were covered by fresh wounds.’ Shehed seemed to be in his comfort zone. ‘A little anecdote...’
‘Can you speed it up a bit? Just focus on the specific points.’ Rex held the tip of his quill over the writing pad. ‘If you don’t mind, of course.’
‘Yes, I’ll try not to stray from the subject.’ Shehed nodded to the Guard and returned to his notes. ‘Where was I… Ah yes… Once the blood had been wiped away, it was possible to examine the wounds closely. They were not very deep and had jagged edges, indicating the use of a serrated blade. The mutilation had been carried out with considerable precision, so as to avoid inflicting critical injuries whilst causing as much pain as possible. It was very reminiscent of the Chinese punishment of a thousand cuts. Traces of an alchemical potion that inhibits blood clotting were found in the wounds.’
‘Did he bleed to death?’ Darius had suspected as much from the start, but duty required him to confirm his suspicions.
‘That's what I thought at first, but no, that wasn’t the cause of death.’ Oxern shook his head. ‘Death occurred after the victim ingested, or rather was administered, poison.’
‘The floor was practically soaked in blood, so how is it possible that someone had to finish him off with a potion?’ It seemed that nothing about this case could really be predicted.
‘I'll get to that in a moment, Colonel.’ Shehed looked at Bleist with his piercing, pistachio-coloured eyes. ‘I apologise for the digression, but it’s been nagging at me. Why are you handling this case? It doesn’t strike me as being about the cruelty of the perpetrator or the victim.’
‘It's no secret.’ Darius had to admit that the surgeon had held out for quite a while. ‘Lately, there’s been quite a tense atmosphere in the capital between the City Watch and the army.’ He admitted bluntly. ‘Mr Rocha is quite a peculiar case... You do realise that his death could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.’
‘I didn’t think it was quite that...’ Shehed fell
