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“Pathologist Fong…”

“Yes, of course he lost his shirt If he’d been wearing a T-shirt maybe it would have lasted, but a dress shirt would not have held up in those conditions He earing jeans Levi’s 501s Very strong material”

She leaned in to get a closer look All the river uise the red color of his hair She asked, “You’re positive he’s a foreigner?”

“I can guarantee you that he’s not Han Chinese”

In Sichuan Province alone there were hly unlikely

“I’ went on as he picked up a chart “Once you allow for bloating and such, I figure he stood 1828 centiner, I put that into American measurements It may make identification easier He was a little over six feet and about 170 pounds He ners and how fat they get No”—he broke into his unintelligible English—“beer belly, no extra tire around the gut” He put down the chart and waited

“What else?”

“He had some papers in his pockets”

“How could they have stayed with him?”

“You ever get your jeans wet, Inspector?” When she nodded, he went on “First the water swelled the fabric Once the body began to bloat, as in the pockets became fully trapped”

“Anything more you can tell me?”

“Youasked

“You’re watching too many American TV shows”

He beaain spoke in English “Foul play, John Doe, perp, jacket…” He switched back to Mandarin “It’s ilobalization”

She stared at him until he finally answered her question “You see this body You see the dae to the head and face especially How a hit him on the head before he entered the river? He was hit on the head many times after he was in the river On this I would testify in court I ran a toxics screen, but it was inconclusive for poison, alcohol, or drugs A better question ht be, did he commit suicide?”