A person who loves the rain - стр. 3

"Well, what can I tell you," forensic expert Semyonych greeted him grandly, adjusting his gloves. He began to speak in a complex manner, with the dark humor typical of his job. "An old chap, almost decomposed… Must have been a bad one, probably."

"What's the deal?" Alexei asked.

"Got a little tattoo, ex-con… And a bullet right in the forehead," Semyonych pulled back the sheet from the body, and Alexei saw what was left of the man who had been in the ground for so long.

"See?" Semyonych pointed to the bullet.

Alexei nodded.

"And the second one?"

"Yeah, same story, Lenchik, and also a bullet in the forehead. Come back after lunch, and you can pick up the report."

"I’ve already had lunch."

"Well, I, the hardworking one, haven’t had time," Semyonych muttered as he fiddled with his tools. "Go on, your buddy Filatov’s hanging around here."

"What’s he doing here? His father sent him elsewhere."

"Ask him yourself," Semyonych replied, taking off his gloves, running his hand over his "Stas Mikhailov-style" beard, and then washing his hands.

"Alright, Semyonych, I’ll be back."

"Yeah," Semyonych nodded. "Oh, right, Leon… you asked for this." He pulled a small box from the desk and handed it to Alexei. "These are the items found with him. The ring’s the main thing; the rest didn’t survive."

"Semyonych, thanks," Alexei smiled gratefully. "I almost forgot." He opened the bag and took out the silver ring with a garnet stone.

"Beautiful," Alexei muttered, slipping the ring back into the bag as he headed for the hallway.

Leon Filatov was easy to spot from afar. Though he was 45, short, and starting to go gray, he had a certain charm. He often attracted people with his amusing expressions, his ability to listen, and the way his small, dark eyes lit up in a lively conversation.

There was always a lot of noise around him. At the end of the hallway, he was standing surrounded by young female employees from the prosecutor's office, apparently entertaining them with some tall tale, as the laughter echoing through the building didn’t quite suit the setting.

"Leon!" Alexei called out to him.

"Alexei, hey!" Leon responded, excited, clearly catching his breath between jokes.

"Where are you supposed to be working?" Alexei asked jokingly.

"Alright, girls, the jokes are over," Filatov turned to the ladies he had been entertaining.

The young women shifted their attention from Filatov to Alexei, who was younger and more handsome than their storyteller. Noticing this, Filatov fell silent, darting his eyes between the women.

"Ah…" he stretched out. His expression grew serious, as if he were about to say something very important. "The guy had a tough childhood, his dad’s the district prosecutor."

The girls burst into laughter again.

"You're such a rascal," Alexei said with a smile, looking at his friend. He took Filatov by the arm, and they moved aside.

"Hey, Alexei, have you eaten yet?" Filatov asked before Alexei could speak.

"I have. I had lunch before I came here."

"Lucky you. I haven’t eaten yet… Let’s go grab something, you can keep me company."

"Alright," Alexei hesitated, "let’s go, I’ll have some coffee."

They both walked toward the exit. After settling nearby in a café, Alexey asked:

"Lenya, how long are you going to keep arguing with your father?"