'The A building where Room 1304 is located is the tallest building in the Baitu community, and there are no other high-rise buildings nearby. This means that no one can see what the person living in Room 1304 is doing, whether in the living room or bedroom, because there are no houses, let alone people, opposite.'
'In addition, the door to Room 1304 looks like a regular smart security door from the outside, but when you push it open, there is an entry garden with a window. Surprisingly, between the entry garden and the living room, there is another tightly sealed iron door.'
On the screen, a silver-white iron door was prominently displayed, with an old-fashioned iron lock hanging on the outside.
'As long as this iron door is locked from the outside, the person inside cannot get out. In other words, if there is a person locked inside Room 1304 and they don't have a phone or computer, they can call out to the heavens or plead with the earth, but no one will hear them,' Wuben explained.
As he spoke, everyone's eyes gradually lit up and they suddenly understood.
'So it's highly possible that the female victim was imprisoned in Room 1304 by the suspect? And we should also reconsider her romantic relationship with Lee?' Captain Marco looked at Wuben and asked.
'Simon said the same thing,' Wuben nodded and replied.
Captain Marco understood that it seemed that all of these things Wuben was saying were analyzed based on clues by that Simon guy.
Simon's reasons and evidence were sufficient, and Captain Marco and other police leaders had no doubt that the "Baitu case" should be further investigated. Of course, with the current information they had, it was impossible to solve the case.
'After the meeting, have Simon come see me. He's getting more and more out of line every day.'
After the meeting, Captain Marco stopped Wuben, hesitating for a moment about whether to ask his question. But Wuben understood what was on Marco's mind and said, 'Simon is really investigating the case, not looking for his wife.'
Simon had a quirk: he liked to sit at the crime scene, trying to understand the criminal's psychology and searching for clues. It was one of the key methods for solving criminal cases because actions were determined by the mind. By understanding the psychology of suspects and criminals, investigators could accurately determine what actions they might take at the scene, leaving behind valuable traces that could eventually become precise clues to solve the case.
Simon sat at the scene of the crime for the entire afternoon, but there were no new discoveries in terms of clues. However, he did uncover many suspicious points. The lights were still on at the city police station when Simon returned to Marco's office. Just as he was about to sit down opposite Marco, he stood up again and reached out to grab a pack of cigarettes on Marco's desk. He took out two cigarettes, put one in Marco's mouth and the other in his own, lit them both, and then put the pack of cigarettes in his own pocket.
'You're getting worse at telling apart the kings and the little guys,' Marco said after taking a drag on his cigarette.
'You're a senior leader, why are you concerned about a pack of cigarettes?' Simon replied without changing his expression.
'You're becoming more and more unruly.'
'Whatever. Men without wives to keep them in line are all like this.'
'Hehe, Simon, I probably understand why your wife went missing. She couldn't handle your shamelessness.'
'That's unlikely because my wife actually likes me looking like a shameless ghost.'
Marco was at a loss for words and regained his composure, saying, 'Let's talk about the case. Besides what Wuben said today, what other discoveries have you made?'
'I haven't made any new discoveries. I can only wait for the DNA test results of the deceased and then match them with the DNA database of missing persons to see if there will be any breakthroughs.'
'From the way you speak, do you think the possibility of finding a match in the missing persons database is slim?'
'This is what I'm going to tell you next, there are more and more doubts,' Simon said seriously, and it seemed to be the case. 'Firstly, from the modus operandi of the crime and the result of the case, it can be concluded that the suspect is a person with a perverse psychology, but can remain calm and rational under any circumstances. Both of these points are in line with the psychological and personality characteristics of a serial killer. It can also be concluded that the possibility of a crime of passion or revenge can be basically ruled out, both of which generally belong to crimes of passion, and the suspect would have remorse afterwards.'
'In addition, no clues related to the identity of the victim were found in Room 1304. Furthermore, the suspect destroyed the victim's face and fingerprints, indicating that the suspect was trying to conceal the victim's identity. However, since the suspect is a very cold and rational person, he must know that we are likely to match the victim's identity information through DNA comparison from the missing persons database. As a person like him, he will not do useless work, which means he is not afraid of us using the victim's DNA for comparison. What does this mean? It means that the victim is not a missing person or a missing person who has been reported to the police.'
Captain Marco nodded in agreement and also believed that the likelihood of matching DNA results from missing persons was low.
'So, the question is, why did the suspect go to such lengths to conceal the victim's identity?' Captain Marco asked.
Simon nodded appreciatively and said, 'You are wise and intelligent, captain, no one can match you. The suspect isn't afraid of death, so why would he be afraid of the victim's identity being exposed? In other words, what secret is hidden behind the victim's identity that is more important to this twisted and cold-blooded person than his own life?'
Captain Marco was unfazed by Simon's flattery and said, 'Your speculation makes sense. We initially thought the suspect jumped off the building out of fear of punishment, but upon further consideration, he most likely didn't want us to uncover any clues from him. So he chose to take his own life and be done with it.'
'This is the biggest question mark in this case. On the surface, what we need to investigate is the identity of the victim, but in reality, we need to find out what the suspect is guarding or protecting. Is it a person, or something else? If it's a person, who is he protecting? Is he an accomplice, or have they committed other crimes together?' Simon said.
'In addition, the decoration of the entire Room 1304 was designed according to the standards for imprisoning people. But upon careful consideration, it doesn't seem quite right. Why did the suspect imprison the victim in the Baitu community? This is a residential area, and it's not convenient to imprison someone here. Most imprisonment cases occur in remote areas such as basements or underground rooms. The suspect is highly intelligent, why choose a difficult path instead of an easy one? Was he unable to commit the crime in a remote area? But he was able to fully pay for a high-end property in the Baitu community, so it wouldn't be a problem for him to buy or build a basement or underground room in a more remote location.'
Captain Marco extinguished his cigarette and said, 'There is another possibility, that the suspect and the victim were actually in a romantic relationship, but Lee himself had a history of domestic violence. The interior design of the apartment, which kept the victim confined, was just one part of his abusive behavior.'
'That's possible.'
Simon thought carefully, but he didn't fully agree :' But that doesn't fit the suspect's profile. Even someone with a tendency towards domestic violence couldn't do something like this, no matter how twisted they are. When you enter the crime scene, the stench of blood hits you like a wall. It's suffocating. And then, you smell the aroma of cooked meat. This guy had the time to kill and dismember someone, and then cook soup for himself? You'd be curious too, and you'd walk into the kitchen to take a look. But what did we find? A pot full of mushy human heads and hands. Damn it, even the police and forensic experts who had been working in the criminal investigation department for over a decade, and who were with me at the scene, threw up for half an hour at the stairwell. Do you think a human being is capable of doing something like this?'
Captain Marco reluctantly accepted this viewpoint and said, 'Bold speculation, cautious verification. It is indeed a point of suspicion that the suspect chose to confine the victim in the Bai Tu community. Please continue.'
'I'm curious. If the victim was really confined in room 1304, did she try to seek help during that month? If so, why is there no evidence of seeking help? For example, she could use a hammer or a chair to knock on the wall or floor, or smash the balcony glass, or turn up the volume of the TV to the maximum. As long as she can successfully attract others' attention. But there is no such evidence, and neighbors have also reported that they only occasionally hear arguments from room 1304, and have never heard any other commotion. This means that the victim may never have tried to seek help. Did she not dare, or did she simply not want to?'
'Have you not heard of Stockholm Syndrome?'
'I know this. But there's a prerequisite that the victim has to be persecuted by the perpetrator for a long time. However, they only moved in a month ago.'
'Perhaps LEE had imprisoned the deceased before and then transferred them to the Baitu community.'
'This brings us back to the second point of suspicion. With LEE's intelligence, why would he do something so difficult? Also, this is the fourth point I want to make. Is the Baitu community the first place where the victim was imprisoned? Or does LEE have other similar hideouts?'
Captain Marco habitually reached for his cigarette, rummaging through both pockets before realizing they had been "stolen". He didn't bother to fuss about it and instead pulled out another pack from the drawer, taking out two cigarettes. He lit one for himself and took a deep drag, saying, 'Is there a fifth point of suspicion? If there is, continue talking. If not, get lost.'
'No one can compare to the wise and brilliant Captain...'
'Stop talking nonsense, for god's sake.'