Chapter 235: Who Should I Operate On First?

Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Who Should I Operate On First?

Heath Hale couldn’t help but sigh at the thought of the first victim they had found.

No matter how many cases he’d handled, that scene was still just as brutal to witness.

The first crime scene was on the top floor of an abandoned, unfinished building. Inside was a large stainless steel vat filled with red liquid. Next to it, a table was covered with disposable food containers.

Slices of meat were neatly arranged inside them. And in the very center of the room was a human skeleton.

Red, bloody fibers still clung to the bones, making it easy to guess where the meat in the containers had come from.

Even though the weather wasn’t hot, a strange smell had already permeated the entire floor by the time they found the scene.

The killer’s methods were clean and efficient, leaving no traces behind. Naturally, they couldn’t extract any useful information.

They quickly identified the victim based on the skeleton and other remains at the scene.

She was a high school girl.

Young and beautiful, she had excellent grades and got along well with her friends and classmates. Everyone around her saw her as a good girl.

The moment they confirmed the victim’s identity, they investigated her social circle.

Her relationships were simple, her online chat and search histories were perfectly normal, and she usually acted cheerful. She would tell her friends and parents right away if anything was bothering her.

Even her parents weren’t on bad terms with anyone, and surveillance footage from the area didn’t show any suspicious individuals.

That left only one possibility: the killer had chosen this victim at random.

The chief of police for the district knew the provincial bureau had a secret weapon, so he could only pin his hopes on them.

He hoped they could find some clues and catch the culprit soon.

And it was during this backtracking that Zoe Sawyer had overheard the killer’s plan.

The department’s personnel were quietly split into two teams. One continued with their current assignments, while the other secretly made preparations, ready to act on the Chief’s orders at a moment’s notice.

The first victim’s case hadn’t even been solved when several more victims were discovered in other locations.

Only then did everyone realize the killer hadn’t stopped; he had just moved to a new hunting ground.

To prevent more people from falling victim, the Chief and Elder Crowe decided to move the plan forward.

They had to catch this killer as soon as possible.

This week, they had finally determined the killer’s approximate location. Using a portrait from Beau, they also managed to get a match in the database, uncovering the suspect’s name and age.

With everything ready, the stage was set for what Joey encountered today.

A wave of nervousness washed over Zoe Sawyer as she thought about tomorrow’s plan.

Heath Hale, beside her, seemed to sense her anxiety. He reassured her in a gentle voice, "Don’t worry, we’ll definitely catch him."

"Yeah!"

Zoe Sawyer clasped her hands, nodding nervously. At the same time, she comforted herself internally. ’We’re going to succeed! We have to!’

「Early the next morning.」 Zoe Sawyer arrived at the office.

Evan Keller and the others were already prepared, ready to move out for support at any time.

Zoe Sawyer stood before the door, her right hand on the doorknob. She closed her eyes, focusing on Shane Lynch’s face and name.

Once that familiar feeling came over her, she carefully opened the door just a crack and passed a mini-camera, which Officer Lee had attached to a wire, through the gap.

Then she carefully closed the door again, but didn’t latch it shut.

This way, if anything unexpected happened on the other side, Evan Keller and his team could burst in and apprehend the killer at a moment’s notice.

Soon, an image of the room Shane Lynch was in appeared on Officer Lee’s computer.

Everyone silently pumped their fists in excitement.

In another office, Joey was fidgeting, glancing at his phone from time to time or looking out the window at the empty lot below.

As soon as he woke up this morning, he had received a message from the thin man, telling him to keep an eye on the department’s movements and report anything immediately.

"What are you doing? Why so antsy? Got hemorrhoids or something?" Just as Joey half-stood again, craning his neck to look out the window, a man’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

Joey immediately sat back down in his chair and quickly waved his hands. "No, no, I’m fine. No hemorrhoids."

"No hemorrhoids? Then you must be trying to tip someone off." The man reached out and pressed down hard on Joey’s shoulder.

Another person pulled a spare phone out from where Joey had wedged it in his desk drawer.

"Isn’t it exhausting being a double agent? Don’t worry. Starting now, you won’t have to work so hard anymore." The man holding Joey’s shoulder swiftly dislocated his arm, then dragged him from the chair and toward the holding cell outside.

The whole process was seamless, taking less than a minute.

Joey looked back in a daze at his former colleagues. His mind, stunned by the series of swift moves, finally processed what was happening. ’I’ve been exposed!’

’And they knew for a while?!’

"When did you find out?" Joey asked, a look of confusion on his face as he was pushed into the holding cell.

’Yesterday? Or even earlier?’

’Then was the information I sent out real, or was it just a smokescreen they let me leak?’

’If it was fake, will I even be able to pay back my debt?’

The man clapped the dust off his hands and crossed his arms, looking at Joey inside the cell. His tone was calm. "We found out just before we came up. The Chief and the others? Probably even earlier."

He didn’t want to say any more to Joey. After confirming he had no other communication devices on him, the man closed the door and left.

The Chief and the others, who now had Joey’s phone, studied his previous text messages. Mimicking Joey’s tone, they sent a message to the thin man, informing him that a fully-armed team from the provincial bureau had been dispatched.

On the other end, the thin man shot upright when he received the text. After making sure he hadn’t misread it, he dialed Shane Lynch’s number.

"Blaze, the cops have dispatched a team. They’re heading your way. Be careful! I’m bringing some guys over now to set up an ambush nearby." The thin man’s voice was filled with sycophantic flattery.

Shane Lynch responded with a few impatient words, indicating he understood.

Even so, Shane Lynch still gave a warning: "Have your men get ready. If anything looks wrong, remember to come provide backup and get me out of here."

He might enjoy the thrill of the game, but he valued his life even more.

’As long as I’m alive, there will always be time for more thrills!’

After hanging up, the thin man looked at the bald man next to him and gave a few quiet instructions.

Only after watching the man leave did he relax and lead the rest of his men to back up Shane Lynch.

Meanwhile, Shane Lynch’s gaze fell upon the hostages in the corner of the room.

"Now, who should I start with?"