Chapter 3

Detective Stone's expression remained unchanged.

"I only believe in evidence."

His words made the autopsy room even quieter.

Dr. Thorne stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled.

"Fine. Since you're all so insistent, send it for testing."

He put his glasses back on, his gaze returning to me.

"But Maya, let me remind you, forensic science isn't like a detective novel. The dead don't cater to your fantasies."

I lowered my head.

Sarah Davison softly whispered in my ear:

"Thank you."

Her voice was very light, like a fading breeze.

Expedited DNA testing takes time.

Detective Stone ordered the evidence re-sealed and the case closure put on hold.

I helped the assistants tidy up the autopsy room, my mind restless.

Sarah Davison said the killer was in this autopsy room.

But at the time, besides me, Dr. Thorne, and Detective Stone, there were also two assistant forensic pathologists and a female officer recording.

Detective Stone was the homicide captain, the two assistants were under my watch the entire time, and the recorder was a female officer.

So who was "he" that Sarah Davison spoke of?

My gaze involuntarily fell on Dr. Thorne.

He was washing his hands.

Water flowed over his fingertips, carrying away faint traces of blood.

As if sensing my gaze, he suddenly looked up and met my eyes in the mirror.

In that instant, my heart gave a violent lurch.

Dr. Thorne smiled.

"Maya."

"Yes."

"Come to my office after work."

His voice was gentle.

But I inexplicably felt a chill.

At seven in the evening, only the nightlights were on in the Forensic Science Center.

I knocked on Dr. Thorne's office door.

"Come in."

The main lights in the office weren't on; only a desk lamp illuminated the room.

Dr. Thorne sat behind his desk, my internship file resting beside his hand.

He didn't invite me to sit.

"Your university grades are excellent."

I stood by the door, saying nothing.

"First in your class, perfect score in anatomy, your mentor's recommendation letter was also very strong."

He flipped through the file, his tone flat.

"Pity you're too eager."

I pursed my lips.

"Dr. Thorne, I wasn't trying to show off."

"I know." He looked up. "You want to prove yourself."

I paused, surprised.

He closed the file.

"Every year, there are interns like you. Smart, sensitive, ambitious, thinking they can change the world."

"But the Forensic Science Center isn't a school. Every single word here can affect the direction of a case, every judgment concerns both the living and the dead."

He sounded so pompous.

If Sarah Davison's voice weren't still echoing in my mind, I almost would have doubted myself.

Dr. Thorne stood up and walked towards me.

"I can overlook what happened today."

I looked up at him.

His tone softened:

"Tomorrow, you write a statement saying you lacked experience and mistakenly identified contaminants as skin tissue. Withdraw the re-examination request, and I won't let it affect your internship evaluation."

I finally understood why he had called me here.

It was pressure.

I said, "But the sample has already been sent for testing."

Dr. Thorne smiled.

"It can still be recalled."

"Why should it be recalled?"

The office was silent for two seconds.

The smile slowly faded from Dr. Thorne's face.

"Maya, don't back yourself into a corner."

My back was pressed against the door, my palms already sweating.

Just then, from a storage cabinet in the corner of the office, a faint voice suddenly emerged.