North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 618 - 345: Key Clue_3

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This was also why, even though Dean had deduced that the killer had finished off all their enemies, he still had a gut feeling the killer would strike again.

The killer's mental state had likely become problematic. Perhaps they had been normal before committing the murders, but with each step of their revenge, they had begun to descend into madness. And the thoughts of a madman are beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person.

...

SIZZLE.

As personnel removed the five bodies from the cellar, a large cloud of reagent was sprayed throughout its interior.

A moment later, Dean and the others re-entered the cellar.

In the darkness, only small, dot-like specks of blue fluorescence were visible above their heads.

Holz shrugged. "It seems my deduction wasn't wrong. The killer indeed injected a substance into the victims' bodies again. He's proficient with this method; his real-world identity probably isn't simple either.

"Moreover, I just examined the liquid samples my colleagues retrieved from the freezer. Although we haven't run instrumental analysis yet, I'm almost certain it's K Reagent. This reagent is typically used for coagulation experiments. It's not cheap, and when used on a human body, it can cause blood to coagulate rapidly, leading to a reaction similar to catalyzed rigor mortis. Tsk, if all the liquid in those freezers is K Reagent, then congratulations, Dean. This time, you've encountered a well-funded madman.

"However, this is also a crucial clue. K Reagent is a controlled, dangerous medical substance. It's very difficult to obtain in such large quantities, even on the black market. If you investigate this angle, you might find some leads on the killer.

"We can't determine the exact time of death for the deceased yet. However, the swelling of the bodies indicates a typical freezing and hardening reaction. The killer must have waited until after the victims died, then, worried the bodies wouldn't remain suspended from the ceiling long enough, froze them for some time. It's due to the reagent's effects and the low ambient temperature here that there are no obvious freezing marks on the bodies' surfaces."

Lawrence, looking utterly bewildered at the eloquent Holz, rubbed his eyes and stammered, "Uh... Wha...?" He wondered if he was seeing a shorter version of Dean.

A flicker of shock also passed through Dean's eyes.

This guy's rate of improvement is astonishingly fast. Ever since Holz had been inspired by him, his way of thinking had clearly diverged from that of a typical forensic medical examiner. He now preferred to deduce the killer's psychology from the trace evidence, and then, from the killer's psychology, infer details about the crime scene. This was classic criminal profiling. Previously, Holz was somewhat inexperienced in this area, roughly equivalent to a greatly watered-down version of Dean.

After just a few short months of not seeing him, this guy had already evolved into a standard low-spec version of Dean.

Unfortunately for Holz, Dean was practically a cheat code. Not only was his mind incredibly fast, but thanks to the infusion of Skills, he had also become self-taught in various investigative techniques. He possessed a wealth of trace evidence knowledge that ordinary people could hardly hope to accumulate in a lifetime. Thus, if Holz truly aspired to reach Dean's level, it was likely an impossible dream in this lifetime.

...

Seeing their shocked expressions, Holz maintained a composed facade, but inwardly, he was cackling with triumph. All his painstaking efforts to relentlessly improve himself, to study diligently, and to articulate his findings so elaborately hadn't been in vain! He had finally managed to astound Dean. This feeling was ten thousand times more exhilarating than playing poker—or even getting laid!

He affected a casual air, patting Dean and Lawrence on their shoulders. "Alright, I've given you the leads. I'll work with my colleagues to confirm the time of death as quickly as possible. The rest is up to you. Be careful."

With that, Holz turned and left.

Dean and Lawrence exchanged a look, speechless.

Damn it, they both thought, he really got to show off.

"Let's go, Dean. We need to investigate this K Reagent," Lawrence suggested. "Didn't you ask that FBI girl—Daisy—to look into the financial records of those Chinese pharmaceutical companies? She finished that already but hasn't turned up anything. We might as well hand this K Reagent lead over to her."

Dean nodded. "Daisy's already looking into related matters. It seems this is our best option now."