Jimmy and the others opened a hidden door beneath the stairs, exposing a basement. The three of them turned on their flashlights and went down.

Julia pointed to a corner: "Here, it's different from the other places. Something used to be stored here, but it's gone now. Comparing the dust on the ground in other places and here, there should have been something here just a few days ago.

I think this should be a clue. If the killer was looking for something from the victim, then what was here might be what he wanted. It might have been removed after the murder."

Jimmy put on gloves, touched the ground, and looked at the dust on the gloves: "It's also possible that the victim moved the items from here, which triggered the killer to come and kill him.

Julia, Mark, look for the nearest surveillance around and check carefully, even if it's from a distance, as long as it can see here. Also, notify the NYPD to return all the evidence they took from here and check if it's related to the organization Mark suspects.

Julia, inform the forensic department to investigate this house again and look for any objects with special markings."

Julia and Mark nodded: "Understood."

Jimmy looked around, observed the ground once more, and then squatted down next to a nearby table, "Here, have someone dig it open, the cement color is different."

Julia and Mark came over to look and nodded, "Understood."

Jimmy stood up, "Alright, that's it. Arrange for someone to handle it. Let's head out. By the way, bring in two K9 officers to check if there's any drug involvement here."

After leaving the villa, Jimmy looked around and then walked to the back of the house. It might have been a personal habit, but Jimmy thought the backyards and back doors of houses in the United States were big security flaws. Once he got a big house, he would definitely install front and back surveillance.

Mark and Julia still lacked experience. The points they found made sense, but they missed a lot during their check. Jimmy didn't point it out directly, but behind the wardrobe in the bedroom, there was a small space, likely a safe. There was also a space on the wall of the adjacent storage room, which Heart Eye Observation suggested might be a weapon cabinet.

Of course, both of these were seen using his unique ability, so he didn't blame them. However, in the bedroom, Jimmy reviewed what they checked. The wardrobe was only opened for a look; they didn't move any clothes. If they had, they should have seen the safe.

Still, it's not a big problem; the forensic department should be able to find it when they come to check later.

Based on the current clues, this case is likely unrelated to the field office over there, so it should be handled as a regular murder case. Just right, since there are no other cases at hand right now, Mark and Julia can familiarize themselves with it.

Jimmy had just instructed them to investigate the victim's background and relationship with family and friends, check the surroundings for usable surveillance footage, and gather evidence with the forensic department to determine what disappeared. Using these clues, they could basically deduce the reason behind the victim's murder.

Jimmy instructed Mark and Julia to always investigate as a team and not to go alone, then returned to the office.

The field office sent a request for assistance. They obviously needed to do something, but they first had to inform Ruiz so he could be aware and help in case any issues arose.

With the materials faxed from the field office and a cigar box, Jimmy went to Ruiz's office, knocked on the open door, and asked, "Do you have a moment?"

Ruiz: "Come in, what's up?"

Jimmy: "It's the Hudson River Valley office's case. Oh, here, this is for you. I bought it while traveling in Miami. It has a nice flavor."

Jimmy placed the materials and cigar box on Ruiz's desk. He casually put the cigars on the bookshelf behind him and started going through the documents. After a few minutes, Ruiz asked, "What's your take?"

Jimmy: "This case is tough to handle; there are no clues. The key is the way these five people died. I personally doubt anyone could kill five people that quickly and decapitate two of them. Just looking at the photos, you can see that there are hardly any signs of resistance or escape among the people at the back. This case is either a coordinated attack involving multiple assailants, or... the attacker is not human."

Ruiz: "Do you want to take on the case?"

Jimmy: "No, I want to contact other police departments and ask if they have similar cases. Doing so might help more departments become aware of this. You know, there's no way to keep it confidential then, but it might lead us to related cases to deduce the killer."

Ruiz placed the materials back on the desk, thought for a moment, and shook his head, "Don't go asking openly. The details of this case have already been sealed. Any leak would cause public panic, and the police's confidentiality isn't very strong."

Jimmy nodded: "I also considered that. It makes gathering clues impossible."

Ruiz checked the time, "I'll arrange to see if other offices have intelligence. Anything else?"

Jimmy: "That's all. Oh, we voluntarily took over a case from the NYPD. It's also about a person beheaded at home. I just examined the scene and, in conjunction with the forensic doctor's report, we can pretty much determine it's unrelated to the Hudson River Valley office's case."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.