.

”If that’s the case!”

”From a technical standpoint, it really is very difficult to determine whether she was assaulted before she died.”

After a moment, Jiang An said: ”Even so, I still think it’s necessary for us to dig deeper into any possible clues.”

”Tomorrow I plan to personally conduct a second autopsy, focusing on whether there are any combustion residues that weren’t completely destroyed remaining in the remains, and attempt localized microscopic examination.”

Li Jian responded immediately: ”All the better!”

”You’re an expert in forensic pathology, experienced and highly accomplished.”

Li Jian nodded, then shifted the tone, his expression turning even more serious: ”This case involves an extreme degree of burning, and the difficulty of solving it is very high.”

”More crucially, even if we ultimately identify a suspect, how to construct a complete and rigorous chain of evidence, then successfully transfer the case to the procuratorate and secure prosecution, remains a pressing problem we need to examine in depth.”

Jiang An answered with clear resonance: ”Yes, I was thinking about that last night as well.”

”Identifying the suspect is only the first hurdle. Making him confess, face justice, and undergo legal trial—that’s the tougher second hurdle.”

”Especially in a case like this, where physical evidence is scarce, whether confessions and indirect evidence can form a logical closed loop will directly determine if we can bring the killer to justice.”

At this, a faint, gratified smile appeared on Li Jian’s face.

”Don’t worry too much. I have confidence in your ability to handle cases.”

”Since you joined the criminal investigation team, you’ve stood out from the start. Over the years you’ve been tempered by quite a few major and important cases, and every step you’ve taken has been solid.”

”Whether in investigative thinking, on-scene command, or team coordination, you’ve shown a maturity beyond your years.”

”I believe you can fully shoulder this responsibility. I didn’t misjudge you by assigning this case to you.”

Hearing this, Jiang An couldn’t help but smile and said half-jokingly, ”Mr. Li, you’re really putting a tall hat on me!”

”I’m a new leader just taking office—my first ’fire’ hasn’t even burned strong yet, and it’s hard to say whether the next two can even be lit.”

Li Jian also laughed, replying earnestly, ”Now you finally understand how I felt back then, don’t you?”

”Back when I was head of the criminal investigation team, every time a major case came up I was practically sleepless night after night, tossing and turning as I mulled over clues.”

”My nerves were a mess during that period; I lost a lot of hair.”

Jiang An sighed, his tone carrying more understanding and resonance: ”Seems being a leader is not easy at all.”

”What you’re carrying isn’t just the case, but the expectations of the whole team.”

”Take it easy,” Li Jian comforted him, patting his shoulder, ”Pressure is a kind of drive. The burden may be heavy, but it’s also the force that pushes you forward.”

”The fact that you can feel this weight shows you’re ready.”

The two of them continued eating and talking as the night outside faded and the sky grew pale.

After Li Jian left, Jiang An turned off the light and lay down on the sofa for a short rest.

After the director’s frank and heartfelt counsel, the oppressive feeling in his chest eased noticeably.

Although the pressure to solve the case remained, it no longer felt as suffocating as before—this state of measured tension, urgent yet still calm, might be exactly the psychological rhythm needed to handle a complex case.

At exactly 8 a.m., Jiang An dialed Zhang Yean’s number: ”Senior Sister, are you here yet?”

On the other end, Zhang Yean’s voice came through clear and crisp: ”I’m at a red light, should be about five minutes.”

Jiang An then arranged: ”Good. Once you arrive, we’ll go straight to the forensic autopsy center.”

”Is there a new case?”

”No, it’s still the arson case from yesterday. I want to re-examine the bodies.”

There was a hint of surprise in Zhang Yean’s voice: ”Didn’t he already do the autopsy?”

”He did, but I still need to review certain details. There’s a hypothesis that urgently needs verification.”

”Got it. I’ll come find you as soon as I get there.”

Just after he hung up, the young officers Wan and Qin Feng also arrived early at the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau.

Forty minutes later, Jiang An and Zhang Yean walked into the forensic autopsy center together.

Though he hadn’t been there for some time, the procedures and layout were as familiar to Jiang An as ever.

He quickly entered the instrument preparation room, deftly put on a blue autopsy gown, and chose only a gleaming scalpel and a long pair of forceps.

Seeing this, Zhang Yean chuckled lightly: ”Mr. Jiang, just these two today? Isn’t that a bit too ’lightweight’?”

While skillfully putting on his gloves, Jiang An replied, ”They’ve already completed a systematic autopsy. I’m just doing a targeted review of specific areas.”

”It’s not about how many instruments we use, it’s about precision.”

”These two are enough.”

With that, his gaze had already fallen on the body that had been burned into a curled, almost unrecognizable form, his eyes solemn and intent.

Zhang Yean glanced over and asked, ”In this condition... can you still get results?”

Without shifting his gaze, Jiang An said calmly yet firmly, ”If we don’t try, how will we know?”