45
DRIVING OUT OF CRIME Forensics HQ, Mislan calls his boss to update her on Chew’s findings. He asks her the purpose of the ISCD officers’ visit and is told that there was a police report lodged against him by the victim’s family.
“For what?”
“Inappropriate conduct, use of vulgar language while executing a search warrant. Soliciting favors to reopen the case.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Do I sound like I’m kidding? Lan, I have a feeling you’re knocking on the right doors and these people have been shaken. They need something to stop or at least delay you so they can regroup and cover their tracks. The report against you was only a firefighting measure to slow you down, not an act of containment, which they’re probably still working on. My advice to you is to watch your back and go in for the kill. You’re on roster today, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’Il get Reeziana to cover your shift until 8 and you can arrange to cover hers when all this has blown over. I don’t want you coming into the office unless it’s really necessary or until the building is empty.”
“Thanks, ma’am.”
“And, Lan, good police work on the car. That was a gutsy call.”
He makes another call but does not get through. He tells Johan to take a detour for Hospital Kuala Lumpur. It is always easier to drive there than to get your calls answered, he concludes.
“What’s there in HKL?”
“Test our luck, to see if the postmortem report is ready. Jo, we’re to stay away from the office until about 8, until it is empty.”
“Why? What about today’s shift?”
“Reeziana’s team will cover our shift and we’ll cover for her later. Ma’am’s instructions.”
“Does it have something to do with the ISCD officer?”
He nods.
“They received a complaint?”
“The vic’s family lodged a police report against me.”
“What! For what? For trying to find out who killed their father? They must be crazy.”
“For using foul language, for soliciting favors, for improper conduct, I suppose someone’s advising them.”
“And ISCD’s investigating it. Someone’s pulling strings. ISCD don’t simply jump, they’re too seasoned for that.”
Mislan is silent.
“You know, that’s the trouble with being a police officer. Anyone can make a police report and you’re marked. It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong, you’re marked. Then when you’re exonerated, there is not a bloody thing you can do against that person for making the false and malicious allegation. Heads, you lose, tails, you lose,” Johan moans.
“The law does provide for acting against people who make false reports.”
“What good’s the law when we’re not willing to use it? You know the excuses the brass will give: We don’t want to aggravate the situation. To hell with the situation, aggravate it as much as we can and make them pay for their lies.” Johan is livid.
Mislan smiles. Johan is right, but he knows how it is. Until the top brass has the will to do something, police officers will have to suffer these punches in silence.
The morgue is as crowded as always with grieving families, relatives, and funeral-home touts. They walk into the Medical Forensics reception and ask for Dr. Bakar Sulaiman or Dr. Matthews. The receptionist tells them Dr. Bakar Sulaiman is still on leave, but Dr. Matthews is available. She calls the doctor and tells them to go in.
“Good evening, Doctor,” Mislan greets him.
“Inspector, Selamat Hari Raya.”
“This is my assistant, Detective Sergeant Johan. Doc, sorry to pester you, but is the report ready?”
Matthews acknowledges Johan and then says, “Yes, but I’m not sure about Dr. Bakar’s report. Let me check.” He turns to the computer, taps some keys, and says, “Yes.”
“Can I have a copy?”
“Mine sure, but Dr. Bakar’s report has to be authorized and signed by him. He’s still on leave and will only be back next week, Monday.”
“It’s OK if it’s not signed. I need it more for my investigation. For the documentation papers, Inspector Murad will get the signed copies.”
“Well, in that case, let me print it for you.”
“Doc, were there any peculiarities in the postmortem?”
“Everything seems to point to murder-suicide, except for two points.”
“What are they?”
“One is the skin laceration on the male deceased around the waist about here.” Dr. Matthews points to the right waist. “It’s more of a scratch. I assume that was where the victim scratched himself when pulling out the gun. The scratches are consistent with an upward movement.”
“What’s the other?”
“The gunshot residue, the concentration of lead and nitrate on the hand of the deceased is too low for a man who had fired three shots.”
“Very interesting, Doc. Were the two injuries on the female victim fatal?”
“Let me see . . . . ah . . . yes, both shots damaged vital organs. Either one of them would’ve killed the victim instantly.”
“By instantly, what does that mean?”
“Well, it’s like popping a balloon with a needle, it bursts and there is no more balloon. All that’s left is a piece of rubber. It’s the same with vital organs, when the bullet hits a vital organ, there is no more vital organ, just flesh and other stuff.”
Matthews smiles and hands him the reports.
“Would a shooter know that the victim is dead before shooting the victim once more?”
“All depends. If the gunman shoots rapidly, no. But if the person shoots once then waits before shooting again, possibly. Again, it depends on postmortem spasms. The shooter may think the victim’s still alive.”
“What do you mean?”
“You see, sometimes the central nervous system still sends signals to parts of the body after the heart has stopped, causing limbs or the head to twitch, so it looks like the victim is still alive. You’ve heard of a chicken running around after its head has been chopped off? That’s a postmortem spasm,” Matthews says. “But, Inspector, you have to understand: if the shooter is not a trained medical practitioner, chances are he or she may not know. Why do you ask?”
“Covering all possibilities.”
They thank Dr. Matthews and leave. Outside the morgue, Johan remarks, “That was easy enough to understand.”
Mislan’s cell phone rings. It is Audi. “Inspector, catch the 6 o’clock news.”
“What’s up?”
“I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“Jo, you know a place we can watch TV around here? I need to catch the news.”
Johan looks at his watch. “That’s in 15 minutes. There’s a karaoke place in the Seasons Hotel across the road. I know the manager. Maybe we can use one of the rooms. What’s on?”
“I don’t know. Audi refused to say.”
Kamilia Karaoke Lounge is on the mezzanine floor. It’s happy hour, and the early crooners and drinkers are drifting in. Johan asks for Jeffery Koning, the manager, and is led to one of the rooms where he is just finishing dinner. Johan introduces Mislan and asks if they can use one of the rooms.
“Sure, for how many people?” Jeffery asks.
“Only the two of us, we want to watch the news,” Johan explains.
“You can use this one.” Jeffery switches on the TV to the news channel. “You want anything to eat or drink?”
Mislan shakes his head.
“OK, I’ve got work. Call me if you need anything.”
The news has already started, and the female newsreader is reading out statistics for road fatalities, which have risen to three digits. Mislan lights a cigarette and leans back as she rambles endlessly on the same subject. A string of advertisements fills the screen and finally the newscaster touches on his case.
It starts with a brief background, some old clips, and then moves on to the field reporter. Audi appears in front of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission building, announcing a new development in the investigation of what had earlier been claimed by the police to be a case of murder-suicide, a love triangle gone sour. It was confirmed by MACC that the lead investigator for the case was brought in for questioning regarding some allegations of corruption. However, the MACC senior enforcement officer in charge of the investigation refused to comment, except to say, “It is an ongoing investigation.” The police, too, when contacted, refused to make any comments, and the lead investigator cannot be contacted. Undisclosed sources close to the MACC say the corruption case may have some links to the investigator’s probes into the victims’ business activities. There is also talk that MACC is restarting its investigation into the victims’ affairs after it was temporarily suspended following the victims’ sudden deaths. It is believed the MACC is ready to make several arrests and is rumored that it may include several prominent individuals. Audi ends her report by promising that updates will be aired as information is obtained.
“Wow, where did she get all of that from?” Johan asks.
“She’s an investigative reporter, I’m sure she has her sources.”
“Someone’s going to hit the roof.”
“Not someone . . . many someones.”