Chapter 76: Chapter 72: Geographic Profiling

Zhao Lin frowned. The killer had struck five times in the same area. Was it confidence or madness?

"Is there anything different from the previous times?"

The coroner shook his head. "It’s hard to tell right now. We’ll have to take the body back for a more thorough examination."

However, he then added, "If I had to point out one difference from the other times, it’s that this body has more injuries."

"Look... Before killing the victim, the murderer crushed her left scapula, broke three of her ribs, and inflicted other wounds."

’What a sicko...’ Zhao Lin sucked in a cold breath and looked up, scanning the crowd at the scene.

They say killers like to return to the scene of the crime. ’Could he be in this crowd right now?’

Zhao Lin lowered his gaze and focused all his hearing, carefully distinguishing the breathing, voices, and footsteps of everyone present.

After a long while, he slowly shook his head.

’If I had the sense of smell of a Fragrant Mink, I might be able to track the killer by the scent he left on the victim.’

’Unfortunately, it’s too late to absorb an Essence Soul now.’

Besides, the cost would be too high. Using up a precious slot in the Spirit Beast Scroll just to solve one case wasn’t worth it.

After surveying the scene, Zhao Lin asked Liang Song and He Qingquan, "What do you think our next step should be?"

They both shook their heads.

He Qingquan said, "The killer is a martial artist, far more mentally resilient and capable than an ordinary person, and he’s a repeat offender..."

He sighed, the unspoken meaning being that he had no ideas either.

Zhao Lin thought for a moment, then told the three of them to go question nearby residents for any clues, while he himself would return to the yamen with the coroner.

"Constable Zhao, the Magistrate requests your presence."

Zhao Lin had gone to the records office to get the case files, preparing to review them again. Just as he returned to the constables’ office, a yamen runner was waiting there and delivered the message.

He had no choice but to put away the files and follow the man to the main yamen hall to see Magistrate Liu.

"Constable Zhao, I’ve heard about this morning’s case. This matter is of grave importance. You must find the real killer at once."

Magistrate Liu didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point.

Zhao Lin quickly replied, "This subordinate understands and will do everything in my power. It’s just that..."

Magistrate Liu raised an eyebrow. "Just what?"

Zhao Lin said in a low voice, "The killer is brazenly arrogant, treating our county’s defenses as if they were nothing. This subordinate is worried that after holding back for three months, he’s about to go on an unstoppable spree."

"You’re worried he’ll continue to commit crimes in defiance of our efforts?"

"Precisely."

Magistrate Liu pondered for a moment before saying, "That is indeed a necessary precaution. But rest assured, I’ve already spoken with the garrison commander and had him double the manpower for the night patrols, leaving no opportunity for the criminal."

"Your Honor’s foresight is admirable, and this subordinate is impressed. However, judging from the victim’s injuries, the killer’s cultivation is at least at the Bone Training Stage. He might even be a Qi Realm expert. Ordinary patrolmen would be no match for him."

At this, Zhao Lin paused before continuing, "This subordinate suggests we assign a Qi Realm expert to oversee the situation."

Magistrate Liu glanced up at him. "Who do you think would be suitable?"

"Chief Constable Sun is a Qi Realm expert. He is intelligent, decisive, and exceptionally brave. He would be the best choice."

Zhao Lin said, his expression unchanging.

’I can’t bear this burden alone. I need to drag Sun Zhang into this. Let him suffer through a few sleepless nights first.’

Magistrate Liu agreed without a second thought. "Good, I grant your request. Sun Zhang will be on night patrol. During the day, you will act as the chief constable of the eastern district. I will issue the order shortly. Are there any other difficulties?"

"None for now. This subordinate will go investigate the case immediately."

Zhao Lin left the yamen and went back to poring over the case files.

Around noon, the coroner came to the constables’ office. "Constable Zhao, I found this on the deceased’s clothing."

Zhao Lin looked closely and saw the coroner holding three strands of hair, each about an inch long.

One was white, and the other two were salt-and-pepper.

"It’s an old sicko!"

The coroner was taken aback. "A what?"

Zhao Lin corrected himself. "I mean, the killer is an old man."

"Right!"

The coroner nodded. "I’d estimate his age is between fifty and sixty."

"I didn’t expect that..."

Zhao Lin murmured to himself, thinking back. Huang Xiangqin’s father wore his hair long; it wouldn’t be this short. This hair must have been left by the killer.

"Excellent. Any other findings?"

The coroner stepped forward and whispered, "There are signs of invasion in the deceased’s private area, but she was still a virgin."

"Still a virgin?"

Zhao Lin was very surprised, but he quickly understood. ’The more twisted they are, the more likely they’re impotent.’

In the afternoon, Liang Song and the other two constables returned to the yamen, but they hadn’t found any useful information.

Zhao Lin felt the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. If he couldn’t solve this case, his career as a constable would likely be over.

Even if not for his own sake, he desperately wanted to catch the killer. Who knew how many more innocent people would suffer if a person like that remained at large.

...

Zhao Lin stayed in the constables’ office until nightfall, wearing the case files out with his constant reading, but he still had no leads.

"Get some sleep," Liang Song advised, seeing that Zhao Lin was so tired he couldn’t stop yawning. "Tomorrow we can go back and check the previous crime scenes."

"Alright."

Zhao Lin put down the files, went into the courtyard to splash his face with water, then lay down on his bed fully clothed.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he suddenly remembered a movie he’d seen in his past life about a dismemberment case.

"I’ve got it!"

Zhao Lin shot up in bed.

Liang Song, startled, asked, "What is it?"

"It’s nothing. You go to sleep."

Zhao Lin slowly calmed down, trying hard to recall the relevant plot points from the movie.

The movie was about a serial killer who was finally caught by the authorities.

In the movie, the detective used a method called "geographic profiling."

Zhao Lin had even looked up the term online and learned that it was an investigative technique used specifically for series of crimes like murder, rape, arson, and robbery.

The so-called geographic profile involves plotting all of the killer’s crime scenes on a map.

By analyzing the spatial distribution and connections between these locations, one could identify the area where the killer was based, thereby narrowing the scope of the investigation.

This investigative method required a high degree of expertise, and Zhao Lin was no expert, but he knew one of the simplest techniques:

Find the two crime scenes that are farthest apart and draw a straight line between them.

Then, using that line as the diameter, draw a circle.

If all the crime scenes fall within this circle, then the killer most likely resides within that area.

His sleepiness completely gone, Zhao Lin lit an oil lamp, took out a map, and began marking it according to the case files.

The yamen’s map was rather crude, but the scale was relatively accurate. He found the two farthest crime scenes and drew a circle.

Sure enough, the other three crime scenes also fell within the circle.

"This circle isn’t small!" Zhao Lin muttered to himself.

He estimated the circle’s diameter to be over three li, encompassing two residential districts and a busy market.

Finding the killer in such a large area would be extremely difficult. Zhao Lin stared at the map for a long time, feeling at a loss.

Out of sheer boredom, he picked up a charcoal pencil and connected the five points with straight lines.

It formed a somewhat irregular five-pointed star with sides of varying lengths, leaving only a small empty space in the middle.

When Zhao Lin’s gaze fell upon an address in that empty space, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

"It can’t be this much of a coincidence, can it?"