CHAPTER 618: CHAPTER 618: THE COURIER RETURNS TO THE JIANGHU

"Something’s not right?"

Hearing Luo An’s words, Chenier and Winslow wore puzzled expressions, Mona asked:

"What isn’t right?"

"The content on the paper says the killer wants to play a game with me."

Luo An spread his hands and said:

"But where are the rules of the game? Where are the clues for the next level?

Even if the killer wants to trouble me, not writing down the rules of the game or the clues for the next level on the paper, there should still be something at the scene that doesn’t belong.

But the trace examination department has been processing for so long, and apart from the victims’ flesh and blood, no other abnormalities have been found."

Mona and Chenier exchanged glances with furrowed brows, Winslow thought for a moment and speculated:

"Is it possible that the small express box containing the paper belonged to someone in this office?

That person is the one who wanted to ’play a game’ with you, Luo An.

But there was another person, who for some reason, mailed an explosive package to this office.

Upon opening, the bomb exploded, and so the one who wanted to ’play a game’ died in this office along with the others."

"..."x3

After listening to Winslow’s speculation, Mona and Chenier were speechless, Luo An’s mouth twitched:

"That’s quite a novel way of thinking."

"It’s just that there are too many coincidences."

Chenier glanced at Winslow dismissively and then turned her gaze towards Luo An, asking:

"Luo An, do you mean that you were not actually the target of the killer?"

"No, the target should be me."

Luo An shook his head and explained:

"But I feel, the real intent of the person who wrote this letter is probably not to ’play a game’ with me, he must have other purposes."

Upon hearing this, the three of them Chenier furrowed their brows in thought. Suddenly, Mona’s face changed as she realized something and looked up:

"Is it possible that the killer just wants to blow this up into a big deal.

Luo An can ask Vireness for help to ensure the media doesn’t report on this incident.

But the killer on the other side could also seek out the media to widely publicize the matter!"

Chenier thought for a moment, her face changing dramatically as well, adding:

"Get everyone’s attention on this case, and then deliberately leave no clues... The killer’s plan is to make Luo An unable to find him, ultimately leading to his ruin!"

"Damn it!"

"Son of a bitch!"

Mona and Winslow cursed loudly in an instant, Chenier looked towards Luo An:

"What do we do next?"

Luo An’s brow was slightly furrowed; he still felt that there was something not quite right about Chenier’s analysis, but he couldn’t rule out that possibility either.

Unable to figure out the killer’s logical movements in a short time, Luo An temporarily put it aside and took out his phone to make a call to Reesi:

"How’s it going over there?"

Previously, Reesi and Michelle had arrived in New York with Luo An and the others. Upon reaching the building, the two women had been assigned other tasks by Luo An.

"Work is going smoothly; we’ve obtained all the surveillance footage of this building."

On the phone, Reesi laughed and looking at the computer in front of Michelle, she said:

"Michelle has found the surveillance from before the explosion and saw a suspicious courier.

But the surveillance didn’t capture the guy’s face, Michelle can’t identify him for now, we need Mona to come here and help."

"Good work."

Luo An praised her and quickly briefed Mona on the situation, Mona immediately nodded and agreed without hesitation:

"I’ll go downstairs to handle this."

Mona turned and left briskly, Luo An then turned his gaze to Chenier and Winslow, saying:

"After the explosion, there are a few survivors, currently in a hospital being resuscitated.

You two go to the hospital, wait for the survivors to wake up, briefly inquire about what actually happened before the explosion, and see if you can obtain any useful clues."

"Understood."

"No problem."

Chenier and Winslow nodded, briskly walking toward the elevator not far away.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Luo An first made a phone call to Vireness, then looked at the transparent evidence bag in his hand, and turned his gaze toward the slowly setting sun in the distance, beginning to ponder seriously.

Before long, the ringtone of Luo An’s cell phone suddenly sounded. After pressing the answer button, Mona’s voice came from the phone:

"Luo An, I found that courier guy!"

"Good."

Luo An put away the transparent evidence bag and walked quickly to the nearby elevator, asking:

"What’s that guy’s name?"

"Blake Morse, 45 years old this year."

Mona answered quickly over the phone:

"However, upon entering this person’s information into the FBI internal database, it shows that this identity is fake.

The courier’s real name is Ham Mark, 49 years old, and he also has a sexual assault case on his record."

"What does it mean to have a sexual assault case on his record?"

Luo An asked with confusion:

"Does it mean he hasn’t been caught by law enforcement? Or is it something else?"

"No, Ham Mark was caught by local police three years ago."

Mona replied:

"But before the court hearing, Ham Mark applied for bail. During his bail, he managed to secretly escape the control of law enforcement authorities.

Ever since, this guy has gone off the radar, until today when we discovered him."

"So, a sexual offender who disappeared for a long time resurfaces by killing a bunch of people with a package bomb."

Luo An’s eyes narrowed:

"This kind of comeback is indeed novel."

Mona agreed:

"Indeed novel, and this guy even knows your name, Luo An."

The elevator doors closed, temporarily suspending the phone conversation. Luo An quickly reached the ground floor of the building, pushed the door to a certain office, and directly asked:

"Where is this Mr. Ham Mark now?"

In the office, Mona and Michelle each sat behind a laptop, with Reesi standing by, waiting.

Upon hearing Luo An’s question, Mona tapped a few keys on the keyboard and quickly replied:

"Ham Mark has no tax records for the past three years, no bank cards, and no bank accounts; it’s highly probable that he has always been using cash for transactions."

Luo An’s expression was unchanged:

"So, we can’t find him?"

"No, I’ve already found him."

Mona’s lips curled up slightly, a trace of triumph on her face:

"I spotted him in the surveillance at a bus station in Western New York.

The bus station’s record shows that he paid cash for a bus ticket to Massachusetts, and that bus departed forty minutes ago."

"It seems our Mr. Ham Mark is quick on his feet."

Seeing the information on the computer, Luo An grinned and ordered:

"Mona, Michelle, contact the bus station and have them get in touch with the bus driver, telling them there’s an escapee on board and to take an extended break at the next stop.

Reesi, contact the SWAT team, we’re heading out to bring Mr. Ham Mark back to New York."

"No problem!"

"Understood!"

Michelle and Mona responded loudly, and Reesi promptly followed Luo An out of the office. They both got into the SUV of Investigation Team Thirteen, pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the car instantly rushed out toward the target location.

It was after six o’clock in the evening, and the traffic on New York City’s roads was heavy, but the SUV driven by Luo An maneuvered like a nimble fish, speeding forward into the distance amidst the astonished gazes of drivers.

It wasn’t long before Mona’s voice came through the communicator near Luo An and Reesi’s ears:

"The bus driver has been contacted, and he is very cooperative. He said that it’s twenty minutes away from the next stop."

"OK, pass on my thanks."

Luo An nodded in satisfaction, just as Reesi’s cell phone suddenly rang. After answering, Chenier’s voice came through:

"Luo An, new developments have been found at the hospital."