Chapter 15: New Developments in the Case

After presenting the general situation of the two cases, August tapped the whiteboard beside him with a solemn expression.

"The serial murder case stretches over too long a period, making it difficult to solve, so we'll leave it for later. The kidnapping of the wealthy woman occurred this morning. The first twenty-four hours after a disappearance are the golden window for rescuing a kidnapped victim. We must find her and save her today."

According to usual procedure, the next step would be for the team leader to assign investigative tasks to everyone, and then... August looked to Roan, asking in a deep voice, "Roan, do you have any thoughts?"

"..."

Roan was somewhat speechless, but recalling that when wealthy kidnapping victims are rescued, they usually reward their rescuers with a generous sum, he didn't hesitate, pointing to the identity information in the folder as he replied, "The kidnapped victim, Sabina Card, is a young heiress. After losing both her parents, she inherited thirty million dollars—a fortune enough to tempt anyone. When one spouse gets into trouble, the other can hardly be exempt, so I suggest we go to the scene immediately. Not only should we conduct a trace analysis of the location, but we must also thoroughly question her husband, Darren."

"OK." August nodded, evidently satisfied with Roan's analysis. He then assigned tasks to the team: "Roan, Lacey, you two head to the scene now. Mona, you're responsible for checking Darren Card's employment records on the computer. The rest, stay in the office ready to assist Roan with any information queries."

At this point, August glanced at Ryder, who was waiting for orders, and after a brief silence, said quietly, "Ryder, liaise with the New Jersey State Police about the serial murder case. Get as much information as you can and make sure it looks like we're actively working the case."

"Understood, sir."

Roan: "..."

What does 'make it look like' mean?

Everyone began to busy themselves. Just as Roan was about to leave with Lacey for the crime scene, August called him into the office. After they sat down, August said, "Roan, this kidnapping case is very important for you."

Roan nodded. The wealthy woman had money; rescuing her would certainly earn him a generous reward. It was indeed important.

August continued, "You're the first among this batch of trainee agents to become a full-fledged detective. Many people are jealous, but they can't say anything, because you managed to catch the shooter with only Mona assisting you."

Roan looked up, understanding the implication in August's words.

"Chief Broson from Unit One has gone to Washington headquarters for a training seminar. He's held the lead investigator position for years, and when he returns, there's a good chance he'll be promoted. He may not be my direct superior, but a superior from another department is still a superior."

August took a sip of coffee and went on, "The man you punched two days ago, Fischer, is Broson's nephew. Broson doesn't care for you much now."

Hearing this, Roan immediately appealed for protection, "Sir, you have to help me!"

"Of course." August smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Broson won't come after you directly. Virenis is still here."

Roan understood August's meaning.

Soldiers face soldiers, generals face generals; to directly target someone else's subordinate is not just slapping the subordinate, it's slapping the superior's face. A mere nephew isn't worth such a price.

With that realization, Roan visibly relaxed. August continued, "So you must give your utmost effort in this kidnapping case. Solve it if you can; if not, make sure nothing in the investigation violates protocol. Don't give anyone grounds to speak against you."

Roan nodded to show he understood.

"Very good." August liked Roan's intelligence. As Roan was about to leave, August gave a final reminder, "If you find you can't catch the real culprit during the investigation, contact me immediately. I'll transfer Ryder to take over your case, understand?"

"Yes, thank you, sir."

Roan suddenly understood: so that's why Ryder, the brute, was sent to deal with the serial murder case—it was a prepared fallback!

With this in mind, Roan glanced at August with newfound respect. Truly, as an administrative officer in the Department of Criminal Justice, August had many tricks up his sleeve.

He picked up his Nokia and called Mona from the office, ensuring remote communication was working. Roan and Lacey nodded to each other and headed for the equipment room.

Like Mona, Lacey took a bulletproof vest and a Glock 19, but she stared in disbelief at Roan:

Combat uniform, tactical helmet, plate carrier, three smoke grenades, ten flashbangs, two Glock 18 machine pistols, five extended magazines...

"Roan," Lacey's mouth twitched. "We're just investigating a kidnapping, not going to war."

Roan nodded, "Of course we're not going to war. If we were, would I only take pistols and not rifles?"

"..."

"OK, let's go." After sorting his gear, Roan stretched his legs and strode out of the equipment room. "New York is an unsafe city. I always lack a sense of security."

Lacey: "..."

—

Inside a villa in Greenwich.

Seeing Roan fully armed, the Greenwich police officers guarding the scene were somewhat stunned, but at Lacey's urging, they quickly came to their senses and led the two into the scene.

"The kitchen door was forced open, and the doorframe is badly damaged," said a middle-aged, balding white officer as he entered the kitchen, pointing to the floor. "There's a pool of blood at the entrance, but not much—doesn't look fatal."

Roan crouched to examine the two palm-sized pools of blood on the kitchen floor, then glanced at the dining table and noticed a faint scuff mark under the table leg. He stood up and said to Lacey and the officer,

"The victim was likely struck from behind on the head and knocked out immediately. While moving the victim, the perpetrator accidentally scraped the victim's shoe against the dining table."

Officer: "..."

He could see all that at a glance?

Lacey looked down at the table leg without commenting. Roan tilted his head and asked the officer, "The owners of this house are wealthy. Didn't they install surveillance or a security system?"

The balding officer shrugged, his tone tinged with envy. "They just bought this house in Greenwich this week, planning to spend their anniversary honeymoon here, so they haven't installed anything yet. According to their friends, the couple gets along very well. They have no children, but every year they spend their anniversary honeymoon somewhere in the world."

Roan paused in thought, then asked quietly, "Officer, if I may ask, how much does this villa cost?"

The balding officer glanced at Roan, saw the same look of envy in his eyes as in his own, and answered quietly, "The villa next door is listed for eight million dollars."

"Fu—!"

Roan cursed under his breath, reassessing the victim's value.

"I must secure a decent reward later."

Hearing the villa's front door open and a sedan drive in, Roan and Lacey went over, preparing to question Darren, the missing woman's husband.

In the villa's study, both sides sat down.

"Please describe what happened today, Mr. Darren," Lacey said, pulling out a notebook to record. Roan sat quietly, observing Darren's demeanor as he spoke.

Darren was a neatly dressed, solid-looking yet spirited middle-aged white man. Hearing Lacey's request, he spoke promptly, "I returned around six this morning. As soon as I entered, I saw Sabina's shoes and handbag in the foyer. She never leaves her handbag at the door, so I immediately sensed something was wrong. When I walked into the dining room and saw the blood, I called the police right away."

"OK." Lacey jotted notes, then looked up to ask, "The police said you weren't home last night but were away on business. Where exactly were you, and which hotel did you stay at?"

"What do you mean by that?" Darren's expression instantly darkened as he heard Lacey's question. "Are you suggesting I did this?"