"Nico, test the rope used to strangle the male victim!"

Having confirmed his suspicions, Dean immediately ordered Nico to get to work. Though the pretty-faced boy didn't know what Dean was planning, after repeated 'conditioning' by Dean, he had developed a basic sense of acknowledgment and fear of him.

He nodded and proactively added, "Then Fanny and I might as well test all these pieces of evidence. Over the past three years, we've introduced quite a few new testing methods."

"That would be best!"

Dean didn't want to waste time waiting for the test results. Taking Carol, who had been silently observing everything, he went downstairs to meet Agent Melfin again and asked for the family information of the 'Axe Murderer,' Xiami.

According to the information, Xiami's family situation was quite simple. His parents died when he was young, and he had only one younger brother. As for other blood relatives, the dead were dead, and those unheard from had vanished without a trace. The two brothers depended on each other for survival, both dropping out of school prematurely. With help from the Federation, they underwent skills training and entered the workforce early.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons Xiami harbored an antisocial personality.

Xiami's younger brother, Jelinton, was twenty-seven years old, unemployed, and lived on Federation subsidies. He also had several theft convictions; he wasn't exactly an honest person either. Judging solely by his civilian record, there was a high likelihood that this man was Xiami's accomplice. Petty thieves generally didn't have much courage. Those with a lot of nerve couldn't stay in that line of work for long, as petty thievery would often escalate into robbery.

While Dean was reviewing the files, Carol placed a small notebook and a brand-new weapon in front of him. "I think you'll need this now."

Dean looked down. The handgun was his favorite M1911, though unfortunately, it lacked steel-core bullets. As for the ID, it was a temporary special appointment certificate from the police department.

Dean opened it. Inside, it not only had his recently attached photograph but also bore an embossed seal. It was valid from April 11th to April 16th. Additionally, a series of numbers was printed at the bottom of the certificate. This was the gun's serial number, signifying that while the certificate was valid, Dean could legally carry a firearm and exercise a certain degree of law enforcement authority.

"Here in the Commonwealth, the police's primary function is mainly to maintain public order and handle minor cases. When they encounter a particularly tough case, they issue similar credentials to invite experts in criminal investigation."

After briefly inspecting the handgun, Dean put everything away, looked up, and casually asked, "Detectives?"

"Almost," Carol nodded. "Some of the Commonwealth's most skilled criminal investigators join special departments, while others become members of the 'Smith Detective Agency'."

"The Smith Detective Agency?" A curious glint appeared in Dean's eyes.

Carol nodded. "It's a place filled with many formidable individuals and offers a wide range of flexible services globally. It's one of the three most famous detective agencies in the world. Several people from our school have joined this agency."

"Alright then," Dean shrugged.

Speaking of which, he was also a special member of that detective agency. Niel had arranged this status for him the previous Christmas to bolster his reputation. However, apart from collecting his salary, Dean had never actually interacted with this detective agency. His only impression of the agency in the United States was that it paid well and on time. Beyond that, he hadn't paid much attention to its operations or reputation in America.

Carol's gaze shifted to the files in Dean's hand. "I know you suspect Xiami's accomplice is his relative, but I don't quite understand why you used the belt on Nico earlier. Was it to make him fear you?"

"While violence can solve many problems, that wasn't my goal." Dean pointed to his Adam's apple. "I was merely trying to imitate the method Xiami used on the man of the house three years ago. In fact, that man likely wasn't strangled with a rope!"

Hearing this, Carol, who had remained composed until now, furrowed her delicate brows. She had actually seen all the crime scene photos before Dean did, including the marks on the male victim's throat. Like Dean, her initial assumption had been that the male victim was strangled face-to-face, with the rope pulled horizontally. But why was Dean now contradicting his earlier statement?

Seeing her silence, Dean gave a wry smile.

"Carol, although you're very smart, you lack some common sense.

"For a normal person to exert parallel force on a rope to strangle an adult male is nearly impossible.

"Unless he crossed the rope at the back of the victim's neck, creating a closed compressive force.

"But that would leave cross-shaped ligature marks.

"I didn't see such marks in the photos.

"So, the male victim wasn't actually killed by the rope. He was first secured by the neck with it, then strangled to death by another person, their fingers pressing down on the rope!"

"So you enlarged the details in the photos to find the nearly invisible fingerprints?"

"Correct!" Dean nodded.

Carol remained somewhat skeptical. "Although what you said makes a lot of sense, I still feel that if you had released Nico even a moment later in that room, you would have strangled him to death with that belt."

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