Chapter 172: The Suspect is Caught

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: The Suspect is Caught

The chief made some room, giving Captain Morgan a better vantage point.

Captain Morgan quickly grasped the situation. Realizing the importance of the operation, he composed himself and focused intently on the screen.

Meanwhile, Evan Keller stood at the very front of the crowd, holding up his phone to stay in constant contact with Lynn Grant. He was telling her to get something for self-defense and keep it in her pocket, just in case. After all, you could never be too careful.

On the other end, Lynn Grant didn’t say a word. She just silently slipped a bottle of homemade pepper spray into her shoulder bag.

Off-screen, a resigned male voice spoke up. "Captain Keller, I know you’re worried about Medical Examiner Grant, but have a little faith in us, will you? There are ten of us out here!"

With that, he turned the camera around. A man’s face quickly filled the screen, with nine others standing in neat rows behind him.

They were all in plainclothes. Zoe Sawyer’s sharp eyes noticed that each of them had a collapsible baton hidden inside their jacket, positioned for a quick draw to subdue a suspect at a moment’s notice.

Once they learned the suspect might be targeting Lynn Grant, the chief had personally summoned ten male officers and briefed them on the situation.

He told them to change into plainclothes and tail Lynn Grant after she got off work.

They were to cover her from all angles—front, back, left, right, even from across the street.

They understood the gravity of the situation and agreed without hesitation.

Lynn Grant took the phone and pointed the camera at herself. Her tone was weary, but she did her best to reassure Evan Keller. "I know how to protect myself, so relax. Besides, it’s not like I’m alone out here."

’There are plenty of people with me. My safety is definitely guaranteed!’

After offering Evan Keller a final word of reassurance, Lynn Grant grabbed her bag and left the office.

The other ten officers followed suit. The moment they hit the street, they dispersed, melting into the crowd.

They were inconspicuous, but their positioning was meticulously planned. If anything were to happen, they could all converge on Lynn Grant’s position within seconds. It provided the ultimate safety net.

Evan Keller scanned the feed, and only after confirming they had formed a protective bubble around Lynn Grant did he finally relax a little.

Lynn Grant walked at her own pace. As it neared eight o’clock, she started to feel tired and looked for a place to rest.

The closer Lynn Grant got to the location the door panel had indicated, the more tense Evan Keller and the others became.

He didn’t have to say a word. The officers already surrounding Lynn Grant tensed up, their gazes sweeping discreetly over the passing pedestrians, terrified of missing a suspicious person.

Lynn Grant saw the growing crowds and then spotted a long bench on the side of the street.

Remembering the tip Zoe Sawyer had given her, she steeled herself and headed for the bench.

’Rather than just wandering around passively, I might as well take the initiative. I’ll sit there and wait for him to come to me.’

When he saw Lynn Grant move, Evan Keller’s first instinct was to shout for her to stop. But then he remembered the plan, and he could only clench his fists, swallowing his anxiety.

Back in the command center, the atmosphere instantly grew tense. All eyes were fixed on Lynn Grant.

"Wait, look. Upper right corner," Zoe Sawyer said, her keen eyes catching a suspicious figure.

Black jacket, baseball cap with the hood of the jacket pulled up over it, a face mask, and black-framed glasses.

His attire, his height—every detail was an exact match for what Zoe Sawyer had seen in the door.

The figure immediately captured Zoe Sawyer’s full attention.

All eyes were instantly drawn to where she pointed, quickly locking onto the suspicious individual Zoe Sawyer had indicated.

As it happened, the suspect stood still for a moment, glanced around, and then his gaze locked onto Lynn Grant, who was resting on the bench.

After getting a clear look at Lynn Grant’s face, the man’s eyes lit up, and he began to walk toward her.

"Suspect is on the move, heading your way. All units, be ready!" Evan Keller’s voice crackled through the earpieces of the ten officers on the ground.

The officers didn’t respond, instead casually closing in on Lynn Grant’s position. They all appeared perfectly calm, looking straight ahead, doing nothing to arouse the suspect’s suspicion.

Lynn Grant registered a blur of movement, and then a man was sitting next to her on the bench.

John pulled down his mask, tilting his head to look at Lynn Grant, and uttered a single word in broken Mandarin: "Goddess?"

Then, before Lynn Grant could even respond, John rushed to explain. "I heard people use that word to describe beautiful women... ’Goddess.’ Sorry, did I say it wrong? But you are one."

John knew how to play to his strengths. He lowered his black-framed glasses just enough to reveal his blue eyes. Combined with his handsome face and innocent tone, the effect was certainly disarming.

Lynn Grant understood at once. ’So that’s his angle.’

’Who doesn’t like a compliment, especially from a handsome guy?’

’Even if you know it’s not sincere, it still improves your mood, makes you more tolerant of the person complimenting you. And just like that, you give them an opening.’

Lynn Grant nodded at John and said, "Thank you." After a moment’s thought, she added, "You’re very handsome, too."

’I’m in!’

A flash of delight went through John’s mind. He leaned in closer, slipping a hand into his pocket as he continued, "I’m new here. Could you maybe show me—"

From behind, they looked very close. With the smile John deliberately wore, any onlooker would have assumed they knew each other.

The officer assigned to watch Lynn Grant didn’t miss John’s hand slipping into his pocket. He signaled his colleagues, telling them to get ready.

Lynn Grant saw a colleague not far in front of her give a subtle warning sign. Her senses on high alert, she quietly reached into her shoulder bag and gripped the bottle of homemade pepper spray.

He trembled with excitement at the thought of finally getting his hands on the beauty beside him.

Buoyed by his previous successes, John failed to notice what Lynn Grant was doing with her hands.

Then, John whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket and lunged, trying to cover Lynn Grant’s mouth and nose.

But a second later, it was John who was howling in agony, clutching at his eyes.

The handkerchief fell onto the bench.

His howls drew the attention of passersby. A few concerned citizens started to approach, but the surrounding officers quickly intercepted them, flashing their badges. "Police business, please stay back."

After confirming the badges were real, the would-be good Samaritans retreated to the perimeter, becoming part of the growing crowd of onlookers.

The officers rushed in and slammed John to the ground.

Lynn Grant put her pepper spray away. She pulled a pair of gloves from her shoulder bag, put them on, and carefully placed the drug-soaked handkerchief into an evidence bag she had ready.

Seeing the suspect in custody, Evan Keller finally let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

"Police. You’re a suspect in multiple homicides. You’re coming with us!"