When I Stopped Being Your Shadow - Chapter 107

“Someone from the Viscount Gott just arrived.”

 

“…  From Viscount Gott?”

 

For a moment, Ines’ eyes became sharp.

 

Mary nodded.

 

“Yes, he gave me this letter. It was sent by the Viscount Gott’s mother and I beg the Lord to confirm it.”

 

Although Ines didn’t share the details with Mary, Mary also knew by intuition that things were going strangely recently.

 

“It seemed to be an important letter, so I made an excuse to visit you early in the morning. I’m sorry.”

 

“You’re saying all sorts of things.”

 

Ines bent her eyes, picked up a paper knife with a busy hand and cut off the outer cover of the letter.

 

“Thank you for telling me this, you may leave now.”

 

“All right, my lord.”

 

Mary looked back at Ines with a worried expression on her face.

 

“But don’t overdo it, okay?”

 

“Sure, of course. If I get sick, wouldn’t Mary hold me and nag me for three nights and four days?”

 

“Really, does anyone you know stay up all night?”

 

Mary left the room with a playful question.

 

Ines dropped her gaze to the letter, quickly skimming through the contents.

 

And,

 

“All right.”

 

Ines’ eyes shone.

 

She finally got a chance to investigate Ryan’s death properly.

 

* * *

 

An ambitious night out of sight.

 

With the permission of the Viscount Gott’s mother, Ryan’s grave was secretly dug up.

 

After that,

 

Ryan’s coffin was headed for an autopsy outside Langdon.

 

* * *

 

Ines walked into the stone building with quick steps.

 

It was where Ryan’s body was to be examined.

 

“Oh, it’s cold.”

 

Ines gently curled her shoulders.

 

Although the weather has been quite warm recently, the air at the autopsy center felt unusually chilly, perhaps because of the mood.

 

“Oh, you’re here.”

 

Enoch was the first person to greet Ines.

 

“Welcome, Countess Brierton.”

 

The medical officer who examined Ryan then greeted Ines.

 

“The examination is all over. The results of the autopsy will be shared privately.”

 

“Good work, doctor.”

 

Ines also bowed to the medical doctor.

 

The forensic officer began to walk ahead of the two.

 

“I’ll show you inside.”

 

Ines stood close to Enoch, whispering.

 

“Thank you very much, Enoch.”

 

Ines looked up at Enoch and smiled broadly.

 

“Without Enoch’s help, Ryan’s body could not have been examined so quickly.”

 

The weather has been warm lately, so Ryan’s body may quickly decompose.

 

However, it was all thanks to Enoch that he was able to arrange an autopsy center and bring a competent forensic doctor so quickly.

 

Enoch also smiled face to face at Ines.

 

“Thank you is enough. I just wanted to help Ines.”

 

“But this is my…….”

 

Ines was trying to answer so casually, and closed her mouth.

 

It was because Enoch was looking at her with a pointed look.

 

Fortunately, Enoch did not seem to have any intention of criticizing Ines’ slip of the tongue.

 

Enoch turned instead, narrowing his brows.

 

“Most of all, it’s even more amazing that Viscountess Gott allowed Ines to examine the body.”

 

An autopsy on the body of the deceased was possible only with the consent of the bereaved family.

 

If necessary, they should even be dissected but there were quite a few bereaved families who were reluctant to damage the dead’s body, no matter how much they wanted to determine the cause of death.

 

He wondered how Viscount Gott’s mother was so strict and thought her son was precious, but allowed her son to be examined.

 

Ines smiled awkwardly.

 

“Actually, I didn’t do much. I just said that I’d help with the investigation if necessary…….”

 

“That in itself has already done something.”

 

Enoch shook his head.

 

“You offered to help Viscountess Gott, didn’t you?

 

“What? No, that’s…….”

 

“Considering the bad relationship with the Viscount Gott’s family, it would not have been easy to make such a recommendation.”

 

Enoch smiled with his eyes.

 

“I’m proud of you.”

 

“…….”

 

Ines felt very embarrassed to be praised.

 

But it wasn’t a bad feeling.

 

In fact, she felt better for no reason, and her tense shoulders relaxed a fraction.

 

The place they arrived was a shabby room with only a large table and a few chairs.

 

“Pease sit this way.”

 

Ines and Enoch sat face to face with the coroner.

 

The medic pulled out the papers in a skillful manner.

 

These were the autopsy data on Ryan’s body.

 

“For now, as the Duke said blood tests and dissections were carried out together.”

 

At the same time, Ines glanced sideways at Enoch.

 

‘Enoch really cared about me.’

 

A blood test.

 

The price was extremely high, so it was usually not usually done to the body that came in by accident.

 

Nevertheless, the order of the test was evidence that Enoch supported the autopsy both physically and emotionally.

 

And then.

 

The forensic officer dropped the bomb.

 

“To begin with, I think there was external pressure on this death.”

 

Ines gulped down her dry saliva.

 

“Do you think he was murdered?”

 

“In my opinion, yes.”

 

The man nodded earnestly.

 

“The young master Gott died because he was drunk and fell into the lake, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Usually drowned bodies have water in their airways. It’s natural that drowning itself causes water to block the airway and die without breathing.”

 

The coroner whispered.

 

“But the lungs of young master Gott were very clean. There was no water at all.”

 

“That means…….”

 

“It means that he drowned but he was already dead when he did.”

 

Ines and Enoch exchanged glances quickly and fixed their eyes again on the medical doctor.

 

“In addition, the alcohol concentration in the body is not that high.”

 

“You mean he was not drunk?”

 

“Yes. He may be a little tipsy but it’s not at all enough to lose reason.”

 

The coroner answered so pointed to the document and continued.

 

“There are also more suspicious points. An excessive amount of sleeping pills were detected in his system and the main ingredient of this sleeping pill is Togo flower.”

 

“Togo flower?”

 

“It’s basically a flower that has a medicinal effect on relaxing the body.”

 

Ines looked at the papers.

 

On top of the thin stem, a picture of purple round flowers hanging snugly was painted.

 

It looked completely harmless on the surface.

 

“Sleeping pills using Togo flowers are basically safe but they can also act as poison in certain situations.”

 

“In certain circumstances…….”

 

“When taken with caffeine, it goes beyond relaxing your body, making you unable to breathe spontaneously.”

 

Enoch and Ines’ faces hardened.

 

The doctor sighed and concluded.

 

“And young master Gott had chocolate with the alcohol. Chocolate was detected in the stomach.”

 

“……you mean there was an intention of murder.”

 

“Also, the forensic expert who had been examined before me probably didn’t know this. It’s hard to know what you ate unless you cut the stomach, and usually the bereaved families are reluctant to do an autopsy.”

 

The doctor shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Of course, that part is suspicious because it did reveal that water did not enter the airway. Not recognizing it means that he doesn’t even have basic knowledge as a forensic scientist.”

 

“The first medical doctor who conducted the autopsy is also suspicious. Is this it?”

 

“I think so but…… I’m just a medical officer, so I’ll stop here.”

 

The medical officer organized the documents and held them out to the front of the two and concluded the conversation.

 

“To sum up, it appears that the young master Gott died of suffocation because of the combination of that sleeping pill and caffeine.”

 

“Thank you. It was a great help.”

 

Accepting the document, Ines nodded gravely.

 

‘Really… I didn’t expect Ryan to be murdered.’

 

It was as if someone had swept her back with a cold hand.

 

***