Robbery and Murder Department, Squad One.
At nine in the morning, Luke was sitting at his desk reviewing documents.
Yesterday afternoon, after he had taken Melanie Hickman's statement, he spoke with other employees of the company to learn more about Hashimoto Yumi.
At the moment, Luke was comparing the testimonies of several people, gaining a deeper understanding of Hashimoto Yumi.
First, Hashimoto Yumi was a person with a strong career drive, typifying a powerful female executive; she was quite strict with her subordinates, and her colleagues knew little about her private life.
Actually, this situation was normal; being a streetwalker was nothing to be proud of, and Hashimoto Yumi certainly wouldn't want her company colleagues to know.
If they did find out, she wouldn't be able to stay at the company for long.
After comparing several testimonies, Luke left his office, rolled the whiteboard to the front of the work area, and called out, "Guys, meeting time."
Luke drew a tree diagram on the whiteboard; at the top was the victim Hashimoto Yumi's name, beneath it were four branches: the apartment where the incident took place, the company, Hashimoto Yumi's home, and relatives and friends.
Luke added another branch under the apartment where the incident took place and asked, "How's the investigation of the surveillance around the apartment going?"
Jenny said, "The area around the victim's apartment is quite messy, and there are practically no cameras there; even if there are, they're usually broken.
According to a statement from her neighbor in the apartment, Kevin Rodman, the victim frequently solicited clients on the Ronnie Street in front of her apartment.
There are surveillance cameras at the intersections of Ronnie Street, and we captured the victim's red Ferrari on them.
At the same time, we noted vehicles that passed before and after the incident, which still need to be further filtered."
Los Angeles covers a vast area with a low population density; it's difficult to move around without a car, making transportation a good direction for the investigation.
Luke turned to his deputy and asked, "Any progress on your end?"
The deputy said, "We went to investigate Hashimoto Yumi's home, the place was cleaned very neatly, and there was very little furniture and living supplies, just some essentials.
Nothing looked amiss at Hashimoto Yumi's home, no clues related to being a streetwalker, nor any men's items found.
It very much fits the residence style of a corporate executive."
Jack said, "I checked her phone communication records, most of which were with colleagues, and she didn't contact her parents very often.
Also, I've notified her parents to come and identify the body, but they're still in Tokyo, so it might take a few more days."
After listening to everyone's reports, Luke said, "Jackson and I went to investigate at Hashimoto Yumi's company. Hashimoto Yumi indeed was an executive at an architectural design firm, with an annual salary of around 1.4 million US dollars. She wasn't short of money, so there were no financial issues.
From what her colleagues said, she didn't have a boyfriend and spent most of her time working, a true career woman."
Jenny said, "I've met many streetwalkers, each with their own hardships, but in the end, it all comes down to 'money.'
Hashimoto Yumi wasn't short of money, so why did she become a streetwalker?"
Jack stroked his chin, thoughtfully saying, "In this world, money can solve many problems, but it's not omnipotent.
There's a condition called 'sex addiction,' and if not satisfied, one can become very unhappy.
Could Hashimoto Yumi have been a sex addict? With her being busy at work and having no time for a boyfriend, but unable to control her sexual desires, she turned to being a streetwalker."
Considering Hashimoto Yumi's situation, Luke thought it was certainly possible, "Marcus, go check Hashimoto Yumi's medical records to see if there's anything like that.
Also, check if her assistant, Melanie Hickman, has any mental health issues."
Jackson said, "Assuming Hashimoto Yumi didn't become a streetwalker for financial reasons, then why was she killed?
What was the killer's motive?"
The deputy yawned, saying, "Most psychopathic killers mainly target women and children because they're easier to attack.
It's not easy to silently take down an adult man; killers are bad, but they're not stupid.
No matter the era or country, prostitutes are the lowest tier of society, living without a fixed address, having complex social relationships, existing in the shadows of society, and are inherently prone to encounter bad people.
Most prostitutes are solitary, and if they get killed, nobody knows.
Moreover, the complex nature of their relationships brings great difficulty to investigative work.
All these factors combined make them the perfect prey in the eyes of psychopathic killers."
"So, we're likely dealing with a psychopathic killer." Jack seemed to remember something, "Right, the victim had the letter 'H' left on her body, which is also characteristic of a serial killer, isn't it?
What does the letter 'H' signify? Is it a name, or does it have another meaning?"
The deputy shrugged, "We don't have enough clues to be sure right now."
There was a knock at the door.
Technical expert Mary pushed open the door, "Are you having a meeting?"
"Exactly, and you've arrived just in time," Luke waved her in, indicating for Mary to take a seat, "Got any new leads from your side?"
Mary said, "There were too many hairs in that house, aside from Hashimoto Yumi's, they all belong to males.
We simply don't have enough funds to identify all the hairs.