Chapter 5
Following Harold, my soul floated away after I caught a glimpse of Lilian, who rolled her eyes discreetly.
Harold and I went back to the scene downstairs.
My corpse had already been placed into a body bag, which was loaded into a van by the police.
“Well?” walking over, Harold asked.
“No witnesses. And nothing on the body can help us ID her.”
Harold looked calm; he had already seen situations like this a lot of times.
“Take the body back to the center for autopsy first.
Then my soul followed Harold to the autopsy room.
My body was lying under the harsh fluorescent lights.
Harold had already changed into his surgical gown and put on his gloves.
He stood next to the dissection table.
It was the first time he saw my body after I was dead.
My facial features were all ruined because I landed face–down.
Could he recognize me?”
“The deceased seems to be seventeen or eighteen years old. What a pity,” Vicente sighed.
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Harold had always been professional and calm, but his hands trembled for a second abruptly.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Sherman?” Vicente looked at him, puzzled.
He shook his head. “Nothing. You’re right. She was young indeed.”
He pressed hard on his wrist and took a few deep breaths.
Only then did he calm down.
Then he began the autopsy with full attention.
If he had paid more attention to me, he would have recognized me.
If he had shot me another glance, he would have known I was wearing the house dress I always wore.
If he had cared about me just
blue birthmark on my arm.
But he hated me.
a
little bit, he would have remembered the
So, none of this mattered to him.
Flat–voiced, he listed off the dead body’s injuries.
“The victim sustained thirty–two fractures, including twenty comminuted fractures and twelve open fractures.
“Multiple ruptured organs such as the liver, spleen, lungs, and heart could
be seen.
“The base of her skull was shattered, causing bleeding inside the brain.”
Vicente took notes while sighing, “She must have fallen from at least the twenty–fifth floor.
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Chapter 5
“It must have hurt a lot. It dreads me to think how sad her family will be once they learn.”
Indeed. I fell from the twenty–eighth floor.
We lived on the twenty–eighth floor.
I looked up at Harold.
He still looked so calm, wrapping up his work.
I
lowered my
head slowly.
No, he wouldn’t be sad.
After the autopsy, he took off the gloves.
Then he instructed Vicente, “Contact her family once the DNA results are in.”
But he was my family.
I suddenly wanted to laugh.
Tugging at the corners of my lips, I couldn’t bring myself to do so, however.
Looking at him, I said, “Harold…
“When you realize the corpse you’ve just dissected is your younger sister whom you’ve always wished would die…
“Would you still be so calm?”
