Conversation · The Hanged Man

"Yes -- and now this happened. I am perplexed. Officer, please write down the right serial number: E50.100.1000."

"A light-hearted jest -- locker room banter. Boys will be boys."

"I fail to see any humour in it. Officer, please write down the right serial number: E50.100.1000."

"It doesn't say XBL47GH7456990JKLL303... (continue making up random numbers and letters)?! But lieutenant, this is impossible!"

"It's quite possible. You lied to me for no good reason. Please write down the right serial number: E50.100.1000."

"The boot has a serial number." He twists the dead man's foot: "It's E50.100.1000. The lines between the plates are in the shape of the alphanumerical. The number is purposefully concealed by the design."

Write it down.

When am I gonna get them?

Patience. After the autopsy, before the body is taken away. There will be a window of opportunity, after the lieutenant has gone to sleep. I hope this has helped you, my liege.

Write it down.

Write it down.

"Clothes," he begins. "The deceased wears armoured boots and white briefs. The make of the briefs is Babroudine I think. Let's see..." He turns the body onto its side to check the underwear label.

"Hmm-hmm..." (Take a peek at Kim's notes.)

You find a moment, as the lieutenant inspects the dead man's fingernails. Just a few glances. The pages are filled with a bulky freehand that's nearly illegible...

...still, you can make out a case with a curious title: THE MAN WITH THE HOLE IN HIS HEAD.

"Oh, so here it is!"

"What?"

"Hmh..." (Try to understand what the lieutenant has written about the case at hand.)

It's very hard to draw conclusions. All you can make out is that he is in a hurry to solve the case -- the tempo of the handwriting says as much -- and that there are a lot of notes in there. Most of them are made prior to arriving at the scene, in preparation.

It's not spelled out explicitly, but the lieutenant fears a tear is forming between the liberal-moralist establishment of Revachol -- and her populist citizenry. This populist force, a pot pourri of far right and left, is exemplified in the Débardeurs' Union.

Their strike, if allowed to escalate into violence, adds to a growing sense of civil war in the city. He's extremely neutral, even in his notes, but avoiding this escalation is Kim's primary concern when dealing with the situation in Martinaise.

"Ha... no." (Search for something about you.)

Maybe you're imagining it, but there are some remarks in there -- and they're not all negative! You're referred to as 'the 41st' -- by your station number. And...

Better not to know -- back to something else!

"So, where were we on this?"

And what?

And 'the 41st' comes off as a moderately competent detective.

Maybe you are a moderately competent detective?

Odd. There doesn't seem to be much about you in his notes. As if you aren't the sun around which the world revolves? Could it be that the case is not about you?

You're probably imagining it -- the notes are very hard to decipher at a glance -- so don't draw any conclusions from this, but...

What?

It's not a glowing review, sorry to say. 'The 41st' -- as you're referred to -- comes across as somewhat less than competent. It's not explicitly stated that the lieutenant doesn't trust you, there's just... nothing positive in there.

That's not good. Trust among officers is extremely important. If you don't improve your rapport, there could be consequences down the line...

"Ha." (Check out THE MAN WITH THE HOLE IN HIS HEAD.)

This appears to be a case investigated about three weeks ago -- a workplace accident. The titular character's wife tried to get compensation. The company was not forthcoming. It's hard to make out if the hole was fatal.

"Let's bag him. Take him away." (Let the lieutenant take the body away without further examination.)

Open the notebook at the field autopsy form.

The dead man stares in silence as you crack open the ledger. The bright red paper is covered in boxes and lists -- describing the condition of his skin and organs in three parts.

Above those -- an eleven field info form needs filling out first. It begins with:

"Let's jump ahead to the three part summary!"

"No, let's fill out the info form first."

"Okay. 1. Assistant:"

"That's you."

"Only the first question and already I don't know the answer!"

"Not an energetic start to an autopsy, I agree."

"Pig's messed up. Cuno feels pity."

"Just leave it empty, officer."

Write: probably Harry-something.

The corpse is indifferent to your scribblings, just lies there. The next box says:

"2. Coroner's case no:"

"KK57-0803.0815."

KK = Kim Kitsuragi; 57 = Precinct 57; followed by his date (08.03) and time of arrival (08:15) on the scene. He's indexed the case after himself, not you.

That's because he doesn't want to bring up the messy question of your initials.

Write it down.

"Next?"

"3. Name:"

"Ellis Kortenaer -- we have a full name to provide here..." He seems satisifed.

Write: Ellis Kortenaer.

"What's next -- date of birth?"

"4. Date of birth." (Nod.)