Chapter 445

Reed was also the first to arrive at the school.

He got out of the car and was the first to inquire, “How is the condition of the three victims? Have the injuries worsened?”

Luke said, “The medical personnel in the ambulance have sent the three injured to the hospital after performing emergency bandages. I’ve asked the accompanying medical staff and none of the three have life-threatening injuries.”

“Well done. I heard that you shot the gunman yourself and wounded him.” Reed was visibly relieved, as long as there were no new victims, this case would be considered perfectly closed, he would have a perfect answer in front of Frank, and Frank would be able to answer to the citizens of Los Angeles.

As for the injured, it shows that the situation was critical, fortunately the people from the Robbery and Murder Division arrived in time to avoid a second massacre, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

Luke laughed, “That’s right, one shot in the ankle and one in the wrist, making him lose his mobility and ability to defend against resistance, a perfect solution to the problem.

Are you going to make me the number one marksman in the detective bureau?”

Reed smiled, “I don’t mind as long as you’re not afraid of trouble.”

“Forget it then, it’s more affordable to give out more bonuses.” Luke didn’t want to have the entire police department lining up to compete with his marksmanship for the sake of a false name, after all, he relied on his brain for a living.

“See Frank, I’ll apply for you.” Reed patted Luke on the shoulder, his tone sincere.

“Thanks.” Luke smiled and answered, but, in his heart, he didn’t hold much expectation.

There were a lot of people involved in the case action this time, even if there was a reward spread out, it wouldn’t be too much, after all, everyone was a team, even if Luke was the leading one, he had to take care of his subordinates’ emotions.

Having said that, Luke’s current wealth, for the police department’s reward is not very concerned about, the police department can bring him is the background, resources and fame, with these three things, he can be outside the wind and water to make extra money.

When the fame is a little bigger, Luke may also be able to mix a speech invitation, and then move his lips to make money.

Fame and fortune were inseparable twins.

He was already looking forward to this day.

In addition, Luke shot in this operation and can get a few days of paid vacation to take care of the villa and build the house before it’s too late, it’s hard to say when he will be able to move in, not only depends on the completion time, but also depends on whether there are any formaldehyde and other hazardous substances in the decoration and furniture on the Los Angeles side.

If there is, let it dry out for a while longer, if not, move in early and save a fortune on rent.

Carmela Supermarket.

Two patrol police cars were parked near the entrance of the supermarket, and four officers were standing around chatting.

One of them, a middle-aged black police officer with a big belly and waist, said, “I just received a message from the dispatch desk that the shooter attacked Luther King Middle School No. 3, and it was said that the people from the Robbery and Murder Division arrived just in time to take the shooter into custody.”

A young black police officer grinned his thick lips and said, “So the information we received earlier wasn’t accurate?”

An Asian officer leaning against the side of the police car interjected, “I don’t think so, that murderer first attacked the Rogel’s supermarket. Murderers tend to choose familiar places to commit their crimes, so it’s likely that the target of the second attack was still the supermarket.

The reason why the gunman chose other targets is most likely because he was alerted in advance.”

The middle-aged black police officer with a big belly said “I agree with you. It may be precisely because we were here that the gunman changed the target of his attack.

If we hadn’t arrived at the supermarket in time, this place would probably have become a scene of carnage just like the Rogier supermarket.”

The young black police officer laughed, “So do we count ourselves as having taken credit?”

“Of course.” Several people hemmed and hawed.

Just then, a black man around forty years old came out of the supermarket carrying a black plastic tray with a few cups on it, “Officers, it’s coffee time, and your favorite donuts.”

The black man was none other than the supermarket’s owner, Pokey Carmella.

The Asian police officer took a cup of coffee, “Mr. Carmella, thank you for the coffee, but forget about the donuts, not all police officers like the taste.”

The young black police officer laughed, “That’s right, I’m working out these days. If I eat a donut, the trainer will definitely go crazy.”

The middle-aged black police officer laughed, “Thanks to your coach, no one is going to rob me now.”

The younger black man looked at the other man’s stomach and laughed, “Man, you’re the one that needs to lose weight.”

“No, my wife likes my stomach, she says it makes her feel more secure.”

The young black police officer bristled, showing his biceps, “She’s lying to you, women like muscles, that’s what makes them feel secure.”

The middle-aged black constable shook his head, “My wife is way past what you’re talking about, haha.”

Pokey Carmella greeted warmly, “We still have sliced rye bread at the supermarket, would you like some?”

The Asian police officer waved his hand, “No, thanks boss, you’re already very sweet.”

“Hey, don’t be polite to me. You protected my supermarket, this city needs people like you, you’re real heroes.”

A few of the patrol officers smiled at each other, no one dislikes being complimented.

The middle-aged black police officer took a bite of a donut and said, “Mr. Carmella, you can do business in peace, that psychopathic gunman has been caught by us.”

Pokey Carmella forced out a smile, “Great, where was he caught, dead?”

The middle-aged black officer finished a donut in three or four bites, “He was originally going to attack your supermarket. But because we got the news in advance and strengthened the patrol force around it, the gunman temporarily changed his target and went to Luther King’s Third Middle School, which is not far from here.

As for the specifics there, we don’t really know, but he no longer poses a threat to your supermarket.”

“Thank you so much, anything else you need to eat, I’ll go get it for you.”

The Asian police officer raised his cup in a gesture, “Nothing more is needed, thank you for the coffee, it was delicious.”

“You’re welcome, I’m the one who should be saying thank you.” The smile on Porky Carmella’s face was a little forced, and his tone was rather eager, as if he wanted to turn around and return to the supermarket.

Just then, a car stopped in front of the supermarket and Marcus and Porter stepped out.

Blacky flashed his badge and bumped fists with four more black officers, “Hey guys, good noon.”

Blacky made himself comfortable and took a bite out of a donut, “Tastes pretty good, I like the vanilla flavor.”

The middle aged black officer asked, “Hello Detective, is there anything we can do for you?”

“No, no need. I just want to talk to the owner of this place.” Blackie pointed to Carmela’s Supermarket.

The middle-aged black patrolman said, “What a coincidence, this is the owner of the supermarket standing in front of you.”

Blacky had noticed the other man and routinely inquired, “I’m Inspector Marcus of Squadron One of the Robbery and Murder Division, sir, what’s your name?”

Looking a little nervous, Porky Carmella replied, “My name is Porky Carmella.”

“Do you know Brown Bryant?”

Pokey Carmella showed a flustered look and shook his head, “No.”

Black pulled out a picture, “Look closely?”

“Really haven’t seen it.”

Blackie continued to inquire, “Then do you recognize Carl Smith?”

“Yes, we have some interactions at work, he delivered goods to my supermarket, but we haven’t seen each other for a while.”

“According to our investigation, Carl Smith is suspected of being involved in the Rogier’s Supermarket shooting, and he identified you as being involved in the shooting as well, so we need to ask you to go back and find out what’s going on.”

Pokey Carmella backed up in a hurry, “No No No, he’s lying, I had nothing to do with the shooting.

I’m a supermarket owner myself, how could I be involved in a supermarket shooting?”

Porter pulled an ID out of his car, “Here’s a warrant, please come with us.

You shouldn’t want to be handcuffed in front of your own supermarket.”

Pokey Carmella was instantly deflated, his entire body froze in place, and he didn’t dare to resist, looking back at the supermarket before being escorted into the police car by Porter.

The several patrol officers present were also confused.

The middle-aged black police officer couldn’t help but ask, “Detective Marcus, what’s the situation? Didn’t the gunman want to attack Carmela’s Supermarket? Why is the supermarket owner an accomplice?”

Blackie explained, “Man, the situation here is more complicated than you can imagine, and the interrogation hasn’t taken place yet, so I also need to keep it a secret and can’t say too much.

I’m sure you’ll understand.”

The four patrolmen stared wide-eyed at Xiao Hei as he got into the police car to take the supermarket owner away, then looked at the coffee in their hands, which suddenly didn’t smell good anymore.

Robbery-Murder Division, interrogation room.

Brown Bryant was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment, so Luke decided to interrogate the other two suspects first.

Porky Carmella’s legs were already starting to weaken when he was brought into the police station, and when he entered the interrogation room, he was set up by two officers and placed on the interrogation chair.

Seeing him in this state, Luke was also more than a little worried, “Do you have a serious medical history? Like a heart attack or something?”

Pokey Carmella shook his head, “I …… don’t have one.”

Luke introduced himself, “I’m Squadron Leader One of the Robbery-Murder Division, Luke Lee.

The Rogier Supermarket shooting case was investigated by me, according to the clues we have now, there are a total of three people involved in the shooting case, Brown Bryant and Carl Smith have both been caught, the situation is now unfavorable for you.”

Pokey Carmella kept his mouth tightly shut, kept sweating profusely, and didn’t answer.

Luke pulled out a picture of Brown Bryant’s arrest, “I know that in your mind you expect him to be shot straight by the police, and there’s a good chance that he will be.

But I can tell you that he’s in perfect health, except for injuries to his wrists and ankles. The odds are that he won’t see God before you do.”

Porch Carmela stared dead at the picture and sighed softly.

Luke watched his attitude slacken and said in a stern tone, “Brown Bryant has confessed. He was hired by someone else to go to Rogier’s Supermarket and shoot someone.

The weaponry was also provided by you and Carl Smith.

We interrogated Carl Smith and he confessed that you were the one behind the shooting, that the case was planned by you and financed by you.

I’m curious to ask you why you instructed Brown Bryant to create a shooting at Rogier’s Supermarket, and what deep grudge did the dozen or so customers killed in the supermarket have against you?”

Hearing that he had become the mastermind behind the shooting, Porky Carmela shivered with fear and finally couldn’t carry on, “I didn’t instruct them to kill anyone.

I wouldn’t have dared to do so, much less had to kill anyone, and it wasn’t at all the outcome I wanted.”

Luke pressed, “And what was your desired outcome?”

“I just want my supermarket to do better business and not continue to lose money.” Pokey Carmella clenched his fists and revealed a look of indignation, “My supermarket has been open for many years, it’s like my child.

But ever since Rogier Supermarket opened, my supermarket business has been greatly affected.

The boss behind Rogier Supermarket is Korean, and many Koreans are running the supermarket, they join together to buy goods, negotiate with suppliers, minimize the interest of the goods, and prefer not to make any money but to fuck over the surrounding supermarkets to achieve the goal of monopolizing the regional market.

I don’t have much ambition, I just want my supermarket to survive and be able to support me and my family.

If my supermarket closes down, my employees will also lose their jobs, and the dozens of families standing behind this will face the same predicament.

But that Korean doesn’t care about any of that, he just wants to fuck up our supermarket and monopolize the market in this area, only looking at profit and doing whatever it takes.

We can’t compete with them at all.”

Luke said smoothly, “So you hired someone to go to Rogier’s supermarket to create a shooting?”

“I really didn’t think about killing anyone, I just wanted to find someone to go to Rogier’s Supermarket to make trouble, discharge a few empty guns to scare the customers away, so that the customers would feel that it’s not safe there, and wouldn’t dare to go to Rogier’s Supermarket to buy things again.

That way the surrounding residents would come to my supermarket to shop, my employees and I wouldn’t have to lose our jobs, and our families wouldn’t have to face life’s dilemmas.

No one will die in my plan, it’s just a warning to Rogier’s Supermarket that it belongs to the black community, that’s all.”

“If it was as you say, why did Brown Bryant massacre black customers at Rogier’s Supermarket?”

“I don’t know.

After seeing the news and being shocked, I called and asked Carl Smith about it, and he said the shooter was crazy and out of control.”

Pokey Carmella sighed, showing remorse, “I never should have asked for their help. These white people are fucking assholes and they got me killed.”

“How much did you pay Carl Smith? What did you say at the time?”

“I was going to give forty thousand dollars, but Carl Smith thought it was too little and asked me for sixty thousand dollars, and I mortgaged my car to get enough.

I told him that Rogier’s Supermarket was competing maliciously and trying to run me out of business.

Hopefully, he’ll hire someone to go to Rogier’s Supermarket and make a mess, fire a few blanks, and scare the customers away.” Pokey Carmella sighed and said, with a complex expression.

“Carl Smith agreed and got Brown Bryant to carry out the plan. Both Brown Bryant and Carl Smith are members of the Pride Boys.

They hate Negroes and are hostile to them.

I would not have asked them for help if I had not been forced into this.

I swear I never instructed Carl Smith and Brown Bryant to hurt anyone, and I don’t know what Carl Smith told Brown Bryant to bring things to this point.

It was heartbreaking to see so many people killed …… and I was so scared I didn’t know what to do.

I wish this never happened.” Pokey Carmella covered his cheeks with both hands, his arms still trembling.

Luke saw that he didn’t look like he was faking it, and jotted down the highlights of his interrogation in his book, comparing it to the interrogation notes of the suspect, Carl Smith, which were basically the same.

The shooting was also roughly smoothed out.

Porky Carmella, because the supermarket was not doing well, asked Carl Smith to act as a go-between to introduce a gunman to mess with Rogier’s supermarket, hoping to beat the competition that way.

Carl Smith found Brown Bryant and gave the other man thirty thousand dollars in cash, along with equipment and a car.

The suspect vehicle that Brown Bryant initially drove was purchased by Carl Smith from the black market; the guns and equipment were mostly purchased through regular channels.

As for where the equipment and car Brown-Bryant was using at the time of his arrest came from.

The police don’t know, Carl Smith doesn’t know, and I’m afraid only Brown Bryant himself can answer that.

Brown Bryant was shot with two bullets and is still in the hospital for treatment, Luke called and inquired about it, although he is not in danger of his life, but he can’t make a statement today.

After Hours.

Jackson suggested going to the bar for a drink tonight to celebrate the capture of the shooter, and Blacky rarely shared his opinion.

However, it was rescheduled for tomorrow by Luke, as he had business tonight.

His father was coming to LA to help him with matters related to the purchase of the villa.

Luke was going to pick up the plane.