Wednesday, 1:30 PM, living room of the fifth victim's house.
Agent Luo An was pondering a question while examining the living room of the cri scene:
Why did the assassin use so many different thods to kill?
In the federal records, serial killers usually kill in the sa way each ti, showing both planning and repetition, leaving behind items or clues unique to themselves at the cri scenes.
In this serial murder case, the assassin took the victims' tongues every ti, but killed each victim in a different way.
Five victims, five different thods used.
Since there were no connections found on the victims' bodies, Luo An decided to focus on the thods used by the serial killer.
The reason why serial killers continue their cris is always to satisfy so desire of theirs. This killer's use of five different thods must have so significance that the killer himself deed necessary.
Thus, typical motives in ordinary cases like passion killing, revenge killing, and financial murder can be set aside, instead focusing on political leanings, religious beliefs, and ideational behavior.
"And the more I think about it, the more ritualistic the deaths of these five victims seem to beco."
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, seeing Mona's puzzled expression, Luo An solemnly explained:
"Ritualism, many tis, is associated with religion, right?"
"You're absolutely right!"
After hearing Luo An's explanation, Mona had a sudden realization and nodded repeatedly while holding her laptop.
In this country, the people are simple, and there are many talented serial killers. Aside from so naturally antisocial personalities, there are quite a few serial killers who kill because of religious beliefs.
"But… among these five victims, only the Priest is a standard Christian believer, and the Council Chairman, to so extent— he attends worship occasionally."
Mona opened her laptop, typing sothing, and frowned:
"A navy officer, a tannery worker, and a tax worker—they all are atheists."
"Then let's stop investigating the victims' religious beliefs and instead look into the doctrines of cults within the federation."
At that mont, Luo An's phone suddenly rang, and he told Mona:
"See if there's any cult doctrine that claims killing in this manner offers divinity after death."
Mona nodded and continued her investigation, while Luo An pressed the answer button:
"This is Luo An."
"It's , Michelle."
Michelle from the other end of the line stated she was with Anwar and Patricia on the outskirts of the fourth victim—the tannery worker's residential community. Anwar and Patricia had discovered a clue.
Michelle handed the phone to Anwar, who took over and said solemnly:
"Group Leader, Patricia and I found out from a store close to the cri scene community that there was a black car parked across the street from the community for several days, and it disappeared after the death of the tannery worker.
Not only that, but the store owner also told us that he saw an LAPD open the car door and get inside one night."
Luo An's expression changed: "LAPD?"
"Yes, an LAPD.
The store owner said he didn't see the LAPD officer's face clearly, but the person was tall, burly, and a white male."
Switching to Patricia on the phone, she explained:
"I rember in these cases, the victims opened their doors and invited the killer into their houses, so if the person was an LAPD officer, that would make sense."
"It may not necessarily be a real LAPD, if the killer had LAPD clothes or a badge, they could have also pulled it off."
Luo An's eyes narrowed, briefly praising the three over the phone before hanging up.
While the forensic team was still processing the scene and needed more ti, Luo An started the SUV and drove Mona back toward the Special Investigation Team.
Along the way, Luo An's phone rang again, it was Reesi and Winslow on the line.
"Luo An, there's a discovery."
Reesi on the phone didn't waste any words, directly announcing:
"Do you rember the towels stuffed in the mouths of the four victims? The trace examination agent detected traces of sodium hypochlorite on the towels from the Council Chairman and Church Priest's mouths.
There was no such thing at the cri scene, either these towels had co into contact with sodium hypochlorite before being purchased by the assassin, or the assassin had stayed at a location where sodium hypochlorite was present."
"Sodium hypochlorite?"
Hearing this word, Luo An's assassin instincts resurfaced:
"If I rember correctly, this stuff seems to be a main ingredient in disinfectants."
"Yes."
Reesi's voice faded, and the voice on the other end of the phone beca Winslow:
"Sodium hypochlorite is a strong oxidizing bleach, mainly used for disinfection and sterilization, commonly used as household bleach.
Furthermore, sodium hypochlorite can interfere with the detection of blood traces at the cri scene using Luminol to so extent."
"Good."
Luo An nodded, it seed that Winslow, who ca from the Hostage Rescue Team, was also rich in knowledge. He continued:
"What are you planning to do next?"
"Channie and Cooper are currently investigating the presence of Nicotinamide in the victims' bodies."
Winslow said:
"Reesi and I will next investigate the source of these towels, with this clue of sodium hypochlorite, perhaps we can discover sothing."
"OK."
Luo An nodded and hung up the phone, Nicotinamide and Adrenaline, like other high-alert dications, are not easy for ordinary people to get hold of.
But in the free federation of capitalism, it's not very difficult for so people to obtain them, Channie and Cooper will need so ti to start from this angle.
The new SUV arrived at the FBI Los Angeles Branch building, parked the car in the parking lot, just as Luo An and Mona were getting out of the car, his phone rang again.
This ti the caller was not a Special Investigation Team agent, but the head of the fourth investigation group, Morton York.
"Good afternoon, Group Leader Morton."
Pressing the answer button, Luo An chuckled and asked:
"What can I do for you?"
Luo An's mind spun quickly, suddenly rembering that the frontmost whiteboards in the Special Investigation Team office area were previously borrowed from the fourth investigation group and he had forgotten to return them.
"Good afternoon, Group Leader Greenwood, congratulations on your promotion."
The words of Morton York, the fourth investigation group leader, were bland, purportedly congratulatory, but his tone carried not a hint of congratulations. He continued:
"We, the fourth investigation group, just took on a case that you might find interesting."
Luo An's expression shifted, he asked solemnly:
"It's not about the victims' tongues missing, is it?"
Morton York chuckled:
"You really are the head of the Special Investigation Team, you guess accurately."
"..."
Rolling his eyes in speechlessness, opening the car door and getting back in, Luo An directly asked:
"Location?"
Glancing at the bloody scene at the cri site, Morton York turned his head to look at the beautiful scenery outside the house, and said lightly:
"A community in west Hollywood, not far from our FBI Los Angeles Branch building."
"OK, I'll be there imdiately."
Hanging up the phone, Luo An saw Mona placing her laptop on the car hood, typing furiously, her expression quite grim.
Seeing Luo An look her way, Mona stopped her actions and lifted her head:
"Luo An, your guess was correct, this case indeed involves religion, and the assassin seems to be planning on killing many more people."
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