North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 599 - 337_1

"FK, it's the first time I've seen such a disgusting way to die."

When members of the forensic team arrived, their expressions ranged from surprise to disgust; they were clearly overwhelmed by the ghastly state of the deceased.

Dean's old acquaintance Holz was among them.

He immediately spotted Dean dangling from the racks and quietly moved forward, intending a surprise grab. But just as his hand got close, Dean caught it.

"HISS. Stop it, it's me, Holz!" Holz winced in pain, pleading for mercy.

Recognizing the familiar voice, Dean let go, turned, and greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see, Holz. Found yourself a girlfriend?"

As he spoke, he looked Holz up and down.

Holz had always been short and skinny, but now he looked even thinner. His cheeks were sunken, his eyes bulged, and beneath his loose collar were patches of red, bruise-like strawberry marks, giving the impression of physical weakness from too much nightlife.

At the mention of a girlfriend, Holz perked up.

He shook his sore wrist and raised an eyebrow at Dean, proudly saying, "Dean, have you also heard the rumors about my stunningly wild girlfriend?"

He used to envy Dean's constant romantic success. Now that he was finally getting some attention himself, he was eager to show off a little.

Dean shrugged. "I'm not blind. You're practically flaunting those strawberry marks on your neck. By the way, didn't you used to be all desire but no guts when it came to beautiful women? What made you suddenly decide to get a girlfriend?"

Although Holz was skinny, he used to look reasonably healthy. Now, however, it was clear he was biting off more than he could chew.

"HEH HEH." Realizing Dean had seen through his little act, Holz smiled sheepishly. "Well, I used to think I wasn't tall or handsome enough, so I never had the guts to make a move. Things are different now!"

"Oh?"

Dean glanced at Holz, who somehow managed to look even sleazier than before. "Sorry, pal," he said bluntly, "I don't see you getting any more handsome."

Holz shrugged. "True, but I've got thicker skin now."

He'd learned that from Dean: shamelessness is invincibility.

He kept trying, and sure enough, he got what he wanted—he even met someone exceptional.

In his heart, Holz already considered Dean his life mentor, a guiding light.

Holz was happier than anyone to see Dean back; he hoped to learn more from him and get further ahead in life.

After some brief pleasantries, Holz saw his colleagues were already inspecting the body and got back to business. "Dean, you've already checked the whole scene, right?"

He knew Dean's capabilities; asking now could save a lot of trouble during the autopsy later.

Dean nodded.

"The deceased is male, about one meter seventy-eight tall. He has severe disfigurement, making direct identification difficult. However, based on the wear of his molars and incisors, his age is roughly estimated to be around forty.

"His exposed left ring finger has a slight, though intact, deformity. It likely resulted from an injury during his growth phase, leading to abnormal development.

"The exposed parts of his ribs show signs of healed fractures, indicating he previously suffered severe gunshot wounds.

"Furthermore, there are over thirty holes in his flesh. The majority of these wounds are in the abdomen, where the tissue shows signs of being gnawed from the outside in.

"So, it's highly probable the deceased was alive when a group of specially bred rats burrowed into his abdomen and ate him to death.

"Those rats treated his body like a granary, carving out feeding tunnels everywhere, which resulted in his current grotesque state of death.

"As for the time of death..." Dean paused, sounding somewhat uncertain. "Normally, it's hard for anyone to survive such injuries for long. Blood loss alone would be fatal, yet there's no sign of massive bleeding at the scene.

"What's odder is that the deceased's body shows signs of both recent tissue damage and decomposition characteristic of tissue that's been dead for over seven days.

"I suspect the killer confined him in this basement, using drugs to manage his injuries and keep him barely alive.

"The killer likely wanted the victim to feel his body being eaten away piece by piece, to maximize his fear, despair, and remorse. Perhaps the killer even placed a mirror in front of him so he could watch himself being devoured!"

"So cruel?" Holz winced. "Dean, do you think this was a revenge killing?"

Dean's vivid description made Holz's skin crawl.

This guy was so understanding of the killer's psychological state; could he have done something similar?

Dean saw the flash of fear in Holz's eyes but, assuming it was just fear of the killer's brutality, didn't dwell on it. He nodded. "Yes, we can't rule out that the deceased underwent brutal interrogation before death. I checked the entire scene before you all arrived; it's been wiped clean. Holz, I need your help to quickly identify the deceased."

He suspected that the deceased was Barnaby himself, but it needed further verification. For now, all he could do was call Daisy and ask her to investigate Barnaby's financial transactions.

Holz nodded quickly. "No problem. I'll go back with the body and get the autopsy results out ASAP. My colleagues can handle the scene here."