"Take the pubic symphysis from both deceased individuals, A and B, and let's go upstairs." Larry shook his neck and blinked hard. A sharp pain in his left eye made him lower his head quickly, as if tears were about to spill.
By then, Jack had already left, and only Max, Jane, and Larry remained in the room.
Jane, noticing Larry's unusual behavior, approached him, grabbed his arm, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Larry gestured with his hand. "Don't worry, my vision is just blurry. We're done here—you can go back to reviewing the video footage."
With that said, he quickly walked toward the locker room. Diego signaled Max to follow him and check on what was happening.
Noticing how strange his boss was acting, Max quickly caught up to Larry. Once inside, Max helped Larry sit on the bench and closed the locker room door.
"Where are the meds you took last time?" Max asked in a very low voice. Larry didn't hesitate to accept the help. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his car keys, and tossed them to the chubby man.
"In the car!"
Max ran off in slippers and returned with a bag in his arms. He helped Larry up and tried to get a clearer answer. "There are so many bottles here, all with foreign labels. Which one do I pick?"
Larry grabbed a blue pill bottle and popped two tablets into his mouth, eyes still closed.
The addiction he had carried since his early days in the FBI was becoming more troublesome.
Max knew Larry had a secret, and since he wouldn't share it, Max never asked. The scar running from his eyebrow to the corner of his eye was clearly something he refused to talk about—especially when it came to his family.
After drinking some water and resting for ten minutes, the painkiller kicked in, and Larry felt a bit better. He patted Max on the arm and said, "Thanks, Max!"
"What are you thanking me for? If you're feeling better, let's get to the meeting!"
Larry nodded and got up. Both of them changed clothes and headed up to the fourth floor.
Everyone was already seated, and before Larry could even apologize for being late, Max had pushed him into an empty seat at the round conference table.
"Sorry for the delay. Forensic doctor Luk had another idea, and we reviewed some related photos."
"My apologies! My apologies!"
Jack gave Larry a serious nod—he didn't mind, because Larry had already proven his value.
"All right, don't worry about it! Forensic doctor Luk, please analyze the current evidence. I heard from Jane that there are too many leads in this area, so it would be great if we could narrow them down!"
Jane looked at Larry expectantly.
Larry opened both autopsy reports and placed them in front of him.
"Well, I won't go into detail. We've already performed the autopsies on victims A and B, both found yesterday." Several images appeared on a large screen as Larry continued explaining.
"The cause of death was a cut to the neck and dismemberment, with both hands and feet missing. Based on the method and the pattern of body disposal, we believe the killer is the same person. Both cases should be investigated together."
Larry then flipped the page and summarized the key findings. "With only skeletal remains from victim A, there's not much to go on. What we do know is that victim A was a woman who died over a month ago; she was between 25 and 27 years old; had short, lightly curled blonde hair; and was between 155 and 160 cm tall."
"The most notable feature is a fractured left clavicle that occurred within the last two years. A plate with letters and numbers was found in the bone."
Next to Larry, Max found the corresponding photo and pressed it. "This number is BX 07A 9 holes left **070601A 14 CE0434. I believe it's a serial number that can help identify the victim."
"A distal fracture like this one is fairly common, but the victim's clavicle had a congenital curve. A patient with such a condition would need a customized plate during surgery. I believe her treating physician must remember her."
"Also, it's almost time for the plate to be removed. If it was a regular hospital, the doctor would have already contacted her to schedule the surgery."
Everyone lowered their heads and quickly took notes on what Larry said. Jane even circled key points in her document.
"Victim B was a woman who died between three and five days before being discovered. She was estimated to be between 23 and 25 years old. Her height was between 158 and 162 cm. Her hair was long and dyed grape-purple, originally black. She had seven piercings in each ear and an oval-shaped pigmented mole (nevus pilosebaceous) about 0.5 x 1.2 cm behind one of them."
"Her head showed significant decomposition, though her facial features were still recognizable. There was a reddish teardrop-shaped birthmark on the lower eyelid of her left eye. An intrauterine device (IUD) was found, along with signs of multiple surgeries on the nasolacrimal duct. Based on these findings, it's suspected she worked at a nightclub."
Jane quickly took notes and looked at Larry before asking, "And what about the killer—have you profiled him?"
Larry closed his eyes and thought. "I can only attempt it. After all, the origin of the bodies is unknown, which complicates the profiling."
"The killer is male; right-handed; short, but strong and energetic; he frequents the three residential zones and the pedestrian streets shown in the images; he works as a butcher, chef, or something similar—he's very familiar with meat-cutting and anatomy."
Max looked at Larry in surprise and asked, "Didn't you say the killer disposes of the body close to where he finds the victim?"
"If he's moving in places he's familiar with, wouldn't residents notice something suspicious?"
Larry praised Max's observation and replied, "Great question!"
"In most of the cases we've handled, killers tend to take the body far from the point of capture but dispose of it nearby." This case also follows that pattern to some extent.
"Sewers are underground and rarely visited. Everyone in the area knows these sewers are cleaned out annually, usually in the spring. If these two bodies were discovered then, there would be even less evidence left."
"Wouldn't that count as a burial?" Everyone nodded, and Jane twirled her right index finger.
"Since the cases are being combined, are you suggesting the two deceased women were nightclub prostitutes?"
Larry nodded without hesitation. "Yes, that's my strong suspicion. After all, this line of work involves a lot of movement. If someone disappears, it might go unnoticed."
Jack nodded and closed his notebook. "Doctor Luk's analysis makes sense. I'll have Elias from the tech center draw the deceased's face to help with the investigation."
"So, we'll divide the investigation into three parts."
"Jane will lead a team to determine the victims' origins. We'll visit every nightclub, big and small, around the shopping district and pedestrian street, searching for anyone who's gone missing since August this year."
They also sent personnel to major city hospitals to search for women who had undergone clavicle surgery in the past two to three years, comparing serial numbers from the plates to those in hospital records.
The second team, led by Tobias, continued thoroughly reviewing nearby surveillance footage, focusing on the two suspected sewer locations. They reviewed all residents present during the incidents.
The third team, led by another agent, investigated the three residential zones, searching for homes with blocked sewers or residents who had been away for long periods—just as Doctor Luk had mentioned.
This investigation required a thorough check, done to census standards and accompanied by household registration officers. Their familiar faces were less likely to arouse suspicion.
Jack's preparations were meticulous. The assigned teams took detailed notes. After the meeting, everyone quickly went to work. Shortly afterward, a police officer who introduced himself as Tommy came looking for Larry.
Max received him on the first floor and brought him back to the office. "Larry, this is Officer Tommy. He asked to review the deceased's appearance to help create a sketch."
Larry looked up, nodded, and pulled up a photo of the deceased's head on a tablet.
"Come here. This is the picture of the deceased. Take a look first, and I'll tell you how to adjust each part." Officer Tommy, a friendly man, took the tablet from Larry, looked at the image—and instantly, his hand trembled and he dropped the tablet.
"Oh my god…"