American forensics, but the gourmet system

Tonight's dinner is stewed lamb chops.

Tender mutton, white radish chunks, and orange-red goji berries float in the soup, the clear broth has a tea-like color, seemingly light but with a rich and mellow taste.

Aina held a small bowl containing half a bowl of mutton soup, leaning back in her chair and slurping it down.

But Russell's appetite didn't seem to be particularly good.

After eating a piece of lamb chop, he put down his chopsticks and stared blankly at the smooth lamb bones on the table.

Although she had only been Russell's roommate for a few weeks, Aina had already figured out Russell's logic.

When he has a big appetite, it usually means he has solved a case.

When he has little appetite, it's usually because he's stumped by some problem...

"Hey." Aina stretched out her foot and gently kicked Russell's calf under the table.

"Huh?" Russell jumped. "What's wrong, Aina?"

"I've noticed you don't have much of a social life..." Aina tilted her head and looked at Russell. "Every day, besides going to work, you just come home and cook. Isn't that kind of life boring?"

Russell was surprised that Aina started the conversation in this way.

But Aina is right, he really doesn't have much of a social life.

Russell shrugged:

"It's alright... I just prefer a quieter environment. When I was in college, I tried to let loose in bars like the people around me, but I found that they might not accept me and integrate me into their circle because of that."

"That's why I chose forensic medicine as my major in graduate school."

"Dealing with corpses is easier than dealing with living people... at least there won't be any doctor-patient disputes."

After hearing Russell's words, Aina couldn't help but laugh:

"It's definitely a choice that suits your personality... Actually, I also think socializing is a bit of a waste of energy. But some people are different; they can gain energy from socializing... For example, that Indian roommate I told you about before, she often brings her friends back to our rented place when I'm not around..."

Russell asked instinctively:

"If you weren't there, how did you know she brought a friend home?"

"Please..." Aina shrugged, her expression quite adorable, "Your roommate brought a living person back to their place, wouldn't they leave some traces and make some noise?"

Russell blinked:

"But I've never noticed..."

"That's because your roommate never brings any friends home..." Aina said helplessly. "I don't have any friends in New York..."

"Oh!" Russell exclaimed with a look of sudden realization. "You've never brought any friends home, and neither did my previous roommate... I get it!"

He jumped up from his chair and strode into his room.

……

  

Backstage at the ballet theater.

Jesse finished his 22nd interview record for the day. He raised his hand and pinched his brow, feeling somewhat tired.

Vera's ballet theater has 31 full-time and part-time dancers, one manager, and 14 staff members for set design, props, logistics, cleaning, and makeup.

Jesse and Marty's task tonight is to ask Vera's colleagues about Vera one by one, but so far, the answers they get are still pretty much the same.

"May I leave now, officer?"

The slender female dancer asked Jesse cautiously.

"That's fine." Jesse nodded. "Could you please call the next person in? Thank you."

The female dancer left the room, and Jesse flipped through the interrogation records in her hand.

Everyone's answers were pretty much the same:

Vera is introverted and doesn't speak English very well, so she always keeps to herself. But she's an excellent dancer, and no one knows anything about her love life, let alone a wealthy boyfriend... no one has ever mentioned him.

A male actor pushed open the door and walked in. He nodded somewhat awkwardly to Jesse, who was about to gesture for him to sit down when his cell phone, which was placed to the side, rang.

"Wait a moment... Russell, what's up?"

Russell's voice came through the receiver:

"Hey Jesse. I know you asked Vera's roommate this afternoon, didn't she say Vera never brings her boyfriend home?"

"Yeah..." Jesse was a little confused, wondering why Russell had brought this up again. "But I think her roommate obviously got it wrong because she drinks every day... If she's always drunk, she definitely wouldn't notice who Vera brings home..."

"Is it possible she's not mistaken?" Russell continued, "Vera really has never brought a boyfriend home."

“How could that be…” Jesse laughed, finding Russell’s argument a bit absurd. “If she never brings her boyfriend home, then who did she use up a whole box with—”

"It's possible that Vera brought it outside herself," Russell interrupted him. "As Vera's roommate, even if she noticed the slightest trace of an outsider, she couldn't be so certain that Vera never brings men home."

Jesse almost jumped up:

"That's even more absurd! If she's constantly having secret rendezvous with her boyfriend at his house, why would she need to prepare a whole box of condoms? Do NBA players bring their own locker rooms when they play away games?"

"They don't need to bring their own locker rooms, but they must bring their own equipment," Russell said calmly. "Because NBA players get paid to play on the road."

Jesse paused for a moment, then repeated Russell's words:

"You get paid...hey, you mean—"

……

"She's a prostitute." Jesse placed a stack of interrogation records in front of Captain Hansen, his face showing unconcealed exhaustion. "Based on the theater's ticket sales records, I found the male audience members who attended every Vera performance, about fifty in total, and half of them admitted to sleeping with Vera... Damn, Russell guessed right again."

Captain Hansen didn't speak, but frowned and picked up the interrogation record to look through it.

"So that's her extra income..." Marty said thoughtfully, "How much do those men give her each night?"

Jesse said a number with a hint of heartache.

"So many?!" Marty exclaimed in surprise. "No wonder she can maintain such a high level of spending!"

“Yes, and special services would cost a lot more…” Jesse continued, “But the problem is, if Vera is a prostitute, then there are far more people who have had intimate contact with her than we imagine… Half of her loyal viewers admit to having slept with Vera, but that doesn’t mean Vera has only served that half of the men… Are we going to have to investigate all those dozens of men?”

"It will alert the murderer."

Diaz shook his head and said with a serious expression.

"Yes, if we investigate one by one, the murderer will probably have already fled to Argentina by the time we finish..." Marty shook his head. "Perhaps we should wait for the results of the trace evidence to come out before making any plans?"

The office door was pushed open, and Russell walked in carrying a stack of reports.

"The autopsy report and the trace evidence report." Russell placed the stack of reports on the table. "There was a semen stain in Vera's hair, and the DNA comparison results are in... We can go and make the arrests."