The FBI's internal database only has fingerprints and DNA of those who have been imprisoned for crimes or have undergone related tests.
People who have never been caught by law enforcement for crimes or have never taken related tests are difficult to find by the FBI or any other law enforcement agency when searching for them the first time.
Hearing Luo An mention another possibility, Michelle and Winslow were both stunned for a moment, and Chenier and Reesi were the first to react, frowning and saying:
"You mean there's an issue with the victim's identity?"
Mona also thought of this and suddenly became a bit excited, speculating:
"Could it be that the victim's information has been deliberately hidden by some department or some people?"
Thinking of Mona's habit of hacking into various departmental systems with her computer, Luo An's mouth twitched, and he waved his hand and said:
"Let's not focus on that for now, Mona. Is there information about that stamp in the folder?"
Mona lowered her head:
"It's on the last page."
Winslow suddenly raised his hand and spoke up:
"The Trace Examination Department used some reagents I don't understand to restore the pattern on the victim's arm.
It's a red heart with two small horns on top, and inside the heart are two stylized letters that look like a K and an S."
Mona flipped to the last page in the folder, pursed her lips as she looked at the pattern photo there, and Luo An turned his gaze to Michelle, who from afar said:
"Sorry, Mona and I found many bars that stamp people, but none had a similar pattern."
"What about private parties, clubs, restaurants?"
Mona closed the folder and looked up to reply:
"We can't access some private organizations, and those we can, none have a similar pattern."
Disappointment flashed in Winslow and Reesi's eyes, while Chenier was silent in contemplation. Mona set the folder aside and, eager to try, said in a low voice:
"Luo An, do you want me to..."
Seeing Mona eager to hack with the computer, Luo An felt a mix of headache and helplessness.
He waved his hand to tell her to wait, took the folder, and went into the team leader's office to call Vireness.
After listening to Luo An's description, Vireness on the phone immediately agreed to help investigate.
Less than twenty minutes later, the phone rang again, Luo An pressed the answer button, and Vireness said:
"I've found out, it's the emblem of a private club in the Southern Special Zone.
I've just contacted the person in charge of that club, and they've cut some surveillance footage for you. Just send someone to get it."
Luo An's face showed a smile at these words:
"No need to thank me."
On the other end, Vireness crossed her legs with a smile and said softly:
"Luo An, this is the first case treated by Investigation Team 13, you must work hard to investigate.
In case of any problems, remember to call me or Mr. Clement in a timely manner."
Luo An grasped the implied message of having "strong support at any moment" in Vireness's words and immediately laughed and agreed.
After the call ended, Luo An walked out of the office and handed the folder to Mona, saying:
"The source of the stamp has been found out. Chenier, Reesi, the two of you head to this location in the Southern Special Zone and get the surveillance back."
Chenier and Reesi gave Luo An a somewhat surprised look, nodded in agreement, and set off immediately. Winslow and Michelle were also a bit surprised, while Mona sighed and weakened her keystrokes a bit.
About forty minutes later, Chenier and Reesi returned to the office area quickly, holding a laptop.
Reesi handed the computer to Mona, and with a few simple operations, she soon played the surveillance video provided by the club owner.
The surveillance video was very short, just under thirty seconds, and the scene in the footage had only one location, which seemed to be the entrance.
Winslow frowned and asked in a low voice:
"Reesi, what kind of club is that?"
"I don't know, we didn't get inside the club."
Chenier looked normal, but Reesi had a slightly strange expression, whispering:
"But judging by my experience, that club is probably quite interesting."
Winslow rolled her eyes at Reesi, while Luo An, seeing Reesi stop short of further comment, frowned and asked:
"Reesi, what have you found?"
Reesi paused briefly, pulled Luo An to the side where there was no one, and whispered:
"Luo An, do you still remember the first missing case we worked on together?"
Luo An thought for a moment and asked:
"Are you talking about Sabina's case (Chapter 20), where the husband and wife each did their own thing?"
Reesi nodded and whispered:
"The private club Chenier and I just went to has the same atmosphere as the entertainment center Sabina visited."
Remembering the entertainment center filled with licentious sounds, where men and women indulged in chaos, surrounded by toys and whips, Luo An was silent for a while before asking a question:
"Did you say you and Chenier didn't actually enter the private club?"
"Believe me, Luo An, I'm talking about atmosphere, not smell."
Reesi, with her hands on her hips and a serious expression, said with a hint of pride:
"I've been to quite a few places over the years, I've plenty of experience, Chenier definitely can't compare to me in this respect."
Luo An, speechless, didn't know what to say, so he just patted Reesi's shoulder. Just then, Mona exclaimed loudly that she found something, and the two hurried over.
"This is the sports car the victim drove that night."
Mona adjusted the position of the surveillance video a few times, and the screen showed the victim arriving at the club's entrance by car, handing over the keys to the valet.
"I checked the information of that sports car, it comes from a rental car company."
Mona's fingers flew rapidly over the keyboard, her eyes shining brighter, and finally, a photo of a man's face popped up on the computer screen. She laughed and said:
"The person who rented the car is him, Nockvic-Brage!"
Luo An loudly praised Mona for a few sentences, then asked:
"What does this guy do?"
"Not clear, but it's definitely a private gig."
Michelle tapped on the computer keyboard a few times and added:
"Nockvic-Brage, 40 years old, has a wife, no children, lives in a commonplace community in the northeast of Washington D.C.
There's no employment record, but his bank account has regular transactions, each amount not too much, just below the threshold that would trigger IRS investigations."
Luo An continued asking:
"Any criminal records?"
"Clean as a sheet of paper."
Mona's fingers danced on the keyboard for a few seconds, looked at the information she found, and said meaningfully:
"A 40-year-old man, without even a single speeding ticket or record of running a red light."
"How law-abiding of a federal resident, quite rare indeed."
A glint passed through Luo An's eyes, and he patted Chenier's shoulder:
"Chenier, let's go have a chat with Mr. Nockvic-Brage's widow.
Winslow, Reesi, Mona, Michelle, check where Nockvic went after he left the club last night and who he met."
As the political center of the federation, Washington D.C. is at the forefront of the federal level in terms of economy, culture, etc., and consumption level is likewise high, which means a lot of pressure for ordinary people living here.
In a community in Northeast Washington D.C., mainly housing ordinary residents, Luo An and Chenier rang the doorbell of a red small apartment building.
Soon, a female voice rang out from inside the apartment:
Luo An took out the gold FBI badge from his pocket and flashed it, the apartment was silent for a few seconds, and the main door slowly opened.
A woman in her thirties, wearing dark blue clothes and with brown hair, gestured for them to enter while asking:
"Please come in, what are you here for? Or are you looking for Nockvic? My husband is not here; he's been out of town for a few days on a job."
Luo An and Chenier exchanged glances and asked:
"May I ask what Mr. Nockvic's work is?"
"He's a taxi driver."