North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 602 - 338: Taking Over the Case_2

The middle-aged man with a gloomy face ignored everyone in the room. He first looked up at the human body puzzle on the ceiling before turning his expressionless gaze toward Dean and the others, speaking calmly, "I'm Agent Kames from the FBI. Who was the first to discover this place?"

Dean stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "I'm Captain Dean from Squad Four. We were handling an explosion case in the neighborhood. As I was about to leave for that investigation, the dispatch center received a tip that the owner of this house was hosting a drug party. Patrol officers nearby were notified to check it out, which led to the discovery of this homicide scene."

"An explosion case?"

Dean nodded and briefly described the previous case, also mentioning their earlier findings. "When my partner and I went to the scene of the explosion, we saw these deceased individuals having a party. About two hours later, they ended up like this.

"Before you arrived, I briefly examined the structure of the ceiling beams. This place was specially modified a long time ago, which is why the killer was able to hang a group of fairly heavy young people in such a short amount of time, even having the leisure to arrange them into the current JB pattern."

Agent Kames was a smart man. After listening to Dean's explanation, he pondered for a moment and grasped Dean's implication. "You suspect that the perpetrator of this human body puzzle is connected to the earlier explosion case, that both were premeditated massacres?"

"Yes!" Dean didn't mind sharing this information with the agent before him. "It started with the death of the elderly landlady, followed by the brutal death of her lawyer, and now this group of young people, who were partying, have met untimely deaths. Both of the latter cases show clear signs of staging. I believe there's a definite connection between the three, and the killer is exacting revenge by following these connections."

Agent Kames nodded thoughtfully and then extended his hand to Dean. "You're very impressive. I'm currently the acting supervisor of the FBI's Los Angeles branch. Are you interested in transferring?"

At these words, Dean raised an eyebrow slightly.

It seemed this fellow Kames, having just arrived, hadn't looked into who he was. Otherwise, he would surely know that Dean was a special consultant for the FBI.

Old Hunter, on the other hand, was dumbfounded.

This wasn't how Dean said it would go. Weren't the FBI supposed to barge in, high-handedly announce they were taking over the case, and then he was supposed to stubbornly step up and give this guy a piece of his mind, leaving the rest for Dean to handle? How did the script change to making friends with the enemy? What about me? I haven't even gotten my cue yet!

Lawrence, however, was unfazed.

He had watched Dean become increasingly formidable, step by step, and knew that no matter the situation, as soon as Dean made a move, he would inadvertently showcase his own brilliance, attracting attention and respect.

In response to Agent Kames's friendly overture, Dean was just about to say something to temporarily placate him when, at that moment, a few people with grim expressions walked in from outside.

Among them was Deputy Chief Hank of the Detective Bureau, whom Dean had met just a few hours earlier.

Hank was in the lead. He glanced around the scene, his gaze pausing briefly on Dean before turning to Agent Kames. "Agent Kames, the situation is a bit tricky. The parents of these victims somehow received news and are on their way to the community. There are also many reporters and media outside, drawn by the explosion case. If word of what happened here leaks, we'll all face enormous pressure!"

Agent Kames nodded. The reason the FBI established branch offices in every state was precisely to handle all sorts of difficult cases across the United States and uphold the authority of federal law. This was also the cornerstone of the FBI's power.

He had just been transferred here, and now he was facing such a difficult case. If he didn't handle it well, he feared he'd be packing his bags and going home to fish before his seat even got warm.

Thinking this, Agent Kames turned to look at Deputy Chief Hank, who had also been recently assigned, moved closer, and whispered, "This case absolutely cannot blow up. We must catch the killer before public opinion takes hold!"

Hank nodded noncommittally. "The lockdown is already causing a stir that's impossible to hide. How do you propose we control public opinion?"

"Find media outlets with good police relations," Kames said. "Have them get some temps to put out a story for now, framing this incident as young people overdosing at a drug party, or perhaps a natural gas leak causing mass poisoning.

"Either way, the priority is to divert outside attention! As for the victims' families, I'll have someone deal with them and keep them quiet for the time being."

As he spoke, Agent Kames's already somber face grew even more sinister. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he continued, "Three days! We give ourselves a three-day deadline.

"If, after three days, we still haven't caught the killer, then we'll find a scapegoat to take the fall for this incident. At the same time, our people will leak some celebrity scandals to divert public attention!"

Kames described this entire procedure with an ease that suggested he had done it many times before.

Deputy Chief Hank pondered for a moment and nodded. "That's a decent plan, but there are two issues. First, the victims' families. They have connections in various industries. With so many people involved, it will be difficult to pressure them all into silence without offering some kind of explanation. Second, what if the killer strikes again? How do we explain that?"

Agent Kames sneered dismissively. "Those two points are easy enough to handle. Don't play dumb, Deputy Chief Hank. I'm not some Los Angeles fool. I know about your formidable reputation before you were parachuted into the Los Angeles Detective Bureau. If you don't want us both packing our bags before our seats are even warm, then do your job!"