Chapter 103

Luke sounded certain, “You did the right thing. If it were me, I would too.”

“But Santos doesn’t see it that way, he thinks I’m a selfish woman, and he wants a matriarch who can work her ass off for the sake of the family.

I couldn’t do that.

I just want to take care of my own little family.

All these years I’ve been so focused on my work that I don’t even have children of my own.

I told myself I couldn’t do this anymore, that I was going to leave him and live the life I wanted.

That’s what brought me to LA.”

David chimed in with encouragement, “Ma’am, you did the right thing, you are free and have a choice.”

Luke thought to himself, he can’t even break it up himself, and he has the nerve to advise others.

“Ms. Nada, although you have decided to leave Santos, you are still married now after all, I would like to ask a few questions.”

“No problem, Santos isn’t a bad person, I still have feelings for him, and I also hope to catch his murderer.

He’s lived his whole life for someone else and I don’t feel sorry for him.

He didn’t even enjoy the beaches of Los Angeles …… people shouldn’t live like that.”

“Has Santos been in any trouble lately?”

“His life is simple, it’s the body store, the bar, home, very little mess.”

“Does he have any enemies?”

“No, he rarely got into trouble with anyone.”

“What about Benjamin Nasi?”

Nada Mentin thought for a moment, “I remember this person, he used to be Santos’s colleague, it is said that the two of them had a good relationship in the beginning, Santos was a little uncomfortable when he first went to the mechanic store, and Benjamin Nasi even taught him some things.

Later, Benjamin Nasi was fired by the owner of the garage because of problems at work. I heard that Benjamin Nasi went to the garage a few times to make trouble, and even hit Santos with his hands.

Did he kill Santos?”

“No, can’t prove it at the moment.” Luke thought to himself, sounds like the church disciple is starving the master.

“Do you recognize Bardman Pool?”

“Nothing rings a bell?”

“Riley Hare?”

“Sounds like a somewhat familiar name …… Isn’t that the woman who was killed on the news?”

“That’s right, the three people I was talking about earlier were probably involved in your husband’s death, can you recall anything about them?”

Nada Mendin was silent for a moment, “We both have busy jobs, I have to cook when I get home, and the two of us don’t have the time, or the mood, to talk.

It’s like two tool people, I’m so numb that I’ve forgotten about my own life, so how can I possibly remember what happened to him.

SORRY, I can’t help you guys.”

“No, the conversation just now was useful.” Luke handed the other man the water in his hand again, working people were the cutest, deserving of respect where it applied.

“Thanks.” This time Nada Mentin accepted the mineral water.

“Can we exchange a contact? Someone from the police will contact you afterward to identify the body.”

“Of course, I’ll do my duty as a wife to see him off one last time.”

Luke handed her a business card, “You can contact me again if you think of any new leads.”

“I will.”

Back in the black Dodge, David couldn’t help himself, “I was wrong about Santos, he’s an asshole and doesn’t deserve this lady.”

Luke agreed, “It’s true that Santos wants to take care of his loved ones, but he shouldn’t morally kidnap his own wife. In a way that kind of person is scary.”

David clenched his fists and cackled, “If Santos were alive, I’d resist the urge to punch him.”

Detective Bureau.

The people returned to the police station one by one.

Susan called a meeting to summarize the clues.

First, Luke started with a report on Nada Mendin.

After listening, the vice squad lamented, “Typical big parent style, self-centered, all day long boasting that I’m doing it for you and for the good of this family.

He acts as if my family is very harmonious and united. But behind this harmony is the need for people to give silently, and Nada Mendin is the one who is sacrificed.

I hate this kind of behavior.”

The lieutenant expressed his attitude and the conversation turned, “We have also contacted Benjamin Nasi’s wife.

Or maybe ex-wife would be more appropriate.

In her words, Benjamin Nasi was unmotivated, and ever since he was fired from his job at the mechanic store, he was reluctant to try another job, complaining all the time and refusing to work hard.

Then he started drinking, and when he got drunk, he acted like God was the boss and he was the boss.

He also likes to hit people.

Benjamin’s wife couldn’t take it anymore, so she left with the kids and has filed for divorce and is going through the process.

Just like Santos, another broken family.”

Then it was Blackie who reported, “Jenny and I went to Laura’s house and had a good talk with Laura, and I don’t think it was clear from her conversation that Bardman Quarrel had cheated on her.

And she was quite grateful to Riley Hare, without Riley Hare’s campaign for the immigration bill, they most likely would not have been able to obtain status in Los Angeles.

And also requested that we find Badman-Poel as soon as possible.

Also, she already knew that the police had taken stolen money from her brother’s house and wanted it returned to her.”

Susan asked rhetorically, “Why didn’t she come to the police station of her own accord if she wanted the money, instead of asking you to pass it on?”

Blackie spread his hands, “I’m not sure.”

The vice squad grunted, “I don’t need to think about it to know that woman wouldn’t dare, she knows there’s something wrong with the money, when can you save three hundred thousand dollars as a driver?

I even suspect that she might know something inside, she just won’t tell you.”

Susan concluded, “From the clues you reported, although the three women have conflicts with their own husbands, the root causes of the conflicts are not the same, and there doesn’t seem to be a direct connection.

It seems that the Women’s Hater Alliance’s speculation doesn’t hold water.”

The Vice Squad continued, “From what we see now, I think Badman Pool is the most suspected, he most likely directed a blackmail farce, but because he was seen by Riley Hari, it led to the exposure of the matter, and he killed in anger.

Apart from the finger, the police have not found his body, which is probably still alive.

The finger, however, was just a prop he used to deceive the police and create a fake death.

I recommend that Badman Pool be wanted immediately.”

Susan frowned, issuing a wanted notice required evidence.

And right now the evidence was that Badman-Poel was one of the victims.

Breaking a finger didn’t mean a person was dead, but how many people could be so cruel as to break a finger.

Assuming, for a moment, that Badman-Poel was dead, the wanted notice would be a joke.

She, the captain, was also to blame.

“What else do the others have to say?”

Luke summarized the day’s new leads, feeling vaguely that something was off, again like a layer of windowpaper.

He once again compared the profiles of several of the people involved in the case, focusing his eyes on Benjamin Nasi’s profile.

Name, Benjamin Nasi

Gender, male

Age, 44 years old.

Height, 184cm

These few physical data of Benjamin Nasi matched the characteristics of the owner of the footprint found at the crime scene.

Luke found another picture of Benjamin Nasi, and although he couldn’t accurately assess it, the other person’s weight was also likely to be between 85-90 kilograms.

It was likely that Benjamin Nasi had been at the scene.

No other bloodstains or bodies were found at the scene, suggesting that the other man may have been alive when he left.

But what about the blood found in Benjamin Nasi’s home, which was sufficiently fatal?

The blood has been identified by DNA and is supposed to be his own.

Luke offers his thoughts, “Is it possible that the killer is Benjamin Nassey?”

Susan was now happy to hear a different opinion, “Tell us your speculation?”

Luke didn’t mention the footprint identification data, and he didn’t just suspect Benjamin Nasi as the killer because the footprint identification data matched.

There were too many people who matched that data, and that was just one of the criteria used to screen for murderers.

“Today, we were talking to Nada Mendin, the wife of the Mexican-American victim, and she mentioned a situation that caught my attention.

Immigration.

Santos had just immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico in the last few years.

Badman Pool and his wife were also fly-continent immigrants.

And Riley Hare, who was both a supporter and a promoter of the immigration bill, has long wanted Los Angeles to take in more newcomers.

Benjamin Nasi, on the other hand, was the opposite, he was a ‘victim’ of the immigration bill, at least that’s what he thought himself.

Thinking that Santos Mendin had taken the job that had been his, he was left devastated, alcoholic, and eventually even lost his family.

That’s why he’s been plotting revenge against Santos Mendin.

Maybe even relocate his anger to others involved with the immigration bill.”

The lieutenant thoughtfully pressed, “Then why did he cut off his finger and put it in Riley Hare’s mouth?”

“I don’t know, I’m afraid only he himself knows.”

Susan interrupted the two men’s conversation, “From the available go evidence both Bardman Pool and Benjamin Nasi have some suspicion.

It is very likely that one of them is the murderer, and the judge will definitely not agree to two wanted warrants.

So, let’s split up the investigation.

Lieutenant, you’re in charge of investigating Badman Pool.

Luke, you’re in charge of investigating the Benjamin Nasi lead.

Any questions?”

“No, captain.”