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Chapter 114 - The Scene
Before Jane could speak, Larry signaled to the agents nearby. "Load your equipment into the car and head to the reported location."
Everyone on Larry's team quickly got out and headed toward the pedestrian street. They had already put on their investigation uniforms to avoid contaminating the possible crime scene any further.
As soon as they stepped out of the car, Agent Andrew approached.
"Chief, hello, Forensic Doctor Luk!"
"When did you find the bloodstains?"
"We arrived at 7:10 and were about to check the area's surveillance. My partner, who has sharp eyes, noticed several bloodstains near a manhole cover while smoking a cigarette." Andrew quickly relayed the details to Larry, who ignored anything irrelevant.
While the others asked a few more questions, Larry lifted his gaze and looked around. This spot was at the far west end of the street. The nearby food stalls had already opened, and now a large crowd was lining up.
Max noticed the stalls and instinctively covered his stomach. "They've set up shop so early this morning. A pity we couldn't stop them—this whole crowd is going to be a problem for us."
"Stop them from working for a day?" A police officer scoffed. "Don't underestimate these vendors. They've got their own rules here—when chaos breaks out, they band together, and when they see us, they're more than capable of giving us real trouble."
"Wouldn't covering the expenses be enough?" Jane still didn't understand what the issue was if compensation could be provided.
"No, it's not enough. Look over there—see that noodle vendor with some kind of red broth with meat? That guy's Mexican, and he probably sells one to two thousand servings a day, making more than we do. His parents may have been immigrants, but he was born here and lives better than the average person."
Seeing the food prices, Max muttered in surprise, "Impressive! He makes more in one day than I do in a month!"
Jack stepped forward and couldn't help but say, "No need to feel envious. Not everyone has the grit to make a living like they do. Most of them live day by day just to make ends meet. Rain or shine, they keep working—and worst of all, they don't even have insurance."
Jane, who had walked off a bit, ordered several patrol cars to approach and cordon off the area.
Whether it was the killer or just bystanders, it was best not to expose the investigation. After all, with the way cell phones spread information online, one leak would only put them under greater pressure.
Masked and carrying his investigation case, Larry was the first to step forward. Max and the others quickly fell silent and followed him.
"Chief, look at this bloodstain."
"I see it. Let's begin."
Max stopped talking to the officer, opened his case, and sprayed the reagent. Moments later, the color shifted, and Larry's expression grew more serious.
"Human blood. A detailed lab analysis will be required."
Without needing instructions, Max photographed the entire stain, from wide shots to close-ups. The blood drops were oval, with jagged edges and tiny splatters nearby. It was blood spatter—thrown with more force than normal drops.
The ground was rough asphalt, leaving no footprints to collect. Larry crouched next to the manhole cover and motioned to an assistant. "See if you can extract DNA from this rope!"
"Do you smell anything?"
Mac shook his head. "I've got rhinitis, so I can't smell a thing."
"What smell?"
"Onions!"
Jane removed her mask, inhaled deeply, and nodded. "Yes, it smells like onions here. You can notice it if you kneel down."
Max had just finished collecting the cloth sample. Andrew, standing across from him, joined the others in pushing with force. The manhole cover lifted horizontally, revealing a dark mass beneath.
"Oh my God—another head!"
Max's hand slipped, nearly dropping the cover, but a colleague grabbed it just in time.
"You're not just weak—you're faking it!" Jack shook his head, ordering all the cameras to move back from the scene.
The three crouched men flipped the cover aside.
Max handed the camera to Jane, who quickly took a photo.
Will, who had remained silent until now, crouched down in front of Larry and carefully brushed back the long hair of the head, revealing a young face.
"It's her!" Larry and Jane exclaimed at once.
The deceased was none other than the woman who owned the song shop they had questioned the afternoon before.
Jane had said she wanted to ask the woman a few more questions, but she never expected to find her dead.
Larry carefully parted the long hair, revealing strands tied into a knot at the top.
Sure enough, the long hair had been used as a rope, tied into the same knot as Victim B. This time, however, Larry didn't cut it; instead, he took a cotton swab and began to clean around the knot.
Max knew he was trying to obtain the killer's DNA. If it matched the DNA found in the rental house of Victim A, it would prove they were dealing with the same murderer.
As Larry finished swabbing, Max and Will carefully began untying the hair. After all, human hair wasn't real rope—it had some elasticity. It took several attempts before they managed to undo it completely.
"Do you recognize this knot? The first time, I didn't notice it because of the victim's condition, but now it's clear."
Larry's words drew everyone's attention. Jane glanced over and suddenly understood.
"It's the kind of knot food vendors use to tie up their products!"
Jack didn't look impressed, his face grim. "Ninety percent of the people around here know that method. It doesn't point us anywhere."
Larry shook his head slightly, removed his mask, crouched by the corpse's hair, and inhaled deeply. The investigators behind him shivered at the sight, then Larry lifted his head.
"Not necessarily. The onion smell you mentioned is even stronger in Victim C's hair. That means the killer is easy to narrow down—who else would be using that much onion this early in the morning?"
"It can't be ninety percent certain, can it?"
Jack considered Larry's words, checking his watch. It wasn't even eight yet, and they had found the bloodstains at 7:10. That meant the killer had been there earlier.
"Street food vendors before seven, as well as kitchen cooks, are our suspects."
Jane thought of something then and said, "We can't just arrest them all. Let's investigate."
"Who's coming with me?"
Larry's words cut the discussion short, and Jack replied, "Will can go with you. The rest will stay and investigate."
"Fine, just don't slow me down."
Larry had already strapped on rubber boots and a headlamp, and Will quickly followed suit. One after another, they climbed down the simple iron ladder into the sewer.
The pungent stench of rot filled their noses instantly—something no gas mask could block.
The investigators at the opening shone several flashlights downward, giving them a much clearer view.
As soon as Larry stepped into the muck, he saw two pale corpses floating in the water just a step away, along with a heap of bones protruding.
Will gasped, staring at the pile, his body trembling. Then he shouted upward:
"Lower a box with a rope—we've found the rest of the victim's body."
Larry crouched and examined the remains carefully.
The technique was the same as with Victim B. Both had circular cuts along the lower edge of the ribs. The blade hadn't faltered or turned rough. The skin and tissue of the neck contracted and curled slightly. These were injuries inflicted while alive.
It seemed the cause of death was decapitation.
Most of the body parts were waterlogged, yet very clean. They hadn't been washed—they had simply been clean to begin with.
Larry reached out and touched the remains. The parts sticking out of the water were still dry.
"Wait… why is this dry?"