Chapter 636
Los Angeles City West, Coffey Mansion.
The building was 40 floors high, and had been built for thirty years, because there was enough money to repair it, the building still looked very grand from the outside.
Xiao Hei stopped the car, looked at the towering building and asked, “Captain, what are we doing here at Coffey Group?”
“Talk to the person in charge of the Coffey Group?”
“OK,” Blackie nodded, “Who is the current head of the Coffey Group?”
“I don’t know.
I’ll talk to whoever is the current head of the Coffey Group.” Luke walked straight into the building.
Blackie went after him, “I see, whoever benefits the most from this case could be the murderer.”
The hotel lobby was very grand, covered with dark marble floor tiles, with wall sconces on above, a lounge area on the right, and the front desk on the left.
Luke, in the car, had already read the introduction of the Coffey Group and said to the front desk, “Hello, I want to see the CEO of your company.”
Luke also didn’t know who was in charge of this company now, it was estimated that the receptionist should not know either, the best way was to meet the actual manager of the company and probe him.
A blonde in a black professional dress asked, “What’s your name, sir?”
“My last name is Li.”
“Mr. Lee, do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
“Sorry.
The CEO’s schedule is full today, you’ll need an appointment to see him ……”
“Hi Captain Lee, we meet again.” A white man came down the elevator and greeted him with a smile.
Luke whipped his head around to see that it was the studio director, Otway Stone, whom he had met yesterday.
“Mr. Otway Stone, what brings you here?”
Otway Stone smiled and said, “After talking to you guys yesterday, it made me realize that the Coffey Group has changed.
Perhaps, I can take this opportunity to fight for some rights and interests of my own.
Therefore, I made an appointment to meet with Ms. Grace Coffey, and we had a very pleasant talk.”
Looking at the other party’s giddy appearance, Luke guessed, “Congratulations, you’re able to make the movie you expected.”
“Haha, it’s not that easy, I still have to finish that …… family documentary before I can do that.
Enough said, I’m in a hurry.
I’m still a bit uncomfortable with suddenly becoming busy.” Otway Stone waved his hand and prepared to leave.
Luke called out to the other party, “Ms. Grace Coffey is also at the Coffey Building?”
“That’s right, she talked to me in the chairman’s office.” Otway Stone finished and left with a smile.
“Looks like she’s the one we’re going to find.” Luke spoke to Blackie and turned to the receptionist, “I want to see the lead director, Mrs. Grace Coffey.”
The blonde remained the same as before, “Do you have an appointment, sir?”
“No, but, it’s better to trouble you to contact it for us.
Maybe, she wants to see us too.” Luke flashed his badge, “Just tell her that Officer Lee from the Robbery and Murder Division wants to see her, and she knows who I am.”
“One moment.” The blonde nodded and picked up the landline to dial.
After a while, the blonde hung up the phone, her attitude a few points more amiable, and smiled, “Officer Li, Mrs. Grace Coffey is waiting for you in the chairman’s office on the 30th floor.”
“Thanks.”
Luke and Blackie both took the elevator to the thirtieth floor.
The elevator door opened and outside stood a short-haired white woman in her forties who was ably dressed and asked, “Officer Li?”
“It’s me.”
“Please follow me, I’m Ms. Coffey’s assistant.”
The short-haired woman was quick on her feet and without much communication with Luke, led the two outside the chairman’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” A woman’s voice came from inside the room.
The short-haired woman pushed open the door and signaled Luke for the two to enter the office.
The office was very spacious and gorgeously decorated, opposite a row of floor-to-ceiling windows with excellent lighting, and behind the desk sat a woman in a blue dress, none other than Grace Coffey.
Grace Coffey stood up and greeted, “Captain Lee, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon, I hope you brought good news.”
Luke said, “There has indeed been some progress in the investigation of the case, and I came in to the Coffey Group to inquire about something.”
“How did you know I was here?”
Luke shook his head, “I didn’t actually know, I just wanted to talk to someone who knew the Coffey Group.
I happened to run into Director Otway Stone downstairs and he said you were here.”
“Have a seat, would you like a drink?”
“Thanks, no.”
Grace Coffey glanced at Black and continued, “You think my husband’s death had something to do with the company?”
“It’s too early to say for sure, but as he was the chairman of the Coffey Group, it’s a strong possibility.
We need to rule that out.”
“OK, if you have any questions, ask.”
“Are you familiar with Otway Stone?”
“He used to be a friend of my husband’s, and then, when his movie company broke its financial chain and faced bankruptcy, it was my husband who invested in his company.
I’ve met him a few times, but I can’t say I’m familiar with him.”
“What about the relationship between your husband and him?”
“Uh …… this is a bit complicated to say, originally their relationship was very good, but once interests are involved between friends, it becomes troublesome, yes, that’s the word my husband used to describe their relationship.”
Luke said, “I talked to Otway Stone and according to him, your husband tried to annex Otway Films.”
“I know, and my husband mentioned it to me, and he was devastated by it.
He had no intention of annexing Ottaway Pictures at all, he knew that Ottaway Stone had a lot of foreign debt and needed to pay it off through the profits of the movie company.
So, immediately after my husband took over the movie company, he invested a sum of money in the movie company and made a movie, but that movie not only did not make any money, but lost a lot of money.
That is why my husband terminated the movie investment program.
It’s not that my husband didn’t want to make a movie to make money, but he was waiting for a good subject and project to shoot, but Otway Stone couldn’t wait.
He desperately wanted to pay off his debts with the profits from the movie company, and time and time again he approached my husband for investment to start new movie projects, but those scripts were no better than the previous movie.
It was for this reason that my husband felt that Otway Stone had lost the basic judgment of a movie investor.
The more desperate he became, the more my husband was afraid to leave the studio in his hands.
He was like a red-eyed gambler who would likely bet everything to turn over his money.”
“When I met Ottaway Stone’s, he seemed happy that you had given him the management of Ottaway Pictures again?”
Grace Coffey thought for a moment, “You could say that, but it was conditional on him finishing the documentary on the Coffey family first.”
Luke was curious, “I heard you just now, you seemed to agree with your husband’s decision, then why did you give the movie company to Otway Stone again.
Aren’t you worried that he’ll rush into making a new movie?”
Grace Coffey smiled, “Wow, that’s a good question.
My husband just died and the Coffey Group needs stability ……
I need supporters and don’t want to hear too much opposition.
So, at least at this stage …… I will make some concessions.
As for what will happen in the future …… who knows?
It may not be a new situation.
It’s better to wait until he finishes the documentary on the Coffey family first.”
Luke teased, “So, you got yourself a free drudge.”
Grace Coffey shrugged, “You can’t say that, if he can come up with a good script and can make a profitable movie, I have no reason to refuse.”
Luke changed the topic, “Do you know Wang Shaokang?”
Grace Coffey thought for a moment, “What does he do?”
“A lawyer.”
“I did deal with quite a few lawyers, but I’m not very familiar with that name.” Grace Coffey subconsciously asked, “What law firm is he from?”
“Soo Young Law Firm.”
Grace Coffey shrugged, “I don’t remember dealing with a law firm with such a strange name and don’t recognize it.
Does this man have anything to do with my husband’s case?”
“Not sure yet.” Luke gave a perfunctory answer and continued, “Did anything major happen to the Coffey family forty years ago?”
“Forty years ago?
What a distant date, I was only a teenager at that time, the best time of my life.” Grace Coffey fell into reminiscence, “I hadn’t married into the Coffey family at that time, however, our two families are family friends, so if something big happened to their family, I should have known about it.”
Grace Coffey was silent for a while and frowned slightly, “I remember, forty years ago, my husband’s father was killed. No, thirty-nine years ago to be exact.”
“Mr. Garion Coffey’s father was also killed?”
“Yes.”
“Was he also working for the Coffey Group at the time?”
“He was the founder of the Coffey Group and the first chairman of the Coffey Group.”
“In other words, after thirty-nine years, both chairmen of the Coffey Group were killed?”
“That’s right.” Grace Coffey nodded and muttered coldly, “Looks like I’ll have to think about it.”
Luke thought about it, he didn’t see the information about the murder of Galian Coffey’s father in Galian Coffey’s related information, “Which department was in charge of the investigation after Galian Coffey’s father was killed thirty-nine years ago?”
“The FBI.”
That’s no wonder.
Luke pressed, “What was the reason for the murder of Garian Coffey’s father?”
“Uh ……,” Grace Coffey looked a little odd, “You should ask the FBI, I’m not really sure.”
Feeling like he was being evasive, Luke made a key mark in his notebook and asked, “Have you heard of the Silver Cross case?”
“Is it related to my husband’s case?”
“Not sure yet; the Silver Cross case happened forty years ago.”
Grace Coffey shook her head and lost her smile, “A teenage girl wouldn’t be interested in a case like that, it doesn’t ring a bell.”
Luke rose, “Mrs. Coffey, thank you for your assistance.”
“I hope it was helpful.”
“Of course.”
Luke and Blackie then left the chairman’s office.
Blackie asked in a small voice, “Why don’t you ask her about Dido Bruns’ business trip to New York from Coffey Tours?”
“There’s not much point in asking, it’ll just alert her.”
“OK, where are we going now?”
FBI Los Angeles office.
Led by Luke, the two entered the FBI office building and took the elevator up to the third floor of the Criminal Investigation Department office area.
Blackie marveled, “Geez, we entered the core area of the FBI so smoothly, and not a single person actually stopped us.”
Luke shook the work permit in his hand, “No one wants to offend a Vice Minister of Counterterrorism.”
“OK, I have to say, that name does ring a bell.” Blackie smiled.
The two walked outside the office of the Minister of Criminal Investigation, Luke knocked on the door, “Knock knock.”
“Come in.”
Inside the office, Anthony lifted his head and looked toward the door, “Luke, what are you doing here?”
Luke greeted, “Man, I came to see you.”
“Oh, your work relationship has just been transferred to the Counterterrorism Department, you’re here for the formalities?” Anthony was a bit envious, “This time you kid is showing your face.”
“I got used to it a long time ago.” Luke was unimpressed and pulled out a chair to sit down.
Anthony looked at Blackie, “Man, why are you here too? Did you come to defect to our FBI as well? You’ll have to work harder then, we have high admission standards here.”
Blacky rolled his eyes straight away, “Oh, I’d rather roam the streets.”
Anthony laughed, “Yea, congratulations, got yourself a better job.”
Luke interrupted the two’s banter, “Anthony, I’m working on the Coffey family case.”
“I heard about it, Galian Coffey was killed.
He was kind of a big deal in L.A. We met at the party.” Anthony spread his hands, “Man, want me to do something?”
Luke pressed, “Do you know the Coffey family?”
“The Coffey family has a lot of properties in L.A. I know something about the Coffey Group, but haven’t had any contact.
I’ve heard that the Coffey family used to have a good relationship with the FBI brass, but that group of old men is pretty much gone.”
Luke said, “I learned one thing when I was investigating the murder of Galian Coffey, thirty-nine years ago, Galian Coffey’s father, Burnett Coffey, was also murdered.
The FBI was in charge of investigating the case at that time, and I’d like to see the case file from back then.”
Anthony thought for a moment, “Thirty-nine years between the two cases, is there any connection?”
Luke said, “On the surface, there really isn’t any connection other than the two of them being father and son, but it also involves another Silver Cross case from forty years ago.
The same clues were found at the scene of Garian Coffey’s murder as in the Silver Cross case, which was close to the time of Burnett Coffey’s murder.
I always had the feeling that the three cases were somehow connected.”
Anthony picked up the landline on his desk and dialed, “It’s me, go to the archives and get the dossier on the murder of Burnett Coffey thirty-nine years ago.”
“Thanks.”
“One of our own.”
Black bristled; the FBI would never be so nice if he came alone.
He suspected that Anthony would find a random reason and just kick him out of the office.