Chapter 235
Detective Bureau.
Interrogation room of the Gang and Narcotics Division.
Jim sat quietly at the interrogation table.
With a “cackle ……”, the door to the interrogation room opened.
A black man with gray hair, a heavier build, wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase walked in.
Jim said, “Counselor Caum, you’re late.”
“Man, have a little more patience, you’re sitting in a chair blowing the air conditioning while I’m nearly running my legs off trying to get information.”
Jim wasn’t buying it, “You’re earning it, I’m spending it, that’s the difference.”
The black lawyer, Caum, smiled, “OK, for Franklin’s sake, I was wrong.”
“I don’t want to argue right or wrong right now, I just want to know why I was brought in?”
“The police charged you with receiving stolen goods.”
“You know, that’s not what I’m going to ask.” Jim scanned around and lowered his voice, “The real reason?”
“You instructed Annelec to steal a client’s out-of-print vinyl?”
“Yes, that asshole Annelec double-crossed me, but I’m more interested in knowing the identity of that client now?”
Caum confirmed, “The client you’re talking about is an Asian-European mix, black hair, black pupils, around 185cm tall, stocky man, right?”
“It’s him, I’m going to get all his information.”
Caomu sighed, “He’s a police officer, it’s not easy to get information about him.”
“I know the rules, name your price, not a penny less.”
“OK, who made us old friends, I’ll put it on the books for you.” Caolm recalled.
“You’re messing with the wrong guy, he’s Lieutenant Luke of the Heist and Murder Division, and former partner of that Lieutenant David, the two are said to be extremely close.
You should know about David, just transferred to the Gang and Narcotics Division, he has caused a lot of trouble, is a standard asshole.
His ex-partner who is close to him is probably no good either.
You’re too reckless. Messing with this kind of guy is tantamount to getting into trouble.
All he has to do is buy David a drink, and David will screw you once, and your business is completely fucked.”
“FUCK!”
Jim revealed a chagrined look, “I looked away, I saw that he wasn’t very old, and he even had a smile on his face when he spoke, just like a big sunny boy, how did I know he would be a cop?
Moreover, how could an ordinary cop have an out-of-print record?
If I knew he was a cop, I would have never touched him.
This asshole hides very deeply, completely different from David’s kind of old fart who is seen at a glance.”
Caom said, “You’re right, he is indeed different from David, not only is he young, he is said to be highly regarded by the top brass of the police department, and has solved a lot of major cases, you should know about the Las Vegas shooting.
It was he who subdued the gunman with his own hands, and with this he will receive a medal of valor from the President himself.
If nothing else, he’s going to be a high-ranking member of the LAPD.
Jim, I know your ambition, you don’t want to be stuck in a pawn shop for the rest of your life, you want to make a name for yourself in the gang.
But if you are targeted by him, you might miss a lot of opportunities to rise to the top.”
Jim sighed, a little irritated, but to a certain extent he agreed with Caolm’s words, there had always been some sort of subtle connection between the gangs and the police department.
The top brass of the police department might not be able to decide who would be the gang leader, but they could decide who they wouldn’t let be the gang leader.
As soon as the police launch a few targeting operations, the underlings can’t make any money, the loyal ones are killed or injured or jailed, and the disloyal ones fall apart.
No outsiders have to do it, no police have to do it, and the competing forces within the gang replace you.
Jim is also from the slums step by step to the present position, also met a lot of police, if all according to the rules, the police have an inherent advantage, enough to gangs will be crushed to death.
If the gangs don’t follow the rules, the police will also play dirty, and that’s when the police are the scariest.
Being a player and a referee at the same time, play a ball.
Jim is also clear that he is not in the right this time, and he has learned from his mistakes.
It doesn’t matter if you get caught, you can make bail.
Jail is not afraid, want to enter the core layer of the gang without going to jail a few times how to do, there are brothers inside to take care of, just as a short-term refresher course.
He is now most worried about the words of Caomu just now, he offended Luke, this kid later became the police force senior certainly look at their own eyes, and then want to make up for it will be too late.
As for directly kill Luke.
Brainless fools will only have this kind of idea.
The risk of taking out the LAPD is too great, if you fail, you will usher in the other side of the crazy revenge.
If you succeed, you will be retaliated against by the police, and you can’t stay in Los Angeles, so the only chance is to run away.
He has been working in Los Angeles for twenty years, it is difficult to mix to the present position, money, status, and family, leaving Los Angeles is nothing.
If this point of reasoning can not think, he has no way to mix to the current position.
Jim said, “As soon as possible to help me for bail, I want to personally meet him.”
In the past two days, the police department wasn’t very busy, and Luke put some of his energy into the out-of-print record.
Luke reconsidered and finally decided to put the records up for public auction.
Wanting to auction it for a high price was just one of the reasons.
In addition, as a police officer with some power, a public auction could also avoid people talking about it.
Luke’s position is not high now, perhaps no one cares about this matter, but he will be promoted sooner or later, the status is high, the people who are watching you will be more, there is nothing wrong with being careful.
Luke, after some comprehensive consideration, did not choose the auction house, but chose to open auction on the Internet.
There are three reasons.
First, different auction items, suitable for different ways to auction, if you put the mummy to auction online, it is certainly not appropriate.
But the record is different, the record itself is the carrier of entertainment, the audience group is very large, and with the legendary band Beatles have a thousand relations, very suitable for online auction.
Secondly, although the online auction is also through the auction house, but the commission is lower, all sorts of miscellaneous fees added up, only five percent commission, more cost-effective.
Thirdly, online bidding is more flexible, in the appropriate interval, the auctioneer can set its own price.
The auction time is longer, usually within 24 hours, and the highest bidder wins.
Luke felt that this approach was best suited to selling his out-of-print records.
Before the auction, Luke needs to bring the record to the auction house, where it will be appraised and kept by the auction house, which acts as a third party to the transaction. After the auction is completed, the auctioneer pays the money to the auction house and picks up the item.
Only after that will the auction house transfer the money to Luke.
By doing this, everyone’s interests can be protected.
In the future, even if there is a problem with the record, it will be a problem between the auction house and the auction buyer, and has nothing to do with Luke.
Since the auction house draws a commission, it has to guarantee this auction item, otherwise on what basis does it draw a commission?
Luke put the out-of-print record into the auction house for safekeeping, drove back home, tonight, finally can sleep a good night.
The out-of-print record belongs to the unexpected wealth, this thing is different from the house and car.
A house can’t be stolen.
The car also has a mark, stolen can be found back.
But this thing is not the same as the record, into the nook and cranny of the collection for decades, where do you go to find?
Money moves people’s hearts, there is no guarantee that any money-minded guy will move again.
Luke drove the car to the neighborhood, saw a black man standing in front of the house, dressed in a full coat and hat, wearing a gold glasses.
Luke smiled, this one got out pretty fast.
“Why are you here? Come to see me?”
“Lieutenant Luke, I’ll disturb you for a few minutes, there may be some misunderstanding between us and I’d like to explain it to you.”
“Your name is Jim?”
“Yes.”
Luke glanced at his watch, “You have five minutes.”
“The last time you came to my antique store you wanted to sell an out-of-print record, and I loved that record and wanted to collect it.
I was talking to a friend who heard about it, and this friend may have gotten the wrong idea, thought wrong, and did something irrational.
I really feel very sorry.
Of course, there might be a problem with my expression, which made him misunderstand.
I apologize again, I really didn’t mean to instruct him to do that.
I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Luke didn’t believe this rhetoric, “If you like it, you can pay for it. Don’t get any ideas in the future.”
“You’re right, I still want to acquire that out-of-print vinyl record of yours, money is not a problem.” For the past two days, Jim had been thinking about how to resolve the conflict with Luke.
He and Luke would clash solely because of this out-of-print vinyl record, which was extremely precious and rare, and in the future, when Luke bragged with his friends, he would inevitably mention this vinyl record.
And every time the record was mentioned, it would remind the other person of something unpleasant, which was bad.
Jim did not want to be missed by a person who might become a high-ranking police officer in the future, the gang’s business was in the gray chain, and it was easy for the other side to screw themselves.
Jim decided that the sin began and ended with the record.
The solution was simple, buy Luke’s vinyl at a high price and make a good impression on him.
When he thinks of vinyl in the future, he can think of the good he did by overpaying for the record.
Don’t ask for credit, but don’t think about it.
“Unfortunately, you’re one step too late, that vinyl record has already been given to the auction house for auction.” Luke wouldn’t have sold it directly to Jim even if he hadn’t promised the auction house.
“Which auction house? I really like that record and I’d like to participate in the auction.”
“Garris Auction House.”
“Can I participate in the auction?”
“America is a free country, it’s your freedom to auction off your favorite record, not mine.”
“You’re right, I’ll definitely participate in the auction.”
Luke smiled, “Good luck, want to go in for a cup of coffee?”
“No, I should get going, my wife is waiting for me at home for dinner.” Jim said and turned to leave, walking about a couple of dozen meters before leaving in a car on the side of the road.
Luke got home, took a shower, and ate some dinner.
At eight o’clock in the evening, the online auction officially started.
Luke poured a glass of red wine and sat next to his computer to watch the bidding.
The bidding page had a detailed description and photos about the record, with a starting price of four hundred thousand dollars, and no less than ten thousand dollars per call.
Soon the first bidder appeared, account name Rafi, bid 410,000 dollars.
At 8:10, the second bidder appeared, account name Jasmine, bidding 420,000 dollars.
At 8:15 ……
Around nine o’clock, the bidding reached $450,000 dollars.
The auction had gone up fifty thousand dollars in one hour, Luke was still satisfied, after all, there were still twenty-three hours of bidding to go.
Luke stared for another hour, the bidding price went up again, it had reached 470,000 dollars.
It is estimated that it can not rise too much, Luke also did not stare, wash up and go to bed.
The second morning, Luke first time to get up to check, the price rose to 490,000 U.S. dollars.
Good, has reached his expectations.
Work during the day, Luke face does not show, the heart is still more or less some thoughts, however, he held back, midway and did not look at the computer.
The auction price has reached his psychological price, even if it does not rise can be accepted.
At night after work, Luke first time to open the computer to check, the bidding price reached sixty-five million dollars.
Luke was a little surprised, this has exceeded his expectations.
Then look at the name of the bidder’s account, Strange House Antiques.