Robbery and Murder Department, Squad One, Meeting Room.
At nine o'five in the morning, Susan punctually called to order a case summary meeting.
Little Black glanced around, "Where are Raymond and Jenny? Why aren't they here?"
Susan said, "They've gone to track down the murderer's whereabouts."
"Wow … what did I miss?" Little Black asked, surprised.
Last night, in order to avoid any impropriety, Little Black had not participated in the arrest and interrogation of Pari.
Luke had also not attended the interrogation of Pari.
Both of them had left work earlier.
The interrogation of Pari had been handled by the deputy squad leader and David.
Raymond, Matthew, and Jenny were instead investigating the murderer's whereabouts.
Susan spoke up, "Deputy leader, tell us about the progress made during yesterday's interrogation."
The deputy cleared his throat and spoke, "We reached a plea agreement with Pari Jones, dropping the charges of obstructing law enforcement against her and only charging her with possession of stolen goods.
Moreover, she agreed not to further investigate or report on the homicides related to Dracula Bar.
The relevant evidence was also turned over to the police."
Little Black spread his hands, "Is that it?"
The deputy countered, "What else would you have us do? Do you really think a business card could send her to prison?
Luke, you caught her, what do you think?
"I have no objections," Luke said indifferently.
The police investigation into Pari Jones was not aimed at putting her in jail, but rather to prove that her investigative activities on the Dracula Bar homicides were illegal and hampering the police investigation to some extent.
That way, the police could properly confiscate the footage obtained by her through illegal means.
In plain terms, they didn't want the sensational news of a vampire killing making it into the press.
From the results, the police's goals were achieved.
Little Black inquired, "Did Pari Jones know that the business card was stolen?"
The deputy countered, "Would you print someone else's business card?"
"Why would I print someone else's business card?"
The deputy said, "Exactly, since it belonged to the deceased, it must have been obtained from the crime scene; as a reporter, she obviously wouldn't be unaware of such a simple fact.
The police weren't wrong to arrest her at all."
Little Black said, "What about the charge of obstructing law enforcement? Did Pari Jones warn Michael not to give the video to the police?"
The deputy chuckled, "You don't look very smart."
Little Black rolled his eyes, "You annoying old fool."
The deputy countered, "Why are you insulting me?"
The deputy explained, "I was merely commenting on your appearance."
Little Black said, "I think you were insulting me."
The deputy snapped his fingers, "See? The same sentence can take on different meanings from different perspectives."
He looked towards Luke and repeated the phrase, "You don't look very smart."
Luke smiled, "There's nobody here smarter than me."
The deputy looked at Little Black, "The same sentence produces different effects when directed at different people.
You get angry, while Luke is indifferent.
The same words, even from one person, can have such an effect, let alone when two people are involved in a dispute."
The deputy shrugged and continued,
"In actual investigations, suspects always try to provide statements that are beneficial to them. Where there's evidence, it obviously prevails, but some details are hard to judge.
Whoever cooperates with the police, the police tends to favor their testimony.
They are smart, they all understood my point, and they each reached a plea deal.
A plea deal that is advantageous for the police.
Susan clapped her hands, "Reid would really appreciate your efficiency, it saved the department quite a bit in overtime and expenses." Then, Susan shifted gears, "Let's now talk about leads on the murderer."
Matthew spoke up, "After they arrested someone last night at the TV station, Raymond and I started checking the surveillance videos related to the murder. The murderer always had his back to the dashcams during the crime.
We reviewed the bar's lobby surveillance, but due to poor lighting and angles, the footage was not very clear. We could only determine that the suspect is a Caucasian male.
Identified by height, clothing, gestures, and shoes.
We checked the surrounding area's surveillance.
The murderer fled from the scene immediately after committing the crime, and through roadside surveillance, we found that he got into a cab.
Raymond and Jenny are now investigating the drivers who were pulling fares in the area at that time, and we expect to hear from them soon."
David added, "I also watched the surveillance video of the murder. The murderer jumped out directly from the back door of the bar, overpowered the victim, and bit them. What was his motive?"
Little Black suggested, "Could it have been a prank?"
After a moment, Luke responded, "It's unlikely to be a prank. The victim's neck wound, though not fatal, was also not negligible—he lost quite a bit of blood.
That doesn't seem like just a prank."
Little Black broached an old topic, "Could it really be ..."
Though Little Black didn't finish his sentence, everyone understood what he was hinting at.
David scoffed, "Bullshit, I don't believe in such nonsense."
Luke mentioned, "I've heard of a condition called 'vampirism syndrome,' also known as porphyria.
It's a blood disorder characterized by photosensitive dermatitis, abdominal pain, and neuropsychiatric disturbances.
Patients with this disease fear sunlight exposure, and many live in relatively dark places."
Little Black's eyes widened inquiringly, "Do these patients need to drink blood for treatment?"