American forensics, but the gourmet system

Ten minutes later, Russell and his group got into the police car driven by Chief Hunter himself.

Unlike the Major Crimes Unit's brand-new Ford Explorers, the Highland Sheriff's Department's few patrol cars are old Chevrolet Impalas. These cars were discontinued a decade ago, but many are still in service due to cheap maintenance and parts, and low engine and transmission failure rates.

However, due to its age and the fact that it has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, this car has developed some strange noises and minor problems.

For example, Mr. Clarkson was sitting in the passenger seat with his son, and when he tried to reach up to hold onto the handle above the door, the handle snapped off before he could even apply any force.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to break it..."

Mr. Clarkson apologized repeatedly.

Chief Hunter grinned, clearly a little sorry for his old buddy, but for Russell's sake, he could only force a smile into an awkward grin.

"It's okay...it's okay..."

The old, beat-up Chevrolet roared into the darkness, heading towards the farm resort.

In the darkness, Russell felt a finger gently poking his side.

Russell turned to look at Aina, who was sitting next to him in the back seat.

"Do you need an assistant, Russell?"

"I asked expectantly."

"Yes, of course we're short." Russell shrugged. "Not only are we short of assistants, but we're also short of autopsy masks, forensic kits, and protective suits... Who brings these things on vacation?!"

When he said this, Russell raised his voice slightly to make sure that Chief Hunter, who was driving, could hear him amidst the roar of the engine.

"Make a list of what you need, Dr. Russell!" Chief Hunter replied quickly. "I'll send people to collect it once we get to the site... but I'm not sure if I can find an assistant for you... There is a small clinic in town, but I'm not sure if the doctor there would be willing to help..."

In fact, Russell didn't need any assistants; he just needed someone to help him move the bodies. Two police officers from the police station could easily handle that.

However, elderly and frail forensic doctors often need assistants, as turning over corpses during autopsies is physically demanding.

Russell was strong and healthy, so he naturally didn't need it under normal circumstances.

But after a lifetime of fighting, one should enjoy life a little. Having an assistant to help with skin flaps and intestines would be nice.

Russell cleared his throat:

"As for an assistant, well—"

Aina nudged Russell again, her eyes still filled with that expectant look:

"May I...?"

Russell blinked, quickly reviewing the New York Medical Examiner's Office's rules and regulations in his mind.

In principle, unrelated persons, especially ordinary citizens, are not allowed to participate when forensic examiners examine a corpse.

However, on the other hand, as one of the people who discovered the body, Aina cannot be considered an unrelated person.

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Even if the legal autopsy procedure had to be followed, Russell would only need to obtain an authorization certificate from Dr. Beckman.

Moreover, Aina had at least learned some anatomy at school, so she wasn't a complete novice.

Russell would much rather have Aina as his assistant than just grab any doctor from the clinic to help him.

"Sure," Russell nodded, then said in a low voice, "but be prepared, autopsies aren't exactly pleasant..."

Aina nodded without hesitation.

……

The woods outside the farm restaurant were illuminated as brightly as day by five high-powered searchlights.

A cordon separated a ten-meter square area of ​​woodland. In the center of the quarantine zone, the forensic doctor's body lay beside an oak tree with a diameter of about 40 centimeters.

"The deceased's name is Leo Simmons... a 51-year-old divorced medical examiner from Ulster County, who checked into the ranch hotel last night. Preliminary examination of the scene indicates that he was stabbed in the left chest with a sharp object and died from excessive blood loss..."

The fat policeman who interrogated Russell was the one who briefed him. He was very similar in build to Chief Hunter. When the two of them stood together, they looked like the two bear brothers from Bear Ridge wearing police uniforms.

The portly policeman lifted the police tape, letting Russell and Aina crawl inside. He followed behind and continued:

"This is the second murder in Highland in the last twenty years... Back then, I was just a young man who had just graduated. I was the only officer left in the entire police department who had handled that murder case. Even Chief Hunter hadn't handled a murder case before; he was transferred from another town a few years ago... That's why the chief put me in charge of the investigation."

Russell detected a hint of pride in the fat policeman's voice.

Judging from the reactions of the surrounding police officers, it was clear that the fat policeman was telling the truth.

Everyone else hid outside the police line, their eyes darting around, not looking at the pale-skinned corpse at all.

Russell approached the unfortunate medical examiner, instinctively reaching into his pocket to pull out a pair of nitrile gloves to put on.

He actually managed to find a pair.

Damn it...

Russell couldn't even remember when he had put a pair of nitrile gloves in his pocket.

I came here to relax and have fun...

After putting on his gloves, Russell stepped forward, squatted down, and began to examine the corpse in front of him.

Based on the state of blood clotting and the degree of rigor mortis, Russell judged that the time of death was approximately seven hours earlier, between 1:30 and 2:00 PM. At that time, Russell had just arrived at the shooting club and had not yet started shooting.

There was a gruesome wound on the left side of the body's chest. The leather jacket and the shirt underneath were completely torn open, revealing a laceration the size of a palm.

The wound was deep; you could even see the broken ribs and part of the sternum.

As for whether the pulmonary artery and heart were damaged, that needs to be confirmed through an autopsy.

Russell frowned, unable to immediately recall what kind of weapon could have caused such a wound.

It looked as if someone had plunged a large iron awl into the victim's left chest and then forcefully pulled it away...

The ribs were broken, and extensive lacerations were also caused.

"Has the murder weapon been found nearby?"

Russell turned to ask the fat policeman.

In murder cases, finding the murder weapon is a crucial step. The murder weapon will most likely contain the murderer's fingerprints, and it may also reveal the murderer's biological information.

At the very least, the source of the murder weapon can be used to trace the killer.

"No." The chubby policeman scratched his head. "We searched the entire grove, but haven't found anything yet... It's probably because it's too dark. We'll organize another search after daybreak..."

That might make things a bit tricky...

Russell looked around. The woods were covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, making it difficult to find the killer's tracks at night.

"We've temporarily closed the farm hotel, checked the guest list, and investigated Dr. Simmons's social connections. The Ulster County Sheriff's Department has also provided manpower and direction for the investigation; their forensic technicians are on their way..."

The fat policeman was still going on and on about the most basic investigative methods.

He is clearly in a state of intense excitement.

Chief Hunter walked over, glanced at the body on the ground, and then quickly looked away.

"The hearse is here, Dr. Russell," he said to Russell. "We've decided to take the body to Kingston for the autopsy. It's the county seat of Ulster County, and they have forensic equipment and an autopsy room... if you need an assistant—"

Russell took off his gloves and patted Aina on the shoulder:

"This is my assistant, Chief Hunter."