Chapter 35: On-site Proof!

On-site autopsy, ten minutes duration, determined to be homicide.

Without authorization, confident enough to open the chest with a single stroke of a scalpel, evidence is conclusive.

Facing the Metropolitan Police Department's suit-clad brigade for the first time, the seven or eight police cars surrounding them, the dozens of neighbors and locals, and his own biological parents, Uesugi Muneyuki calmly bowed slightly to Police Inspector Megure from the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 1, signaling that this was his judgment.

This...

If you say this guy is professional, his operation is completely against regulations, and what kind of hand strength is this? To open a chest in one stroke? Are his hands made of steel bars?

If you say this guy is unprofessional, to be able to directly determine it was a homicide on a body that had already been charred, this is too outrageous!

The suit-clad brigade from the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 1, gathered from the elite of the elite among police in all of Tokyo, and even all of Japan, had somewhat complex expressions; some showed disdain, some showed surprise, and others felt insulted and were slightly annoyed.

But without exception, they all reined in their usual arrogance and braced themselves.

At this moment, everyone's gaze was focused on Uesugi Muneyuki.

Some did not know who he was, only sighing at what a handsome young man he was, though his expression was too serious and his personality too rigid, feeling like a robot.

Some immediately believed Uesugi Muneyuki's words because he had proven his strength time and again, such as the Sudo trio from Otsuka Station who were now blocked behind the yellow line and could only watch the show, and Ikeda Erena who was currently by Uesugi Muneyuki's side.

Others held a skeptical attitude toward Uesugi Muneyuki, such as the elites of the Metropolitan Police Department.

The name Uesugi Muneyuki was no longer unfamiliar to the Metropolitan Police Department by now; autopsy work in many districts in western Tokyo would come to find Uesugi Muneyuki, and the Yamada case of assaulting an officer and the JR East train remains case were both Uesugi Muneyuki's handiwork; the Metropolitan Police Department had heard a thing or two about this name and knew his level might be very formidable.

Yes, only might.

Hearing of a name is not as good as meeting the person; this was the first time the Metropolitan Police Department's elites had seen Uesugi Muneyuki perform an autopsy.

At this time, Uesugi Muneyuki was unknowingly draped in the pitch-black, deep night, the nearby charred detached house was emitting White Smoke, and amidst the flickering light and shadow, the night sky grew deeper, dots of ink-like color covering this man's body, the faint light of the street lamps gradually weakening, while the man under the street lamp was casting his will upon the world.

The scalpel was reflecting light in Uesugi Muneyuki's hand, a flash of brightness, a charred corpse, a young man.

Police Inspector Megure from the Metropolitan Police Department soon discovered he had to face two choices.

One, play dumb and classify this incident as an accidental fire death, closing the case immediately to avoid a series of subsequent troubles.

The reason is simple, because Uesugi Muneyuki's method is a violation of regulations!

He had neither obtained the prosecutor's permission to conduct a judicial autopsy, nor the family's permission to conduct an administrative autopsy, but instead violated regulations by taking out a scalpel on-site and just doing it; if he hadn't found evidence of homicide after opening the chest, the family could have sued him for desecration of a corpse! And at this time, the Metropolitan Police Department could easily shift the blame, stating that this had nothing to do with them, that it was entirely Uesugi Muneyuki's personal action, that he was neither a formal employee within their system nor had he obtained permission from the officers on the scene, and that the Metropolitan Police Department did not recognize it.

Two, choose to trust Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment, immediately upgrade the fire from an accident to a case, and begin an investigation.

The moment Police Inspector Megure glanced at Uesugi Muneyuki's dissection and saw that there were indeed no soot deposits in the charred corpse's trachea and lungs, he immediately believed Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment!

He was an elite of the Metropolitan Police Department! Not one of the trash from these local branch stations; he was clear on which bodies at a fire scene died when the fire started and which died of suffocation during the fire.

Soot not reaching the lungs, stopping only at the neck area—this is the key evidence of death before the fire!

What a bold young man! Was he not afraid that if he didn't find the evidence he wanted with this cut, he would end his career directly or even be sent to court?

"The estimated time of death is before the fire started, no more than an hour; the deceased was strangled. Police Inspector Megure, there are many eyewitnesses at the scene; as long as you first detain those who entered the house within the hour before the fire started, the murderer is among them!" Uesugi Muneyuki said sternly.

"Understood!" Since Police Inspector Megure believed Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment, there was no reason not to believe his deduction of the time of death, and in just this short time, the Metropolitan Police Department's elites had already investigated the entry and exit records of the detached house; upon hearing Uesugi Muneyuki's words, the suit-clad brigade immediately locked onto three suspects.

One was the community administrator, a middle-aged man who entered the house around 7 o'clock with a suggestion book.

One was a nearby neighbor who discovered the fire and came over to try to save the person.

As for the third person, she was the deceased Koyama Kengo's ex-wife, Ms. Akashi!

The administrator looked sullen, the middle-aged neighbor shook his head in panic, and the deceased Koyama Kengo's ex-wife, Ms. Akashi, had an even more shifting expression; the moment she heard Uesugi Muneyuki's words, she retreated into the crowd without a sound, turning to flee.

Behind her, three men in suits stood with their hands ready.

To the left, the Metropolitan Police Department's elites blocked her path.

When she tried to go right, a policewoman in plain clothes had already pressed down on her shoulder, turned her around, and apprehended her: "Sorry!"

"Let me go! Let me go!" the ex-wife, Ms. Akashi, screamed.

The three were immediately taken into custody by the Metropolitan Police Department, and Police Inspector Megure nodded with satisfaction, even casting a look of disdain toward the Sudo trio outside the yellow line.

The people from the local branch station just needed to watch.

There was an uproar all around.

No way, buddy, you've locked onto the suspects just like that?

"Good, Uesugi-kun, we of the Metropolitan Police Department have helped you detain the people; now, you need to tell me why it is a homicide, where the evidence is, and what your reasons for suspicion are." Police Inspector Megure signaled that Uesugi Muneyuki must provide more evidence: "We are the Metropolitan Police Department; we don't believe in deduction and feelings, we only believe in science. The lack of soot in the trachea only proves he died before the fire, it does not prove it is a homicide."

"Fine, I will tell you all now." Uesugi Muneyuki breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that all three suspects were under control.

At least they didn't get away.

The man under the lights was spirited and confident; he gave his parents nearby a reassuring look and cleared his throat.

Tanaka Laodeng and Kuwabara Mako were already looking forward to Uesugi Muneyuki's performance.

His father, Uesugi Hironori, and mother, Uesugi Tomoko, held their breath, being extremely cautious.

Ikeda Erena narrowed her eyes, hiding a look of anticipation.

All three suspects showed uneasy expressions, agitated and anxious, afraid that Uesugi Muneyuki would say something unfavorable to them.

And the Metropolitan Police Department's suit-clad brigade, besides being surprised, carried a bit of arrogance and curiosity.

Under the gaze of all, Uesugi Muneyuki had no frills, nor did he keep anyone in suspense; he closed his eyes slightly and said softly: "That's right, the lack of soot in the trachea indeed only proves Mr. Koyama died before the fire started; it cannot prove he definitely died of homicide, so we need other evidence."

"First, although it has been charred, after the autopsy, there are no signs of any external trauma on the body's surface, so the deceased could only have died from one of four causes: illness, suffocation, drowning, or burning." Uesugi Muneyuki pointed at the body, showing the charred remains to everyone: "And my judgment is, death by suffocation, and specifically, he was strangled."

"Why? Uesugi-kun, what is the basis for your judgment?" Police Inspector Megure frowned; he squatted down to examine the charred body: "It can't be seen on the surface either. According to the trachea, it wasn't death by burning or drowning; those two can be ruled out, but why isn't it natural death or death by illness?"

"Because of blood stasis." Uesugi Muneyuki pointed at the deceased's face: "When a person is strangled, they will have difficulty breathing, their face will turn red and purple, and even blood stasis will appear; this is because the jugular vein is compressed, and blood cannot flow, leading to backflow, while the carotid artery continues to transport blood due to sufficient pressure, thus causing poor blood circulation in the strangled area, resulting in dark red and dark purple blood stasis."

"Death by suffocation caused by strangulation must involve prolonged tightening; at this time, due to prolonged blood supply imbalance, capillaries will swell and rupture, so small blood spots will form on the deceased's face." Uesugi Muneyuki continued to explain: "These are petechiae."

The surrounding police, Police Inspector Megure, and Ikeda Erena looked on in confusion as Uesugi Muneyuki pointed here and there at a charred corpse.

The body was burned to charcoal; it was completely impossible to tell.

Finally, Ikeda Erena couldn't help but say: "But, I can't see any blood spots, nor can I see blood stasis or strangulation marks, Uesugi, how did you make that judgment?"

"This is where the criminal is formidable." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded and smiled: "So do you understand now? The criminal came prepared; he knew very well that strangling someone would leave blood stasis, strangulation marks, and other reactions, so besides strangling, he had already prepared to set a fire to destroy the evidence, and as long as all the death information on the deceased was burned away, it would be impossible to determine if it was a homicide or an accidental death."

"From this, it can be seen that the criminal had very detailed preparations in advance; he had already rehearsed the process, so the criminal could not have come on a whim; he must not only be an acquaintance who could get the deceased to open the door, but also have an appointment, because only then could he confirm if the deceased was at home and have the conditions to commit the crime." Uesugi Muneyuki cast his gaze toward the ex-wife among the three suspects, Ms. Akashi: "Am I right, Ms. Ex-wife?"

Ms. Akashi's face was already incomparably pale by now; her haggard appearance made those around her feel somewhat unbearable.

"However, there is still a lack of sufficient evidence; this is merely your deduction, Uesugi-kun." Police Inspector Megure was actually certain in his heart at this moment that this was a case of an ex-wife murdering her ex-husband.

But this was not enough; he still needed more evidence to secure a conviction!

"It's very simple. If you want evidence, you only need to perform a further dissection on the corpse... A person who is strangled will not only have congestion in their face, but the carotid arteries are also distributed at the base of the skull. Therefore, the long duration of strangulation will inevitably leave traces of congestion at the base of the skull. This can prove that the deceased died of homicide and was strangled."

"A fire can indeed burn away the traces on the surface of the corpse, but Ms. Akashi, do you know that the human body is protected by the skull, and the brain and internal organs are very difficult to be completely burned by fire? As long as you open the skull, break the dura mater, and take out the brain to observe whether there are fractures and congestion at the base of the skull, you can determine that this is murder."

"Stop struggling, Ms. Akashi. Having premeditated the murder and arson, you must be hiding something on your person that helped you escape quickly from the fire scene. As for the motive for the murder, the relationship between an ex-husband and ex-wife is too easy to find; you probably have it on you right now."

After hearing Uesugi Muneyuki's words, a policewoman from the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 1 immediately stepped forward: "Excuse me."

Sure enough, the policewoman found a specially made mask on Ms. Akashi, as well as fifty thousand yen in cash bundled together.

The evidence was conclusive. Uesugi Muneyuki closed his eyes slightly, signaling that he had finished speaking.

The Forensic Immortal's live performance, his steady voice ringing clearly in the ears, analyzing the case in a heart-stirring way.

A truly superb orator does not need any flashy techniques; all Uesugi Muneyuki had to do was explain things clearly in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

At this moment, even Ikeda Erena, who did not understand any of the principles at all, understood the entire process, which was enough to show Uesugi Muneyuki's level.

He still kept his eyes closed, the scalpel in his hand reflecting light under the streetlamp. The brilliant on-site autopsy show was completed in one go, without the slightest hesitation or uncertainty.

Confidence was secondary; the most important thing was that Uesugi Muneyuki's rhythm, basis, and judgment were all achieved to the extreme, which could be called excellent. The minds of the entire audience were unconsciously led by him, and even Ms. Akashi herself did not have time to argue.

All of this seemed like a leisurely stroll, handled with ease, and his expression barely changed as he spoke of the complex case, remaining focused throughout.

Confidence, arrogance, professionalism—this sense of being completely in control, the ease with which he handled every question, directly made the audience yearn for him, infatuated and mesmerized.

Erena, the tall beauty who had witnessed the whole thing from the closest distance, had her face flushed red, and her sharp, light-brown eyes were shimmering with moisture and brilliance. Under the ordinary streetlamp, she only felt that at this moment, nothing else in the world existed, leaving only the man's confident composure and formidable knowledge.

Uesugi Hironori and Uesugi Tomoko, the couple outside the yellow line, were even more infatuated.

"So that's how it is. I understand the sequence of events. If we follow your theory, Ms. Akashi is indeed the prime suspect. We will take the corpse back to the Metropolitan Police Department and hand it over to the Forensics Division for dissection." Police Inspector Megure was also incredibly impressed by Uesugi Muneyuki, yet he still had one last question: "The only problem is, Uesugi-kun, since the characteristics of strangulation were all burned away by the fire, and the base of the skull requires dissection, how exactly did you see that the deceased died of murder, or that they were strangled?"

"It's very simple," Uesugi Muneyuki explained. "Although the traces were burned away, one can still see slight differences from the color patches on the face and the muscle contraction of the corpse's face. The deceased was strangled."

"Ah???" Police Inspector Megure took a look at the charred corpse, stared for a long time, but didn't feel he saw any difference, and a bunch of question marks popped up over his head.

He could even see that???

Could this kid's eyes be artificial eyes made by Canon?

This works too?

"But, why did you know that Ms. Akashi was lingering at the scene?" Ikeda Erena still couldn't help but ask. She knew this question was a bit stupid, but didn't Uesugi Muneyuki promise that he would try to answer every one of her questions?

"You need to use your brain, Ms. Ikeda. Why don't you think about why she lingered at the scene and didn't leave after committing the crime?" Uesugi Muneyuki paused slightly and then explained: "She had to confirm that the person was indeed dead. At the same time, she couldn't leave the murder weapon at the scene. What if—I'm saying what if—it wasn't burned clean?"

From then on, all questions were answered.

Uesugi Muneyuki's figure was also imprinted in the hearts of everyone present from that moment on.

The Forensic Immortal?!

I see some people keep questioning why Uesugi is very stubborn and tough in front of the police, but appears more tactful in the host club incident.

I will explain it here again, although I have said it many times: there is a huge gap between lawful opposition and illegal search. The former is within the procedure, while the latter means the other party can counterattack at will.

Japan attaches great importance to the right to privacy. An illegal search not only means the evidence is invalid, but also means there will be bigger trouble afterwards.

Before doing things, you must learn to protect yourself. "If you didn't hit them, why would you help them up?" Everyone should understand this principle, right? (Laughs)

Of course, another reason is that Uesugi has no confidence in Ikeda's ability to handle problems (Laughs).

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(End of this chapter)