The alert came from Mr. Kaito, my boss. "High-profile shooting. Check the procedure. Go with the team." It was an order to audit, not to investigate, maintaining my low-post cover.
I quickly joined my team of analysts, the police, and the detectives. The scene was a busy, expensive city crossing. A man lay dead in the middle of the road. No one nearby had heard a gunshot—a strong indicator that a silencer was used.
The police opened the victim's suitcase: large bundles of untouched cash. This immediately convinced every officer it was a simple, brutal robbery gone wrong.
I focused on the body. The victim's t-shirt revealed four bullet marks, clustered tightly. I noted they were slightly unusual—not the widespread, ragged holes of a close-range handgun. Something clicked in my mind; this was different.
The crowd, which had gathered after the collapse, was chaotic. Blood confirmed the man was dead.
I glanced across the perimeter. Detective Keir was there, leading the main homicide unit. He was the detective from the Thallium case. Keir looked right at me, his expression suspicious and curious, remembering that my presence often meant his initial theory was wrong. I completely ignored him.
I instructed my analysts to immediately secure the scene data and document the bullet paths. The body was sent to the forensic lab for detailed analysis. I also tasked my team with tracing the victim's mobile, identity, and personal details.
The first set of details came in quickly: the victim worked under high supervision at a secretive tech company and was involved in a critical resource plan. He rarely came to the office, and the last recorded entry was the day before his death. The off-camera CCTV inside the building from that day was mysteriously tainted.
Two days later, the forensic lab report arrived. My initial hunch was confirmed: the bullet velocity indicated a long-range sniper shot, not close-range. A professional sniper had hit the target from a distance, likely from one of the many tall buildings nearby.
My team and I were puzzled: why kill a man in daylight, on a busy road, with money untouched? The motive wasn't clear yet.
I asked the forensic team if there were any other marks on his body, signs of struggle, or theft. The lab confirmed: nothing unusual—no scratches, no struggle, nothing stolen. The body was clean.
The next step was clear. I ordered my team to call for CCTV footage from every surrounding building to trace the victim's movements and any suspicious activity. The hidden truth was in the city's digital eyes.