The following morning, Friday.
Robbery and Murder Department Squad One.
As Friday arrived again, the office atmosphere grew tense. Alyssa's potential abduction suggested that the suspects in the Taser gun robbery case weren't planning to back down.
No one knew whether they would strike again tonight.
An intangible pressure made Susan's expression appear even more serious.
"Everyone, to the conference room for a meeting," she announced.
Luke and the others made their way into the conference room one after another.
Jenny thoughtfully poured coffee for everyone.
Luke nodded slightly in acknowledgment, "Thank you."
Susan took a sip of coffee, set her cup down, and asked, "Does anyone have new developments in their investigations of the case?"
Raymond said, "I've been looking into cases from twenty years past. There was a case involving a Taser gun robbery, but the suspect was apprehended and convicted, with a different life trajectory than Tony's.
Plus, there were some unresolved robbery and kidnapping cases from that year. I've been comparing those clues with the Taser gun robbery case, but so far, I haven't found any common leads."
The deputy continued, "Actually, I believe the Taser gun robbery case is different from ordinary robberies or kidnappings. First, the previous two victims were robbed, but the purpose of the perpetrator is unclear.
As for Alyssa's disappearance, if it was a kidnapping, it doesn't fit the pattern of a typical kidnap case.
In a typical kidnapping, the criminal usually contacts the family for a ransom right away. But in reality, the family hasn't received any ransom demands, and Alyssa's family isn't wealthy.
I lean more towards a personal vendetta."
Luke said, "I agree with the deputy's view.
Furthermore, we previously speculated that the suspect was acting alone. Is it possible that the crimes were committed by a group, with different individuals responsible for each incident? This would provide them with alibis.
Harry, a member of the street racing gang, knew Tony and had a conflict with Alyssa; I don't think we can completely rule out his suspicion."
Susan nodded, "David, keep a close eye on your informant."
Jenny hesitated, "Uh... If Alyssa has indeed been kidnapped by the suspect, it's been a week now without a ransom demand. Does that mean she might have already met with misfortune?"
The room fell into a brief silence.
If Alyssa had been killed, they would have to change their search approach.
Someone knocked from outside the conference room door. Matthew walked in, sensing the tense atmosphere, "Uh... Is this a bad time?"
"What is it?" they asked.
"Ah, I re-examined Alyssa's financial situation and discovered that she had a cash transaction not too long ago amounting to 15,000 US Dollars."
"That's a significant sum for Alyssa," Susan pressed on, "What was it used for?"
"Alyssa rented a shop. It's in a good location at 103 Main Avenue."
"When was it rented?"
The deputy spoke, "She rented the shop on February 11th, and the first Taser gun robbery happened on February 18th, a week apart. I think it's necessary to investigate this shop.
Matthew, send me the landlord's phone number.
Luke, David, come with me."
Susan's face was stern, but she did not object.
Luke and the others arrived at 103 Main Avenue.
The shop door was tightly shuttered, with blinds covering the inside of the glass door, obscuring the view inside.
Next door at 102 was a coffee shop, while 104 was also up for rent.
On the way there, Luke pondered why Alyssa would want to rent a shop. Could it be she really wanted to resign?
It was a distinct possibility considering that dancing at a club wasn't exactly commendable, coupled with the pressure from her family.
Could the resignation text actually have been sent by her? But then, where had she gone? Why hadn't she contacted her parents?
David called the landlord.
A few minutes later, a middle-aged white man with a prominent belly came over, "Hey, is it you who called?"
David flashed his badge, "I am Detective Chief David, this is Deputy Team Leader Vincent."
Luke was directly overlooked.
"My name is Kerman, what did you mean when you said my shop was involved in a kidnapping case?"
"The tenant of the shop was kidnapped."
Kerman showed a surprised expression, "When?"
"Last Friday." David took out a photo of Alyssa, "Was it her who rented the house?"
The deputy team leader pressed, "Either it is or it isn't, why are there two answers?"
"Um... to be exact, it was her husband who handled the rental contract. He used her identity to arrange the lease as a surprise for her."
Luke pulled up a photo of Steven on his phone, "Is it him?"
The deputy team leader asked, "Did the wife appear during the rental process?"
Kerman spread his hands, "Would that still be a surprise?"
The deputy team leader pointed his right thumb towards the shop, "Open the door, we need to conduct a search."
Kerman seemed troubled, "The shop has already been rented out, and legally speaking, I cannot enter without the tenant's permission."
The deputy team leader said, "Alyssa might have been kidnapped, the case is under investigation, and the police have the authority to inspect shops registered under her name."
"OK, you call the shots." Kerman unlocked the shop and made a welcoming gesture for Luke and his party to enter.
Although the door was locked from the outside, Luke and the others still instinctively drew their guns as a precaution.
The shop was not large, divided into two parts, the front part was over twenty square meters, and the back part was only about ten square meters.
Luke asked, "What were they planning to do with this shop?"
"A restaurant." Kerman also walked into the shop, "This shop is in a prime location with a large flow of people nearby and many tourists, perfect for a restaurant."
The deputy team leader put on gloves and touched the blue wall on the east side, "What color was this wall before?"
Kerman answered, "White."
"The wall seems to have been freshly painted." The deputy team leader wrinkled his nose, "Do you smell anything unusual?"
Luke also came over to sniff, "It smells like disinfectant."
The deputy team leader frowned deeply, "Call and have the forensic team sent over."
The forensic team arrived at the shop.
The deputy team leader spoke with the head of the forensic team for a few moments, and then the technicians began a thorough inspection of the shop.
An hour later, the forensic inspection was complete.
The head of the forensic team was Mary Su, an Asian woman in her thirties, of medium height and slightly slim build.
The deputy team leader asked, "Mary, what does the scene look like?"
"We found extensive splatter bloodstains on the wall and floor, which have been treated with disinfectant and are invisible to the naked eye.
However, when sprayed with Luminol Reagent, the areas with bloodstains emit a blue fluorescence." Mary Su pulled down the blinds, sprayed the chemical on the wall and floor, and used a long tube light to illuminate it.
"You see these blue swirls? All these are bloodstains that someone tried to wipe off the wall."
"Can you confirm it's human blood?"
"The amount of blood is enough to kill an adult!" the deputy team leader sighed softly, addressing Luke and the others, "I will call the captain and ask her to apply for an arrest warrant for Steven.
You guys head to Steven's house immediately."