Chapter 2

The police arrived faster than the Simpson family expected.

Twenty minutes later, the shouts outside the venue were contained behind police tape.

When two officers entered, Lydia's crying clearly paused.

The Simpson Group's legal counsel was first to greet them.

"Officers, thank you for coming. This is really a family matter."

"Miss Claudia has already passed away. Miss Iris and Miss Claudia had some misunderstandings before her death. Miss Iris is quite emotional, which is why..."

I cut him off. "This isn't a family matter."

The lawyer's expression stiffened. I looked at the officers.

"Someone used a suicide note to accuse me of driving a person to death."

"Now they're demanding I confess at this funeral hall."

"And they're preparing to transfer the so-called body to a funeral home without a death certificate, emergency records, body transfer documents, or verified family authorization."

The officers' expressions immediately turned serious.

"Who called the police?"

"I did." I raised my phone. "Iris."

The officer glanced at me, then looked toward the casket in the center of the funeral hall.

"Where's the deceased?"

The funeral hall fell silent for a moment.

Mira instinctively looked at Emmett. Emmett said nothing.

The lawyer answered quickly. "Miss Claudia's body is in the casket."

The officer asked, "Where's the death certificate?"

The moment those four words came out, the Simpson family's expressions all changed.

The lawyer pulled out a folder. "Here's the medical report regarding Miss Claudia's condition after her fall."

The officer took it and flipped through two pages.

"I need a medical death certificate, not a condition report."

The lawyer paused. "The circumstances were special. The procedures are still being completed."

I looked up. "Three hours since death."

"The funeral hall is set up, the suicide note made public, even the funeral home transfer arranged."

"But the death certificate is still being completed?"

The lawyer's lips pressed tight.

Lydia finally couldn't hold back.

"Iris, must you be so aggressive in front of the police?"

"I'm not being aggressive." I looked at her.

"Lydia, the Lewis Group owns three hospitals. I've seen death procedures. They're not 'completed' this way."

Lydia's face went pale with anger.

Emmett said coldly, "Claudia jumped from the twenty-seventh floor of the Simpson Group hotel."

"Everyone saw it on the livestream."

I looked at him.

"Saw her standing on the rooftop, or saw her hit the ground?"

Emmett's gaze darkened.

Mira immediately cried out, "Miss Iris, why must you split hairs like this?"

"Wasn't Claudia's final livestream clear enough?"

"She cried saying you pressured her, cried saying she couldn't take it anymore, then the camera went black."

"If it wasn't suicide, what else could it be?"

I looked at her. "After the camera went black, did you see what happened?"

Mira's lips trembled.

"I..."

"You didn't see." I finished for her.

"The Simpson family didn't see, the fans didn't see, no one saw."

I looked at the officer. "That's why I'm requesting verification."

The officer nodded and looked at the lawyer.

"Where are the emergency records?"

The lawyer glanced at Emmett. Emmett's voice was low.

"The situation was urgent. I had my private medical transport take her to a hospital partnered with the Simpson Group."

The officer frowned. "You didn't dial 911?"

Emmett paused. "The private medical transport was faster."

I laughed. "Fast indeed. So fast there's no 911 record, no police at the scene, no scene secured."

"But the Simpson family's obituary—that went out fastest of all."

Those words fell, and Emmett's face completely darkened.

The officer looked at him. "Mr. Emmett, a fall is classified as unnatural death."

"According to procedure, you need to report to police, preserve the scene, and verify emergency response and death circumstances."

"Why did you take the body away first?"

Before Emmett could answer, Mira cried out, "Because Claudia was in such terrible condition!"

"She was covered in blood, her face was..."

She seemed unable to continue, covering her mouth as she cried.

"Mr. Emmett just felt sorry for her."

"He didn't want her to be gawked at."

I looked at Mira. "You saw her covered in blood?"

Mira's crying stopped.

"After the livestream went black, you said no one saw."

"Now you're saying she was covered in blood."

"Mira, did you see, or didn't you?"

The tears on her face froze.

Emmett's gaze finally landed on Mira.

Mira reacted quickly, immediately choking out, "I heard it from staff."

"Which staff member?" I asked. "Name."

She opened her mouth but couldn't answer.

The officer also looked at Mira. "Please cooperate with a statement later."

Mira's face went pale.

Another officer contacted the emergency center. The call came back quickly.

No 911 dispatch record for a fall from the twenty-seventh floor of the Simpson Group hotel.

The air in the funeral hall seemed frozen.

I looked at Emmett. "Why do you keep circumventing normal procedures?"

Emmett's jaw tightened. "Iris, are you suspecting me?"

"I'm suspecting the evidence." I said. "If you have it, produce it. If not, don't stop me from investigating."

The lawyer's forehead was already beaded with sweat. He tried to redirect the conversation.

"Officers, Miss Claudia's family truly has authorized the Simpson family to handle funeral arrangements."

"We have no intention of avoiding investigation."

"It's just that the deceased had significant public influence during her life. The Simpson family made some preliminary arrangements out of concern for protecting the deceased's privacy."

I looked toward the entrance. "Protecting privacy—by having fans and media arrive in advance?"

The lawyer's expression grew worse.

The officer asked, "Where's the authorization letter?"

The lawyer was silent for a moment, then pulled out a sheet from the bottom of the folder.

"Here."

The officer took it.

It did have Claudia's parents' electronic signatures, and the authorization content was complete.

Agreed to have the Simpson family handle Claudia's funeral arrangements.

Agreed to transfer to funeral home.

Agreed not to publicly disclose the body's condition.

Even agreed to cremation as soon as possible.

Every clause was complete. Also suspiciously urgent.

The officer looked at the signing time. "11:47 PM."

I looked at the electronic clock on the wall. 12:26 AM.

Claudia's supposed time of death was 9:58 PM.

I looked at the lawyer.

"Less than two hours."

"Medical transport, death confirmation, notifying parents overseas, obtaining authorization, setting up the funeral hall, issuing an obituary."

"And bringing me here to confess."

"The Simpson family's funeral efficiency is faster than emergency response."

The lawyer's expression froze.

The officer asked, "Can the authorizing parties be reached now?"

The lawyer was silent for a moment. "Miss Claudia's parents are overseas, overwhelmed with grief. It may not be convenient."

The officer's voice remained steady. "Contact the authorizing parties for verification immediately."

The lawyer's composure finally cracked.

"Right now?"

"Right now."

I looked at the phone in the lawyer's hand. "On speaker."

Emmett finally spoke.

"Iris, stop this."

I looked at him.

"When the police verify the authorization, you say I should stop."

"Emmett, can your authorization letter not withstand questioning?"

There was deeply suppressed fury in his eyes, but this time, he couldn't answer.

The lawyer made the call.

First attempt—no answer.

Second attempt—still no answer.

Third attempt—the call finally connected.

But what came through was a cold, automated English message.

The officer frowned. "This number needs verification."

The lawyer's hand holding the phone trembled.

"It might... might be an international line issue."

The officer placed the authorization letter in an evidence bag.

"This authorization requires further verification."

"Until verification is complete, the body must not be transferred or cremated without authorization."

"Additionally, we need to legally verify the identity of the body in the casket and seal all subsequent transfer procedures."

When those words came out, everyone in the funeral hall fell silent.

I saw Emmett's fingers curl slightly.

Mira's face instantly drained of all color.

I turned my head and looked at the casket in the center of the funeral hall.

"Did you hear?"

"The police are inspecting the casket."

"Right now."

Emmett finally stared at me, his eyes cold as ice.

"Iris, must you go this far?"

I looked at him and calmly asked back, "Isn't she dead?"

"It's just opening a casket."

"What are you afraid of?"