Mystery: But the Witch's Path

Chapter 24 Storm Church

"How is it?"

"Have you found any useful clues?"

When Leo Vargas heard someone ask him a question, he didn't even look up and said directly, "There's nothing useful to tell us. The deceased, Damian Flint, was a member of the Triads and was quite well-known in the area."

"He was murdered around 11 p.m. last night at the corner of the street, and his body was dragged here and abandoned. The cause of death was that he snapped his own neck. According to nearby residents, he had spoken with the murderer, but they don't know what they said."

"The bodies of his four other companions were found two streets away from here. They were killed by a single shot from a high-powered firearm."

Upon hearing the "commissioner's" explanation, a handsome young man dressed in the uniform of the Kingdom of Rune asked curiously, "Isn't the wound on his chest more fatal? He was punched in such a big gash, but the main cause of death was that the murderer twisted his neck. What kind of deep hatred is that! Do you think he is an extraordinary being? Otherwise, how could he still have the strength to run away after being beaten like that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Leo Vargas looked up and curiously examined the unfamiliar young policeman.

The older policeman next to him explained, "Leo, this is a new recruit named Brandon Harlow. It's normal that you don't recognize him."

"Alright, Brandon, he's definitely not one of those extraordinary beings you're talking about. Go help out over there, I'll call you if I need anything."

With the veteran police officer's advice to leave, Brandon Harlow had no choice but to reluctantly depart and follow the other officers to investigate.

After seeing the person leave, the old policeman turned around and explained, "The person who was forced in by the higher-ups immediately sought a way to meet the extraordinary individuals, but his family also took care of him to prevent him from coming into contact with those things."

"I really don't understand why these young masters are so eager to become extraordinary beings. Wouldn't it be better if they just stayed at home obediently?"

"You've seen the cause of this person's death. The manner of death is indeed too strange for us, which is why I sent you, from the 'Special Department,' to take a look. Are you willing to take this case?"

"I feel that he belonged to the extraordinary class, and was also killed by an extraordinary person."

As the old policeman finished speaking, Leo Vargas nodded and said, "You're right, he was indeed an extraordinary being. Although seven hours had passed since his death and his spirituality had dissipated, it is undeniable that this body was different from ordinary people."

"Once you've compiled the case materials, just give them to me. I'll then report it to the Storm Church and see if there are any similar cases coming up."

Upon hearing Leo Vargas's words, the old policeman stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "I've heard that similar incidents have occurred in the dock area recently, but as you know, my authority only extends to investigating the files of nearby streets. You'll need to go to headquarters to retrieve the files yourself. As for here, I'll have someone write a copy for you."

Upon hearing this, Leo Vargas nodded slightly and said, "I understand. Aren't you police station planning to change your management model? Every time I handle a case that's not in the same district, I have to run to several offices. I'm tired of it, even if you don't."

Seeing the person's complaints, the veteran policeman also lowered his head and said, "There's nothing we can do. Now, a district has dozens of residential areas, and one office can manage several nearby residential areas, or it may manage several residential areas that are far apart. We also find it troublesome, but this is how it's arranged, and we can't do anything about it."

Leo Vargas, upon hearing the old policeman's explanation, immediately cursed, "Those idiots with IQs comparable to 'curly-haired baboons,' haven't they come up with any good optimization solutions?! At this rate, I'm afraid all the data collection will take a week from now on."

"Based on the information you just provided, I now need to go not only to the Eastern District Police Station, but also to the Police Headquarters, then to the Dock District Police Station. After collecting the information, I also need to go to the Firearms Investigation Division to investigate whether any high-powered weapons have been lost recently."

"It's really a headache. Sometimes I wish they were standing in front of me so I could give them a good beating."

The veteran officer smiled and nodded when he heard Leo Vargas's obviously impatient words, saying, "Then your wish may be hard to come true in your lifetime. You might as well pray to the 'God of Storms' that someone will design a brand new and more efficient management method to get rid of those useless officials. At least that would be more hopeful."

"It's unrealistic to expect all the relevant officials to stand in front of you. I've been with the company for over 20 years, and there are some of my superiors I still haven't met."

After saying this, the old policeman patted Leo Vargas on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. Now that it's been confirmed that this was done by an extraordinary person, it's up to you guys to handle the rest."

Upon hearing this, Leo Vargas turned to leave, but the old policeman grabbed him and said, "I've been with you on this investigation so early this morning, shouldn't you treat me to dinner to show your gratitude?"

When his sleeve was grabbed, Leo Vargas instinctively tried to shake off the old police officer's hand, but when he tried, he found that it was already firmly gripped. He said helplessly, "Dean, why are you doing this again? Every time I see you, I have to treat you to a meal. Your weekly wage plus all kinds of subsidies is already 3 pounds 10 soules, right? You are not short of money at all."

........

Inside a breakfast shop on Tieshizi Street in the East District.

"Uh... a sip of hot soup in the morning is so comforting."

Leo Vargas watched as the old police officer wiped his mouth with a tissue after finishing his meal and said directly, "Dean, why are you being so frugal? With your income, even if you can't afford to eat meat and fish every day, you can certainly have meat soup every day."

Instead of answering Leo Vargas's question, the veteran officer Dean asked directly, "How will your Storm Church handle this matter?"

Hearing what the veteran officer Dean said, Leo Vargas also lost interest and said, "What else can we do? After reporting it to the church, a special team will investigate and solve the problem."

"What, don't you want us to investigate this matter?"

Seeing the probing tone in the conversation, the veteran police officer Dean shook his head and said, "If it weren't for the fact that this case involved extraordinary individuals, we would have closed it long ago by labeling it as gang infighting."

"I've been working in this East District for over 16 years and I know that people die here almost every day, but as a police officer, what I want to see most every day is that the people who die are preferably gang members."

Sensing the underlying meaning in Dean's words, Leo Vargas smacked his lips and said, "These are things we can't decide; perhaps only God can. As for this case, you don't need to pay too much attention to it. The church isn't a charity; if it were an ordinary civilian who died, they would usually take over directly. If it were a gang member, we'd have to see if any squads were available and willing to take it on."