The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

”If this really is a series of connected crimes—then the more the killer strikes, the more flaws he inevitably leaves behind. The common characteristics between each case will become increasingly clear.”

”Next, I propose that we perform a consolidated analysis of these five cases, systematically sorting through the hidden logic behind them, looking for the crime pattern that runs throughout.”

”What we need to do is not only identify similarities in the method of operation, but also to attempt to outline the psychological profile of the killer—his motives, his preferences, the pattern in his choice of targets.”

”Only by clarifying these underlying logics can we lay a solid foundation for the next step in the investigation.”

”Perhaps the result we ultimately obtain won’t be perfect, perhaps there will be truths behind the truth.”

”But I believe, as long as we give it our all, the outcome won’t be bad—because everyone standing in this room, comes with reverence for life and a commitment to justice.”

As soon as the voice dropped, everyone swiftly dove into work.

Jiang An wrote down and displayed the detailed information of the five cases one by one: From the first victim to the fifth victim, each person’s basic information, time of discovery, and preliminary forensic findings were clearly marked.

However, even the preliminary comparison revealed the exceptional complexity of the cases—the bodies of the first and fifth victims were found within the city area, while the second victim was discovered at the bottom of a remote cliff, the third victim floated in a suburban pond, and the fourth victim was abandoned deep in a long-deserted mine shaft.

In the evening, Wan walked briskly to Jiang An with a stack of freshly organized materials, speaking rapidly but systematically:

”Mr. Jiang, I repeatedly compared these cases—the dumping sites of the five victims are completely different, and their ages span from twenty-two to forty-five years old.”

”So far, the only explicit commonality between them is that they all worked at the Jinsheng Foot Massage Shop.”

”Does this mean that when selecting targets, the killer only locked onto the characteristics of ’female’ and ’related to the foot massage shop,’ without having specific preferences for age, appearance, and other factors?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yean leaned forward and solemnly agreed: ”Wan, your analysis is indeed reasonable.”

”Based on the clues currently in hand, the killer seems to exhibit no obvious age preference in his choice of targets. The age distribution of the five victims is not concentrated and seems more random or there may be other screening criteria.”

When the voice fell silent, several people simultaneously shifted their gaze to Jiang An standing by the window, silent all along.

They saw Jiang An lightly covering his mouth with one hand, his brow slightly furrowed, evidently engrossed in deep thought.

A moment later, he slowly lifted his head and spoke with a steady tone: ”I have an idea—besides age, have we investigated in-depth the family backgrounds and social relations of these five individuals? What are their specific family compositions?”

Wan, who had been responsible for organizing the materials, immediately flipped open his files and quickly replied: ”Preliminary verification has been done: The first victim’s parents died early, they’ve lived alone for years with almost no direct relatives; the fifth victim was raised by an uncle and aunt from a young age with a weak connection to the original family.”

”The third victim was abandoned in childhood and raised by other village families.”

”The fourth victim has been divorced for years, living alone, with her ex-husband and his family long out of contact.”

”As for the second victim, also divorced with no children, her parents have passed away years ago.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang An nodded thoughtfully and gently tapped the tabletop with his fingertips.

”It seems, besides working at the Jinsheng Foot Massage Shop, these five individuals share another unmissable common point—they lack close family ties, their social network is very fragile, almost in a state of ’no one caring’.”

Wan didn’t react immediately and blurted out: ”What does this mean?”

”Are you saying their family background is also one of the killer’s target characteristics?”

”Exactly,”

Jiang An looked at him with steady eyes, his tone intensifying, ”Once people like that encounter misfortune, it’s like stones dropped in a river, barely stirring a ripple.”

”After they disappear, no one rushes to find them, nor do they attract much social attention.”

”For the killer, such targets...are more concealed, safer, and harder to trace.”

Upon hearing his words, Shu Ning’s expression turned serious and she continued speaking: ”So you’re saying the killer purposely picks on these ’socially invisible people’?”

”Precisely,” Jiang An’s voice grew heavier, ”In the killer’s eyes, they are like ants, alive or dead, ignored by all, which may be the reason they were chosen.”