Chapter 72

The next morning.

Luke and David decided to visit the people involved in the ‘Telson Disappearance’ case.

Twenty years ago, these people had made statements.

Now that there were new clues, the statements needed to be redone and perhaps more could be learned from them.

However, it had been twenty years and it wasn’t easy to find them again, many had moved and changed their contact information.

The first person the two men looked for was the chef Salman Khan, who, according to Hans Miller, was trusted by his wife back in the day and worked in his house for ten years or so.

But unfortunately Salman Khan’s cell phone number was deactivated.

The duo found his address again, but it had moved out ten years ago.

There was no choice but to look for the next target.

The estate maid, Cindy Bottu.

Cindy Bottu didn’t leave a cell phone number, not everyone had a cell phone in those days.

Drove straight to her home address.

A white two-story villa, surrounded by a small courtyard of two hundred square meters, with some flowers and plants planted in the courtyard, very living atmosphere.

This is the benefit of living in a small city, leisurely, comfortable, and the house price is cheap.

The two walked to the door and knocked on the door.

“Cluck …… “After a while, the door opened.

A white woman in her twenties stood in the doorway, “Who are you looking for?”

“Does Cindy Botto live here?”

“Yes, who are you guys?”

Luke flashed his badge, “LAPD.”

“Wow …… I’ve only seen that on TV, are you guys for real?”

“Of course, what’s your relationship to Cindy Botto?”

“She’s my mother.”

“Is she home?”

“At home, what can I do for you guys?”

“We’d like to get some information from her, please call her out.”

“Mom, the LAPD is looking for you.”

After a moment, a woman of about fifty walked downstairs and looked from the living room to the door, “Police? What do you want to see me about?”

Luke asked as he sized up the other woman, “Are you Ms. Cindy Botto?”

“That’s me, I didn’t call the police.”

“We’re looking for you to find out about the ‘Missing in Telson Manor’ case.”

“WHAT? It’s been twenty years, you guys aren’t liars, are you?”

Luke flashed his badge again, “Some new clues have been uncovered in this case, re-taking your statement.”

Cindy Botto froze for a moment, “OK, it’s just incredible.”

“Can we go in and talk?”

“Sure.” Cindy invited the two men into the house and instructed her daughter, who was off to the side, “Go get two cups of coffee.”

Luke entered the living room and surveyed the surroundings, the house was cleaned.

Cindy gestured for the two to sit on the couch and asked, “Did you find Mrs. Anna? Is she okay?”

“We did find some clues about Anna, but we can’t be sure yet.”

“So what did you guys want to see me about?”

“We would like to ask some questions.”

“OK, you guys ask.”

Cindy’s daughter came over with a tray and placed three cups of coffee on the coffee table, then left the living room.

Luke continued, “Have you remembered any new clues about the ‘disappearance of Telson Manor’ in recent years.”

“Come on, it’s been twenty years and I’ve almost forgotten what Mrs. Anna looked like.”

“Do you know Salman Khan?”

“The Asian chef at the estate?”

“Yes. Do you have his contact info or know where he lives?”

“No.”

Luke pulled out Cole’s sketched portrait, “Recognize him?”

Cindy picked it up and looked at it closely, “Something looks familiar …… Oh, is that him? The estate driver who was treated as a suspect?”

“Yes, any idea of his whereabouts?”

“No, I remember that he was treated as a suspect twenty years ago, and didn’t dare to return to Haim City at all.”

Luke pulled out Tony’s picture again, “Recognize him?”

Cindy picked up the photo and looked at it carefully, shaking her head, “No.”

Not giving up, Luke pulled out Lawn’s picture again, “What about this guy?”

Cindy shook her head again, “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

Luke nodded and collected the photo, “We’re looking for people who worked at the estate back in the day, do you still have contact with them? Knowing their addresses would be fine.”

Cindy thought for a moment, “Wow, it’s been so long, I’ll have to think about it …… By the way, I’ve met George, he also lives in Heim, and was a gardener at Telson Manor back in the day.”

After getting the address, Luke and the two of them excused themselves and left.

George’s house was not far away, it only took a few minutes to drive.

Luke knocked on the door of George’s house again, and the door was opened by an old black woman in her sixties.

“Who are you looking for?”

“LAPD, we’re investigating the ‘disappearance at Telson Manor’ and would like to see George for some information.”

The old woman thought for a moment, “The case from twenty years ago?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not crooks are you, I may be old but I’m not confused at all.”

Luke flashed his badge, “We just came from Cindy’s house, she’s the one who told us that George worked at Telson Manor too.”

“OK, you guys come on in.” The old woman stepped aside and called into the room, “George, you have a visitor.”

After a while, a gray-haired black man in his seventies came out, “What kind of guest? Am I being asked to trim the flowers and plants? What kind?”

The old woman explained, “No, it’s the police, they want to question you about the ‘Telson Estate’.”

“What estate? Telson Manor? The one with the boxing? He’s going to hire me as a gardener?

I’ll be damned, I heard he has a big tiger, what a creep.

But I like it.”

The old woman spread her hands, “No, it’s Telson, where you used to work.”

“I’ve been a gardener all my life, I’ve worked in too many places to remember them all.” The old black man looked at Luke and David, “You’re cops?”

“Yes.”

“Neither can the police department, I won’t discount it, don’t even think about it.”

Luke “……”

The old woman shook her head, “SORRY, he’s old, dementia started last year, he’s usually clearer in the head after his lunch break, you guys can come back then.”

David and Luke exited the house with a confused look on their faces.

As if to reassure himself, David said, “After all, the case was twenty years ago, it’s only natural that it won’t be easy to investigate.”

Luke got into the car, “Where are we going now?”

David picked up his notebook and scratched it with his pen, “Next.”

Half an hour later, they found Sheeni Cabin, who used to work as a cook at Telson Manor.

Sheeni Cabin was now an older woman in her fifties who ran a tavern, was over six-feet tall, and had about the same waistline.

Luke felt that she probably weighed more than even himself.

After explaining her intention, Sheini Cabin acted enthusiastically, ”Oh, Telson Manor, I still remember. The person I was working with at that time was Salman Khan, he made delicious mutton curry.”

“Are you still in touch with him?”

“No,” Sheeni Cabin whispered, “My husband would be jealous.”

Luke agreed against his will, “Of course he would.” The conversation then turned, “Have you remembered any new clues about the ‘disappearance of Telson Manor’ in recent years.”

“I had been dismissed from my job at the time and wasn’t really aware of the case, not that it was any of my business.”

Luke then asked for her assistance in identifying the photo.

Upon seeing Tony’s photo, it was as if Shaney remembered something: “This man …… looks somewhat familiar.”

“Where have you seen him before?”

“I’m not really sure, the man is much older than I remember.”

“Here’s a recent picture of him, his name is Tony, get a good memory ……”

“Tony, Tony ……,” Xeni Cabin muttered, “I remember, he seems to be the estate maid’s boyfriend.”

Luke frowned slightly, “Wasn’t the maid Cindy Botto?”

“YEAH, it was Cindy, I haven’t seen her in years, I almost can’t remember.”

Luke and the two of them excused themselves and immediately returned to Cindy Bottou’s house.

David slapped the steering wheel hard, “FUCK, she fooled me.”

Luke said darkly, no wonder Cindy Botto would give out the address of old George’s house, George had dementia and couldn’t possibly remember Tony’s identity.

It would distract the police and buy time to escape.