The outline of the face could only be judged basically. It was so frightening.
Chalmers looked at them three and sighed heavily. Only Joseph just stood there firmly. He was extremely serious and just gnawed his teeth tightly.
"Continue?" Chalmers could only ask Joseph now.
Joseph nodded.
Chalmers opened the whole bedsheet.
It was a destroyed body. From the appearance, it couldn't be identified. However, it had the same height as Roy.
The skeleton was still there, though the skin and flesh were burned completely.
Shirley screamed, terrified, and then cried loudly.
Cassie's eye socket was dry. With sorrow and pain, she pushed Irish away and came closer to the body. She was faced with it now. Irish wanted to vomit, and her heart ached. She wanted to pull Cassie away, but she couldn't do anything.
"It mustn't be him. It mustn't be..." Cassie's voice was very low. She clenched the bed sheet and pressed her underbelly, shaking her head, terrified.
Chalmers pressed the body with the bed sheet again and asked them, "Can you confirm it?"
"It mustn't be my son! No!" Shirley came forward, crying and shouting. She pulled Chalmers' clothes, inquiring pitifully, "Please, please. My son is just gone. Please find my son for me."
Chalmers was helpless. Cassie was so weak, and she just murmured, "It was not him...not him..."
"Mr. Dover, can you confirm it?" Chalmers asked Joseph.
There was sadness in Joseph's eyes. Silent for a while, he just said with a hoarse voice, "The body is burned so seriously. I can't confirm it."
Chalmers turned around, shifting his attention towards his subordinate, who was present.
The police officer stepped forward, handing Chalmers a bag. Chalmers accepted it and gestured towards Joseph.
"Is the license plate shown in the photo Roy's?" Chalmers inquired, revealing a photograph of the scene and an object discovered within the car.
Joseph briefly examined the photo, his brows furrowing, before nodding in affirmation.
The burned car was indeed Roy's. He recognized it.
Chalmers pointed out the ring within the bag, explaining, "This ring was discovered in the car. It appears to have been inside when the body was burned. Please take a look and confirm whether it belonged to the deceased."
Cassie, the only one capable of identifying the ring, approached with a mix of confidence and trepidation. Taking hold of the bag, her fingers trembling, she pressed the ring against her palm. As she observed the engraved letters at the back of the ring, which were the initials of both her and Roy's names, tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks instantly.
Observing the heartbreaking sight, Irish's own heart ached in response.
Chalmers, perceiving the emotional weight of the moment, pressed on with a gentle but necessary question. "Is this ring indeed Roy's?" he asked, seeking confirmation.
Cassie, her voice choked with tears, attempted to respond but found herself unable to articulate her words. Her teary eyes rendered her vision blurry, leaving her no choice but to offer a helpless nod, affirming the ring indeed belonged to Roy.
Chalmers proceeded to explain the circumstances surrounding the identification process. "Due to the extensive burns on the body, obtaining DNA information from the deceased was unsuccessful for the forensic expert. Therefore, our judgment relies primarily on the object found in the car. Additionally, a comparison of the deceased's physical features with Roy's supports the conclusion. If you can positively identify and confirm that the deceased is indeed Roy, we can proceed with the case and initiate further investigations."
"Police..." Cassie's heart clenched in anguish, and her breath caught in her throat. The weight of the situation overwhelmed her, rendering her unable to form coherent words. Despite her desperate desire to express that the deceased couldn't possibly be Roy, all she could manage was a single word. The enormity of her sorrow left her speechless.
Joseph, holding the ring in the bag, maintained a serious demeanor. After a brief pause, he expressed his concern, "Can we conclusively identify the body as Roy based solely on this ring and a resemblance in physical features? Chalmers, I fear that it may be too subjective and speculative."
Chalmers responded to Joseph's concern, emphasizing the importance of Cassie's confirmation. "That is precisely why we need Cassie's confirmation," Chalmers acknowledged. "Her recognition and validation in this matter carry significant weight in establishing the identity of the deceased."
"No, we cannot proceed in that manner," Joseph asserted firmly. He directed his gaze towards Chalmers, speaking with conviction. "Given that we cannot definitively establish the deceased individual as Roy, we are unwilling to sign our names as Roy's family based on uncertain evidence."
"Mr. Dover, I understand that this creates a challenging situation for us," Chalmers responded, his brows furrowing as he contemplated the unexpected stance taken by Joseph.
"It's a matter of integrity and principles," Joseph stated resolutely, gesturing towards the lifeless body on the bed. His tone remained cold as he continued, "You can easily misidentify anyone. If my ring had fallen in the car, you might have mistaken the body for me."
Chalmers found himself at a loss for words, uncertain of how to respond to Joseph's unwavering commitment to upholding principles and avoiding hasty judgments.
Cassie went forward. She said with tears, "Yes, we can't sign our names. How can it be Roy?"
"So, who do you think drove his car?" Chalmers asked.
Cassie couldn't answer his question.
They exited the mortuary, leaving behind the solemnity of the scene.
The police officers proceeded to document the case details, diligently recording Cassie's accounts.
Cassie began to recount the events of the last time she saw Roy, which took place the morning prior.
Just like any other day, Roy left for work and attended a meeting with the shareholders at the Runestone Group. As his work hours drew to a close, Roy contacted his family and informed them that he would be returning home late due to attending a party.
As the evening progressed and it reached 10 p.m., Roy had yet to return. Initially assuming he was still enjoying himself with friends, Cassie remained unconcerned. However, her worry grew as time ticked past midnight, and Roy remained absent.
Overwhelmed with anxiety, Cassie couldn't resist the urge to call Roy's phone.
The phone rang persistently, but nobody answered on the other end.
Feeling concerned that Roy might be intoxicated, Cassie decided to call Daisy, who was Roy's assistant at this time. Daisy informed Cassie that she had not accompanied Roy to the party. According to Daisy, Roy had mentioned attending a private gathering with his friends, so Daisy hadn't joined him.
Curious about the reason behind Cassie's call, Daisy inquired about the situation. Cassie merely responded with "nothing," expressing her worry that Roy might be unable to drive back home due to being inebriated.
Over the next hour, Cassie repeatedly dialed Roy's number, growing increasingly anxious. Eventually, her calls were met with a continuous line busy tone, indicating that the calls could not be connected.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m