"Somebody made damn sure she was dead!"
Riley's last remark definitely thickened the air, and Lucas squinted his eyes slightly.
Who would want a 15-year-old middle school girl dead for sure?
She had already fallen from a high building, clearly beyond saving, and yet someone still slashed her radial artery?
Taking a deep breath.
Lucas stared at the victim's pale face and said solemnly, "Regardless of whether the actual cause of death was the fall or the excessive bleeding from the radial artery..."
"We can now be pretty certain that there was a second person involved in this case, and we can't rule out the possibility of even more people being involved."
"The key point is..."
"I don't think we can classify this case as a simple suicide by jumping anymore."
"Because it's still unclear whether the victim was coerced or threatened by someone else before she fell."
"Like maybe she saw something she wasn't supposed to see, and someone forced her to jump, and to make sure nothing got out, they even went as far as to cut her radial artery."
"But no matter the specifics, this incident happened on school grounds, and the victim was a minor. This is a particularly heinous criminal case!"
"We need to uncover the truth as soon as possible!!!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Ethan, standing nearby, took over, pointing up at the long-abandoned school building, "Lucas."
"I'm planning to check out the exact spot where she fell. Maybe we can find some more clues."
"The key is to check..."
"If there are any traces left by a second person. I've got a feeling this case isn't as straightforward as it seems."
Clearly, Ethan, with his extensive experience in crime, always found this case a bit odd, and was particularly puzzled by one thing.
That is...
Why was the victim's body positioned with her arms spread out and facing upwards when she fell?
You see.
This kind of falling posture is typical of suicides, and only those who are truly willing, seeking complete liberation, would choose such a pose.
Many people with depression choose this position when jumping.
Falling face-up, feeling the rush of wind beside their ears, arms spread wide like soaring wings.
Until their body hits the ground hard, losing consciousness, waiting for death.
If she was forced to jump.
She wouldn't have used this position,the body's instinct for self-preservation would try to land feet first.
There are too many things about this case that don't add up.
We can't draw any conclusions yet,we need to investigate further and find more clues.
And besides the clues on the body, the point of the fall and personal relationships also need to be further understood and analyzed.
...
At that moment.
Lucas nodded in agreement with Ethan's thoughts, then turned to Riley, "Medical Examiner Hill."
"Could you perform a more detailed autopsy here, to help us find more crucial clues?"
"Ethan and I will check out this abandoned school building for any key evidence."
After speaking.
Riley didn't say much, just nodded slightly and knelt down again to examine the body.
She had already taken out swabs, tweezers, syringes, and other special tools from the autopsy kit.
Clearly, she was about to conduct a more detailed autopsy without disturbing the body too much, aiming to uncover significant evidence.
Ethan and Lucas, without any delay, quickly entered the abandoned school building.
...
This old school building had six floors.
It had been abandoned three years ago after Riverside Middle School built a new building, though its overall structure was still stable enough not to be considered dangerous.
However.
The interior was not in great shape.
Peeling paint, damp-induced black spots, and mold were visible on the walls, filling the air with a musty smell.
You could guess that ever since this school building was abandoned, the school hadn't bothered to maintain it.
As for why it hadn't been demolished.
Probably because the cost of demolition was also a significant expense.
Walking to the stairs of the abandoned school building.
Lucas glanced at the stairs covered in footprints, and the hallways littered with cigarette butts and beer bottles, shaking his head in resignation, "Ethan."
"It looks like the school's decision to abandon this building has really made it a haven for the little troublemakers among the students."
"Hiding out here to smoke and drink, sure enough, no one's noticing them, especially not the school admins."
"But."
"Seeing all these beer bottles and cigarette butts just as we walk in is actually good news for us."
"We can pretty much confirm..."
"That these troublemakers' hangout spots are likely just around the first and second floors, not extending to the upper levels."
"If that's the case."
"We should be able to track the victim's footprints through the dust left behind."
Lucas's somewhat optimistic words didn't immediately receive Ethan's agreement.
Looking down at the footprints in the hallway.
Ethan had already noticed that many footprints extended to higher floors, mostly in pairs.
Also.
Mostly one footprint was larger, the other smaller, and there were quite a few of them.
Ethan immediately thought of something, turned his head to look at the corner of the floor, and pointed, saying, "Lucas, you're wrong there."
"This abandoned school building isn't just a base for those little troublemakers."
"At least, I think there are plenty of hormonally charged young couples who definitely wouldn't want this secret rendezvous spot monopolized by troublemakers."
With that.
Lucas paused, about to say something, but followed Ethan's pointing.
Seeing the torn light pink square package, he frowned and said, "Middle schoolers are maturing this early?"
"No way, once this case is wrapped up, I need to have a word with Principal Reed about tightening up the school discipline."
"Otherwise."
"Who knows when we might end up with a newborn abandonment case right here in the bathrooms."
...
As they ascended the floors.
The number of footprints visibly decreased, almost to the point where they could identify the victim's footprints.
When the two reached the fifth floor, preparing to head to the top floor.
They suddenly stopped in unison, exchanging a look of surprise and gravity.
Because.
The corridor leading from the fifth to the sixth floor had been cleaned by someone, leaving not a single footprint!
Even...
It was so clean there was hardly any dust!!!