Red wine poisoning case 1.4
The lunch bell rang three times, and the long table was laden with exquisite dishes, but the butler was nowhere to be seen.
"That's strange," Wen Lin said, swirling his wine glass. "Isn't the old man usually the most punctual?"
Jiang Zhaoyan cut off a piece of steak, the knife tip making a screeching sound as it scraped against the plate: "Could it be that it was scared by our 'night stroll' last night?"
Fan Jinci put down his napkin and stood up: "Go find it."
His voice was very soft, but it made everyone stop immediately.
The butler's door was ajar, and a faint scent of bitter almonds filled the air.
Yu Yan was the first to push open the door, then abruptly raised his hand to stop the people behind him: "Don't come in!"
The white-haired butler lay supine on the bed, his hands folded over his chest, his face serene as if he were merely asleep. Yet, a trace of dark red remained at the corner of his mouth, like dried red wine.
Fan Jinci put on gloves and lightly touched the butler's carotid artery with his fingertips: "Time of death approximately two hours ago, no external injuries."
Li Weimian squatted down and picked up an empty wine glass from under the bed: "There's red wine residue, and white powder on the glass."
Situ Jin quickly took photos to record the scene: "Was it suicide... or homicide?"
“Neither.” Fan Jinci’s gaze swept over the medicine bottle on the bedside table. “It was an accident.”
Behind a hidden door at the end of the corridor lies a fully equipped dissection room.
The stainless steel countertop was spotless, and the instrument cabinet was filled with precise anatomical tools, each gleaming with a cold, sharp light. Most striking was a bronze plaque hanging on the wall:
"It is a great honor to have the chief forensic doctor use it."
Wen Lin whistled: "This manor owner is your fan, Brother Fan."
Fan Jinci did not respond and walked straight to the dissection table. Situ Jin immediately handed over the recording board, while Li Weimian skillfully adjusted the angle of the operating light.
"Tweezers." Fan Jinci reached out his hand.
Situ Jin handed over a pair of pointed dissecting forceps.
"Scalpel, number 10."
The knife hilt settled into his palm, Fan Jinci's fingertips steady without the slightest tremor. He sliced open the butler's chest with precision.
"Extracting stomach contents." He placed the partially digested food residue into a sampling bottle. "Liver slices."
Li Weimian suddenly leaned closer: "Look at this—there are slight signs of dissolution of the myocardial fibers."
Wen Lin raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you studying criminal psychology? How do you know anatomy?"
Li Weimian didn't even look up: "I originally wanted to study anatomy, but my tutor at the time wasn't Brother Fan, so I wasn't interested." She paused, "However, I have studied all of Brother Fan's anatomical cases."
Yu Yan slammed his hand on the table: "I knew you had ill intentions towards him! Stay away from my wife!"
The scalpel clattered against the table in front of Yu Yan's fingertips.
"Shut up," Fan Jinci said coldly.
The entire room fell silent.
Three hours later, Situ Jin's testing device beeped.
“Sure enough!” He pushed up his glasses. “The red wine contains trace amounts of cyanide derivatives, and the heart medication the butler takes regularly contains thiosulfate—neither is harmful on its own, but when mixed, they produce a deadly toxin.”
Jiang Zhaoyan frowned: "So... the murderer knew the housekeeper took her medication at a set time every day, and deliberately served that bottle of wine at dinner?"
“No.” Fan Jinci took off his gloves. “That bottle of wine was for me.”
The air froze instantly.
Yu Yan's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists: "...What do you mean?"
Fan Jinci looked at the corpse on the autopsy table, his voice as calm as if he were discussing what to eat today:
"The butler drank that glass of wine for me."
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