N-A-A Chapter 16 Clearing the Ruins
Chapter 16 Clearing the Ruins
By the afternoon, the cleanup work was still proceeding in an orderly manner.
Every now and then, an agent would loudly report their findings:
"We found a weapon rack here, with three shotguns and two revolvers on it. The accessories include silencers and scopes... The guns are in relatively good condition, but there are no bullets inside."
"We've found the entrance to the basement. The gunpowder here did indeed explode; it's pitch black inside."
"The basement door was found. The door was severely damaged, but the lock was intact... Strangely, the lock was locked."
Since the explosion occurred at the gunsmith's workshop, the agents' work mainly revolved around the source of the explosion and the gunsmith himself.
Logically, this explosion likely occurred when the gunsmith went to the underground warehouse to retrieve goods while entertaining a customer, and the accident happened accidentally.
However, the investigation does not seem to be unfolding in that way.
At 2 p.m., the owner of the finger that the detectives found was the first to be cleaned out.
It was indeed that gunsmith.
Half-white short hair, perpetually wide eyes and deep wrinkles on his forehead, and ubiquitous, extremely fine metal shavings on his arms.
Those who know him can recognize him at a glance from these characteristics, which also match the profession of gunsmith, which requires dealing with precision metal products.
In addition, his clothes also proved his identity: a gray jacket with black and blue stains, evidence that could not be washed off after long-term contact with gun oil and nitric acid solution.
However, the clearer the other party's identity can be proven, the more bizarre the case becomes.
The amount of gunpowder in the basement was estimated at 3 o'clock, with approximately 40 pounds of black powder being released.
This amount of black powder wouldn't destroy the reinforced concrete basement, but when the explosion spread to the reception room, it could easily blow off the wooden roof of the reception room and also impact cars on the road a few meters away from the reception room.
So, what would happen if someone happened to be in the reception room when the explosion occurred?
Those who were hit by the blast were several meters away, and their bodies were carbonized on the surface.
None of these characteristics were visible on the gunsmith who was unearthed. In fact, his clothes showed no signs of curling or burning.
At 4:30 p.m., the cleanup work at the site gradually entered its final stage.
The reception room was the first to be restored.
The space is less than 20 square meters. The entrance faces east, and the south side of the entrance is a full-wall display, decorated with dark oak, on which several commonly used firearms and accessories are hung.
In front of the display wall, there are display cabinets that separate guests from the display area. They are L-shaped from south to west and contain some small firearms as well as tools such as files commonly used by gunsmiths.
The entrance to the basement is behind the west counter and is separated by a wooden wall.
This is the standard layout of the gunsmith's workshop reception room.
The strange thing is that the position the detective cleared for the gunsmith was in the middle of the reception room, face up. Presumably, when the accident happened, he was facing the entrance to the basement.
At 2 p.m., Clyde, realizing something was amiss with the bombing, called the Bureau of Investigation.
Half an hour later, two detectives specializing in autopsies joined the work.
The reinforcements brought brushes and treated the body with the care of antique excavators.
It wasn't until nearly 5 p.m. that the report on the body finally came out.
"The deceased was Daniel Drake, male, 42 years old."
"The deceased had a large amount of black dust in his mouth and nose, and the same substance was found in his throat, consistent with the characteristics of inhalation asphyxiation. His chest was collapsed, with fractures of the third to seventh ribs on the right side, fractures of the second to sixth ribs on the left side, and a transverse fracture of the sternum. There were multiple fractures of the clavicle and scapula."
"In addition, there are slight impact marks on the back of the head and a wound on the back, which is half a centimeter deep and three inches long, and was caused by a sharp object. Of course, these injuries do not involve vital organs."
"The preliminary suspicion is that the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation combined with traumatic shock."
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Uh, it means crushed to death."
The detective in charge of the autopsy cautiously delivered his conclusion.
After he finished speaking, the scene fell silent. The agents stopped what they were doing and looked at Clyde.
Clyde frowned, as expected.
Instead of taking the agent's report, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it for himself.
call--
"You mean, such a huge explosion didn't cause any harm to the gunsmith, is that right?"
"Well, it's hard to believe... but this is what our investigation revealed."
"Very well, then what about the wound on his back? Can you determine what kind of sharp weapon caused it?"
"We initially suspected it was a cut from shards of glass, but so far we haven't found anything at the scene that matches this wound..."
"In other words, it's possible that a weapon like a dagger caused this wound, right?"
Clyde's gaze was intense, and under his increasingly stern tone, the agent in charge of the report could only nod.
Fortunately, Clyde didn't lose his temper easily; the next moment, he looked away.
"Okay, now our investigation has run into difficulties; there are three issues to be resolved."
"First, our investigation revealed that the basement entrance was locked at the time of the explosion. So, how was the explosion triggered?"
"Secondly, how did Mr. Drake manage to avoid the shockwave from the explosion?"
"Third, how do you explain the wound on Mr. Drake's back?"
"Does anyone have any ideas?"
"Could it be a rat?" An agent took off his hat, scratched his head, and was the first to voice his guess.
"This has happened before—a rat gnawed through a gunpowder barrel, spilling the gunpowder on the ground, and then accidentally brushed against some metal, causing sparks to fly."
"Yes, that display case, the L-shaped one. If Mr. Drake happened to be standing on the corner side, the explosion came up from the basement, and the shockwave was mostly blocked by the wooden partition and the display case. He was knocked down by the shockwave, hit the corner of the case on the back of his head, and was scratched on the back by flying glass shards. Doesn't that make sense?" Another agent offered his explanation.
"Also, the glass shards must have been blown out of the way. There are so many broken pieces of glass on the road outside, who knows which piece is which?" another detective chimed in.
Clyde listened to the discussion, twirling his upturned mustache between his thumb and forefinger, without saying a word.
After the surroundings quieted down, he looked around and finally his gaze landed on Luo Qiu.
At this moment, Luo Qiu was standing in the corner, his hat pulled low, seemingly lost in thought.
However, he could no longer pretend to be oblivious after Clyde's continued stare and the surrounding agents all looked over.
He looked up, gave Clyde an awkward smile, then shrugged and said:
"I think we should first think about how to deal with the reporters outside."