Bloody Seven of Spades 1: Life and Death

Looking at the surveillance video on the fifth floor of Sky Building No.20, Levi sighed in disbelief, and he went back and watched the video from that time period again.After fast-forwarding about 15 minutes, he hit pause and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fuck!" he cursed under his breath.

"What's the problem?" Martin asked, placing a Styrofoam cup of coffee on his desk.

"Surveillance video is useless." He picked up his coffee and added, "Thank you."

She sat back at her desk opposite Levi and let out a long sigh, because she had been running outside all day.After taking a small sip of her iced coffee, she said, "What's going on? Did the criminal tamper with the video? Is it a duplicate video?"

"The camera was turned around," Levy said.

"what?"

He turned the monitor toward her, replaying the surveillance video. "There is a blind spot between the camera's viewing point and the elevator in the far corner. The murderer approached from below the camera and turned the whole camera to the other side - probably with a broom handle or something - so the camera's orientation It was completely turned away from the corridor leading to Dreyer's office. When the murderer came back, he turned the camera back to the original position. There was no image of the murderer in the surveillance video."

She bit the straw apprehensively. "In other words, the murderer must have scouted the building in advance and knew where to go to kill Dreyer."

"Yes." He turned the monitor back to its original position and pressed the pause button again. "I'm checking the identities of the people who punched in the security system of the building yesterday, and several technicians are also combing the cameras in the lobby. Let's see if we can find anything."

Both of them knew in their hearts that the hope was slim.Thanks to the surveillance video, they at least know when the killer arrived on the 25th floor, how long it took to kill Dreyer before setting up the crime scene, and when he left.But in this 1000-story building, there are more than [-] permanent employees, plus daily visitors and logistics personnel, the results of the investigation are not optimistic.

Regardless of whether it is based on legitimate or false pretexts, the murderer can enter the building at any time of the day and hide for several hours before attacking Dreyer.This person may not have to leave the building immediately after leaving the floor where the incident occurred.In fact, Levi would wager that the killer was still in the mansion when he and Martin surveyed the crime scene.Without a specific list of suspects, he's simply catching the blind right now.

"How's it going on your end?" he asked.Levy was in charge of dealing with the technical staff, who had been pressing the coroner's office and the forensic doctor to report; Martin was in charge of interviewing Dreyer's family and colleagues to build a timeline of his movements before his death.

"Dreyer's schedule yesterday was the same as usual, without any abnormalities. He did not have any meetings scheduled after five o'clock in the afternoon, and he did not order takeaway. His wife confirmed that he often works late. I called her around [-]:[-] and said I would be leaving get off work late."

"Is anyone trying to kill him?"

Levy was distracted while looking at the computer while paying attention to Martin.Seeing that she didn't answer right away, he looked away from the screen and saw her grinning at him and raising her eyebrows.

"What do you have?" he said. "Say it."

She puts down her coffee and rests her arms on the table. "Here's the thing, everyone I've interviewed thinks: There's no way anyone could ever have a feud with Dreyer. 'What a guy, who would believe this could happen to him.' The polite saying of 'the dead are the greatest', you know what I mean. It's like when a person is murdered, it means that he has never done anything wrong in his life."

Levi nodded.This is natural, but it can be annoying when investigating to identify a motive for a crime.

"But when I got back to the branch, Singer from the financial crimes unit had some very interesting conversations with me."

She stopped here, intentionally showing off, but he already knew what was going to happen next.

"You don't mean to say—"

"They've been investigating Dreyer for eighteen months," she said in a tone that sounded like she was announcing something important. "Of course, it's all undercover investigations, but they're ready to file a case for misappropriating and defrauding investors." They were blown away when this guy died. Hundreds of hours of manpower were for naught."

This breakthrough made Levi fall back in his chair in shock.One of his first investigations was Dreyer's criminal record, which turned out to be clean—at least on the surface.This news opened a whole new door for the direction of the investigation. "How many people know about this survey?"

"Not much. Dreyer himself doesn't know, neither does his wife, nor his boss in 'Skyrim'. For someone with Dreyer's status and influence, the District Attorney's Office hopes not to reveal it before prosecuting him There are rumors, so this matter is only known to those who need to know - there are some people who know about it at the local prosecutor's office, and there are a few people from the financial crime team."

"Practical considerations, and all the people who have talked to any of the above."

Martin snorted coldly. "That's right."

Levi chewed in his heart. "It's possible that one of his clients noticed something tricky and decided to give him something to try."

"Of course. It could be..." She shrugged, reaching for her coffee. "That's the only reliable link between Dreyer and Campbell: They're both criminals."

"It might be a coincidence."

Martin took a sip of her iced coffee, her talking eyebrows expressing what she had to say more than any words.

"What else did Singer tell you about the case?"

"Exactly. In fact, he sent all the information he had."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked, with an ominous premonition in his heart.

She pointed her chin across the office.Levy turned to see a uniformed officer pushing a stack of file boxes on a cart toward their cubicle, walking cautiously between the desks.

"This investigation is completely confidential, so the relevant information is presented on paper, and only on paper," Martin said, "We have to sort it out in the traditional way."

"Indescribably wonderful." He said wearily, clearing away a piece of space on the table.

***

"I'm looking for my brother." Dominique flashed his phone to the cashier in the gas station convenience store. "He got dumped by his girlfriend and left without telling anyone where he was going. I was worried he would do something stupid."

Dominique was on Goodwin’s Instagram, which showed Goodwin standing on campus with his arm around a young woman and a beaming smile on his face.Dominic was very disgusted with this photo. I don't know if it was because Goodwin's evil deeds made him preconceived, or because this kid looked like a stinky scumbag with a cheap smile.

The name tag worn by the cashier reads "Sean". He looked at the photo carefully, shook his head and said, "I haven't seen anyone who looks like this today. I came here at nine o'clock in the morning, but..." He frowned Frown, "I always think he looks familiar, can you show me again?"

"Go ahead." Dominique handed over the phone, letting Sean browse Goodwin's Instagram at his own pace.

He traced to a residential area in the suburbs, and all he saw were typical middle-class houses, one after another with the same shape, and the rest was the continuous desert scenery.After walking for miles, this gas station was the only business he came across.Convenience store shelves are stuffed with overprocessed junk food, and a robotic grill is rolling hot dogs on the counter, filling the store with the smell.

"I'm going!" Sean yelled. "Yes, I've seen this guy. I wouldn't have recognized him without his sunglasses."

He handed the phone back to Dominique, and the screen showed Goodwin on the beach, wearing a pair of dark toad glasses.

"So he did come here?" Dominique asked.

"I didn't come today. The last time I came...well, it was Tuesday, it seems."

Dominique raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Are you sure it's him?" As far as a face passed by, it is difficult for ordinary people to remember after four days, especially a face that is half covered.

"Absolutely, I remember him." Sean sneered after finishing speaking.He pointed to the semi-self-service coffee bar on the other side of the store and said: "The guy spilled coffee all over the place and didn't know how to clean up. He didn't even say 'sorry'. Just get another cup and just pat your ass and walk away like that What the hell." Sean stopped talking, as if belatedly remembering that Goodwin was Dominique's "brother." "Uh, I'm sorry to offend you."

"Don't take it to heart." Dominic waved at Sean to reassure him. "He's the youngest in the family - his parents spoiled him."

"I have a younger sister like that too. I'm going crazy." Sean sighed exaggeratedly, and continued: "Anyway, your brother came over that day, bought a lot of food, and filled two buckets Gasoline, all in cash. He threw the money on the counter and walked away without even handing it to me.”

Goodwin was an asshole, yes, but his virtues helped Dominic a lot. "Then did you see what kind of car he was driving?"

"He wasn't driving. I didn't see him come in, but I definitely watched him go. He went through the side door."

Dominic looked at the door the other party was talking about, but didn't think there was anything special about it. "Then what?"

"There is no parking place over there, and people who drive here come in and out through the front door. However, many people who live near here will walk over, and they will use the side door. I saw that your brother has been walking on the sidewalk after leaving the side door. I didn’t pay attention later, I didn’t see him get in the car anyway.”

"Huh?" This surprised Dominic somewhat, and he pondered the new information.It's comforting to know he's on the right track this time, but the clue that led him here was Goodwin swiping his credit card at the store, and today!The sense of something wrong that had been faintly lingering in his heart suddenly emerged. "Are you sure you haven't seen him this afternoon?"

Sean shrugged and said, "I'm sure I haven't seen him, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been here today."

That's right.Dominique could have asked a few other employees at the store, but in the end it didn't matter if anyone remembered seeing Goodwin today.The important thing is that Goodwin has been here, and is probably hiding around here.

Dominique thanked Sean for his cooperation, bought an iced tea and an energy bar and headed back to his pickup truck.Because he didn't know how long this trip would take, he didn't take the rebellious girl with him, and he was alone.Then he started the car and drove out of the parking lot of the gas station.

He needs to start again from Goodwin's family, friends, and even nodding acquaintances, and check who is connected to this town one by one.It’s not for nothing that Goodwin found this place.If he had chosen to hide here for so long, it must have been because he knew there was a suitable hiding place—

A billboard on the side of the road attracted Dominique's attention, and he slammed on the brake reflexively.The owner of the car behind honked the horn.

Dominic stuck his hand out the window, waved apologetically, and pulled the car onto the shoulder to let the car behind him pass.He looked up at the billboard.

The photo shows an impressive Spanish mission-style residence, with white bold letters printed on it: Brilliant Villa, presented by Xifu Real Estate Development Company.There is also a row of small characters below: Living here, home is here!

Everything is too ordinary, except that the billboard has faded and looks weather-beaten.And behind the row of brick walls marking the entrance to the residential development, although most of the houses have not yet been built, no construction equipment can be seen.

Just do a search on your phone and you'll find out what's going on.Seaford Properties declared bankruptcy three months ago, and the development has yet to find a buyer, so this cemetery of unfinished buildings provides a convenient hiding place for a spineless petty rapist.That guy doesn't even have the guts to take responsibility for his own actions.

Dominic grinned and turned the car back on the road.

He parked on the street a few blocks away; the sound of car engines was an advance warning in the deserted real estate development.Before getting out of the car, he put on the bulletproof vest, the gun belt on his shoulders and the jacket.Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just in case.

He walked into the "Brilliant Villa Area" and stood by the low wall at the entrance to observe the layout of the entire development area.True to the billboards, these Spanish mission houses have low pitched roofs, rounded-edged doors and windows, wrought-iron trim has just begun to be installed, and interior patterned tiles are nearing completion.He didn't know how big this development area was, which made his search mission a bit uncertain. Fortunately, many houses hadn't even been built with roofs and walls, so they could be checked out at a glance.

Most likely, Goodwin chose to hide in a house inside the community away from the main road.Dominique walked close to the less finished half of the house, out of sight of passing traffic on the highway, and put his hand on the butt of his gun.

He was more worried about being ambushed than the target escaping.Goodwin was not stupid at all, he knew that running away would not end well.Most of the afternoon has passed, and it is almost evening, but there is still plenty of light, and there is no garden landscape in the development zone, just empty unfinished buildings scattered on the flat and bare ground.Anyone running here will immediately attract attention.

No, if it was Goodwin, if he knew that Dominic was coming, he would definitely resist.Knowing neither the specific location of Goodwin nor whether he has a weapon, Dominic can only maintain a high degree of caution and check the possible houses one by one.

He hadn't been out of the Army for long, and besides, the Ranger training was ingrained in his bones and muscles.Admittedly, acting alone is not the same as fighting with a well-trained team, but the basic method and muscle memory are there, and that is what he relies on.Dominique, who walks almost silently in his soft-soled boots, creeps in and out of each house like a ghost, noticing every little sound and movement around him.

After scouring four houses, he found his target—a house a street away with a portable generator on the back patio and extension cords snaking through a hole that, if the house could be repaired, would There should have been sliding doors.No wonder Goodwin needs gasoline.

Dominic the cat waist approached the house, eyes fixed on the window, but did not detect any movement.When he came to the terrace, he found that the engine was silent and there was no heat under his hands.Could it be that Goodwin has moved on?

The Glock pistol was ready to fire, and he stepped into the house before taking a few steps to the living room-a retching, Dominic quickly buried his face in his elbows.

God, he knows the smell all too well.Although the last time he smelled this smell was in another desert that was half a world away, just a few years was not enough for him to forget the smell of dead bodies being abandoned and roasted in the desert.

He lowered his arms, forced himself to take a few deep breaths, and swallowed back the sour water until he could more or less adapt.After he was sure that he would not spit it out in the next operation, he methodically checked the rooms one by one. After dealing with the first floor, he walked upstairs along the extension cord.

Even though he was still on the alert, he could sense that whatever danger had been here, the alarm had long since been lifted.Whatever died in this house was days ago.

Extension cords run all the way to the master bedroom.He went to the master bedroom after he had checked the other rooms on the floor, to make sure he was the only one in the room.Then, he pushed open the half-closed door of the master bedroom.

"Damn it!" he said, putting down his hand holding the gun.

Matthew Goodwin couldn't laugh anymore.

This once handsome young man was now reduced to a swollen and blackened corpse, buzzing with flies.The dead man sat upright on a mattress on the floor with his back against the wall.A long gash had been cut in his throat, and his clothes and sheets were covered with clotted and blackened blood.

Careful to avoid touching anything, Dominique ventured into the house.Goodwin was looking at a small television—outside the house where the last wire to the generator ended—but the screen was black because there was no power.The weirdest thing was that he was still holding a bottle of beer in his left hand, placed by his side as if he had just taken a sip.

How can this be?Also, what is that...

Dominique frowned and looked closely at Goodwin's hand.There was indeed something in that hand, where the thumb and the other four fingers closed around the bottle.

It is an ordinary playing card - the seven of spades.