Chapter 319
[“Hello, this is the 911 emergency center.”
“I want to call the police, I’m super scared right now ……”
“Can you speak louder? I can’t hear you.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t go any louder, he’ll hear you ……”]
Luke got the recording of the 911 call and listened to it several times over and over.
The clues of name, address, and black pickup truck were all in order, and he could be sure he wasn’t looking in the wrong place.
Jackson went around the neighborhood and there were quite a few residents with pickup trucks, including two homes with black pickup trucks.
After some patience, the two residents with black pickup trucks agreed to allow the police to enter their homes to check them out, and the police confirmed that the homes were okay.
Luke focused his investigation on the cell phone number that made the 911 call.
Upon investigation, it was a call prepaid disposable cell phone, available at many convenience stores and stores, and the phone had been suspended and could not be directly tracked and located.
Ultimately, it was only possible to locate the phone through a communications provider base station, which was located not in the 105th Plainfield neighborhood, but several kilometers away from the neighborhood on the east side of the community.
Base station positioning of can only determine the approximate area, to find the specific location of the dialing phone and the person is not easy.
However, one thing was certain, the information provided by the caller was wrong, and 105 Prender Community was not the location of the crime.
Checking here, Luke was more inclined to Blackie’s judgment that someone should be reporting a false alarm.
Eight o’clock in the evening.
Metzker’s Bar.
“Cheers.”
At a round table on the east side of the bar, Luke, Jackson, John, and an Asian policewoman sat together.
John took a sip of his beer, “Guys, wouldn’t it be a little bad for us to be drinking in a bar when the case hasn’t even been solved yet?”
Jackson said, “John, it’s just a normal case of false police report, no need to be so nervous.”
John frowned, “Are you still the same Jackson I know?
When we used to patrol together, you’d go all out to find even a missing bike.
It’s only been in the Robbery and Murder Division for how long, and you only have eyes for homicides?”
Luke said, “John, watch what you say, I’m still around.
By the way, where’s your partner? Why isn’t she here.”
John and his partner had done Luke a small favor in the past, and Luke had promised John to buy him a drink at Metzker’s.
“She’s a slowpoke, cold on the outside and hot on the inside, don’t mind her.” John pointed to the Asian policewoman next to him, “This is Lucy Chan.
She’s a rookie in the same class as me and Jackson, so I asked her to come along.
Luke, you won’t mind, will you.”
“Of course not.” Luke sized up Lucy Chan and asked in Chinese, “Do you speak Chinese?”
“I can, but I can’t write it.”
“There’s a Clint Chen in the Robbery and Murder Division, Squadron Two, do you know him?”
“No, Captain Luke, your Chinese is so good, much better than mine.”
“Then you need to practice more.”
Jackson was disgruntled, “Hey, can you stop speaking other languages in front of me, it makes me feel like an idiot.”
Lucy laughed, “Are you sure it’s just like that?”
Jackson surrendered, “OK, I’d rather talk about something else. Like letting our captain talk about winning awards ……”
Without waiting for Jackson to finish, Luke interrupted, “NoNoNo, let’s talk about something else. Like funny stories about your time as rookies, three people of very different ages, genders, and experiences, I think it would be interesting.”
Jackson shook his head, “Trust me Captain, you don’t want to hear it, it’s all very …… embarrassing.”
“I’d like to hear it even more.”
“No,” Jackson, John, and Lucy said in unison.
John suggested, “Why don’t we discuss the false police report case.
Captain Luke, what is your Robbery-Murder Division going to do about the investigation?”
Luke said, “I was going to talk to the house occupant, Jaime Robinson, today, but he refused and asked to see a lawyer.
Tomorrow, I plan to talk to him again.
What about your western division?”
John said, “The communications provider located the cell phone signal base station, and we’ll probably be stepping up patrols and walk-throughs in the cell phone signal area.”
Luke nodded, “Playing to your strengths.”
John said, “Our strengths aren’t just in numbers, how about we have a friendly competition?”
Jackson asked, “What kind of friendly competition?”
John suggested, “Let’s see which department gets to the person who filed the false police report first.”
Jackson laughed, “John, I thought you were past your youthful prime.”
“Don’t underestimate the courage of a middle-aged man in his forties who dares to change careers.”
“OK, I’ll match you.” Jackson held out his right hand in a touching fist motion.
“Man, you’re going to lose.” John reached out and touched fists as well.
“That’s what I was going to say.”
Lucy snickered, “Ooooh, gentlemen, I see sparks.”
The following morning.
The Prendergast neighborhood.
Jackson and Luke drove once again to the address where the false police report was filed yesterday.
Because the caller used a disposable cell phone with a prepaid phone bill, there weren’t many clues that the police could investigate.
One was to line up clues related to the false crime address, such as the neighborhood and the occupants.
The other is to line up the area near the cell phone, but this way requires more police force, or to patrol and line up mainly by patrol officers.
So Luke decided to play to his strengths and investigate the first clue.
The car pulled up outside of the 105th yard in the Prendergast neighborhood.
Luke got out of the car and saw a patrol police car parked next to it.
Jackson saw the license plate number and frowned, “It’s John.
Captain, did he come here because he heard where you were looking into the case?”
“Maybe.” Luke smiled, not really caring, a case of this nature was no different to him than a distraction.
He was getting paid the same anyway, so wouldn’t it be nice to do some light work once in a while?
Luke and Jackson had just walked into the courtyard when the door to the room opened and John and his partner stepped out of the doorway.
John looked a little embarrassed, “Hey, hello again.”
Jackson shook his head, “John, you’ve got a real winning streak.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Guys, see you later.
I’m going to win, by the way.” John waved and got in the car with his partner.
Jackson spread his hands, “Captain, this guy’s for real.”
Luke also cried and laughed a little, this old rookie John is really …… cute.
However, he just loved to crack down on the cute ones.
“Jackson, we’re getting serious too.”
“YES, Sir.”
“Knock knock ……”
Jackson knocked on the door of the room.
Soon, a man’s disgruntled voice rang through the room, “I’ve told you everything I know, can you stop bugging me.”
The door opened and the curly haired man, Jaime Robinson, looked at Luke and Jackson, “Two more changes, I remember you guys, you were there yesterday.
Are you guys finished or what?”
“Mr. Robinson, I’m Luke Lee, Squadron Leader 1 of the Robbery and Murder Division, and I’d like to talk to you.”
“Phew …… there’s nothing more to talk about.
I’ve promised not to file a complaint against you guys and not to come back for more, so can you leave me alone for a while to play my game?”
Jackson said, “We’re here to investigate the false police report.”
“Then go investigate it! What are you guys doing in my house?”
“We wanted to ask you a few questions, and I’m assuming you’d like to catch the person who filed the false police report soon.”
“Of course I want to, but I don’t know anything.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been tazed by you guys like an animal, and I still remember the feeling.
If that old constable John hadn’t begged me, I’d still be filing a complaint against you guys.”
Jackson froze for a moment, “What did John tell you?”
“You should ask him.” Jaime Robinson finished, ready to just close the door to the room.
Luke blocked the door to the room, “Mr. Robinson, I know you have a misunderstanding with the police, and we’re here to resolve it.
Running away won’t solve the problem.
If you turn us away, the next person knocking on the door might be the FBI.”
Jaime Robinson was disgruntled, “Are you trying to scare me?”
“No. As far as I know, there were at least five cases of false police reports yesterday alone, do you realize the seriousness of this?
If the case is delayed, it could involve a terrorist attack, and the FBI will definitely get involved.
Do you want to talk to the FBI?
They’re not as friendly as the LAPD.
And they don’t use stun guns.”
“Are you guys being more than lame?
Come on in, you’ve got ten minutes.” Jaime Robinson said and went straight into the house.
Jackson whispered, “Captain, there were five false police reports in Los Angeles yesterday? How come I didn’t know that.”
Luke whispered, “I didn’t limit it to Los Angeles.”
The two men entered the house and Luke again surveyed the room, much as he had yesterday.
Jaime Robinson urged, “Ask any questions quickly, I’ve started the clock.
When the time expires, either you leave or I’ll call a lawyer.”
Luke said, “Mr. Robinson, first of all, I want to say sorry for what happened yesterday.
I also hope you can understand that it was an emergency situation and we didn’t have a better choice.”
Jaime Robinson grumbled, “According to you, me being stunned by a stun gun was the best option?”
“As much as you may not like that answer, it is.”
“Maybe you’re right, but it just doesn’t sit well with me, and I’m not going to appreciate someone who shoots me with a stun gun.”
Luke said, “I can understand how you feel, but the person who really wanted to hurt you was the one who called in the false alarm, and if the police had used a real gun, you might have been killed by mistake.
This might also be the real purpose of the person who reported the false police report.
This person may want to harm you, and the day you don’t catch her, the day you are in danger.
Are you going to stay on your toes like this?”
Jaime Robinson blushed slightly, “Maybe this is just a misunderstanding and he’s not targeting me.”
“And you said it was a maybe, and you’re going to stake your safety on someone else’s kindness? If she was really that kind she wouldn’t have filed a false police report.”
Jaime Robinson seemed to be persuaded, “OK, you guys can ask whatever you want.”
Luke said, “Have you offended anyone lately?”
“No.”
“Has anyone made harassing phone calls to you?”
“No.”
“Harassing letters or other forms of harassment?”
“None of that.”
“Have you invited anyone over to your home recently?”
“No.”
“I’m going to play a recording, so listen carefully.” Luke took out his recorder and played the 911 call.
[“Hello, this is the 911 emergency center.”
“I need to call the police, I’m super scared right now ……”]
During the playback, Luke kept watching Jaime Robinson’s expression.
After listening to it, Jaime Robinson gulped, “This …… is the caller who filed a false police report yesterday to set me up?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need to hear it again?”
“No need.”
“Do you recognize the person who made the call?”
“No.”
Luke vaguely saw signs of lying from the other party’s face and tried again, “Since this person who called the fake police knows your home address, it’s likely that he’s someone you know, so listen again.”
Luke played the recording again.
“Do you know her?”
Jaime Robinson was silent for a moment and shook his head, “Really don’t know her.”
Lying.
“The caller identified herself as Suri Shamali, does that name ring a bell?”
“No.”
Lie.
Luke had been virtually certain that Jaime Robinson was hiding something, and that he should have heard the person who had called in the false alarm.
It stood to reason that this person was doing him harm by using his home address, so why was he harboring the other guy?
“Has there ever been a false police report around you before?”
“No.” Jaime Robinson answered and looked at his watch, “Captain Luke, it’s been ten minutes. I’ve told you all I know.
Please leave.”
Jaime Robinson got up to see him off.
Luke got up and exited the house with Jackson.
Jackson got into the car and said, “Guess John didn’t get any valuable leads, Captain, where are we going to investigate now?”
“Going to a different car first.”
“Why? Who are you trying to track?”
Luke said, “Jaime Robinson lied.”
“How do you know that?”
“His whole state changed after he listened to the recording, and I suspect he heard the identity of the caller.”
“If he knew the alarmist, why didn’t he say so?”
Ten o’clock at night.
The door of the house at 105 Prendergast Community opened slowly.
Jaime Robinson stepped out of the house and looked around for a moment, while going into the garage and driving out in a white Honda.
The car didn’t drive very fast at first and gradually accelerated as it exited the neighborhood.
Luke and Jackson’s car was right behind the Honda.
In addition to their car, there were two other cars following in turn.
Jackson said, “Captain, you were right, there’s something wrong with this guy.
Where do you think he’s going?”
“I don’t know, but it’s possible that he’s going to the alarmist’s house, after all, there are some things that aren’t easy to communicate over the phone, it’s safer to do it face-to-face.”
Jackson said, “He’s not afraid of being followed by the police.”
Luke laughed, “It’s just a case of reporting a false police report, it’s not a murder case, it’s not as complicated as you think, relax.”
Xiao Hei’s voice sounded on the intercom, “Captain, the target vehicle drove into the base station positioning area of the alarmed cell phone.
The target is most likely going to meet the person who reported the false alarm.”
“Copy that, keep tracking.”
Jackson smiled, “Captain, I can’t wait to see the look on John’s face.”
Luke said, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?”
“The bet.”
“You’re right, now that we’re winning, what do you think would be a good bet to mention?”
“How about the loser runs naked down the street?”
“Captain, you’re so bad.
I like it!”
“Hehehe ……”
The two let out a bad laugh.