Chapter 662
Los Angeles, Detective Bureau.
“Ow……”
A sound similar to a wildcat’s growl rang out as a black Challenger Hellcat drove into the Detective Bureau compound, drawing sideways glances and onlookers.
The brown men of the Detective Bureau were defenseless against this muscular sports car that believed in vigor.
“I like the sound of that, it’s so charming.”
“That’s right, slutty cats blowing up the streets.”
Luke stepped down from the driver’s side and was immediately surrounded by the crowd.
“Captain Lee, is this your new car?”
“How much did you pay for it?”
“It’s even cooler than I thought it would be.”
“If you give me a Hellcat, I can even give up my wife.”
“Haha ……,” the crowd laughed.
Luke chatted with the crowd for a few moments while heading towards the office building.
“Did your kid get rich again? Actually got a Hellcat!”
A gruff voice came from behind him, and Luke knew who it was without looking, his old partner David.
Luke said, “A while back, solving the case of the murder of the chairman of the Coffey Group got me a pretty good bounty, so I bought it.”
“Harley, Ford Raptor, Hellcat.” David showed an envious look, “You do have the wrong eye for choosing cars. Don’t forget to let me know if your Raptor is going out.”
“You’ll have to wait then.” Luke smiled, “Been busy lately? Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“You’re either busy working on a case or on vacation, isn’t it normal that you can’t see me?” David had an I-don’t-know-you-yet look.
Luke patted him on the shoulder, “Join us for a drink tonight?”
“Not tonight ……,” David glanced at Luke, “Don’t you realize?”
“What?”
“There’s a big shot coming to L.A. and I need to clear the area ahead of time to keep the gangbangers quiet.”
“OK, some other time then.” Luke wasn’t really interested in the so-called big shot.
“I’ll catch you guys when I have time.” David waved his hand and walked off in the direction of the office of the Crime and Narcotics Division.
Luke went to the Robbery and Murder Division office.
Through the door, he heard Blackie’s voice, “Guys, how much do you guess this T-shirt of mine cost?”
Jackson guessed, “Five dollars.”
“No No No, expensive.”
Jenny guessed, “Three dollars.”
“More.”
Potter replied, “Two dollars.”
“Haha, it’s true that married men know how to live, and yes, it’s two dollars. Isn’t that a bargain?” Blackie sounded a little smug.
The lieutenant bristled, “That dress of yours cost as much as a rooster, I wouldn’t wear it for a dollar.”
Blacky grunted, “Vice Squad, you’re too old for that, we’re different age groups and I don’t give a damn about your opinion.”
The lieutenant chuckled, “Anyone in their right mind would have the same opinion as me.”
“Cluck ……” Luke pushed the door in.
Black pointed to the clothes on his body, “Captain, what do you think of my t-shirt, is it pretty?”
Luke rubbed his nose and said, “It’s not bad, perfect for a vacation.”
Black froze for a moment and grinned his black lips, “You’re thinking what my wife is thinking, this is the outfit she put together especially for my vacation. It only cost two dollars.”
“You married a good wife.” Luke nodded seriously and asked, “How’s your house hunt going?”
Blackie spread his hands, “Haven’t found the right one yet, but we’ve gone ahead and gotten a good deal on a lot of the stuff we’ll need when we move.”
“Me too.” Luke’s new house needed some additions as well, and he had made a big purchase two days ago on Black Friday.
Also, his Hellcat had been bought at the Black Friday event price, and the dealership had given him a lot of stuff to help him save a lot of money.
The vice squad shook their heads, “You guys always think you got a bargain, but I’ll tell you the truth, those black-hearted capitalists won’t take a loss. You may have taken advantage, but I never lose.”
Luke was used to the old man singing the opposite tune and changed the subject, “Lieutenant, how’s the team doing these days?”
The lieutenant asked rhetorically, “I hear you’ve been running another big operation in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles.”
“You’re pretty well informed.”
“One of the benefits of living a long life is that you make more friends.”
Luke said, “This operation involves the FBI’s witness protection program, so I can’t say much about it.”
“To be honest, I’m not really interested either.” The lieutenant spread his hands and continued, “Yesterday, Reed called a meeting with the Bureau’s middle and upper management, and you weren’t there, so I went.”
“What did Reed say?” Luke wasn’t very interested in this kind of meeting either; the more people who attended the meeting, the less valuable the meeting itself would be.
“There are no vacations allowed in the entire agency on December 10th without special circumstances. We’re going to be welcoming a big man.”
Jackson wondered, “Is the President coming?”
The lieutenant wagged his finger, “This is California, it’s not his turn to be in charge.”
Blackie said, “So, it’s the Governor of California who’s coming?”
“No.” the lieutenant wagged his finger again, “It’s gubernatorial candidate Henrik Lawrie.”
Black raised an eyebrow, “It’s just a candidate, is it necessary to make such a big deal out of it?”
The Vice Squad explained, “He is a Democratic Party candidate with a high education, good background, and possesses a high approval rating, and if there are no accidents, he will be the new California Governor next year. So, from a certain perspective, this new California governor candidate is more worthy of browbeating than the outgoing governor.”
Blacky was unimpressed, “I don’t think there’s any difference, he’s not destined by his origins to voluntarily increase funding for the police, and it’s God’s blessing that he’s able to keep from cutting it. So I’m not sure what the point of sucking up to him is?”
Jackson thought for a moment, “Actually, it can’t be said that we’re browbeating, if we do our job and maintain law and order in L.A., the other side won’t be able to find an excuse to cut funding.”
The lieutenant praised, “Good point, Reed means the same thing. There may not be much of a reward if it’s done right, but if anyone screws up, they’re giving the other side something to hold on to. So do a good job, guys.”
Black asked coldly, “If he gets taken out, won’t the governor change? In a sense, his political enemies would have us to thank.”
“According to you, it’s naturally best if there are no accidents, and once there are accidents, it’s ……” Jackson made a neck-wiping gesture.
“A very novel idea.” Luke laughed.
The lieutenant shrugged, “It’s not funny.”
When the day comes, we may be involved in a protection mission as well, and if something happens to Henrik Laurie, we’ll be responsible.
The whole LAPD will be a joke. Don’t be stupid.”
Blackie laughed, “Don’t be nervous, Lieutenant, we’re just kidding.”
December 8th morning.
Eno neighborhood, Linda’s house.
Little Fatty stood by the living room mirror, carefully organizing his clothes and his hair was well groomed, he twisted his head and called out to the dining room, “Mom, come over here for a second, see how I look in this outfit?”
Linda walked into the living room and looked her young son up and down, “This outfit suits you.”
“Are you sure? Why do I think that black t-shirt from earlier looked a little thinner.”
“But didn’t you say that shirt was a little tight and not a good style?”
Chubby shrugged, “That’s why I was hesitant to ask your opinion.”
Linda sighed, “Jack, you’ve been up since six in the morning, showering, getting your hair done, changing your clothes, and now you’ve been tossing and turning for over two hours, and I’ve been giving you a lot of advice. I feel like you’re perfect now, super cool.”
“I haven’t seen Maggie in a long time, I was just trying to make a good impression on him ……” the chubby little man sounded a little sad.
Linda came over and touched her son’s head, “Jack, I can understand how you feel, when I divorced your father, I ……”
The little fat man waited for a while, did not hear the following, pursued, “What happened to you?”
“I …… “Linda pursed her lips, “It was very uncomfortable, but I still have you and Luke by my side, I have to be strong. As each day passes …… I’m living a full and happy life now. Listen, there’s nothing you can’t get through, you have to believe in yourself ……”
“Tick tock ……” the car siren sounded outside.
“Go on, it should be your brother coming.”
“Tell him to wait, I’m going to get the gift for Maggie.” Little Fatty finished and ran towards the second floor.
Not long after, Little Fatty ran out carrying an exquisite bag and sat straight in the passenger side of the Ford Raptor, he glanced at Luke, “Why aren’t you driving the Hellcat today?”
Luke was confused by the question, “Why did you drive the Hellcat?”
The little fat man pointed to his clothes, “I think this outfit goes better with the Hellcat.”
Luke was a little speechless and not wanting to blow his brother off today, he just started the car and drove almost half an hour towards the car Maggie had given him to a common white neighborhood.
Luke stepped out of the car as Luke had done, and the chubby little man jumped out of the passenger side and asked, “Is this the place?”
Before Luke could answer, the door to the house opened and Agent Sabina Dodd stepped out of the house and waved at the two Luke’s, “Minister Lee, we meet again.”
Luke nodded, “I can see that Maggie trusts you.”
Sabina Dodd smiled, “We’ve known each other for many years.”
Maggie’s father, Walker Baruch, also came out from the house and shook Luke’s hand very warmly, “Captain Lee, I’ve heard all about it, it’s because you caught the gang of killers in time that I can rush to New York with peace of mind.”
“No need to be polite.” Luke asked, “Did this trip to New York go well?”
“Let’s talk inside.” Walker Baruch made a gesture of invitation.
The little fat man entered the living room and looked around with big eyes, “Mr. Baruch, where is Maggie?”
Walker Baruch pointed to the stairs, “Maggie is waiting for you on the second floor.”
The little fat man didn’t answer and hurried up the stairs.
Walker Baruch poured Luke a cup of coffee, “It went well this time, that bastard was convicted and will spend at least twenty years in jail.”
Luke followed up, “Is the case closed?”
Walker Baruch shook his head, “No, the business of the cryptocurrency trading platform is all over the world, that co-founder is in charge of the European side of the business, and there are other partners in Asia and Australia, and those people will be extradited to stand trial as well. At that time, I might even have to go to court.”
Luke asked, “That means you’re going to continue to hide your identities.”
“Yes, the Marshals Service has prepared us for a new identity and a new life, all over again. I’m used to it, but it’s hard for Maggie ……”
“Ever wanted to end this life?”
Walker Baruch took a long breath and nodded, “Of course, I promised Maggie that it would end before she went to college. I’ll get her back to a normal life. That’s what a father should do.”
Luke nodded and didn’t press any further, any deeper and he might get into information that was to be kept secret.
Ten o’clock in the morning.
Maggie and Chubby walked down the stairs, both with red eyes, as if they had been crying.
“Luke, it’s good to see you.” Maggie walked over and gave Luke a hug.
Luke gently patted her back, “If you are in danger in the future, you can always contact me.”
“I will.” Maggie nodded with a serious look on her face.
Agent Sabina Dodd glanced at her watch, “oK, I know it’s hard, but we should get going.”
At Sabina Dodd’s urging, the group exited the house.
Luke and Jack watched as the trio got into the car.
Maggie sat in the back of the car waving at the two men, tears sliding down her cheeks.
Fatty held back the tears to keep from crying, “Maggie, I’m going to miss you.”
The car drove slowly and Maggie’s head poked out the window, “Jack, I’ll be waiting for you at the university!”
“Maggie ……”
The little fat man couldn’t hold back the tears after all, and ran desperately, chasing Maggie’s car.
He ran a long way until the car disappeared at the end ……