The Midnight Call

He was a forensic expert, an exceptionally distinguished one at that. His forensic assessments had assisted the police in solving numerous cases, and newspapers had often covered his work. One night, around 2 or 3 in the morning, he heard the sound of a ringing telephone by his bedside. In his groggy state, he picked up the call and asked, "Hello? Who's this?" A young female voice came from the other end of the line, saying, "Dr. Liang, there's been a gruesome murder on XX Street. The victim's condition is horrendous. We hope you can come to the scene tomorrow morning to examine the body; perhaps you can find some clues to help with the investigation." Despite being in a half-awake state, the mention of a murder stuck with him. He replied, "Alright, I'll be there early tomorrow." The voice on the phone thanked him and insisted he must come.

The next morning, he arrived at XX Street where the police had already cordoned off the area. The victim was a young woman. Dr. Liang was well-known to the officers, and he proceeded to conduct an examination of the young victim's surroundings and her body.

After concluding his work on the case, the identity of the perpetrator was established, and the rest of the investigation was left in the hands of the police. Upon returning home, he sat on his bed, rubbing his temples, when a sudden shiver ran down his spine. He realized that his bedroom had never had a telephone.