Beck, realizing he couldn't hide the truth any longer, spread his hands. "My maternal uncle and I were set up. We had no choice but to take on some part-time jobs."

"...Your uncle is here too?"

"Yes, but he can only work as a kitchen helper. We have George to thank for all of this. If it weren't for his help, we'd probably be out on the streets by now."

Dean let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness Uncle's integrity is still intact.

Otherwise, it would be really hard to look this once prominent Mafia Family in the eye.

However, I didn't expect that these two, after leaving for Christmas, would end up in such a sorry state in such a short time. They're actually relying on part-time jobs to fund their treasure hunting.

Truly pathetic.

With outsiders present, he didn't want to make his brother lose face, so he changed the subject. "Alright, we'll talk about this later. Where's George's body?"

"It's in the room," Beck said, leading the way. "I was worried someone might tamper with the scene, so I've been guarding it with a few crew members. I can assure you the scene is still intact."

This was a cabin decorated like a hotel suite. Overall, it exuded European luxury with its warm color palette, giving it an air of understated opulence and cozy warmth.

In the bathroom area, two crew members were listlessly playing cards. Upon seeing everyone enter, they stood up and moved behind their captain.

Dean glanced at the two men but found nothing unusual about them, then beckoned Carlo and Harry to follow him.

The three of them donned gloves and shoe covers and entered the bathroom.

The bathroom was quite spacious. The first thing that caught the eye was the lean corpse of a man lying facedown. A faint, but still tolerable, odor of decay permeated the air.

Beyond that, the most eye-catching feature of the bathroom was the uniquely shaped bathtub.

The bathtub was transparent and filled with dark, wriggling, soft-bodied creatures. Its overall design resembled a slide, sloping downwards from back to front, complete with a railing on top—apparently to make it easier for someone to 'ride' from behind.

Harry, the experienced one, smirked at the sight of the tub and elbowed Carlo. "Buddy, see that? This is how the rich play—always so extravagant."

Carlo frowned slightly. "Why does this bathtub look more like a large aquaculture tank?"

"You're not wrong; this isn't just a simple bathtub. It's equipped with a fish tank's water-changing system," Dean said, pointing at the wriggling creatures. "Those are probably leeches. Plain old interaction is apparently no longer satisfying for those worldly rich women, so they've come up with this."

"That's sick! Aren't those women afraid of leeches crawling into their drains?" Harry said with disgust. "If they're looking for thrills, why not put some eels or something similar in there? Those things love to explore holes."

Dean rolled his eyes.

Damn it! We're here to solve a case! Can we stick to a serious topic?

With Harry around, I feel like this team is destined to become the 'innuendo squad.'

"Let's start the autopsy!"

After giving the instruction, Dean squatted down and turned the body over.

The victim had been dead for more than a day. The body had begun to decompose internally, but there were few external changes, except that the eyes had become cloudy pools, which was rather unsettling.

Harry moved to a position where he wouldn't obstruct the view, helping Dean stabilize the body for examination.

As the newcomer, Carlo picked up the camera and began filming.

Seeing that the others were ready, Dean started his inspection. He first checked the deceased's appearance, confirming it was George. Then, he meticulously examined the body's surface, limbs, underarms, and lower body, beginning to narrate for the camera:

"The deceased's identity is confirmed as George. Upon preliminary examination, he is completely naked. Apart from his back and hands, there are no obvious external injuries or wounds."

After speaking, Dean reached for the corner of George's mouth, dabbing at some white powder clinging there. Under the bathroom light, the powder sparkled.

This isn't flour; it looks like glass powder, Dean thought. He pried open the deceased's mouth to check for abrasions. The oral cavity was reddish-blue, with the same white powder clinging to the tongue coating. It was sticky but hadn't damaged the surface of the tongue or oral mucosa.

This means the white powder isn't glass but some material with a glittering effect. This material must contain a high amount of calcium carbonate. Pearl powder, for example. That stuff is edible.

Dean voiced this deduction for the camera, then turned his attention to the deceased's arms. He picked up an arm, holding it towards the camera. "The deceased's arms show ligature marks. They aren't deep but display slight outward expansion. This indicates that his hands were tied before death. He didn't struggle violently, but his body was in an agitated state, causing his hands to move erratically."

He then pointed to George's lower body and smirked. "There are dried, whitish-brown liquid traces around the deceased's genital area—obvious signs of passionate secretions. Furthermore, there are blunt contusions on his back. Considering these findings, it can be inferred that George, prior to his death, was lying on the bathtub's railing, engaged in some intense bondage play. He was the little wild horse being ridden and broken. Under normal circumstances, marks from such activities would fade quickly. However, the marks on George's body are pronounced. This means that after the 'passion,' before the marks could completely disappear, his body ceased to function, and blood circulation stopped. This caused the ligature and back marks to remain visible as bruises."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.