is pain…’
Her weight is taken. Her height measured –
Here in the half-light
…
Dr. Nakadate puts on a stained surgical gown and a pair of rubber gloves. The orderlies raise the body. The orderlies place a rubber body block beneath it. Her breasts and chest rise upwards, her arms and neck fall backwards –
I turn away now.
‘There is still no name?’ asks the doctor. ‘No identification?’
I glance over at Inspector Kai and I say, ‘No names yet.’
‘Then this is Number One. The next is Number Two.’
I nod. I take out my pencil. I lick its tip.
Nakadate begins his gross observations on the exterior condition of the first body, one of his assistants noting down everything he says on the chalkboard on the wall, another writing in a large hospital notebook, the observations in German and Latin –
Mumbled evocations. Muttered incantations
…
‘Irises are black, corneas clouded,’ intones the doctor. ‘Haemorrhaging in the surfaces…’
I look up again –
She is watching the doctor, watching him work
…
‘Removal of a piece of material from the neck reveals a ligature mark – to be known as Ligature A – below the mandible…’
She is staring up at the fabric he holds
…
‘Minor abrasions present in the area of Ligature A but the lack of haemorrhage suggests Ligature A is post-mortem…’
She opens and closes her eyes
…
‘Heavy bruising on the neck is of a pattern that suggests an attempt was made to throttle the victim…’
She swallows now as
…
‘In the same area as the bruising on the neck, a second ligature mark is present – to be known as Ligature B – which encircles the neck, crossing the anterior midline of the neck just below the laryngeal prominence…’
As she remembers
…
‘The skin of the anterior neck above and below Ligature B shows petechial haemorrhaging…’
Her own death
…
‘The absence of abrasions here is consistent with the use of a softer ligature…’
‘Like a
haramaki?’
asks Kai.
Dr. Nakadate looks up from her neck. He nods. ‘Yes, like a
haramaki
, Inspector Kai.’
Kai looks across at me. I open my mouth to start to speak. To ask him again. Inspector Kai shakes his head. I stop –
Dr. Nakadate has moved down her body to her genital area. ‘There is evidence of forced sexual activity here…’
Here there is pain. Pain is here
…
‘Pre- or post-mortem?’ I ask him –
‘I am here because of you…’
Dr. Nakadate looks across her body at me. He holds up afinger. ‘One moment please, inspector.’
Her cheeks blush, her eyes close
…
‘Possibly both,’ he says –
Here is pain. Pain is here
…
Dr. Nakadate and his assistants now minutely examine every part of her skin, every nail and every hair, every tooth and every orifice, every spot and every blemish –
‘Are there any distinguishing features for identification, doctor?’ I ask him. ‘Anything…’
‘Yes,’ he says. ‘There is evidence of a small whitlow scar on her left thumb…’
I look over again at Inspector Kai. Kai making his own notes. I cough. I clear my throat. I start to speak again, to say, ‘Then maybe we should let the mothers see the body now, Inspector Kai?’
Dr. Nakadate stops his observations. He looks up –
‘No,’ says Inspector Kai again.
‘But with this scar,’ I say. ‘And the
haramaki
, the five darned holes in the
haramaki
…’
‘No,’ says Kai.
‘I believe positive identification is now possible…’
‘No.’
‘But we’re wasting time…’
‘Room #1 has been assigned to this body…’
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘But…’
‘And Room #2 the next body.’
‘But obviously, until this body has been identified, I can’t…’
‘Then I believe I am in charge of this case, detective.’
‘Yes, but…’
‘But what, detective?’ asks Inspector Kai.
‘Nothing.’
‘Dr. Nakadate,’ says Kai now. ‘I am sorry if we have disturbed your work. Please continue with the autopsy.’
Dr. Nakadate
Her weight is taken. Her height measured –
Here in the half-light
…
Dr. Nakadate puts on a stained surgical gown and a pair of rubber gloves. The orderlies raise the body. The orderlies place a rubber body block beneath it. Her breasts and chest rise upwards, her arms and neck fall backwards –
I turn away now.
‘There is still no name?’ asks the doctor. ‘No identification?’
I glance over at Inspector Kai and I say, ‘No names yet.’
‘Then this is Number One. The next is Number Two.’
I nod. I take out my pencil. I lick its tip.
Nakadate begins his gross observations on the exterior condition of the first body, one of his assistants noting down everything he says on the chalkboard on the wall, another writing in a large hospital notebook, the observations in German and Latin –
Mumbled evocations. Muttered incantations
…
‘Irises are black, corneas clouded,’ intones the doctor. ‘Haemorrhaging in the surfaces…’
I look up again –
She is watching the doctor, watching him work
…
‘Removal of a piece of material from the neck reveals a ligature mark – to be known as Ligature A – below the mandible…’
She is staring up at the fabric he holds
…
‘Minor abrasions present in the area of Ligature A but the lack of haemorrhage suggests Ligature A is post-mortem…’
She opens and closes her eyes
…
‘Heavy bruising on the neck is of a pattern that suggests an attempt was made to throttle the victim…’
She swallows now as
…
‘In the same area as the bruising on the neck, a second ligature mark is present – to be known as Ligature B – which encircles the neck, crossing the anterior midline of the neck just below the laryngeal prominence…’
As she remembers
…
‘The skin of the anterior neck above and below Ligature B shows petechial haemorrhaging…’
Her own death
…
‘The absence of abrasions here is consistent with the use of a softer ligature…’
‘Like a
haramaki?’
asks Kai.
Dr. Nakadate looks up from her neck. He nods. ‘Yes, like a
haramaki
, Inspector Kai.’
Kai looks across at me. I open my mouth to start to speak. To ask him again. Inspector Kai shakes his head. I stop –
Dr. Nakadate has moved down her body to her genital area. ‘There is evidence of forced sexual activity here…’
Here there is pain. Pain is here
…
‘Pre- or post-mortem?’ I ask him –
‘I am here because of you…’
Dr. Nakadate looks across her body at me. He holds up afinger. ‘One moment please, inspector.’
Her cheeks blush, her eyes close
…
‘Possibly both,’ he says –
Here is pain. Pain is here
…
Dr. Nakadate and his assistants now minutely examine every part of her skin, every nail and every hair, every tooth and every orifice, every spot and every blemish –
‘Are there any distinguishing features for identification, doctor?’ I ask him. ‘Anything…’
‘Yes,’ he says. ‘There is evidence of a small whitlow scar on her left thumb…’
I look over again at Inspector Kai. Kai making his own notes. I cough. I clear my throat. I start to speak again, to say, ‘Then maybe we should let the mothers see the body now, Inspector Kai?’
Dr. Nakadate stops his observations. He looks up –
‘No,’ says Inspector Kai again.
‘But with this scar,’ I say. ‘And the
haramaki
, the five darned holes in the
haramaki
…’
‘No,’ says Kai.
‘I believe positive identification is now possible…’
‘No.’
‘But we’re wasting time…’
‘Room #1 has been assigned to this body…’
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘But…’
‘And Room #2 the next body.’
‘But obviously, until this body has been identified, I can’t…’
‘Then I believe I am in charge of this case, detective.’
‘Yes, but…’
‘But what, detective?’ asks Inspector Kai.
‘Nothing.’
‘Dr. Nakadate,’ says Kai now. ‘I am sorry if we have disturbed your work. Please continue with the autopsy.’
Dr. Nakadate
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