Rosa walked out of the washroom after washing her face. She saw Carlos Ryan standing by the door with a bag.
''He passed away'' he said and handed the bag over to her, ''go back and change into this. Your shirt is soiled.
''Thanks'' Rosa took the bag and went back into the washroom. she quickly changed into the blue blouse and skirt before coming out.
''I hate wearing skirts'' she said as they walked away out of the police station.
''You should wear more skirts; it fits you'' Carlos Ryan looked at her. the outfit looked good on her, compared to her usual suit and pants.
''Prosecutor Ann, Special Agent Ryan''
Rosa and Carlos turned to see Reporter Jung Lee at a distance. He walked to them, ''you two look good together. It's good to see that you two are together even after what you did. Do you sleep well, Prosecutor Ann?''
''I do, I even poop well'' she replied sarcastically and Carlos chuckled.
''I am appealing the case. I won't let my sister's death go to vain''
''Do that, since you are a reporter, I hope this time around you do your homework well and don't just present fake evidence''
''I heard a suspect died in your hands? The paramedics just left with him a few minutes ago. Are you going to bury this case too, like you did five years ago with the singlet case?''
''You sound so bitter and your accusations are baseless. Reporter Lee, is work becoming boring for you? Since you have so much time to be looking into what I am doing? What are you going to write this time away? Haven't you ruined my reputation enough?'' Rosa stepped closer to him.
''This is just the beginning, Prosecutor Ann. I will have my eyes on the Prosecutors' office. I will be watching whatever you do, so make sure you don't act rush and give me the chance to ruin you''
''Are you threatening me?'' Rosa asked and Reporter Lee laughed.
''I dare not. After all, you have a backer here'' he pointed at Carlos who was leaning lazily against the pillar. He did quite a good job, thanks to him, I have been dispatched to a unit in the remote part of Blue Town, but this isn't the end. I will make sure you pay for letting a criminal off'' he said and walked away.
Rosa turned to Carlos and asked, ''what is he talking about? Did you do something to him?''
''I didn't do much. I just taught him a little lesson. He won't appear before you again. let's go to the hospital. The forensic report should be out by now, I told them to make it quick''
''Okay''
''Blue Town Hospital, Morgue.
Rosa followed the forensic doctor into the morgue where the body of Stanley was. The doctor pulled the body out and Rosa frowned seeing the drastic change in it.
''Why is his body like this?''
''His body turned blue as a result of the onset of lividity. This is usually the discoloration of the skin resulting from blood pooling into the interstitial tissues under the force of gravity. This is usually between 30 minutes to 2 hours after the onset of death. The blood pools in the areas of dependency under the force of gravity.
In his case, you can see from the upper chest to the lower abdomen that the changes are a little more drastic which is due to the high consumption of Strychnine''
''Strychnine?, the one obtained from the Strychnos nux-vomica?'' Rosa sighed as she looked at the body that was gradually becoming more unrecognisable.
''Yes, that same one. It is an alkaloidal plant compound. The seeds are gray-green discs usually 1 inches The seeds are gray-green discs (1-in. in diameter, 0.25-in. thick at the rim) with a central depression and a satin-like appearance. Pure strychnine alkaloid is a white powder crystalline powder. Soluble in aqueous solutions. Strychnine is extremely bitter, with a taste that is detectable at a dilution of 1:100,000. Strychnine could be administered in alcohol if the victim is accustomed to bitter drinks (e.g., tonic water). Strychnine can also be introduced into foods that normally have a sour or bitter taste''
''Why would he drink such kind of thing himself? It doesn't make sense. What are the acute systems of strychnine?'' she asked looking at the doctor who started to explain again.
''Usually the person will experience muscle stiffness and painful cramps, which precede generalized muscle contractions. The victim's body may take the form of an arch (with only the head and heels touching the floor)—this is called an "opisthotonic" convulsion. The face may be drawn into a forced smile or sardonic grin called "risus sardonicus." The muscle contractions (spasms) are intermittent and can be easily triggered by emotional or physical stimuli (sound, touch, light). Death is usually owing to respiratory arrest. Most often, victims are well aware of the contractions of the drug''
''Thank you very much, you can send the report to the office straight after it's completed'' Rosa walked out of the morgue and saw Carlos Ryan leaning against the wall and she walked to him.
''Are you done?''
''Yes, but why did you refuse to go inside?''
''I hate seeing dead bodies of people who kill themselves''
''Tsk, what an excuse''
''Let's go and get something to eat''
''I can't eat after seeing the body. Wait, I think I know why you refused to go in with me. You didn't want to lose your appetite, right?''
''You are too smart for your own good''
''Carlos Ryan you tricked me'' Rosa said and chased after him out of the hospital.
When they got to the car, they entered and drove away and the window of a black Bentley car parked at a distance rolled down. A man whose face couldn't be seen sat inside chatting with Norbert Brian.
''How is she coping in the office? Is there anyone making things hard for her?''
''No, I am making sure that no one is making things hard for her. She is busy as it is with the cases that keep coming up''
''Stanley, what a stupid man. He brought upon his own death. Where is she staying at the moment? You said the camera you placed at her apartment were found by that actor turned police''
''She is currently staying in the same apartment with him, but rest assured. Nothing is going on between them. I am constantly keeping check''
''I still don't like the idea of them staying together. You sort it out. Make sure they don't get to spend more time together. They are going to end up on different sides in the future after all''
''Yes, how is Blind doing?''
''She is doing well. In fact, she is having a good time watching her beloved solve the cases she is bringing out. That woman never ceases to amaze me''
.....
Rosa returned to the Prosecutors' office and saw a pile of cases on her desk. She frowned and turned to Miss Jane.
''Are all these cases for me?''
''Yes, Prosecutor Ann. These cases are just a few of the ones assigned to you by the Chief Prosecutor'
''What are they about?''
''The top five are cases reported by the Children and Women affairs about two children been molested by their stepfather but it seems to be a dead end case as there is no strong evidence to back the claims and the children won't say anything. The second five cases are about a man who already has ten reported cases of stalking and groping women. He is the nephew of a conglomerate; no prosecutor wants to deal with him as he is a difficult person. The last five are cases of four missing girls from Kie Senior high school, they went for a camping a week ago and the girls didn't return with the rest of the students. The parents of the girls are the ones making protest outside there''
Rosa opened her window and saw three women and two men holding sign posters. She had seen them on her way inside but she didn't know their reason.
''All of these cases are important. Which one am I going to solve first?'' she sighed.
''Actually, the Chief Prosecutor knows that you can't solve all fifteen cases by yourself but he said that you allowed a criminal to die in your hands and the higher ups are asking for you to be punished. He said he was being lenient by giving you these cases''
''He was being lenient? Why do I feel that he wasn't being lenient at all? I guess I won't be greeting my bed tonight'' Rosa removed her suit and hang it behind her chair and sat down.
''Miss Jane, call in the stalker''
''Huh? Prosecutor Ann, do you intend to start solving the cases now? It's getting to 16:00PM''
''I have to start somewhere. I want to visit Kie High School tomorrow. It is better to get over with the stalker first''
''Prosecutor Ann, he is a troublesome person. I am afraid that he might made things difficult for you if he finds out you are the only one with him'' Miss Jane was genuinely worried because she had personally witness another Prosecutor interrogate that man and it didn't end well.
''Call him in for interrogation. I can handle him on my own'' Rosa said confidently.