Chapter 154: How Tight Is Very Tight?

Seeing the expressions of pleading in Mona and Lacey's eyes, Roan sat down in his chair with a solemn expression.

"You need to understand one thing."

Picking up a file folder from the desk, Roan looked at the two women in front of him and said seriously:

"That is a serial murder case."

Hearing Roan's words, Mona and Lacey were stunned at first, but after registering what he said, their expressions both slumped simultaneously.

Indeed, that was a serial murder case.

In the past life of 2020, the homicide clearance rate in America was only 54 percent.

As for the clearance rate of serial murder cases, it was better left unsaid.

The current time was still 2005, and the level of technological equipment and other resources were far inferior to that era.

Lacey and Mona did not know about the situation of the future, but they also knew just how difficult it was to solve a serial murder case.

Every time a serial murder case was solved, it either made the New York news or ended up in the internal textbooks of the FBI.

After the previous [Lakebed Corpse Case] was solved, several news media outlets in New York City sent interview requests to Roan of Squad Five, wanting to get him on television.

However, Roan only wanted to make money quietly and did not want to attract a crowd of crazy perverts due to fame, so he rejected them.

Even so, that case eventually drew the attention of the personnel managing case files within the FBI.

In the future, there was an extremely high probability that this case would enter the textbooks of the FBI Training Academy.

It was just that because the administrative procedures were cumbersome, nobody knew how long they would have to wait.

Everyone in Squad Five knew about this matter, and Mona and Lacey certainly knew as well.

However, because Roan had repeatedly solved cases successfully recently, magically raising Roan's case clearance rate since joining Squad Five to one hundred percent, Mona and Lacey would think of Roan whenever they encountered a case.

The two of them had subconsciously ignored the difficulty level of serial murder cases, believing that as long as Roan took action, there was no case that could not be solved.

It was only upon hearing Roan's reminder that Mona and Lacey remembered that Roan could not possibly guarantee the resolution of every single case.

"Sorry."

Having figured this out, although a trace of disappointment flashed in the depths of Lacey and Mona's eyes, they still both expressed their apologies to Roan simultaneously.

The two of them had simply felt sympathy and indignation toward Philomena's ordeal because they were both women, which made them subconsciously hope that Roan would take on this case.

"No need to apologize."

Roan waved his hand, picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly:

"I am planning to go chat with August in a moment, and then take on this serial murder case."

Hearing this, Lacey, who had picked up her coat and was preparing to leave the office area to apply for a search warrant, turned her head in surprise.

Mona, who was re-checking the data, also typed several wrong letters instantly upon hearing this, and looked at Roan with a face full of astonishment.

Seeing the smile on Roan's face, how could Mona not understand that Roan had just been teasing her? She rolled her eyes and slapped Roan's arm hard.

Roan, who was very happy to have a little fun, chuckled softly and handed the file folder in his hand to the two of them:

"The data shows that the NYPD has not yet handed over this serial murder case to any of the FBI's investigative squads."

In that case, there would be no issue of snatching cases from other investigative squads and ultimately triggering conflicts.

Not only that, the location where the bodies were discovered was on the south side of Long Island, and the government had originally established a development plan for that area.

However, because there was now a serial murder case involving as many as 22 bodies there, the development plan was forced to stall. In a state of anxiety, the government offered a public reward of 200,000 US dollars to capture the true killer of this case.

With Salvatore Cristo's name and occupation, Mona quickly located his current whereabouts.

Having obtained the exact location information, the fully armed Roan and Ryder did not hesitate and immediately set out with a team of SWAT members to arrest Salvatore Cristo.

The place where Salvatore Cristo was located was a private airplane tarmac in the suburbs of New York. When Roan and Ryder rushed over, Salvatore was just preparing to board a small private airplane.

A SWAT member parked the car right in front of the small private airplane, blocking the path of the aircraft.

Ryder and several other SWAT members, after the car came to a complete stop, immediately jumped out of the vehicle and raised the rifles in their hands, aiming at Salvatore Cristo and shouting loudly:

"Don't move!"

Salvatore Cristo, standing in the middle of the stairs of the private airplane, had an extremely ugly expression when he saw the fully armed SWAT members.

Just as he turned back, Roan also drove his SUV to block the rear of the private airplane.

Walking leisurely to Salvatore Cristo, who had Ryder's firearm pointed at his head, Roan pulled out a pair of handcuffs, locked them around his wrists, and said expressionlessly:

"Congratulations, Mr. Cristo. You won't need to fly in a plane for the next few decades."

Hearing this, Salvatore Cristo turned ashen.

---

The next day, Squad Five.

"Roan, this is a gift Philomena asked me to bring to you."

Early in the morning, just as Roan sat down in his chair, Lacey walked over with a smile on her face, carrying a small box.

Hearing Lacey's words, Roan, who was just about to stretch his muscles, paused his movement, tilted his head and asked:

"A gift? What do you mean?"

"Literally."

Placing the small box on Roan's desk, Lacey smiled and replied:

"Salvatore Cristo has offended too many people, and he has many cases on his back. Previously, they simply suffered from a lack of evidence, so they were unable to arrest him.

This time, after we arrested him, through the prosecutors' discussions, Philomena successfully joined the witness protection program as the most crucial witness.

Once this case concludes, Philomena will change her name and identity, living out the rest of her life in anonymity in another city within the federal territory, and she will also have the opportunity to bring her parents into the Federation.

So, to express her gratitude, Philomena specially prepared this gift for you."

Opening the box on the desk, he discovered that it was a silver men's watch, which at a glance could be seen as quite valuable.

Roan raised an eyebrow at the sight, pondered for a moment, tilted his head and asked:

"I plan to take on the matter regarding the serial murder case of her sister. Did you tell Philomena about that?"

"Of course not!"

Hearing Roan's words, Lacey rolled her eyes immediately.

She was not someone lacking discretion. Let alone the fact that the case had not yet been handed over to Squad Five, even if the case were truly transferred to Squad Five, as long as it involved the case itself, Lacey would not leak a single word.

Lacey put her hands on her hips and smiled disdainfully:

"My mouth has always been tight!"

"..."

How tight is very tight?

Roan raised an eyebrow, then quickly shook his head, throwing the messy thoughts in his mind aside.

Picking up the silver watch and examining it carefully, Roan pondered for a moment, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

Having worked as a model for so many years and having navigated among those old fellows on Wall Street so many times, Philomena still possessed a bit of calculation.

On the surface, this watch was a thank-you gift sent by Philomena.

But in reality, this watch was likely Philomena's plea asking Roan to take on the serial murder case involving the burial pits by the seaside.

Shaking his head, he put the watch back into the box and just as Roan prepared to finish the stretch he hadn't completed earlier, August, with his protruding belly, suddenly pushed open the door of Squad Five and walked in:

"Roan, come to my office for a moment!"

Roan: "..."