The picture is framed by the white-haired gentleman's smile, the flames licking at the muzzle of the gun, a little bit of it staining the red eyes, then coloring the polite smile of that elegant man with a wild streak.
It wasn't an illusion.
Jodie looked at the photo taken from the suit's FBI mission recorder as she sat in her chair, hand on her chin, staring.
The conference room was silent, silent as they stared at the polite but arrogant face in the photo.
"The good news is that this gentleman, like many talented criminals, is a bit arrogant and doesn't care to hide himself," Jodie said, "the bad news is that we're apparently the 'dumb cop' character."
She flicked the remote and turned on the projector, "This is the vehicle he was traveling in when he left."
A picture of a silver sports car appeared on the projector, and another of a middle-aged man, "The vehicle is owned by this gentleman, a businessman who came across the border, usually loves antiques and diamonds and anything worth admiring, and came to New York in the last month, and according to him he doesn't know the 'Master', and the car was stolen."
Before anyone could say anything, Jodie said, "His lawyer's here."
With the lawyer here, there was no interrogation, even the good-natured questioning could be dropped, and the businessman wouldn't say anything if he was smart enough.
Some of the FBI agents who were about to speak shut up.
Jodie pressed the remote control again, the vehicle and the owner of the photo below the projection of two people, the left is wearing a black waiter's clothes, looks only in his twenties, the right side of the photo is captured and then enlarged, the top is a male who looks more than forty years old, is driving a silver sports car, only reveals the side of the face.
"This gentleman, is the waiter who came into contact with the 'master'," she introduced the young man on the left lightly, 'currently has no other explicit criminal past for the time being, other than helping the 'master' check into the hotel,"
And then the twist, "However, his own mother and stepfather died three years ago, under different circumstances."
Without further ado, the FBI agents who had read the file and knew what was going on realized: this was a criminal, very much in line with the 'master's' usual style.
Jodie also introduced the right side of the photo, "This is the driver of the vehicle, temporarily not yet found his details, have gone to the criminal database to check his information."
"The traces of the hotel scene were reviewed, from five days ago, the 'owner' checked into the hotel," she paused, "he left important traces in the hotel,"
The light of the projector changed a few times, and several photos disappeared, except for the arrogant smile physically pinned to the top of the curtain, which appeared to show a picture of a coffee table and an open newspaper.
It was a newspaper published yesterday, the side section published a murder case, because the case has not been solved, some detailed information about the case has not been published, converted into black and white only can be published some surface information, about two thirds of a page of the newspaper.
There are several red marks, red lines and circles.
Some of the red lines appear below the text, such as the location of the victim's death, while others appear right in the middle of the text, such as the police's presumed murder weapon, with the presumed 'rope' directly crossed out.
The red circle appears in the part where the police speculate on the murderer, circling the word 'male' and placing a question mark next to it.
It was...
Most of the FBI stared at the paper, focusing first on the traces, and then hurriedly reading through the common homicide case, which was not their responsibility, with almost synchronized frowns.
"This case has just been transferred to us, and it's been merged with a serial killer being pursued next door," Jodie said, turning the remote and scanning her team, "What do you think, what does that mean?"
Someone raises their hand, unsure, "Uh, excuse me, just to be sure, are these marks linked to 'case merged with a serial murder case we're pursuing'?"
Was the case meant to be joined, or did the FBI agent who was pursuing the case see the marks in the newspaper and then join the case?
The end result is the same, but the process is different, and the nature is very different.
"Good question," Jodie said, turning the remote control again, "without the newspaper, maybe in a few weeks this murder would have been consolidated with ours."
The questioner was even more uncertain, "So, this criminal, is doing us, the FBI, a favor...?"
He lowered his voice in uncertainty as he uttered the last few words.
The suited FBI man involved in the operation spoke up, "It's a provocation."
He had changed into a clean suit, and was looking at the picture on the curtain, across the flames, and into the smiling red eyes, "A provocation against our FBI."
Other FBIs may only be able to speak in a speculative tone, but the suit FBI is qualified to speak in a positive tone.
"When I snapped my head back to him," He said very seriously, "he was absolutely laughing at me,"
Careless, condescending, not giving a damn about the FBI, like the sneer of a pet dog being teased.
That's why he's laughing and playing with a pistol lighter.
"He didn't feel threatened by the FBI's pursuit."
Jodie's tone slowed down a bit for his subordinate who had the misfortune of almost dying heroically, not really heroically, but weak-kneed and losing some face, "Yes, it was provocative."
"Mr. Akai is of the same opinion, he thinks that this criminal is issuing a 'challenge' to the FBI and believes that the serial murder case should be solved as soon as possible while pursuing him."
The cell phone on the table rang, she looked down to check it and quickly raised an eyebrow, "The silver sports car has been traced."
Silver sports car parked in the parking lot of a restaurant, parking lot surveillance is still intact, complete record of the car driving into the parking lot of the picture.
The car was no longer open-topped, and with the roof on display, it looked like a normal luxury car, with no way to see the occupants at a glance.
So there's a problem: the driver is a waiter at the restaurant.
Many of the waiters at high-end restaurants are polite and skilled in a variety of skills, one of which is driving cars to the parking lot for customers.
According to the valet, when he took the car from the customer, the driver was the only one in the car, and there were no gray-haired gentlemen in suits.
Jodie put up a surveillance camera of the entrance to the restaurant that Akai Shūichi had pulled up: a white car pulled up in front of the restaurant around noon, the driver got out, handed the keys to the waiter, walked into the restaurant, and ten minutes later, walked out again as if nothing had happened.
"He's gone," she said thoughtfully, "left on the road..."
"And where could he be now?"
Within seconds of her brows furrowing in thought, Jodie's cell phone vibrated.
She lowered her eyes and saw a short message from Akai Shūichi: "Target found."