Chapter 4

The nephew went to open the door. The police had arrived.

"Officers, please, you have to help me get justice." Jerome's wife was on her knees, sobbing and wailing without stopping.

She pointed at Barbara. "It was her. She thinks that because her mother has money and power, she can use my husband to practice her medical skills."

"I said no." She swung her finger toward me. "So she threatened me. Said she'd get me fired, said she'd make sure my son couldn't graduate."

"My husband couldn't afford to cross them, so he had to let her daughter practice on him."

"And then… and then…"

She cried harder. "And then she killed him."

"I didn't." Barbara looked at the officers. "I really didn't."

"I'll testify." Ervin stepped forward at that moment.

"The dead man is my own brother." He turned to the police. "Barbara is my daughter. Cordelia James is my wife."

"It's true. My wife threatened my brother's family, and Barbara killed my brother under the excuse of practicing medical treatment."

"Dad…" Barbara was completely stunned.

I was stunned too. I thought Ervin was about to clear our names, and instead he was framing us right alongside Jerome's wife.

Slap, slap, slap…

Ervin struck himself across the face several times in a row. "Cordelia has money and power. She's used to running this whole family."

"Under her spoiling, Barbara grew lawless too. They decided I've been disobedient lately, so they're making an example out of him."

"My poor brother. It's all my fault, useless older brother that I am."

Walter shuffled toward the officers now, trembling. "What a disgrace this family is, what a disgrace. None of us can stand up to this vicious woman."

"I'm begging you, you have to get justice for us."

"Dad, you died so horribly." The nephew broke into loud sobs.

They made such a scene that it drew the neighbors.

Plenty of people were pointing at Barbara and me, cursing.

"A perfectly healthy man, gone just like that. Such a waste."

"I saw Jerome out for a stroll downstairs just yesterday."

"I never imagined there were people this vicious in the world."

Accusations came from every side, and Barbara kept repeating, almost by reflex, that she hadn't done any of it.

Stay calm. Right now I had to stay calm.

An autopsy!

Yes, an autopsy!

A body doesn't lie. An autopsy would establish the exact cause of death.

"Please seal off everything here and perform an autopsy on the body." I looked at the police.

"No." Jerome's wife glared at me. "My husband is dead and you still won't leave him alone?"

"Cordelia, you're too cruel." Ervin said it just as angrily.

The family refuses the autopsy. What now?

Just then Barbara came to my side. She wiped away her tears and took my hand.

"Mom, in a criminal case the police can order an autopsy directly. They don't need the family's consent."

She stared at me. In that instant she finally understood why I'd held her back before.

I stood ramrod straight and looked at the officers. "I ask for an autopsy again."

"The man is dead. Will you still not leave him in peace?" Walter's face was streaked with tears. "I'm the one who decides this. Let Jerome be laid to rest sooner."

"He's my son. As for how he died, I won't pursue it."

"Dad." Ervin shot him a look.

Jerome's wife was watching him too.

"Am I not allowed to decide?" Walter glared at the two of them. "Barbara did kill Jerome, true, but she's still my granddaughter. Do you really mean to send her to prison?"

"Ervin, your family pays Jerome's widow some compensation, and we call this matter closed."

Walter turned to the officers. "You can go. This is a family matter. We'll handle it ourselves."

"Sir, this already involves a homicide. It's a criminal case. It isn't something you can just call off because you feel like withdrawing the report."

"Since ancient times, where the people don't complain the officials don't investigate. We're not reporting it anymore. Isn't that enough?" Walter's voice climbed a notch. "My son is already dead. Do you people really have to put my granddaughter in front of a firing squad?"

"Dad, I'm the one who called the police in the first place. Ervin was beating me."

I stepped forward. "After the officers got here, you were the ones who said Barbara used Jerome as a test subject and caused his death. That's a frame-up."

"This isn't about whether you pursue it or not. I called the police, and I'm demanding the truth."

"You… you…" Walter jabbed a finger at me. "I knew all along you were no good. You won't rest until you've torn this family apart, will you?"

"Dad said to withdraw the report. Are you going to listen or not?"

Ervin glared at me, looking like he wanted to raise his hand again.

Watching them, something settled in me. They were afraid of the autopsy, which meant the autopsy was sure to turn up something.

I turned to the officers. "I'm so afraid they'll hurt me. Can I withdraw the report?"

"Don't worry. We'll keep you safe."

"This case now involves a homicide. We'll investigate it thoroughly."

While the police spoke I kept watching for the smallest shifts in Ervin's expression, and the others'.

There was no panic on their faces. If anything, they were hiding a trace of smugness. Was there something I still hadn't caught?

It left me uneasy, but if I wanted to prove Barbara's innocence, the autopsy was the only way.

The police immediately had everyone present give their fingerprints and began sealing off everything in the house, searching for anything relevant.

Then they found a syringe in the uncle's room.

Something dropped in my chest. I glanced at Barbara without thinking, and her face went white at once.