red moscow

Chapter 3148 Clues (Part 2)

A man capable of being Butko's adjutant wouldn't be slow to react. Upon hearing Butko's words, Zhivagin immediately understood the crux of the matter. He thought to himself, "The chief is indeed astute; he's grasped the core of the case in an instant." But as an excellent deputy, he deliberately feigned confusion, leaning forward slightly and asking tentatively, "Comrade Chief, are you saying that the murderer used a special device on the camera to fire a poison needle at Major Sofia?"

“I can’t think of any other possibility.” After saying this, Butko turned to Sokov, his eyes asking for his opinion: “Comrade Deputy Commander, you agree, right?”

“That’s right, that’s probably the truth.” Sokov nodded, his voice steady and strong. “But to confirm it, we need to catch the murderer. After all, we still need to examine the camera she used, but this line of reasoning should be correct.”

Reminded by Sokov, Butko quickly said to Sutulova, "Lieutenant Sutulova, you must be able to draw, right?" His tone was urgent, clearly hoping to expedite the investigation.

“Yes, Director, I can draw,” Sutulova quickly explained, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. “My profession requires me to draw and write regularly, so sketching portraits isn’t difficult for me…”

“Alright, I understand.” Before she could finish speaking, Butko interrupted her, directly ordering, “Go back immediately and draw a portrait of the murderer, as detailed and accurate as possible, including facial features, hairstyle, and any distinctive markings. I need to arrange for a full-scale manhunt in the city based on the portrait.” He paused, then added, “Time is of the essence; it must be done as soon as possible.”

Sutulova saluted, turned and quickly left. Butko looked at Sokov again and said gratefully, "Comrade Deputy Commander, thank you for helping us find reliable clues. Now, all we need to do is search the city based on the sketch provided by Lieutenant Sutulova. Once the murderer is caught, the case can be officially solved. Your experience is truly invaluable."

Sokov smiled faintly after hearing this, and then reminded the other party, "Comrade Chief, perhaps the assassin has already fled the city after completing the assassination mission, and the search for her may be in vain. After all, with such a meticulously planned assassination, the assassin may have already made a way out."

“Even if she has fled the city, we can still use some clues to catch her accomplices and prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future.” Butko clenched his fist and said firmly, “I have ordered the station and main roads to be sealed off, and at the same time, we are investigating any suspicious persons who have recently entered the city. We will not let any clues slip away.”

Before Sokov could speak, Gulia, standing behind him, asked timidly, her voice tinged with unease, "Comrade Chief, now that it's basically confirmed that this matter has nothing to do with the café owner and staff, could we release them? They've been detained for over a day, I'm afraid..."

Butko didn't speak, but frowned slightly, his face full of dissatisfaction, and his sharp eyes swept over Gulia, clearly displeased with her interruption.

Seeing Butko's expression change, Sokov realized that Gulia had said something wrong, and quickly turned to reprimand her, his tone stern: "Lieutenant, if it's about dealing with the café owner and waiters, the director has his own plans, and you don't need to interfere. Your duty is to do your internal security work, not to interfere in the investigation."

Upon hearing Sokov's criticism, Gulia realized she had said something she shouldn't have, and quickly apologized to Butko, lowering her head: "I'm sorry, Comrade Director, I shouldn't have said that. Please forgive my impetuousness."

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Butko waved his hand dismissively, but his smile was somewhat forced. "It's a small matter, don't worry about it." He said this, but his eyes remained fixed on Gulia, trying to memorize her face so he could punish her for her talkative behavior today once she was no longer serving as Sokov's bodyguard. He thought to himself, discipline is discipline, and any transgression must have a price to pay, but now is not the time.

After chatting for a while, Sokov looked at his watch and said to Butko, "Comrade Chief, it's getting late, I should go back too. Can you arrange a car for me?" "No problem, Comrade Deputy Commander," Butko said readily, "I'll have Captain Chekalov take you back."

With that, he picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said into the receiver, "Let Captain Chekalov in!"

Soon, there was a knock at the door. The door opened, and Zhivagin entered first, reporting to Butko, "Comrade Chief, Captain Chekalov is here!"

Chekalov stepped forward, saluted Butko, and said respectfully, "Comrade Chief, Captain Chekalov has come on orders. I await your command. Please give your instructions!"

Butko pointed at Sokov and said, "You now escort the deputy commander and his guards back to the villa. Make sure he is safe. Understand?"

"Yes!" Chekalov answered loudly.

As Sokov emerged from the building and approached the black sedan parked by the roadside, a sudden, ominous premonition washed over him. Who exactly was Major Sofia, the murdered woman? He had subtly inquired about her a few times during casual conversations with Butko, but the latter had always skillfully evaded the question. The tone in Butko's voice when he instructed Chekalov to take him and Gulia home had sent a chill down his spine; he had a premonition that something terrible was about to happen.

When Gulia pushed the wheelchair to the car, Chekalov had already opened the back door and respectfully invited Sokov to get in: "Comrade Deputy Commander, please get in the car!"

"Wait a minute!" Sokov raised his hand to stop Gulia, who was about to help him up, and instead instructed her, "Check under the car to see if there's anything there."

Upon hearing this, not only was Gulia stunned, but Chekalov was also completely bewildered. He asked in confusion, "Comrade Deputy Commander, what do you mean by having Lieutenant Gulia inspect the undercarriage?"

Sokov looked up at Chekalov with an innocent smile on his face: "This is also for security reasons. After all, Odessa has been quite turbulent lately. Even officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been targeted for assassination. So it's quite reasonable to put a bomb under this car, isn't it?"

Although Chekalov thought Sokov was a bit paranoid, he had no choice but to obey the orders given. He lay down on the ground, tilting his head to check under the car for the bomb Sokov had imagined. After looking for a while and finding nothing, he stood up again and said politely but distantly, "Comrade Deputy Commander, I have checked. There is nothing under the car. You can get in now."

Sokov nodded, stood up with Gulia's help, and bent down to get into the car.

(End of this chapter)