America: The Gear-Up Detective

Hank, a seasoned detective with extensive experience and familiarity with firearms, immediately replied, "Very likely!"

Rod recalled the forensic report, which indicated that Nathan had impact injuries to his genitals.

Assuming the bullet enters the body from this location, the animal's genital skin is wrinkled and contractile. If the bullet enters the body from that location, the wound will become very small due to the contraction of the skin, and the amount of bleeding will also be very small.

Therefore, in some places, animal castration is performed without even needing stitches. If the situation isn't considered beforehand, it's very difficult to detect a gunshot wound during an examination.

Since Nathan had no other wounds on his body, the bullet must have remained inside his body.

Therefore, there was no blood at the scene.

But then she thought again and asked, "But what about the bullet? It couldn't have just disappeared into thin air, and the forensic report didn't show that a bullet was found."

"And where did the bullet come from?"

Rhodes recalled the image of Nathan lying on the bed, generated by the virtual imaging, in room 348.

Suddenly, an unreliable yet reasonable guess popped into my head.

Before Hank could react, Rod got out of the car and headed straight for room 348 of the hotel.

When Hank caught up upstairs and entered room 348, he saw Rod lying on the left side of the bed.

Rhodes lay on the bed in the same position as Nathan in the [virtual imaging], looking forward along the lines of his body.

The view was blocked by the wall to the left of the door.

That's the sound of plywood, and the board isn't even that thick.

Most hotel walls in the United States are made of this type of plywood as partition walls because it is inexpensive. The United States has abundant forest resources and is one of the world's major markets for plywood, with a huge supply and low prices.

Moreover, plywood is a prefabricated board that can be cut and nailed directly on-site, greatly shortening the construction cycle. For the hotel industry, which seeks to start operations and generate revenue as soon as possible, time is money.

Simple, cheap, and easy to use.

However, this also means that plywood walls, apart from providing basic partitioning, offer almost no sound insulation or protection.

Rhode activated his [Scan] skill and focused intently on scanning the wall.

Almost instantly, Rod discovered an extremely tiny hole about one meter above the ground, nearly parallel to the hotel's double bed.

This is a small hole hidden behind the door, which would never be noticed.

Hank noticed Rod's reaction and looked over carefully as well.

Upon seeing the barely noticeable hole, Hank realized what was happening, and instinctively exclaimed, "What the fxxk!"

Rod braced the doorknob against the wall to make sure the hole wasn't caused by the doorknob hitting the wall.

"Which room is next to this wall?"

Hank went outside, glanced around, and then excitedly told Rhodes, "God, room 349 is next door!"

Hank called the hotel manager and asked for the key to room 349.

The two pushed open the door and entered the room; the layout of the two rooms was almost identical.

Rod looked at the spot corresponding to the hole in the adjacent wall.

Sure enough, there was a small hole here, but it had been hastily repaired and filled with tissue paper and toothpaste, but it was very rough.

Just as Rod was about to reach for the filler, Hank pulled out a pair of gloves from somewhere and gestured for Rod to put them on.

Rod carefully removed the filler and placed it into the evidence bag.

Look at the hole.

This is a small hole less than one centimeter in diameter, which connects the two rooms.

Hank patted Rhodes on the shoulder, signaling him to step back, then took out his laser pointer and shone it through a small hole into room 348.

The laser pointer's thin, red beam shone directly onto the left side of the bed.

And this is exactly where Nathan was lying before he died!

"Found it! Rhodes, you've found evidence of the shooting!"

Hank turned around and looked at Rod with excitement.

Rhodes was also somewhat surprised. This situation made the outcome of the case seem absurd, coincidental, and even a little funny.

Nathan died just like that? Because of an absurd accident?

Rod thought that since there was no penetrating wound, the bullet must be inside his body, but the forensic report...

Gathering their thoughts, Rod and Hank cordoned off the two rooms, took photos as evidence, and left the scene.

......

Inside the police station.

The office of the Sixth Team of the Murder and Robbery Division.

Rod sat in his seat, looking at the forensic report in the case file.

After looking at it for a long time, I still couldn't find any problems, but that doesn't mean the report itself is without problems; it's just that Rhodes couldn't see them.

After all, Rhodes himself had not studied anatomy or medicine.

"Looks like I'll have to ask someone for help." A blond figure subconsciously popped into Rhodes' mind.

......

Police Detective Agency, Forensic Science Department.

In fact, within the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) structure, detectives responsible for criminal investigations belong to the Detective Bureau, while forensic identification agencies and the LAPD are actually parallel and independent government departments.

This agency is known as the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. It is jointly managed by the Chief Medical Examiner and the Coroner, and operates independently of the LAPD.

However, this doesn't mean the LAPD doesn't have its own laboratories. In fact, the LAPD boasts a long-established forensic science department. It was the first police department crime lab in the United States, and its size is second only to the FBI's lab nationwide.

This department is primarily responsible for the scientific examination of physical evidence, such as drug analysis, firearms and ammunition testing, DNA/serological analysis, toxicological analysis, and trace evidence analysis.

The autopsy report presented in the case file was issued a year ago by an experienced forensic pathologist from the Department of Forensic Science.

But Rhodes couldn't just walk up to them and confront them with the report.

Therefore, I had to ask an acquaintance to carefully check the report to see if I could find any problems.

Rhodes' only acquaintance in the Department of Forensic Science was one of his ex-girlfriends, Leila Cross.

Rhodes arrived at the forensic science department and, based on his memory of the location, found Lyra.

Leila, with blonde hair, wearing gloves and a mask, is dissecting a corpse in the autopsy room.

Even the oversized white coat couldn't hide Leila's curvaceous figure, and her focused expression while wearing a mask added to her charm.

If we ignore what she's doing...

Rod looked through the glass door of the dissection room and saw Lyra working, so he didn't disturb her.

I leaned back on the chair outside the door and rested.

It's not yet time to get off work, and Rod, who has been busy for most of the day and has run to several places, is really quite tired.

A moment later, the door to the dissection room opened.

A pair of long legs, clad in tight jeans and red high heels, strode out.

A deep, magnetic voice rang out:

"Rhodes? What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Rod, who was resting with his eyes closed in his seat, immediately stood up and gave a slight smile. "Last time you promptly sent me the fingerprint comparison record."

This allowed us to successfully catch the murderer and even receive a reward.

That's why I came here specifically to thank you.