“Yes, about two hours ago, one of my colleagues discovered that he was dead. The body has been moved to the forensic center, and the autopsy is already in progress. Follow me,” Felix said as he led the way.
Caitlin pushed Sebastian’s wheelchair, and Xavi and the others followed closely as they made their way to the forensic center.
In the center, Peter’s body lay on an autopsy table, covered with a white sheet. After they entered, Felix lifted the sheet to show them the body. Caitlin glanced at the corpse and asked, “How did he die?”
“Poisoning,” Felix replied, handing her the autopsy report. “We found a neurotoxic substance called *tabun* in his system.”
Caitlin quickly read the report and understood. Tabun, or *dimethylamino-cyanophosphoryl fluoride*, is a highly toxic chemical agent. It’s colorless, with a faint bitter almond odor, and it dissolves easily in water. It was commonly used as a chemical weapon during wartime and could easily contaminate water supplies.
“So Peter died because he drank water contaminated with tabun?” Caitlin asked.
Felix nodded. “Yes, it seems likely that he died from drinking poisoned water.”
Although Sebastian couldn’t see anything, he was listening carefully to their conversation. He spoke up, “Peter died in your detention facility. Who would have poisoned his drinking water? Was he the only one affected? Were there any other victims?”
Felix replied, “That’s something we’re looking into. So far, no one else has shown symptoms of poisoning. Peter is the only one.”
After the incident, Felix had contacted The Vanderbilt Family to make sure everything was handled properly. If they didn’t handle it well, the whole police station could be implicated.
Sebastian asked, “Did Peter confess anything while he was in custody?”
Felix shook his head. “No, he wouldn’t admit anything. Every time we questioned him, he just said it was all his doing.”
Sebastian didn’t press further. Caitlin turned to Felix and said, “Please investigate this thoroughly and find out who’s behind it.”
“We will,” Felix assured her. “We’re on it.”
With all the information they needed for now, Caitlin and Sebastian left the forensic center and headed back to The Vanderbilt Family.
On the way back, Caitlin sat in the back of the RV, talking to Sebastian about the case. “It looks like the person behind this was trying to silence Peter, afraid he would leak some secrets.”
Sebastian nodded. “Anyone who can make a move right under the police’s nose must have some real skills.”
He had already sent one of his subordinates to secretly investigate, and he was confident that they would have some results soon.
“Could it be one of your enemies? Or someone you’ve crossed?” Caitlin asked.
Sebastian chuckled darkly. “If that’s the case, there are a lot of people out there who want me dead.”
He was certain that the person behind this wouldn’t stop there. “As the saying goes, even the craftiest fox shows its tail eventually. I don’t believe the culprit will stay hidden forever.”
“Felix is already busy enough. With this new case, I don’t know when he’ll manage to get to the bottom of it,” Caitlin remarked.
Sebastian took it a different way, hearing something else in her words. “Felix is paid to handle this. You don’t need to worry about him. Besides, he’s married with kids. Don’t go trying to meddle with his family!”
Caitlin gave him a cold look and shot back, “Is that how you see me? Do you think I’d go after a married man?”
Sebastian smirked. “Isn’t that the kind of woman you are? Always running around, meeting this person and that person. You don’t even care what others think.”
Caitlin was taken aback by his words, a deep sigh escaping her lips as her eyes turned cold. “I think you’re not just blind in your eyes, but in your heart too. Don’t think about it; just forget it.”
Sebastian felt a slight sting in his chest. He had only been trying to warn her for her own good, but she was being unreasonably harsh.
Suddenly, as Xavi swerved the car to avoid another vehicle, the RV lurched to one side, causing Sebastian to lose his balance and tumble onto Caitlin. As the vehicle settled, Sebastian found himself on top of her, and to make matters worse, his hand ended up in a very inappropriate place.
The touch was too familiar, almost as though it carried some unexplainable charm, drawing him in. That feeling-it seemed oddly familiar, like something he had experienced before.
It reminded him of that night with Camellia.
Caitlin’s expression darkened as she stared at him. “Did you enjoy that?”
Sebastian quickly pulled his hand back and stood up, sitting straight and adopting his usual cold demeanor. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t like tofu.”
Caitlin raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Is that so? Because it seemed like you were enjoying it quite a bit just now.”
Sebastian’s face flushed slightly, his confidence faltering. “What are you talking about? I didn’t-”
Caitlin gave him a knowing look. “Don’t lie. You were touching for more than three seconds. How do you explain that?”
Sebastian’s eyes widened for a split second, but he quickly regained his composure. “I said it wasn’t on purpose! The car was unsteady, that’s all.”
Caitlin scoffed, clearly not buying it. “Yeah, right. Who would believe that?”
“I swear, I wasn’t trying to do anything! I don’t have any interest in you!” Sebastian said, his voice firm, but his heart felt oddly unsettled. He couldn’t quite understand why.
“Really?” Caitlin’s eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. “You better remember what you just said. Don’t end up slapping yourself in the face later.”
“That won’t happen,” Sebastian said with confidence, though he had a sneaking feeling that his words might not be as certain as they seemed.
They arrived back at The Vanderbilt Family mansion. As soon as they stepped out of the RV, Caitlin turned to Sebastian and said, “I want to visit Peter’s place. See if I can find anything useful. You stay here, Xavi can take you back.”
If it weren’t for the trouble with her mother’s ashes, Caitlin would have started her investigation sooner.
Sebastian frowned, but he wasn’t about to let her go alone, especially given the situation. “I’ll go with you.”
The two of them went to Peter’s apartment. Since Peter had been arrested, his room had been cleared out. The space was now empty, with only a few pictures remaining on the wall.
Caitlin examined the place and said, “Peter’s place has already been cleared. There are no beds, and the cabinets are all empty.”
“Search more thoroughly,” Sebastian insisted.
Caitlin did her best, examining every part of the room. She tapped on the walls and listened for any sound. When she touched one of the landscape paintings on the wall, something fell out.
It fell quickly, sliding into a small gap in the corner. Caitlin moved the table and retrieved the item.
Sebastian asked, “What did you find?”
Caitlin held up the item-a photograph. To her surprise, the woman in the picture was none other than Grace.
“I found a photo,” she said, showing it to Sebastian. “Guess who this woman is?”
“Who?” Sebastian asked, intrigued.