North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 609 - 341_2

I never thought I'd actually do something commendable!

Dean nodded. He walked up to the conference whiteboard, picked up the marker clipped to it, and wrote "Eden Consulting Company," "Chinese elderly lady," "Barnaby," and "HuaQing Gang" in sequence. Then, he wrote "murderer" across from these four names.

"According to the HuaQing Gang leader's confession, the mysterious murderer attacked the elder core members of the HuaQing Gang before striking the Chinese elderly lady. The murderer also destroyed several of their smuggling and human trafficking channels."

Dean drew an arrow linking the murderer and the HuaQing Gang.

"The primary smuggling business in Los Angeles is controlled by those Mexican gangs, so the core conflict here is human trafficking! The murderer attacked these people first."

Having said that, he drew another arrow linking the HuaQing Gang and the Chinese elderly lady.

"The Chinese elderly lady was ostensibly an old landlady, but her real identity was an elder to the HuaQing Gang leader, responsible for the gang's money laundering operations. As I mentioned earlier, the majority of the HuaQing Gang's gray income relied on human trafficking and exploiting undocumented workers. They're the big bosses behind many Chinese illegal job agencies in Los Angeles. Lawyer Barnaby and his law firm mainly managed these operations. This enabled those intermediaries to exploit legal loopholes and legally squeeze the illegally smuggled and undocumented immigrants. That's the connection between them.

Aside from the business at his law firm, Lawyer Barnaby might also have had a cooperative relationship with the Eden Consulting Company. This company mainly catered to the pleasures of rich students in Los Angeles by providing them with escorts. Their commonality is people! The murderer also killed them one by one, following this relationship! Besides revenge, what else do you think?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Finding someone!" Lawrence and Daisy said in unison.

Dean snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"

Lawrence seemed to realize something. His expression changed, and he rose to his feet hurriedly, "Dean, if that's the case, then those remaining at the Eden Consulting Company could be the murderer's next target! We must head there immediately!"

Dean shook his head and sighed. "If that's true, I'm afraid it's already too late."

"Why?" Lawrence looked puzzled. "Dean, the Eden Consulting Company not only has societal hoodlums but also students from schools. They act separately, so it would be difficult even for the murderer to kill all of them in one day."

"Then guess how he managed to gather a group of affluent students together and then hanged them all?"

Dean circled Lawyer Barnaby, the Eden Consulting Company, and "the murderer" on the board.

"I couldn't understand before how the murderer could silently kill so many people. Now I know. The murderer's initial target should have been the Eden Consulting Company. It's unclear why, but he first focused on the HuaQing Gang. Then, through the Chinese elderly lady, he found Barnaby, and through Barnaby, he learned about the Eden Consulting Company. I suspect he had an acquaintance, or even a relative, who was dragged by those scoundrels from the Eden Consulting Company to the debauched parties held by those affluent students.

"At those types of parties, the methods for luring people into corruption and turning them into playthings are always the same: drugging, snorting powder, and using 'spin the bottle' to record videos for blackmail... Lawrence, if you were the murderer and received information about the Eden Consulting Company from Barnaby, what would you do?"

Lawrence shrugged. "Of course, I'd find them, learn who hurt my relative or friend, and then take revenge."

As he spoke, the rolls of flesh on his face quivered excitedly. He suddenly exclaimed, "Dean, I understand why you said it's too late to go to the Eden Consulting Company! Do you mean that roomful of hanged people was the murderer's final target, and he's actually completed his revenge?"

Dean sighed and nodded. "Yes. He most likely used those people from the Eden Consulting Company to gather his revenge targets and then dealt with them all at once."

"What about the bomb trap in Barnaby's house?" Lawrence asked, still a bit confused despite his sudden realization. "If someone had triggered that bomb early, wouldn't the killer's plan to target those rich students have failed?"

"Because that bomb was meant as a warning," Dean patiently explained. "The killer wasn't sure if the HuaQing Gang or the police would find Barnaby's house early, so he set up a bomb trap there in advance. That way, if the bomb detonated prematurely, he could switch locations and pretexts to gather his revenge targets and then strike."

Daisy was already somewhat perplexed. She shook her head, forgetting even the snacks in her hands, and pressed on, "Wouldn't the killer worry that those people would be scared stiff by the explosion and too frightened to leave their homes?"

"Not at all!" Dean shook his head, his tone somewhat somber. "Do you know why there are often cases of women who've been 'wall-bashed' ending up falling in love with their attackers? It's because this kind of abnormal 'sex' often brings a taboo-like thrill. Those twisted, dark desires are a mental poison more addictive than drugs, causing young people who haven't yet established proper values to become obsessed and corrupted. That's also why these people often do things that destroy their own futures. It's not that they don't understand; they simply can't escape the satisfaction and pleasure these things bring them. It's a dark abyss with no return."

He was no different. In his past life, he'd relieved his inner darkness with women. In this life, he tamed the violent, twisted beast within him with the help of family and friends. If he lost these restraints, Dean didn't even know what horrifying things he might do. Human nature, you see, if unbound by various invisible influences and constraints, is actually more terrifying than a wild beast that lies still after being sated. At least a wild beast wouldn't torture and kill its own kind for fun without reason.

Lawrence nodded deeply, agreeing with Dean's reflection. "Daisy, don't forget, this is the United States—a place where you could be killed on the street by a stray bullet from who knows where. These people have guts. Why would an explosion killing a few people scare them into staying indoors?"

Daisy glared at Lawrence. Damn it, Lawrence, that asshole! Why is he dragging me into this again? After being around Dean so much, even she, with her generous nature, had unconsciously picked up some of Dean's habits, like being petty. Provoked continuously by Lawrence, Daisy secretly resolved that at their next dinner, she would definitely talk to Phoebe about how to guard against men who change for the worse after getting what they want, and give her some advice!

...

"In that case, if the killer has already taken his revenge and left, won't it be very difficult for us to catch him?" Lawrence asked, somewhat discouraged. They didn't even know if the killer was male or female.

"We already have clues," Dean said, pointing at the areas Daisy had circled on the map. "Even if everyone from the Eden Consulting Company is dead, they would have left clues behind. If we check for anyone who has gone missing, been severely injured, or hospitalized in the last few months, we should find something."

Chances are, the killer's unknown relative or friend is already dead. Otherwise, he wouldn't have started with the HuaQing Gang. The killer's revenge was clearly premeditated, indicating he prepared for a long time. This also supports that idea. But, as the saying goes: whatever has existed will leave traces. The killer can't escape!

..