1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 161 I've never seen it before.

Detective O'Malley frowned and opened his mouth, increasingly convinced that Theodore was describing two lunatics.

This was completely different from the criminals he had encountered before.

He shook his head and did not interrupt Theodore again.

Theodore, drawing on the latest developments, further analyzed the 7-Eleven robbery:

"Around 4 a.m. on April 15, they stole a Plymouth Fury and committed another robbery."

"This robbery was much more professional than the last one."

"They stole the car, robbed the cash, and got Chesterfield cigarettes."

"They achieved all of their expected goals."

"At the end of the robbery, the male perpetrator left a mark of 'B&C 61'."

"This marking indicates that they identify themselves as Bonnie and Clyde from 1961."

He glanced at Bernie and continued:

"In the first two car thefts, the two criminals only demonstrated basic driving skills and did not show professional car theft techniques."

"They can only target cars where the keys have been left inside."

"But that changed in the third car theft."

"When the third car was found, no car keys were left in it, indicating that they had learned how to steal cars."

"The two criminals disposed of the third vehicle in a completely different way than the first two; they chose to burn it."

Bernie looked up, his expression serious:

"This is typical Bonnie & Clyde's way of dealing with stolen cars."

Thanks to the numerous stories he heard about Bonnie and Clyde as a child, and even having witnessed their rise and fall firsthand, Bernie knew the two notorious thieves very well.

Theodore nodded:

"Just like how car theft techniques have evolved from amateur to professional, this is not simply an imitation of Bonnie and Clyde, but also an important upgrade in criminal methods."

"During the first robbery, the male perpetrator was wearing a military green jacket and jeans, and his face was covered with a ski mask."

"During the second robbery, the male criminal changed his attire to overalls and a thin tie, and covered half of his face with a gray cotton triangular scarf."

"Like Chesterfield cigarettes, this look was a classic image used by the media when reporting on Clyde."

He began to summarize the preceding analysis:

"These two criminals are rapidly going from amateur to professional, and their methods are escalating and becoming increasingly violent."

"Two successful robberies and three car thefts may make them no longer satisfied with their crude imitations of Bonnie and Clyde."

“To maintain the current feelings, the two criminals need to do more and get closer to Bonnie and Clyde.”

“They need to replicate what Bonnie and Clyde did in a more refined way.”

"Besides criminal behavior, their daily attire, habits, and catchphrases will also increasingly resemble Bonnie and Clyde."

"Ultimately, in order to preserve that feeling, they will completely replicate everything about Bonnie and Clyde."

“They are becoming Bonnie and Clyde, inside and out.”

Theodore stopped his analysis, giving the three of them ample time to process it.

A detective opened the door and told Bernie to answer the phone.

The call was from a technician at AT&T.

He found the source of yesterday's emergency call.

This was also an interstate phone call.

The call came from a public phone booth near Emily College.

This confirms Theodore's suspicion that the two criminals did not live together.

Despite having already chosen to believe Theodore, Detective O'Malley couldn't help but glance at him a few more times upon hearing the news.

He now reasonably suspects that Theodore has a crystal ball hidden in his house.

Theodore silently reviewed the information he had and decided that it was time to publish the profile.

He said in a deep voice:

"Based on the above analysis, my profiles of the two criminals are as follows."

Bernie expertly pulled out his notebook, ready to take notes.

Billy Hawke was almost in sync with him.

Detective O'Malley instinctively turned to a new page, then stopped him: "What do you mean by profiling?"

Bernie put down his pen and explained to Detective O'Malley.

Detective O'Malley was completely bewildered, as he had never heard of such a method before.

Billy Hawke told him that this was a new criminal investigation method invented by Theodore.

Detective O'Malley looked at Theodore with some surprise.

The previous seemingly prophetic and accurate analyses, and the guesses that were repeatedly proven correct, were nothing compared to the shock this news brought him.

Theodore stared at Detective O'Malley, sensing he was asking a lot of questions unrelated to the case.

Detective O'Malley certainly had a lot of questions; he had a lot to ask.

He stared at Theodore, a strange unease creeping into his heart.

He felt like he was being left behind by something, being left further and further away.

This feeling terrified him.

In the end, he didn't get a single question out.

He had a feeling that asking would be pointless.

Just now, not long ago, and a day ago.

I don't understand at all.

Detective O'Malley adjusted his notebook, preparing to take notes.

The meeting room was quiet for a moment before Theodore gathered his thoughts and began to present the profile.

He first provided a profile of the male criminal:

"We are looking for a student at George Washington University, who may be majoring in English literature or history."

"White, aged 18-25."

“He is about 5.5 feet tall and has a slender build.”

“Male criminals come from middle-class or even wealthy families. They live in stable environments, in mid- to high-end communities, rarely come into contact with crime, and don’t have to worry about money.”

“He is not a social center and is not very good at dealing with people. In group social situations, he is often forgotten and ignored.”

"He likes reading, so his grades should be pretty good."

“He looks down on most people around him, but deep down he secretly envies those celebrities in the social center and longs for the same attention.”

"He always stood out from his peers."

Bernie subconsciously glanced up at Theodore.

Unaware of this, Theodore continued to profile the male criminals:
"This transparent lifestyle has changed significantly this month."

"He started to become confident, even overconfident."

"He started to actively participate in conversations among his classmates, even though he might not know anything about what they were talking about."

Even if his remarks drew ridicule from his classmates, he didn't care.

"His clothing, daily behavior, and even the way he speaks have all undergone subtle changes."

“He will be more retro, more in line with the style of the 1930s, and closer to Clyde.”

"Clyde as portrayed by the media."

"His attendance has started to decline, and his assignments are likely to show obvious abnormalities, such as glorifying crime and praising Bonnie and Clyde."

After a brief pause, he began to profile female criminals:
"We are looking for a white man, around the same age as the male criminal, a student at Emily College, possibly majoring in drama or literature."

“She is about 5 feet tall and petite.” “She comes from a well-off family and her parents are open-minded.”

“In daily life, she is very mild-mannered, but she becomes agitated when committing crimes.”

"She had a Bonnie-esque fantasy of dying for love, and she viewed her joint crimes with male criminals as an epic love story."

"Female criminals rely on male criminals to realize their self-worth. They only act when given instructions by male criminals during robberies."

"Her transformation was more subtle than that of male criminals; she had become accustomed to presenting an obedient and docile facade in her daily life, hiding her true self."

"There were no significant changes in her daily clothing, demeanor, or speech."

"Compared to male criminals, female criminals are more careful in expressing their adoration for Bonnie."

Detective O'Malley took careful notes.

He now understands Bernie's explanation.

If Theodore is right, he has almost completely described the criminal.

They just need to check each of Theodore's descriptions one by one.

This made him even more suspicious that Theodore was hiding a crystal ball in his house.

This description is so precise, even the recent changes are described so clearly, as if Theodore had been spying on the two criminals all along.

The only question now is the accuracy of this description.

Detective O'Malley silently calculated in his mind that even if the accuracy was only half, it would still be terrifying.

This led him to think that if this method could be applied to other cases, or even if everyone in the police force knew how to use it...

Theodore's voice pulled him back to reality:

"These two criminals are on the verge of escalating their crimes; they are about to move from robbery to more violent offenses."

"They crave destruction."

“Being arrested is an absolutely unacceptable outcome for them; they will fight to the death, yearning for a Bonnie Clyde-like ending.”

Detective O'Malley quickly put his jumbled thoughts aside and bent down to write this down.

He thought for a moment, then asked Theodore, "You mean they want to be riddled with bullets?"

Theodore thought for a moment: "For them, this ending should be the most satisfying."

Detective O'Malley silently wrote this down in his notebook.

Although he couldn't understand it.

There are so many things he can't understand in this case, so this one won't make a difference.

After finishing the profiling, Theodore began assigning tasks.

Detective O'Malley continues to partner with Billy Hawke as they travel to George Washington University to investigate.

They went there yesterday.

Theodore and Bernie went to Emilia College to investigate.

Before setting off, Theodore and Bernie met with the deputy commissioner of the fourth precinct to inform him that several car thefts and robberies would be investigated together.

They also borrowed the deputy sheriff's phone to contact the Maryland State Police and the Prince George County Sheriff's Office.

This is an informal notification; the official letter regarding the merger will be provided after we return to work tomorrow.

Bernie was responsible for making phone calls and explaining the situation to the deputy superintendent.

Bernie has extensive experience in this area; back in Felton's time, he was responsible for helping Theodore communicate with his superiors and peers.

He knew very well how difficult Theodore's criminal profiling method was to understand, so he didn't even mention it.

He told them directly that, based on fingerprints and other relevant physical evidence, it was confirmed that the three car thefts and two robberies were committed by the same gang, and therefore the cases were investigated together.

Simple and easy to understand.

All parties agreed to merge the cases and expressed their willingness to cooperate with the investigation, stating that they would not hesitate to raise any concerns if necessary.

Theodore didn't stand on ceremony and immediately asked the deputy commissioner of the fourth precinct to help him contact gun shops and the black market.

According to an Esso gas station employee, both criminals were armed: a Harrington Richardson revolver and an Ithaca .37 shotgun; the quantity of ammunition is currently unknown.

A 7-Eleven employee also mentioned that he had a gun pointed at his head.

Theodore wanted to obtain the gun shop's registration information.

In DC, you need to register your identity before you can purchase firearms from a federally licensed dealer.

After purchasing firearms, you must go to the local police station to register for a firearms license.

If these two individuals purchased the firearms through legitimate channels, they would certainly be on the dealer's customer registration list and the local police station's firearms permit registration list.

In addition, considering that Bonnie and Clyde had killed six patrol officers, one prison guard, and two sheriffs.

According to Theodore's profile, the two copycats were likely to become agitated upon seeing the police and shoot directly at them.

Before making the arrest, it is essential to ascertain the firepower of the two criminals and to make a general assessment of the potential resistance.

The deputy police commissioner readily agreed.

Because Detective O'Malley and his colleague had been a little delayed, the group didn't set off until after 3 p.m.

If we need to meet and exchange progress today, no matter where we meet, either there won't be enough time for the investigation, or it might go on until late at night.

Detective O'Malley has a family, and although he is conscientious and responsible in his work, he doesn't work overtime until late at night on weekends.

He suggested meeting at the Department of Justice building the next morning.

Bernie and Billy Hawke both thought the suggestion was excellent.

Theodore did not object, but his expression was somewhat strange.

Tomorrow is May 17th.

Thinking of the grand spectacle on Pennsylvania Avenue on the day the Soviets went into space, and the scene he witnessed on his way home yesterday, Theodore reminded Bernie:
"Let's leave early tomorrow morning."

Bernie looked at him, puzzled: "How much earlier?"

Theodore thought for a moment, unsure: "Half an hour?"

Bernie did not respond.

Theodore tentatively asked him, "Shall I drive tomorrow?"

Bernie immediately shook his head: "Okay, we'll leave at 6:30 tomorrow."

He added, "I'll drive."

Theodore was somewhat unwilling and wanted to try again, but Bernie promptly changed the subject:

"Shall we go to a secondhand store?"

Theodore didn't react for a moment, but Bernie reminded him that Ronald had introduced a secondhand store that claimed to be the largest illegal gun trading place in Northwest DC.

Bernie thought it was highly unlikely that the two criminals would purchase the firearms through legitimate channels; that would be incredibly foolish.

Theodore asked Bernie, "What should a college student from a wealthy family, who grows up in an environment with very little crime, do if he wants to buy a gun on the black market?"

How can he contact the black market? How can he find the black market?

Bernie parked his car on the side of the road and pointed to a secondhand store not far ahead.

The door of the secondhand store was pushed open, and a young man with a youthful face walked out carrying a bulging bag, jumped onto a motorcycle, and sped away.

Bernie then gave his answer:
“There are many people like that in the school.”

“They have them at the primary, secondary, and university levels. They can help casinos, brothels, and drug dealers get business. If you want, it’s very easy to contact them.”

"The gun trade is a niche business, and it may be hard to find, but it certainly exists."

He pointed to the secondhand store: "This is the largest illegal gun trading place in the Northwest District. The school must have someone in his family who can help."

Theodore, reflecting on his college years, objected: "I didn't have any of that in college."

Bernie fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Theodore met his gaze, his expression sincere: "Really."

As he spoke, he opened the car door and walked towards the secondhand store.

(End of this chapter)