"Hiring prostitutes is illegal and also detrimental to one's reputation. Of course, it won't work. These wealthy individuals won't want to deal directly with the FBI."
Jack said this, but a smile remained on his face.
"But?" Aubrey, who had witnessed Jack's treatment of the lawyer last night, or more precisely, early this morning, had already vaguely guessed what he was planning.
"But we can use the excuse of issuing a personal safety warning to summon the wealthy individuals' legal teams. They've been working hard to cover up the murderer's existence and might know something.
Since these wealthy individuals are particularly generous in certain areas, their compensation might not be limited to large cash payments. They could also give them luxury cosmetics, bags, clothing, jewelry, new cars, or even help with plastic surgery bills.
These unusual expenses would be abrupt and conspicuous to the lawyers; they couldn't possibly be unaware of them," Jack said confidently.
"But why would they tell us?" Clay wondered. "Even if we express our sincerity, the lawyers will still be wary. They're entwined with those wealthy individuals."
Jubal, understanding Jack's intentions, slammed the pencil he was spinning between his fingers onto the conference table. "But we can break up their symbiotic relationship.
After sleeping with the murderer, the wealthy will reveal more than just their troubles. They might even be privy to the shady dealings the lawyers have worked so hard to conceal.
This is a dangerous signal for the big law firms; they should be eager to see the murderer apprehended as soon as possible."
When Jiejie called the meeting, not only did Larry Barrett and his entourage of lawyers arrive on time, but also the "scavenger" Aubrey had contacted earlier, Ms. Ellen Daniels, was present.
A throng of well-dressed legal professionals filled the large conference room. However, as expected by the members of the Most Wanted Criminals team, after Jiejie explained their intentions, they began to express doubts.
But in reality, these people were focused on one thing. Larry Barrett loosened his uncomfortably tight tie and spoke bluntly.
"What you say makes sense, but our employer will still question why we're cooperating with the FBI investigation. You know, there are too many risks involved."
Jack smiled back at him. "You can weigh the risks yourself. But Mr. Barrett, you should know that the investigation is not actually led by the FBI, but by our state's chief prosecutor, Attorney General Patrick Jackson. We're merely assisting."
Although he wasn't sure how powerful the law firm behind Attorney Barrett was, since Attorney General Jackson had previously dragged Jack out to take the blame, Jack didn't mind selling out the prosecutor to the lawyers present.
"You're worried about the potential legal consequences of leaking the list of people who slept with her but weren't killed, and the potential damage to their reputations after the murderer's arrest.
The FBI isn't concerned about that, but we think you could have your boss personally speak with Attorney General Jackson and get a satisfactory answer."
Seeing the legal elites looking at each other in bewilderment, Jie Jie stepped forward and said, "Why don't we take a 20-minute break?"
Sure enough, after this brief 20-minute "break," the lawyers' attitudes changed, and they provided a lot of useful information.
The most important piece of information came from a trainee paralegal working for Barrett. Over a year ago, she had helped the third victim, Joseph Fielding, handle a purchase contract for a penthouse in downtown.
As far as she knew, Joseph Fielding had said it was a gift for a friend.
—
"Safe!"
"No one!"
Clay put away his pistol and looked up at the layout of the apartment. "She looks very cautious. There is not even a private photo here."
Hannah put on gloves and lifted the thin quilt on the bed, twisting two long light golden hairs on the pillow. "This should be the person we are looking for."
Jiejie walked into the cloakroom and exclaimed as she pulled out the clothes hanger. "The number of fashions in here is at least 10 times that of mine. Well, judging from the size, she has a really good figure."
Hannah picked up a leather tights from it curiously, gestured on Jiejie, and grinned. "It's still missing a whip. I wonder if some people like this taste."
"Maybe it's for customers to wear." Jiejie sneered at her, scaring Hannah so much that she quickly threw the thing aside. Obviously, Jack was not the only one who couldn't resist his curiosity and looked at some eye-catching photos.
Aubrey was examining the jewelry on the dresser. He frowned after opening a ring box. "Would someone really give someone a call girl ring?"
Jubal took the ring from him, slipped it onto the tip of his pinky finger, and held it up to the light. "Interesting! Don't you think it's too small for an adult? I think I know what it is."
"It's a virginity ring," Hannah pouted. "When I was growing up, these rings were very popular in Catholic families. Wearing one was like pledging to God that you would remain chaste until marriage."
Aubrey sighed as he returned the ring to the box. "It seems a bit ironic."
"Or perhaps this connection could overturn some of our previous theories." Jack shook an old book in his hand.
"What do you mean?" Clay flipped through the book from Jack's hand, not noticing anything wrong.
Jack pointed to the small bookshelf in front of him. "These are old books, and they show signs of being frequently flipped. What kind of person do you think would carefully read a French edition of Voltaire's Candide?"
"Someone with high taste?" Aubrey gasped.
"Or someone who's well-educated." Clay added, and everyone immediately understood what Jack meant.
"According to a certain brothel owner, these high-priced call girls have all learned how to disguise themselves as upper-class people, and now it seems that our murderer is very likely from an upper-class family."
Jiejie's tone was a little hurried, but after she finished speaking, she revealed a somewhat unsure expression.
"That's very possible. Considering that she specifically targets wealthy men who abandon their wives and children, is there a possibility that this has also been her personal experience?"
Jack gave her an affirmative look, but at this moment, the phone in the room suddenly rang.
Jubal slapped away Aubrey's impatiently extended claws and looked at the two ladies present, "Let Jiejie or Hannah answer the phone. If it's a client calling, try to get some information out."
(End of this chapter)