After asking my questions, Liu Keying and I entered the suite, where Zhao Simeng was already examining the corpse.
When we arrived, I asked directly, "Any findings?"
On the bed lay a cold, pale female corpse, perfectly still. However, her body bore some black spots. Zhao Simeng explained, "These aren't livor mortis marks; they're signs of poisoning. Just like the body we found at the Hunan restaurant earlier, this one was poisoned as well, but with a different toxin."
As she spoke, Zhao Simeng took out a syringe and said, "Drawing blood from a dead body is usually the work of a forensic doctor, but it's too slow. As a coroner, I can verify the results immediately."
She inserted the syringe into the deceased's vein and extracted some blood. "This woman is quite slim, so it was easier to draw her blood," she remarked.
Then, she took a strange-looking liquid from her examination kit and poured it into the extracted blood. Curious, I asked, "What's that liquid?"
"It's called 'pus blood.' Its proportion is similar to human blood, but it helps identify what kind of poison the victim was exposed to. For example, if it's scorpion venom, the blood will float upward. If it's a liquid toxin, it will sink. Our Song family ancestors documented the Five Venoms in ancient medical texts. The Five Venoms refer to centipedes, poisonous snakes, scorpions, geckos, and toads—collectively known as the Five Venomous Creatures. Because of vast regional differences, diverse ethnic groups, and the influence of many legends, customs for avoiding the Five Venoms during the Dragon Boat Festival vary greatly. In ancient northern China, it was believed that the Five Venoms would begin to proliferate on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, hence the tradition of warding them off."
"Simeng, you know so much. I'm impressed," I complimented her.
At this moment, Liu Keying asked, "So what kind of poison did this person ingest?"
Just as Zhao Simeng was about to answer, someone barged in from outside and shouted angrily, "What's a little coroner like you doing here? No wonder Dr. Huang said you were deliberately toying with him last time. Now you're at it again, putting on a show."
The intruder was none other than another senior forensic doctor from the police department, Dr. Zhang. He and Dr. Huang were the two old-timers in the department. While Dr. Zhang wasn't as arrogant as Dr. Huang due to having slightly less seniority, he wasn't much better in attitude. He started berating Zhao Simeng as soon as he arrived, accusing her of making a mess.
"Another one of those old fossils, badmouthing me just because they're less skilled?" Zhao Simeng retorted.
"Who are you calling an old fossil? I've already drawn the victim's blood and have results. Do you think your results will be more accurate than mine?" Dr. Zhang sneered.
I hadn't expected Dr. Zhang to show up—it was probably Director Liu's decision. If he trusted Zhao Simeng, why send someone else? And then let his daughter help as well? It was all quite baffling.
At this moment, Zhao Simeng said, "Of course, I've verified it. But I'm certain your results are wrong."
"Haha, you're always spouting nonsense, little coroner. I can't tolerate it this time. I tested the pills the deceased took before her activities. How could it be wrong?"
"Oh, really?" Zhao Simeng smirked. Suddenly, I remembered something: those pills were reportedly found on the table. The rich heir claimed they were taken as a performance enhancer before their activities. Could the pills have been the cause of the woman's death?
I looked at Zhao Simeng, who remained calm and said, "That's exactly why your results are wrong."
Dr. Zhang was annoyed. "What evidence do you have to say I'm wrong? Is your testing more accurate than mine? How about you share your results?"
"If I tell you my findings now, wouldn't that be doing you a favor?" Zhao Simeng shot back.
"Haha, as a forensic doctor, I would never stoop so low. How about we both write down our results on our hands?" Dr. Zhang suggested.
I watched as they agreed. Dr. Zhang soon declared, "My results show amphetamine, a stimulant. The deceased took a large dose before engaging in activities. Due to overexcitement, she succumbed to poisoning. Isn't that obvious? Haha, little coroner, do you admit defeat now?"
"Oh, amphetamine? Do you know how much of it is required to be lethal?" Zhao Simeng countered.
Dr. Zhang seemed taken aback by the question. I also realized some inconsistencies and said, "Exactly. There's a contradiction here. First, she only took two pills. The amphetamine content is too low to kill her. Secondly, both of them took the same dose, but the rich heir is still alive."
Dr. Zhang was momentarily stunned by my words. Zhao Simeng nodded and added, "That's why this poison isn't amphetamine."
Frustrated, Dr. Zhang asked, "Then what do you think it is?"
He emphasized the word "you" loudly. I remained silent and observed Zhao Simeng's reaction. She didn't respond. Instead, she took out a cotton swab, placed it under the deceased's lower body, and twisted it several times. Her actions shocked everyone present, with Liu Keying blushing furiously. Trembling, she said, "What are you doing? Aren't you embarrassed?"
"I'm testing for poison," Zhao Simeng replied coolly. She quickly placed the swab into the bottle of pus blood. After mixing it, some strange liquid floated in the middle of the bottle. "It's strychnine, also known as 'nux vomica.' Its poisoning effects aren't immediate, but they're terrifying. Historically, strychnine was used as a medicinal stimulant. Today, it's often used as a rodenticide or to treat vomiting. Other common poisons include arsenic trioxide—commonly known as arsenic—and cyanide."
I had heard of strychnine, arsenic, and cyanide before, but I couldn't identify them. After all, I wasn't a forensic doctor or coroner. Despite obtaining results, Dr. Zhang remained skeptical and immediately ordered further testing while waiting at the scene.
He then raised another question: "If it's strychnine, how did it enter the victim's body?"
Without answering, I moved to the cabinet near the bed and checked the trash can. There, I found a used condom. Borrowing forceps from Zhao Simeng, I held it up. Understanding my intention, Zhao Simeng applied pus blood to the condom's surface. Sure enough, the liquid behaved the same, floating motionlessly in the middle.
This indicated that the condom also contained strychnine. I analyzed aloud, "The poison was on the condom. When the rich heir and the victim had intercourse, her mucous membranes absorbed the toxin, causing her to die during the act."
Zhao Simeng praised my deduction, saying it was spot on.
"But there are five boxes of condoms here. How did the culprit ensure the rich heir would use the poisoned one? Did they poison every box?" Liu Keying raised a valid question.