CHAPTER 272: CHAPTER 181 DEFORMED LOVE_2

Dean looked at Lawrence with admiration. When it came to taking the blame, this guy was experienced and had a keen nose for it. He truly was the man with the most complaint records in the entire Los Angeles Police Department.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Dean led Merck to the conference room. Daisy, showing her perceptiveness, promptly served two cups of coffee. In front of outsiders, she ensured Dean looked good.

...

Merck drank his coffee, easing the fatigue from a sleepless night. Dean quickly flipped through the documents in his hands. This was the file of a woman suspected of being a follower of the Cannibal Demon.

According to the information in the documents, the woman’s name was Yamaguchi Yuko, 17 years old, of Japanese heritage, and from a well-off family. Yamaguchi Yuko’s father was the owner of a chain of local Japanese restaurants, with assets exceeding ten million. On her mother’s side, many relatives were married to white-collar employees in local government and members of the police force. Some of them were quite high-status individuals. This was also why Merck considered her a tricky case and had not directly summoned her.

Under the close surveillance of the FBI’s Cyber Investigations Division, Yamaguchi Yuko had become a fanatical follower of the Cannibal Demon six months ago after discovering one of his cannibalistic videos on the dark web. She not only supported the Cannibal Demon with Virtual Coins through special channels but also continuously sent requests to meet via his online account. And the Cannibal Demon had responded to her.

Two days ago, Yamaguchi Yuko took leave from school and arranged to meet the Cannibal Demon at XX Bar. However, she didn’t actually go to the bar. Instead, she went directly to the hotel where Dean and the others were staying, booked a room, and then returned to campus. Merck and his team suspected Yamaguchi Yuko and the Cannibal Demon had another way to communicate!

Considering the information Merck had mentioned earlier, Dean had a hunch.

Putting away the files, he looked at Merck, who was silently drinking his coffee. "Agent Merck, did the forensics department find anything additional about the severed palm yesterday?"

Merck took a sip of the strong coffee, nodded, and said, "Most findings were consistent with what you mentioned, Detective Dean, but the forensic conclusion is more precise."

"According to the tests, the severed palm originated from a male corpse that had been dead for over 24 hours. The deceased was around 30 years old and had a deep wedding ring mark on his ring finger, indicating he was most likely married. Additionally, forensics colleagues found some green wasabi under his fingernails. The only regret is that there’s no data on the deceased in our database."

"Green wasabi!"

Dean became even more certain of his speculation. Seeing that Merck didn’t seem to grasp its significance, he explained, "Wasabi usually comes in two types: yellow and green. Yellow mustard primarily comes from China and is made from the seeds of mustard plants. Green wasabi primarily originates from Europe and is made from horseradish. This plant is naturally pale yellow but is dyed green. It has a pungent aroma and is commonly used as a flavoring in Japanese cuisine."

Merck set down his cup, his pupils constricting slightly. "Detective Dean, are you suggesting that the victim went to a Japanese restaurant before he died?"

"He might have been an employee of a Japanese restaurant or simply a customer. Additionally, I must remind you: the Cannibal Demon hasn’t been in Los Angeles long, yet he clearly knew the surveillance layout and status of that commercial street. He definitely had help from someone very familiar with the surroundings. I suggest you focus your investigation on Yamaguchi Yuko!"

Yamaguchi Yuko’s father happened to be the owner of many Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles. She was also a follower of the Cannibal Demon. And since Yamaguchi Yuko may have recently been in contact with the Cannibal Demon... She’s a prime suspect!

After organizing these thoughts, Merck stood up and expressed his gratitude to Dean. "Detective Dean, I’m truly grateful for your help. When it comes to keen observation of clues and Psychological Deduction, you’re the most exceptional young person I’ve ever met, bar none!"

Dean smiled faintly, taking Merck’s praise with equanimity. From their brief contact, he had already figured out that the Merck before him, like Old Hunter, had some skill, but really, just a little. He wondered how he had ever become a senior agent at the FBI.

..

After seeing Merck off, the members of the Fourth Squad immediately gathered around, their faces full of gossip.

"Dean, what did you talk about with him? I feel like he’s a completely different person from before he went into the conference room, like..."

Lawrence, with his limited vocabulary, struggled for a moment before articulating vividly, "Like a hopeless man who’s seen a savior and found redemption."

Dean gave him a thumbs-up. "Lawrence, if the teacher who taught you literature back in the day could hear how well you articulate now, they’d surely be gratified."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "But Lawrence’s description was spot on. I could see that agent, Merck, looking at you with great respect. You clearly won him over."

"It wasn’t that exaggerated. I just gave him some advice on the Cannibal Demon case." Dean lounged comfortably in his chair, propping his feet up. "While there’s still time, you should discuss among yourselves whether you’ll partner with me or Lawrence. Otherwise, Captain Monet will have to make the assignments."

Upon hearing this, Harry and Robert immediately raised their hands. "Dean, I want to be with you!"

Lawrence: "..." Fuck! Those two bastards! They’re showing me no respect at all!

He looked pitifully towards Phoebe.

Phoebe gave Lawrence a sweet smile, taking his hand.

A look of relief flashed through Lawrence’s eyes. She’s my girlfriend, after all; she’ll support me.

The next moment, the scar on Phoebe’s face twitched as she smiled and said, "Sorry, Lawrence. If possible, I’d also like to follow Dean. That way, at least we can save up to buy a house sooner, instead of following you and dealing with complaints."

Lawrence: "..."

...

Perhaps it was because Christmas had just passed, but the criminals seemed to be taking a break. Today was uneventful. Bored, Dean had spent the afternoon reading chemistry and biology books. He hadn’t had the energy or time to work on Little Mike’s ’Wei Ge’ formula, so he decided to teach himself the relevant knowledge.

Now, it was becoming harder to level up. Dean couldn’t rely solely on the panel to improve himself. With his Spirit attribute now at fifteen points, he could pick up and understand anything quickly. Self-improvement is the ultimate path.

At five in the afternoon, Dean stretched lazily, ready to leave work early to meet the real estate agent he had an appointment with.

Suddenly, a piece of information flashed through his mind: [Assisted in solving the Los Angeles cannibalism case, Experience Points +400, Level 17 (1600/3200)]

Is Merck that efficient? Instead of feeling pleased about the Experience Points, Dean looked confused. The key is, how could the capture of a ’Cannibal Demon’ who had eaten who knows how many people be worth only four hundred Experience Points? That’s not logical! Unless... this case wasn’t the work of the Cannibal Demon at all, but a copycat!

As he pondered, FBI Senior Agent Merck called him.

Dean answered the call.

On the other end of the phone, Merck’s grateful voice came through. "Detective Dean, thanks to your reminder, we’ve caught the cannibal who was gnawing on the severed palm. The outcome was quite unexpected."

"Yamaguchi Yuko?" Dean asked tentatively.

Merck replied, "...Yes." He sounded deflated. Talking with smart people could be disheartening and make one feel inadequate, especially for an old fox like him.

Merck continued, "Following your hint, we quickly identified the owner of the severed palm. It turned out that the palm belonged to a person of Japanese descent, and he was Yamaguchi Yuko’s cousin. One was seventeen, still in high school; the other was twenty-nine, married with children. After Dick identified him, he immediately detained Yamaguchi Yuko. Then, by searching her chat records and residence, they found the rest of her cousin’s remains. At this point, Dick, an experienced detective, actually showed signs of nausea. He said, ’Dean, you absolutely can’t imagine how insane this 17-year-old girl is. After she killed her cousin, she deliberately bought an extra-large freezer, froze his body, intending to dismember him bit by bit and then consume it all! I asked her why she did it. She told me that this way, she could be with her cousin forever and ever...’"

Hearing this, Dean shook his head. He didn’t need to guess to know that this was a perverse love that transgressed ethical boundaries.