Chapter 001: Midnight Intelligence Report

However, Jeff directly exploded.

He needs to remain rational

At this moment, Jeff can no longer feel the darkness and cold; a surge of hot blood rushes toward his heart

No wonder

Jeff, I am merely a concerned citizen, my hands are not stained with blood, but the NYPD's are

Establish the truth, double the hourly wage; if the criminal can be subjected to legal sanctions, double it again, along with additional bonuses.

But how do you prove this matter

This is a somewhat famous figure from Greenwich Village, New York, who owns six bars of different types and styles. He has nurtured countless prominent singers, and to this day, numerous independent musicians aspire to perform on the stages of these bars, which feature genres such as jazz, folk, rock, and blues.

Jeff's statement is essentially an attempt to ascertain the identity on the other end of the phone.

Exactly ten days ago, Kirk received a commission from a Black man, Richard Curtis.

There is a very high probability that it could be a serial killer

No one cares

The next second, the phone had already been hung up, followed by a busy tone

Details determine the key; one can tell at a glance that this is an expert

What? Jeff has not yet recovered from the shock of the cold coffee

A series of three questions

The turning point of his career only requires an exclusive opportunity

... ...

In that case, I would have no need to hire a professional assassin separately

Jeff, with a sudden flash of inspiration, connected all the clues in an instant

A voice similar to Donald Duck's came from the other end of the phone, "Do you know there is a serial killer homeless man in New York?"

But what can be done

However

However, the other end of the phone was completely unresponsive, "So, you, like the NYPD, have no interest?"

The phone's ringtone continues to persist relentlessly

Richard found it truly difficult to accept

Richard said so

Hey, Jeff, are you ready

Jeff's drowsiness vanished in an instant, and a row of light bulbs lit up in his mind as his thoughts began to race.

The internal bureau does not care at all; they care about overtime pay, they care about the elections, and they care that such cases cannot occur this year

Jeff could not help but hold his breath

The brain, start functioning again

Jeff's heart raced uncontrollably, nearly leaving him breathless. In the bone-chilling early morning, his heart and mind burned with an intense heat, overwhelmed with excitement, as he struggled to maintain control with the remnants of his reason, confirming once again.

The grief of the white-haired person sending off the black-haired person has not yet had a chance to ease, and the police station has delayed taking action, citing the reason that "the possibility of a violent incident triggered by robbery is relatively high, but due to the large movement of homeless individuals, there is currently a lack of direct evidence to confirm the criminal suspect," leading to a complete stagnation in the investigation

Compared to my previous work as a police officer, there are many differences in my current role as a private detective, but there are also more similarities than one might expect, making the adaptation process not difficult

Jeff Minghella's hands moved swiftly across the keyboard, completely ignoring the phone, yet the phone continued to roar incessantly, much like the "Ring of the Dead" at midnight, ultimately causing Jeff to lose control, as he glanced away from the computer to survey his surroundings

Damn

There was a silence in the receiver

Calling, one voice after another, like a soft whisper, yet it firmly grasped Jeff's nerves, completely tensing up

Damn

Moreover, they are all homeless individuals.

Jeff muttered a curse under his breath, but ultimately answered the phone, "The New York Times, Jeff Mingra."

Kirk believes that it is difficult to conduct an investigation relying solely on his own abilities

In 2012, this year is an election year, and all topics have become sensitive, with multiple parties engaged in a power struggle

Desolate

Subsequently, Kirk further discovered that during this period, at least seven cases could be found in the mhetushu.comcomNYPD archives that exhibited similar methods of operation

You have heard what I said, let me tell you, he has consecutively killed seven black homeless men, each one having their throat slit and a pinky finger removed, yet no one cares

Richard does not trust the police department; his tumultuous relationship with the NYPD is both his entrepreneurial history and a tale of blood and tears. Thus, he sought out Kirk

The elegant and composed words are devoid of any violence; not only are they free from it, but they also feel like a gentle spring breeze. However, the tenderness in the tone sends a chill down one's spine

But on the other end of the phone, there was no sound, as if it had quietly slipped into darkness.

The hourly wage is one hundred dollars

Soon, Jeff understood that these were all the names of the victims, each with a first and last name, totaling seven.

This is exclusively his

At that time, the truth and falsehood will no longer be able to be concealed

Jeff listened to the orders coming through the earpiece, hesitated for a second, and ultimately complied by taking out paper and pen, then waited

In an instant, Jeff seemed to be transported back to the dictation time in elementary school, where that kind and gentle voice was none other than that of an encouraging English teacher

Chris Adams

"Who are you?" Jeff needs to take control of the situation

Until three weeks ago, Richard received a call from the police station, inviting him to come to the station to identify a body

In a newspaper, having writing skills and ability does not represent anything; without resources and connections, there can be no exclusives. Apart from striving and working hard, there are no other options.

This is the best evidence

However, Richard presented Kirk with an offer that was impossible to refuse

Once, Richard constantly told himself to act as if he did not have this son; however, upon truly seeing his son's lifeless body, he aged ten years overnight

A name is a life, requiring no further explanation; a series of deaths unfolds before us.

Lifting the coffee cup, I gulped down the entire black liquid inside, only to realize that the coffee had long since gone cold, causing me to shiver involuntarily

You need evidence, I can provide you with evidence, it is up to me to decide, so take out paper and pen, are you ready to take notes

Beep, beep ... ...

The workload and the nature of the work are fundamentally different

Generally speaking, for such a significant and unique event, upon receiving a confidential tip-off, they require confirmation from at least two news sources before reporting.

So, what will the investigation bureau do

Result

Unknowingly, it has been exactly three weeks since I traveled from Huaxia in 2023 to New York in 2012

Kirk accepted this job

After all, this is the "New York Times," not a supermarket tabloid, nor is it an online rumor

Thus, a potential serial killer case has transformed into seven unrelated accidental deaths of homeless individuals

Jeff

On the other end of the phone, Kirk-Hull let out a long sigh, putting the voice changer into his pocket and casually stuffing his hands into his pockets as well

If one wishes to further verify the authenticity, then the reliability and trustworthiness of the news source must also be confirmed; otherwise, the editor-in-chief would not be able to give the green light

Jeff captured a brand new keyword, NYPD, his voice uncontrollably trembling slightly, revealing the deep-seated desires and urgency within him, "No, I am interested, I am very, very interested. Black? Are you saying that all the victims are Black?"

but was directly interrupted by the voice on the phone, "There is no 'but.'"

However, it failed

"Yes." The affirmative response had just slipped out when Jeff realized that the situation was dire, wishing he could bite off his own tongue

In the biting chill of spring, under a dark moon and high winds, the streets at midnight are desolate and cold. The sharp ringing of the telephone pierces through the thick night, akin to a throat being cut, as the scent of blood spreads through the air

After a preliminary investigation, Kirk indeed discovered something suspicious

Jeff was somewhat irritated, once again left alone until the end

His only son, approximately three years ago, had a falling out with the family over a *picture* book, left home, and then completely disappeared.

Beep, beep, beep

The impulse of adrenaline still reacts a step ahead of reason, "Who are you? How did you come to know all of this? Are you the murderer?"

Yes

Jeff couldn't help but shiver

Jeff himself was unaware, swallowing a mouthful of saliva, unable to make a sound

Delving deeper, the homeless are inherently marginalized individuals in society, lacking family and friends, and their deaths may go unnoticed. The investigation bureau hastily closes cases citing accidental or natural causes of death, or leaves them as unsolved cases due to a lack of clues, which do not attract attention at all, allowing these matters to be quietly concealed.

Good boy

One after another

Even though bodies were discovered consecutively, they refused to connect them, denying the existence of a serial killer, and instead treated each case as an independent incident

On the other end of the receiver came the voice of that Donald Duck, and Jeff was uncertain whether it was his own illusion; he surprisingly detected a hint of amusement in the voice

The office at two o'clock in the morning is unbearably cold, as if the warmth lingering in the air has been completely devoured by the frigid night, making it nearly impossible to feel my toes. March in New York still resembles the depths of winter. If possible, I should be hiding under the covers right now, rather than nibbling on cookies in the office

The more significant the impact, the more caution is required; the more explosive the situation, the more calmness is needed. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he must seize it firmly

Oh ... ... Jeff Jeff Jeff

However, this time, the other party did not give Jeff any time to react and spoke directly without hesitation

Perhaps the only thing they do not care about is the lives that have vanished

He himself was not even aware, holding his breath, as his mind, nearly incapacitated by the cold, suddenly jolted awake, far more effective than the stimulating effects of coffee

Moreover, the subject used on the other end of the phone is "the Investigation Bureau," rather than the NYPD, which is widely known to the general public. Clearly, the term *map* here does not specifically refer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), but rather to the Investigation Bureau division under the NYPD.

Dennis - Curtis

As long as he possesses these names, he will be able to investigate in the police's public records, confirming keywords such as "throat-cutting," "little finger," and so on; and he will also be able to take this list to verify the authenticity of the related details, both public and non-public, with insiders he is familiar with at the police station.

After all, the greatest difference between serial killers and ordinary cases lies in the fact that the latter is based on individuals, with criminal motives that can be traced; whereas the former must be approached from the perspective of the cases themselves, requiring the integration of various clues from different cases to identify the modus operandi, which are fundamentally different.

Stay calm, remain calm

Jeff : ... ...

Richard wanted to understand what had happened to Dennis over the past three years, what he had experienced, and what ultimately guided him to such an outcome

If a serial killer specifically targeting Black individuals were to emerge in New York at this time, it would undoubtedly be a grave matter, potentially triggering a series of significant upheavals

A brief second, yet it feels like an entire century

That voice, neither hurried nor slow, neither anxious nor flustered, emanated from the deep abyss, "Jeff, you are not listening attentively."

... ...

Jeff: ... ... Was he just criticized?

You know that I cannot easily trust a stranger and then publish news without any source in the pages of the New York Times

These are all the names of the victims, right

But why has there been no relevant reports so far? Jeff still convinced himself not to act too hastily; what if this is a prank call?

He wants to curse

The detail regarding the disappearance of the little finger has not been made public; rather, it is recorded in the investigation report. It does not appear to be a case of simple robbery leading to excessive violence.

Good night, Jeff

Ah, that is your problem, not mine. Otherwise, it should be me serving as a reporter at the New York Times at this moment, not you, right