American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Chapter 222 Hidden Threat

Kate keenly grasped the key words: "Quick footsteps? Like high heels?"

The old lady thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, it sounds like high heels, but more lively, like dancing."

Kate couldn't help but gasp and asked hurriedly, "What happened after that? Did you notice anything unusual?"

"No more." The old lady shook her head. "But I don't know if it was a coincidence, but the next morning, I found an extra rose petal on the steps at the door."

Kate was shocked and asked quickly, "Do you still have that petal?"

The old lady showed a regretful expression: "No, I thought it fell from someone's clothes, so I just swept it away."

Kate nodded and wrote down the message, feeling that the petal might be a deliberate "gift" left by the murderer. She decided to interview more people near the crime scene, hoping to piece together a more complete picture.

For the next few hours, Kate scoured the streets like a hound. She interviewed taxi drivers on duty, elderly men walking their dogs late at night, night shift workers, and even knocked on the doors of some nearby residents. Although most people were unable to provide any useful details, the commonalities between the different descriptions made Kate increasingly suspicious.

Whether it was passersby who saw a blurry figure or witnesses who heard footsteps, they all mentioned that the murderer's movements that night were unusually swift, even beyond the normal range of human speed. And the coat embroidered with roses appeared in almost all descriptions, like some kind of unique symbol.

As daylight gradually brightened, Kate stood at a streetside coffee stand, sipping a hot cup of coffee and flipping through her densely packed notes. Key words like "red eyes," "roses," and "dancing footsteps" kept echoing in her mind. While she knew she couldn't directly participate in the investigation like Lin En had, she had to find a way to compile this information and write a thorough report that might attract more attention.

Kate found a quiet cafe, sat down, opened her laptop, and began typing. Her article began with the background of the case, gradually introducing witness accounts and her own findings. She used a calm and objective tone to sort out the case, while also permeating a subtle atmosphere of unease between the lines.

She wrote:
On the streets of Manhattan late at night, bloody shadows lurk beneath the neon lights. One witness described the killer's movements as dancing, while another spoke of a coat embroidered with roses and eerie red eyes. Do these details, unexplained by either of them, point to a more-than-human presence? Or is this simply a twisted, supremely confident serial killer deliberately leaving us with a mystery? Whatever the truth, we must remain vigilant, for this city's nights are no longer safe.

Kate's fingers pounded the keyboard, and she concluded with a thought-provoking statement: "Who is the murderer? What do roses mean? We may not find the answers immediately, but every night the streets could become the next crime scene. The only thing we can do is to keep each other alert before the truth is revealed - because danger often lurks where we can't see it."

Satisfied, she pressed "Save," feeling as if she could hear her heart beating violently in her chest.

Lynn and Carter stood in front of the door of an old apartment building. The cold wind was biting. The paint on the doorplate was peeling, but you could still see "14B" on it. This was the residence of Jason, one of the victims, the bartender, and his only residence before his death.

Lynn knocked on the door, and a moment later, a haggard, middle-aged woman opened it. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she had obviously been crying for a long time. She was Jason's sister, Martha.

"Hello, I'm FBI Detective Lynn, and this is my colleague Carter. We're investigating Jason's case." Lynn's tone was gentle, but his eyes were firm. "I'd like to ask you some questions."

Martha nodded and opened the door to let the two in. The small living room, cluttered with old furniture and scattered items, seemed cramped and depressing. After she asked them to sit down, she couldn't help but wipe away a tear. "Jason is a good kid. He's never had a grudge against anyone. I really can't understand why someone would do such a cruel thing to him."

Lin En took out his notebook and asked in a low voice, "Please try to recall if he has mentioned anything strange recently? For example, contact with strangers, or participation in any special activities?"

Martha shook her head. "No. His life was simple: work, home, and occasionally going out for a drink with friends. He was never one to cause trouble."

"Has any of his friends been particularly close to him lately?" Carter interjected.

Martha thought for a moment and said, "His best friend is another waiter at the bar, named Anthony. They often get off work together and occasionally come to my house for a drink."

Lynn wrote down the name "Anthony" and then asked, "Did Jason mention any contact with any of the other four victims?"

Martha looked confused. "Others? No, I've never heard him talk about them."

Lin En nodded, stood up and thanked her: "Thank you for your cooperation. We will do our best to find the real culprit."

After leaving the apartment, Carter frowned and said, "It seems that Jason's social circle is quite simple. I haven't found any valuable clues yet."

"Let's go meet the relatives of other victims." Lynn's tone was firm, and it was obvious that he had already made a plan for the next step.

Over the next few hours, they visited several of the victims' families. In each conversation, Lynn sought a different perspective, but all the relatives said the victims were completely unrelated. Their life trajectories, career backgrounds, and even interests were completely different.

Finally, they arrived at the home of the fifth victim, college student Alyssa. When Alyssa's father opened the door, he seemed calmer than the other family members, his eyes revealing suppressed anger.

"Inspector, please come in," he said, his voice deep and powerful. "I hope you can catch that beast as soon as possible."

Lin En nodded and went straight to the point after entering the living room: “We want to know about Alyssa’s recent life. Did she mention knowing other victims or participating in any special activities?”

Alyssa’s father pondered for a moment before speaking: “Alyssa is an adventurous girl. She has recently become obsessed with an activity called ‘City Puzzle Solving’ and often participates in it with her friends.”

Lin En immediately caught on to this detail: "'Urban Puzzle'? What kind of activity is that?"

"I heard it's a game young people love. They form teams and solve puzzles scattered around the city. Alyssa particularly enjoys these kinds of challenges and makes time to participate every week." Her father paused, his brow furrowed. "But after she came back from her last event, she was clearly upset, as if she'd been frightened. I asked her what happened, but she wouldn't say a word."

Lynn and Carter exchanged a look, obviously realizing that this was unusual.

"Do you know the last time she attended an event?" Linn pressed. "It was probably two days before the incident, but I'm not sure of the exact date," her father replied.

Lynn nodded and wrote the information down in her notebook: "Did she mention who she was attending with?"

"They're her college friends, Danny and Lucy." Dad paused. "I can give you their contact information."

After leaving Alyssa's house, Lin En quickly called college student Dani, who was obviously shocked by Alyssa's death but was also willing to cooperate with the investigation.

"Can you tell me the details of your 'city puzzle' event?" Lynn asked.

Dani's voice trembled on the other end of the phone. "We were assigned a very deserted route that day, solving puzzles along the abandoned buildings in the city center. Everything was normal at the beginning, but something went wrong at the last mission point..."

"What's the problem?" Lynn's tone became more urgent.

"We entered an abandoned warehouse, and it was pitch black. Alyssa found a puzzle card with a picture of a red rose on it. Just as she picked up the card, someone suddenly laughed shrilly from the shadows, and we were scared. We ran out, but Alyssa hasn't been feeling right since she got home." Dani paused, her voice lowered. "Now that I think about it, the murderer might have left that card on purpose."

After Lin En put down the phone, his brows furrowed. "It seems the core clue to this case is that 'city puzzle' event."

Carter nodded. "Perhaps the killer targeted his victims through this activity. But the question is, why did he choose these people? Are they really unrelated?"

"Not necessarily." Lin En narrowed his eyes and analyzed calmly, "Perhaps there is some hidden connection between these victims, and 'Urban Mystery' is just a tool for the murderer to select targets."

The two were silent for a moment, realizing at the same time that they had to investigate the event in depth and find out the truth behind the organizers and other participants. This was not only about uncovering the connection between the victims, but could also be the key to solving the entire case.

Lynn and Carter decided to participate in the "City Puzzle" event, posing as ordinary players, hoping to uncover hidden clues. They forged their identities—Lynn became a programmer named "John," while Carter became a photographer named "Mike." They chose the "Shadow Trail" route in the event, a route previously chosen by Alyssa and her friends.

On the day of registration, Lynn and Carter followed the instructions to the meeting point—an abandoned café. While seemingly desolate from the outside, the inside was packed with excited young people. The organizers were handing out maps and mission cards. The walls were dimly lit, and a few old props lay on the table. The entire scene resembled the beginning of a suspense film.

"Welcome everyone to the 'City Puzzle' event!" A man wearing a rose-patterned mask stood at the front desk and said in a deep voice, "The theme this time is 'Shadow Tracing'. Each team must follow the clues to solve the puzzle and find the hidden treasure. Remember, there may be something malicious lurking in the darkness. Don't let it catch you!"

A burst of cheers erupted from the audience, while Lynn and Carter kept a low profile and quietly received their mission cards. The cards contained the first clue: "The candlestick that has never been lit points to the entrance to the truth."

"Let's start." Lynn whispered to Carter. The two looked at each other and quickly started to act.

Following the map, they found an abandoned building, the starting point for the first stage. The building was dark and damp, with a musty smell in the air. Following clues, they soon discovered a row of worn candlesticks. Upon closer inspection, they discovered a number engraved on the base of one of them: "303."

"These are the coordinates for the next step." Carter whispered, looking up at Lynn.

Lin En nodded, and the two continued on their way. The next few levels were relatively simple, consisting of mini-games requiring careful observation and deciphering, such as piecing together shattered maps and cracking combination locks. While the process was quite interesting, they didn't notice anything unusual.

A few hours later, Lynn and Carter arrived at their last mission point, an abandoned warehouse. Under the dim light, the warehouse was filled with rusty metal boxes and dilapidated wooden shelves, looking desolate and depressing.

“This is where Alyssa finally solved the puzzle,” Lynn whispered, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

They followed the instructions and found a puzzle card in the corner. On it was a familiar red rose, with a line of words written below: "Darkness will eventually usher in dawn, but you must find the hidden key."

Carter squatted down and looked at the card carefully: "It looks the same as Alyssa described. This card may be the key."

Lin En nodded, and the two of them began searching for the key separately. However, the warehouse contained little of note except discarded debris and cobwebs. They searched every corner, even opening several rusty metal boxes, but still found nothing.

"There's nothing unusual here." Carter stood up, his face full of confusion. "Did the murderer clear all traces after the incident?"

Lynn looked around, the same question in his mind. Their activities seemed no different from ordinary puzzle games, with no hidden threats or disturbing signs.

"Let's look for it again." Lin En was unwilling to give up and said in a low voice.

The two searched again, but still found nothing new. Just as they were about to leave, Lin En's eyes stopped at a load-bearing column in the warehouse. There was a small rose pattern engraved on the column, almost covered by paint, and it was difficult to notice without looking carefully.

"This symbol..." Lin En walked over and gently wiped away the dust with his hand, revealing the complete rose pattern.

Carter leaned forward, frowned, and said, "It looks very similar to the rose on the puzzle card, but it doesn't seem to have any further clues."

Lin En pursed his lips and felt the surface of the column, and suddenly noticed an extremely small crack next to the pattern. He tried to press it, and the column made a slight click, and a hidden small drawer popped out.

Inside was a small rusty key and a note. Lynn opened the note and saw that it read:

“Where the rose blooms is where darkness ends and judgment begins.”

(End of this chapter)