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

Jack's expression showed immense relief. "Thank you for believing in me. I will do everything I can to help you."

“Your mutant abilities,” Lynn inquired, “allow you to sense specific information about people hiding nearby?”

“Limited information,” Jack explained, “I can sense their general location and emotional state, but I can’t identify them specifically.”

What was that person's emotional state?

“Anger, and a sense of satisfaction,” Jack recalled, “like completing some important mission.”

This description further convinced Lynn that this was a premeditated crime. The killer did not act on impulse, but had a clear goal and plan.

“Is there any other detail you haven’t told us?” Lynn asked.

Jack thought for a moment. "There's one thing I'm not sure if it's important. That woman, before she lost consciousness, mentioned a name."

"What's your name?"

“It sounded like ‘Marcus’ or ‘Martin,’” Jack said uncertainly. “She said ‘Marcus knows,’ and then she lost consciousness.”

This was a crucial clue. Lynn immediately realized the need to investigate the victim Sarah Johnson's social circle, looking for anyone named Marcus or Martin.

“Jack, would you be willing to continue assisting our investigation?” Lynn asked. “Your abilities could be of great help to us.”

“Of course,” Jack agreed without hesitation. “I want to find the real killer and get justice for that woman.”

The following morning, Lynn began a thorough investigation into Sarah Johnson's network of relationships. He contacted the Albany local police department, requesting their assistance in gathering detailed background information on the victim, including family, friends, colleagues, and anyone who might have had contact with her.

“We’ve compiled a complete list of Sarah Johnson’s social circle,” the Albany police liaison officer reported to Lynn by phone. “There is indeed a man named Martin.”

Lynn immediately became alert. "Tell me more details about this Martin."

“Martin Reynolds, 35, is Sarah’s ex-boyfriend,” the liaison officer read from the file. “They broke up about six months ago, reportedly due to personality clashes, according to friends. Martin is a software engineer working at a local tech company.”

"Does he have a history of violence?" Lynn asked the crucial question.

“He has no criminal record, but we contacted several mutual friends who mentioned that Martin was still upset about the breakup and frequently tried to contact Sarah, which bothered her.”

Lynn carefully noted down this information. "So, where was Martin while Sarah was in the Adirondack Mountains?"

“That’s the strange thing,” the liaison officer said, his tone becoming suspicious. “According to our investigation, Martin was in Albany during the days Sarah was murdered, and colleagues and neighbors can corroborate that. He has no record of going to the mountains—no hotel reservations, no gas credit card records, not even a request for leave.”

This discovery made Lynn frown. If Martin really was the person Sarah mentioned before she died, then he should have some connection to the case. But if he had never left Albany, then what was that connection?

“Continue to investigate Martin’s background thoroughly,” Lynn instructed, “paying particular attention to his financial and communication records. At the same time, I need to know if he has any means of getting to the mountains undetected.”

Two days later, Lynn sat in a makeshift office with a detailed investigation report on Martin Reynolds laid out before him. The report, more than fifty pages long, covered almost every record of Martin's activities over the past five years—bank statements, credit card statements, phone records, email correspondence, social media activity, and even his online shopping records and takeout orders.

Sarah, the agent in charge of the investigation, stood opposite Lynn, awaiting his assessment.

“Absolutely nothing suspicious was found,” Sarah concluded, a hint of frustration in her voice. “Martin Reynolds seemed like an ordinary software engineer. His routine was very regular: he arrived at the office at eight in the morning and left at six in the evening, occasionally working overtime until eight. Weekends were usually spent at home playing video games or going to the gym. There were no large cash outflows, no suspicious contacts, and no record of him traveling to the Adirondack Mountains.”

Lynn didn't respond immediately, but continued flipping through the report. His brow was furrowed, an expression that usually meant he was thinking about something amiss.

“What about his credit card history?” Lynn asked. “Any unusual spending lately?”

“Everything’s normal,” Sarah said, flipping through her notebook. “Supermarket shopping, gas station fees, gym memberships, and the occasional online shopping. The biggest expense was a new gaming computer I bought last month, which cost two thousand dollars.”

"What about phone location?"

“During the time Sarah was murdered, Martin’s phone location was consistently in the Albany area,” Sarah confirmed. “His phone never left the city limits. The call log was also normal, with no suspicious calls.”

Lynn put down the report, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This was a habitual action he took when thinking.

“That’s the problem,” Lynn said slowly. “Everything is too normal.”

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, somewhat confused. "You mean he's too clean?"

“It’s not just clean,” Lynn stood up and walked to the window, “it’s unnaturally clean. How many people have you seen whose lives are so predictably regular? Even the most disciplined person has their unpredictable moments—a sudden decision to go to the movies, a sudden craving for a particular restaurant, or a spontaneous weekend picnic. But Martin’s records show that his life was almost mechanically regular.”

Sarah re-examined the report and began to understand Lynn's point of view. "You mean, this regularity itself is questionable?"

“Exactly,” Lynn turned to Sarah, “and there’s another problem. According to your investigation, Martin has been resentful about the breakup and frequently tried to contact Sarah. But in the past two months, there’s absolutely no trace of him trying to contact Sarah in his call and message records. Doesn’t this sudden change seem strange?”

“Maybe he’s finally let go?” Sarah suggested.

“Perhaps,” Lynn nodded, “but more likely, he’s found another way to contact her—a way that won’t be tracked. Or perhaps he no longer needs to contact her because he has other plans.”

Sarah's expression turned serious. "You think he's deliberately creating an alibi?"

“That’s a possibility,” Lynn said, walking back to the table and picking up the report again. “A clever software engineer is perfectly capable of falsifying electronic records. Cell phone location can be faked using various techniques, and call logs can be automated to simulate normal activity. If he really planned this murder, he would have found a way to make it appear as if he had never left Albany.”

“But that requires fairly advanced technology,” Sarah pointed out, “and it’s very risky. If discovered, it could expose his crimes.” “That’s why we need a more in-depth investigation,” Lynn decided. “I’m going to meet this Martin Reynolds in person. Before that, I need you to help me find some additional information.”

"What information?"

“All of Martin’s hobbies and skills,” Lynn said, “not just his work and daily activities, but I want to know what he does in his spare time, what special skills or interests he has. I want to check his social media to see what groups or forums he follows and what activities he participates in.”

What are you looking for?

“One possibility,” Lynn said thoughtfully, “is a way for him to get to the mountains undetected. Conventional modes of transportation—cars, trains, airplanes—leave a record. But what if he uses unconventional methods?”

A glint of understanding flashed in Sarah's eyes. "You mean..."

“Go investigate,” Lynn interrupted her, “focusing on any activities related to outdoor sports, extreme sports, or aviation.”

A few hours later, Sarah brought new findings, and her expression showed that these findings were important.

“Your intuition was right,” Sarah said, placing a tablet in front of Lynn. “Look what I found.”

The tablet computer displayed a page for an outdoor sports forum, with the username "Feather Walker".

"Is this Martin's account?" Lynn asked.

“I confirmed it through cross-referencing,” Sarah nodded, “the username’s registered email address, the posting time, and his daily routine match, and he mentioned locations near Albany several times in his posts.”

Lynn began browsing the account's post history. Martin was quite active on this forum, mainly discussing two topics: hang gliding and skydiving.

“Hang gliders and skydiving,” Lynn repeated the two words, his mind racing to grasp their meaning, “That’s interesting.”

“Not only that,” Sarah swiped the screen to show more posts, “look at the dates of these posts. He started learning skydiving three years ago and hang gliding two years ago. According to his discussions on the forums, he has already obtained his skydiving license and owns his own hang gliding equipment.”

Lynn's eyes sharpened. "That's the answer. Both methods allow him to reach the mountains without using conventional transportation."

“But this is only a theoretical possibility,” Sarah cautioned. “We need evidence to prove that he actually did it.”

“Where to take off?” Lynn asked. “If he’s going to get to the Adirondack Mountains by gliding or skydiving, he needs a suitable takeoff point.”

Sarah had the answer ready: “There are several legal skydiving sites and hang glider launch sites near Albany. I’ve compiled a list, and the closest is ‘Freedom Skydiving Club,’ located about forty miles north of Albany.”

“Check if Martin is a member there,” Lynn instructed. “Also, check if he had any records of being there around the time Sarah was murdered.”

“It’s already being checked,” Sarah said, quickly typing on her laptop. “Give me a few minutes.”

While waiting, Lynn continued to study Martin's activities on the forum. He noticed an interesting detail—Martin frequently discussed "cross-country flying," an activity involving long-distance flights using hang gliders. In one post, Martin even discussed in detail how to utilize mountain air currents for long-distance gliding.

“Found him,” Sarah looked up. “Martin was indeed a member of the ‘Free Skydiving Club,’ for two years. And,” she paused, “he had activity records at the club the day before Sarah was murdered.”

Lynn immediately stood up. "What kind of activity record?"

“According to the club’s log, Martin booked a solo skydive that afternoon,” Sarah read the information on the screen. “The jump was scheduled for 4 p.m. and would last approximately one hour.”

"Is there only a booking record? Is there any record of actual flight?"

“That’s the strange thing,” Sarah frowned. “The club’s records show the reservation was cancelled due to bad weather. But…”

"but what?"

“I checked the weather records for that day,” Sarah said, pulling up another window. “The weather that afternoon was actually great—clear, cloudless, and the wind speed was within safe limits. Perfect for skydiving.”

Lynn's gaze sharpened. "That's not right. If the weather's good, why cancel? Unless..."

“Unless he never intended to skydive at the club at all,” Sarah continued, picking up where Lynn left off, “the booking was just to create a show of activity.”

“Correct,” Lynn nodded. “He may have used the club’s equipment and aircraft, but parachuted from different locations.”

“But that requires the pilot’s cooperation,” Sarah pointed out a problem. “The club’s planes can’t take off without a record.”

Lynn thought for a moment, “Unless he has a private jet, or knows a pilot willing to help him. Check Martin’s social circle to see if he knows anyone with a private jet or a pilot’s license.”

Sarah continued searching on her computer. "Give me some time; I need to cross-reference his social media contacts and flight record database."

At the same time, Lynn picked up the phone and contacted Officer Thompson.

“Thompson, I need your help,” Lynn said. “On the day Sarah was murdered, were there any unusual aerial sightings in the mountains? Like hang gliders, parachutes, or small planes flying low?”

“That’s a very specific question,” Thompson’s voice sounded interested. “Do you have any leads?”

“It might be possible, but I need more evidence,” Lynn replied. “Could you help me check? Ask the locals and other tourists to see if anyone has seen anything similar.” (End of Chapter)