Chapter 647
Robbery and Murder Division, Squadron One.
Luke had just returned to his office when he faintly heard a cry.
The lieutenant pointed to the rest room, “The victim’s mother has already identified the body, she’s not very stable, Jenny took her to the rest room.”
“I’ll go in and take a look.” Luke walked straight to the lounge and opened the door.
Inside the room there was a white woman sitting on a chair, sobbing in a low voice, not reacting to Luke’s arrival.
Jenny put down the box of tissues she was holding and walked over to Luke, “She’s guilty and not very stable.”
Luke nodded and pulled up a chair and sat across from the white woman.
Jenny came over as well and said softly, “Ms. Bergman, this is our Captain Lee and the person in charge of the case.”
Sultana Bergman wiped her eyes and slowly raised her head, “Captain Lee, have you found my daughter’s murderer?”
Luke replied, “We are doing our best to investigate. I invited you here today because I also want to ask some questions related to the case.”
“Ask, as long as I know, I will definitely tell you.”
“Does your daughter have a boyfriend?”
“Not that I know of, but even if she did, she might not tell me.”
Luke pulled out a picture of Yarn Columbus, “Have you seen this man?”
Sultana Bergman picked up the photo and scrutinized it, “Something looks familiar, is he related to my daughter in any way?”
“He is your daughter’s suitor, according to his own words the two may be dating.”
Sultana Bergman sighed, “I am not a competent mother ……”
Luke said, “Ms. Bergman, I’ve heard that you and your daughter don’t have a very good relationship, can you tell us about the conflict between you?”
Sultana Bergman wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, “The child has grown up and has her own ideas.”
We used to have a good relationship as mother and daughter, but ever since her father and I divorced, she’s been throwing tantrums.
At first, I didn’t take it seriously and tried to tolerate her.
Then, when I got a new boyfriend, she started to make more of a fuss, and every time we met, she would make my boyfriend get off his back.
I knew that she was trying to get me and her father back together, but adult things are complicated.
Some things are hard to change once they happen, and not just because I want them to be.
But she doesn’t understand ……
I gradually lost my patience and had a big fight with her a while ago.
I regret now that I shouldn’t have done that to her ……
She’s still a child.” Sultana Bergman cried again, “I’ve lost her forever, I really regret it, I miss her …… oooh ……”
Jenny handed over tissues and comforted her for a while before Sultana Bergman’s emotions gradually subsided.
Luke took out another picture of the Sharon Frank and Marisa Hocking, “Do you recognize them?”
Sultana Bergman looked at them and nodded, “Yes, they were my daughter’s classmates.”
Luke pulled out another picture of the brunette he found at the bar, “What about her?”
“Lacey Wayne, she’s a good friend of my daughter’s and comes over to my house often.”
“Does Lacey Wayne also go to Malaboia High School?”
“Yes.”
“Where does her family live?”
“The Angelus neighborhood, not far from my house.” Sultana Bergman followed up, “All three of these girls are friends of my daughter, is there a problem?”
Luke thought for a moment, “Do they know the lock code to your house?”
“I’m not sure, but the door lock code is my daughter’s birthday and it wouldn’t be hard for them to find out.”
“Do the three of them play with your daughter often?”
“Yes.”
“To your knowledge, did your daughter have any enemies? Or had trouble with anyone?”
Sultana Bergman froze for a moment and shook her head, “I’m sorry, it’s been a long time since she’s talked to me about school.”
I felt guilty, I was really bad at being a guardian.
Apart from the material conditions, it didn’t help her grow up in any way. It’s all my fault.”
The conversation ended and Jenny escorted Sultana Bergman out of the office.
From what was available, all three girls should have been at the victim’s house, but why conceal the whereabouts of the third girl, Lacey Wayne?
Hypothetically, the three girls were involved in the victim’s death.
The behavior of the three would be suspicious.
Luke guessed that there were two possibilities; the first possibility was that the brunette girl had a difference of opinion with Sharon Frank and Marissa Hocking, and that was why Sharon Frank and Marissa Hocking hadn’t mentioned her, for fear that she would talk nonsense to the police.
This possibility is more than likely, after all, all three girls are not big, it is the time to be more emotional, and it is normal to have a soft heart when their best friend is killed.
There was another possibility, that the brunette girl had a special reason for not being in the police’s sights.
Jackson turned in his chair and raised his arm, “Captain, I found out the route of the blue Tesla.”
Luke walked over, “I want the driving route of the three girls after they left the bar.”
“No problem.”
Jackson operated his computer as he said, “The blue Tesla drove away from the vicinity of the bar at twelve a.m. I found a clear surveillance screenshot of Sharon Frank driving the car in the front row, and the car circled the city for almost an hour, but didn’t go anywhere near the site of the body dump.”
“What was her purpose?”
“It’s not clear; the car ended up parked near a motel.”
Luke analyzed, “Assuming that these three girls are the murderers, and that they didn’t dump the bodies themselves, they would surely have found someone trustworthy to do so.”
Blackie said, “This is a murder case, it’s not easy to find help that is both trustworthy and not suspected by the police in a short period of time.”
Luke thought for a moment and said, “The dark-haired girl, Lacey Wayne.
She may also have been at the dead man’s house and never showed up.
In other words, that’s probably why Sharon Frank and Marissa Hocking didn’t give her up.
She was trustworthy and not in the police’s sights, making her the best candidate to dump the body.”
Luke felt the inference made sense and continued, “Lacey Wayne’s family lived in the Angelus neighborhood, did the blue Tesla sedan ever go anywhere near the Angelus neighborhood?”
Jackson checked his computer, “The blue Tesla was seen near the Angelite neighborhood at 12:20.”
Luke continued, “The blue Tesla drove Lacey Wayne home, supposedly sending Lacey Wayne home to pick up her transportation, with Lacey Wayne in charge of dumping the body.
Did any suspicious vehicles drive out of the Angelus neighborhood after this time period? This vehicle is most likely black.”
Blackie began to check the surveillance around the Angelite neighborhood and after a while said, “A black Toyota sedan drove out of the Angelite neighborhood around 12:30.” Blackie found a clear video screenshot and said, “The driver was wearing a black baseball cap, which was covered, so it was hard to see his face, but it looked like a woman from the body shape.”
Luke reminded, “Check the license plate number.”
“The owner of the car is Florey Wayne, black hair, family ties are wife and daughter. She’s probably Lacey Wayne’s father.”
Luke nodded, “Check to see if the black Toyota’s route intersects with the blue Tesla, and also, has the car ever been to the dump site?”
Jackson said, “At twelve forty, the black Toyota sedan appeared near Karu Street, while the blue Tesla appeared near there at the same time segment, the two cars most likely had an intersection.”
Blackie, also tracking the car’s movements, said, “Around 1:00 a.m., this car has been near Marshall Street, where the dumping site is located.”
“Snap!” Blackie slapped his hand, “All the tracks match up.”
Sharon Frank and Marissa Hocking were responsible for circling the police and attracting their attention, however, they hadn’t been to the site of the body dump and the police couldn’t convict them.
While the dark-haired girl, Lacey Wayne, who had been in the shadows and ostensibly had nothing to do with the case and naturally wouldn’t be of concern to the police, was in charge of dumping the body. Perfect cooperation.”
Potter asked, “Murder is not a trivial matter, what is their purpose? I don’t see a motive for them, at least so far.”
Jenny said, “Girls their age usually have conflicts because of two reasons, men or jealousy.”
Black guessed, “Could it be that one of the three girls fell in love with the deceased’s boyfriend, got jealous when she saw the deceased and her boyfriend confirming their relationship, and then planned the murder.”
The vice squad said, “This is not a good reason, the ones involved in the crime were three girls, what reason could make three girls work together to kill their friend?
Moreover, you should not forget that the deceased was also assaulted after her death, so there should be another male suspect.
Combining all these reasons, I think your previous speculations make sense in theory, but lack actual evidence.”
Luke thought for a moment and said, “Is it possible that this is two cases, after the murderer dumped the body. Being found by someone else who then violated the body would be consistent with the results of the autopsy.”
Blacky concurred, “That’s right, that would make sense.”
Seven o’clock in the evening.
Angelite neighborhood.
A number of cars pulled up in front of a small white two-story building.
The door of the first black SUV opened and Luke stepped out of the car and said to Ramon, who was in the car from behind, “You take the men and secure the perimeter.”
“Okay, Captain.”
Luke gave a few more orders to the rest of the team and then, entered the courtyard of the small white two-story building.
The owner of the yard seemed to have heard the motive as well, as the door to the house opened and a white man with black hair stepped out, asking somewhat warily, “What do you want?”
Blackie flashed his badge, “LAPD, we’re investigating a homicide. Are you Mr. Flory Wayne?”
“That’s me, but I don’t think I’m going to be involved in a homicide.”
“Do you own a black Toyota with license plate number 7-PCD-298.”
“My car is in the garage, what’s the problem?”
“Have you driven this car recently?”
Flory Wayne frowned, “I’m not going to answer you again until you answer my question.”
“I told you, we’re investigating a homicide and a witness saw your car near the scene of the body dump.”
“That’s impossible.” Florey Wayne looked confused, “When?”
“November 16th around one in the morning.”
“Haha, that must have been a mistake, my wife’s mother was sick, and on November 16th we went to visit her in Montana, not even in Los Angeles, much less I drove out there.”
“Where was the black Toyota on November 16th?”
“At home.”
“Who was in your house?”
“My daughter.”
“Does she have the keys to the car?”
“I refuse to answer, you may suspect me, but never my daughter.
She is still a student and this will reflect badly on her. I will never allow it.”
“Is your daughter at home? We would like to speak to her.”
“I refuse.”
Luke vaguely saw a figure in the corner of the window, “I’m going to search your house.”
“It’s time for this farce to end.” Flory Wayne pointed out into the yard, “I demand that you leave immediately.”
Luke flashed a search warrant, “I’m sorry, we’re not going anywhere until we’ve investigated.”