Dean came to Ross's gym for the third time, with Lawrence in tow.
In the elevator, Lawrence was a little excited. "Dean, do you suspect the killer is here?"
"Of course not." Dean took out his phone and sent a text to his mother, Sheila, before continuing, "Yesterday, I had Laura show the portrait of the short suspect to all the staff here. The killer definitely knows our attention is focused on this place. I don't think he'd be dumb enough to show up again."
"Wow, buddy, how did you manage to get that woman to do this for you?" Lawrence's attention was diverted.
He envied men who were good at flirting.
Dean smiled faintly. "Because I've got a great gun..."
As they were talking, the elevator reached the top floor. Laura was already waiting outside the elevator.
At first sight, Laura threw her arms around Dean, giving him a passionate kiss.
Lawrence, stuck in the elevator, watched this heart-wrenching scene. He clutched his chest and coughed like a sore loser, trying to remind them he was still there.
Laura finally let go of Dean, giggled, and said, "Sorry, Dean. We've been apart for over twelve hours. I'm so excited to see you again..."
"I understand." Dean wrapped his arm around Laura's waist as they walked towards the office. "Actually, if it weren't for allowing beautiful ladies like you to walk the streets carefree, I'd much prefer to stay by your side and protect you."
"Dean, you're so noble."
"Am I? All my friends say so... Unfortunately, for the safety of the public, I can't belong only to you."
"It's okay, that just makes me more infatuated with you..."
Lawrence watched Dean spout typical playboy lines, captivating Laura to the point where her eyes practically dripped with desire. He inwardly despised them but had no doubt that if he weren't there, the shameless couple would already be going at it.
In the office, Laura pulled a folder from a drawer and handed it to Dean. "Dean, here's the information you wanted. There are thirteen people in total. This includes everyone who has been to Ross's gym in the last three months and fits your description."
"What's this?" Lawrence leaned in.
Seeing this, Laura tactfully left her own office, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
Lawrence said, a twinge of jealousy in his voice, "Dean, this is the most comfortable case I've been on."
Dean smiled and opened the folder, explaining, "These are all public servants who frequent Ross's gym."
"You suspect one of our own is the perpetrator!" Lawrence frowned.
Once Dean's investigation into one of their own got out, his reputation would be in tatters, true or not.
"Pretty much." Dean nodded, then sweet-talked Lawrence, saying, "So you see why I didn't mention this in the meeting room, right? In the Fourth Squad, I only trust you."
Lawrence wasn't foolish, but he was quite emotional and easily swayed by Dean's approach.
He said earnestly, "I'll keep it secret. If it really turns out to be one of our own, I'll prove that you stumbled upon it unintentionally."
To put it another way, everyone would see it differently.
"Thanks, help me out here. Pick out the ones who haven't been here in the last half-month," Dean said without looking up, tossing half of the documents over to him.
Inside the folder, there were details on thirteen individuals: three men and ten women, from various departments of the detective bureau, including members of other squads in the Robbery and Homicide Division.
"Why are they all women... oh, and there's Phoebe from Intelligence? I've heard she's quite aloof and doesn't give her colleagues the time of day," Lawrence exclaimed in surprise.
He was a veteran cop of over a decade and knew quite a few colleagues.
As Dean flipped through the documents, he chuckled. "Lawrence, think about your paycheck. Do you really believe those worldly women would be attracted to your few thousand dollars a month? It's different when it comes to female officers, though. Plenty of men are eager for a 'legal frisking'."
"A 'legal frisking'...? Oh, Dean, you certainly have a way with words." Lawrence grinned with a knowing smirk. Just as he was about to say more, he noticed Dean's gaze fixed on one of the profiles.
He leaned in for a closer look. His fleshy cheeks seemed to split as his jaw dropped, his mouth agape like a Big Mac. "FK! Is that Bill?"
"Yes, it's him." Dean shrugged. "Are you close to him?"
"We've known each other for over five years, and we get along okay." Lawrence managed to compose himself. "But Bill's probably not the killer. I can't imagine a three-hundred-plus-pound meatball like him breaking into a home to commit such strenuous crimes."
Bill was the very forensic scientist from the Forensics Division who had helped them identify fibers from a towel before. He had been sitting next to a bloody corpse, eating a hamburger, drinking tomato juice, and had even extorted a Big Mac meal from Lawrence.
Dean had a strong impression of him.
However, only an investigation could determine if he was truly a suspect.
When Dean saw that Bill's last visit to Ross's gym was a month and a half ago, he set his file aside.
Seeing this, Lawrence hesitated but said nothing, lowering his head to get busy as well.
The reason they focused on individuals who hadn't visited in the past half-month was that the first home invasion and rape-murder had occurred just over half a month ago. Such serial crimes often stem from a burst of accumulated emotion, leading the killer to commit the first act impulsively. After calming down, the killer becomes infatuated with the thrill—a sensation not found in everyday life, as if they've discovered a new world. Eventually, they lose all control over their desires, and things spiral out of hand. Therefore, even if the killer is experienced, they wouldn't deliberately disguise themselves before committing their first crime. That's an indelible trace.
The materials Laura prepared were very comprehensive and thoughtful, noting not only the times these individuals visited Ross's gym but also the staff members they had interacted with.
Dean and Lawrence quickly singled out the files of four individuals, placing them at the top of the pile.
"Lawrence, let's investigate these four first." Dean took a sip of coffee, but the taste seemed off, so he put the cup down. "How many of them do you know?"
"Two."
"Tell me about them."
"Alright." Lawrence sighed, pointing to Bill's file first. "Bill joined the Forensics Division five years ago. He's a bit of a loner but not a bad guy. He's always happy to work overtime as long as there's good food. Er... as for hobbies, he likes to keep some unusual pets."
"What kind of pets?" Dean pressed.
"Venomous snakes, spiders, things like that. Because of it, since I've known Bill, I've never heard of him dating anyone. In fact, he doesn't have many friends."
Dean glanced at Bill's age on the file and marked him as a priority for investigation.
"What about the other one?"
"This one, Hawkins from the precinct. He comes from a family of cops and is well-connected, but he's a decent guy—very generous. Apart from being a bit of a ladies' man, I haven't heard any bad things about him."
Dean nodded and handed the files for the other two to Lawrence. "Alright, I'll investigate Bill and Hawkins. You take the other two."
Mas's funeral was fast approaching. Dean knew he was the one who had to see things through for him.
Even if not for those innocent victims, I have to solve this case quickly, he thought. It's what my predecessor owed Mas.
Lawrence was very unhappy with Dean's arrangement. "Hey, you should let me investigate Bill and Hawkins! I'm familiar with them."
"That's exactly why I'm having you investigate the other two colleagues," Dean countered. "Your prior knowledge of them will affect your judgment."
Dean held out his hand. "Let's go, Lawrence. Once we solve the case, I'll have Laura introduce you to a girlfriend. That'll make you forget all about Phoebe."
"It's a deal!"
Just like that, Lawrence was no longer hung up on it.
「Back at the detective bureau.」
They split up. After getting some equipment from Harry, Dean headed straight for the Forensics Division. Meanwhile, Lawrence found Daisy, planning to discreetly gather detailed intelligence on the other two individuals...
「Meanwhile.」
「In the Forensics Division.」
Bill put down his phone. Expressionless, he walked over to his small dining table. Gazing at the newly delivered corpse before him, he opened his mouth wide, speared a medium-rare steak from the table with his fork, and began to devour it...