Life in North America, you call this an autopsy officer?!
Chapter 185 - 149: Locking on the Culprit, Making a Bet

Chapter 185: Chapter 149: Locking on the Culprit, Making a Bet

The C5 team leader, who should still be working overtime to investigate the archives and crime reports from the recent years in his jurisdiction, received a call from Green and immediately indicated that he would bring his team over right away.

He hung up the phone.

Green didn’t rush to ask Brian for the reason but instead began to reflect.

Brian, his boss, had just been about to let himself leave work and continue the investigation into the case tomorrow, but that had changed after the pursuit of the robber earlier on.

The difference should be that police-grade high-intensity flashlight.

As evidence of assault, stained with blood, the borrowed flashlight naturally wasn’t returned.

Green, sitting in the passenger seat, picked up the flashlight to examine it.

He had undergone training on the use of police-grade tactical flashlights during his six-month program at the police academy.

Such a flashlight, a kind of police equipment, was not only longer than ordinary flashlights but also made of tougher material. Its large, round head had raised triangles, almost like spikes, which could be used as a weapon. Plus, its blinding light ensured that if shone directly into someone’s eyes, it would cause several seconds of temporary blindness.

In other words, an inexperienced person hit by its beam, like the robber from earlier, would be blinded for three to four seconds, instinctively cover their face, and not know how to react, allowing Brian to easily launch an attack.

But ordinary people rarely use a flashlight as a means of attack.

First, there’s the issue of how to hold it.

People who often watch cop and robber movies, or similar realistic dramas, know that when police use such flashlights, they hold them up high above their shoulders, not outstretched in front of them.

This is because the light sources are mutual; for a soft light, it’s fine, but with such a bright light, if directed straight out, it would impair the user’s own vision. Plus, this posture makes it easier to bring down the flashlight with force in case of a sudden attack.

Second, there’s the problem of usage habits.

Trained personnel, like police officers.

When they use a flashlight, they always hold it in the hand that is less dexterous; for example, left-handed individuals would use their right hand, and right-handed ones their left, which is the complete opposite for ordinary people.

Why?

Because holding up a high-intensity flashlight is just a control skill—it’s to coordinate with the other hand for drawing and aiming a gun. Therefore, the more dexterous hand must be free, to be used for attacking or defending.

That’s the difference between ordinary people and trained personnel.

That is to say, even if an ordinary person thought of using a flashlight to blind someone before attacking, since his hand holding the flashlight would be attacking, the other hand, which isn’t as dexterous, would have a hard time wrapping duct tape quickly.

In that case, they might as well directly use another method.

All things considered.

A special flashlight, professional usage habits, familiarity with the prostitutes and their surroundings, potential discrimination and hostility towards them... it almost certainly revealed the identity of the murderer—a member of the police force’s vice squad!

The vice squad’s main targets are only clients and prostitutes.

Prostitutes and their clients are relatively not as dangerous, and given the transaction time—mostly at night and early morning—high-intensity flashlights are very suitable tools for law enforcement officers in the vice squad.

Plus, these individuals are very familiar with the local prostitutes.

This would allow them to efficiently and cleanly kill ten prostitute victims in just two days!

Realizing all this, Green looked at Brian with admiration, "Brian, do you suspect a colleague from the vice squad?"

Brian nodded, "Yes, the Autopsy Officer from C5 had already approximated the shape of the murder weapon from the victims’ wounds, but he subconsciously defined the weapon as a solid heavy object. It wasn’t until I saw those custom police flashlights that I realized they fit the profile better."

Green put down the flashlight and expressed his amazement to Brian, "Brian, you’re amazing. Just through that incident earlier, you’ve connected the dots to the serial killer’s method and directly pinpointed the murderer’s identity!"

Brian wasn’t particularly smug about Green’s praise and simply stated,

"This was just an opportunity. In fact, even without today’s incident, I would have shifted my investigative focus to the vice squad tomorrow. After all, an ordinary person doesn’t have the capability to kill ten prostitutes in two days, especially timing it precisely when they’re off duty and ensuring no eyewitnesses."

Random killings are simple.

In this area, surveillance isn’t widespread. As long as one knows the environment and targets someone isolated, it’s really not difficult to execute and then leave quickly.

But precisely targeting prostitutes and striking on the path they take when off duty, five in one day and ten in two days—that’s not so easy.

This is actually a foolish strategy.

As someone who had performed several autopsies himself, Brian knew well that the initial investigation and stalking in the murder process were actually the most draining parts.

So, once he knew the killer was familiar with the environment, knew the victims well, acted decisively and precisely, and was professional, his first suspects were the people in the vice squad!

He hadn’t spoken up before for one reason: those individuals were also insiders, privy to information. Speaking too soon could spook them, and without evidence, he couldn’t convict them lightly.

In that case, even if the case were solved later, he wouldn’t be able to wrap it up before tomorrow afternoon to complete the task assigned by the C5 team leader, Rajag.

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