Chapter 668
The Bureau of Detectives, Division of Vice and Narcotics.
The door to the Vice and Narcotics Division was half-open, and Luke walked up to the door and gave a token knock.
Everyone in the office looked up and over.
David smiled, “Luke, what gives you time to come to our place?”
Luke waved, greeted the others, and then walked over to David’s desk, “I’m here to ask you for a favor.”
“Is it some kind of tough case?” David rubbed his bald head in mock contemplation, “Let me guess, is it the case of the missing Henrik Laurie?”
“You heard about it?”
“No, I just thought that the odds were that you’d be asked to investigate this high-impact case. There’s no one better suited than you.”
Luke smiled, “Thanks for the compliment.”
Luke pulled out a screenshot of the video of the black man who was stalking Henrik Lawrie, “This is the surveillance video taken from the Nasim bar on Calpe Street, it doesn’t capture the suspect’s clear front face, but he has a tattoo on the back of his neck, most likely a gang tattoo. You know more about gang members, I’d like to ask for your help in finding him.”
David took a close look at the video screenshot and said, “I have an impression of this tattoo.” And then, David opened his computer and searched for a while and said, “Yes, this is the tattoo pattern of the Custer Gang. This gang is not far from the streets of Calpe, and this person you’re looking for should be a gang member.”
“Is there a way to find him?”
“Sure, I’ll show you around.” David stood up, explained a few words to the colleague beside him, and left the office with Luke.
Inside a black SUV.
David drove while introducing, “The Custer Gang is a gang that was just established in the last few years, and although there are only a few dozen gang members, it has been in a state of expansion and is very unsettled. The gang members are predominantly black and engage in criminal activities such as theft, selling stolen goods, and prostitution. They don’t have a large sphere of influence, only one neighborhood, which is why they are eager to expand.”
David raised the glass of the car and said, “Up ahead is the territory of the Custer Gang, and they don’t welcome strangers, especially ones as white as we are.”
The car traveled a little further, Luke saw quite a number of black men gathered on both sides of the street, some of these men were bare-chested, some wore gold necklaces, and some showed half of their underpants, they didn’t look like decent people at first sight, and they had a unifying feature of all of them having tattoos.
Moreover, the tattoos on these men were similar to the tattoos on the black man in the surveillance video, and Luke swept over each of them, trying to identify the suspect.
As the two of Luke looked around, the black men were staring at their car as well, and the look on their faces wasn’t all that friendly.
Luckily, David didn’t stop and drove through the neighborhood without a confrontation between the two sides.
David asked, “Any sign of the suspect figure?”
Luke shook his head, “No sighting.”
David took out his cell phone and made a call, “Hello, this is David.”
I need to see you. At the usual place.”
It was only three short sentences, and after saying that, David hung up his cell phone.
“Let’s go get something to eat, I’m a little hungry.”
Luke nodded, “My treat.”
The car drove for about ten minutes or so before the two came to a more isolated stretch of road where David parked outside a burger joint.
After the two got out of the car, Luke observed the surroundings for a while, and then followed David into the burger store, which was not crowded, with only three tables of customers.
David said hello to the clerk and went straight up to the second floor.
The second floor was a little smaller, only half the width of the first floor, with only one window, the light was a little dim.
The two didn’t turn on the light, but sat directly against the window.
Luke looked around, they were the only guests at their table, and smiled, “This restaurant has a nice ambience.”
David smiled back, “I knew you’d like it.”
It wasn’t long before a heavy footstep sounded on the stairs and a wide-bodied white woman walked up the stairs with a menu in her hand and asked, “What would you like to eat, gentlemen?”
David handed Luke the menu, “Take a look.”
Luke took a look and handed the menu back to David, “You order for me.”
David said, “Two beef burger combos, a fried fish filet, a salad, and two Cokes. Those first.”
The waitress repeated the order and then went back downstairs.
Luke said, “You have an appointment with the informant?”
“Yes, but he’s not sure when he’ll be here yet, so we’d better get our bellies full first.”
“Is he reliable?”
“He’s tipped me off twice, and it’s fairly accurate. Of course, it can’t be completely trusted.”
The two men chatted for a few moments before the sound of heavy footsteps came up the stairs again, and they naturally changed the subject.
David asked, “How was your Hellcat drive?”
“Not bad, I’ll let you test drive it some day.”
David rubbed his hands together, “Haha, long awaited.”
The waitress placed the two men’s orders on the table and then went back downstairs.
“Try it, it tastes pretty good.” David said, picking up the beef burger and taking a big bite.
Luke also tasted it and nodded his head in approval, “The beef is tender and juicy.”
Luke was also a little hungry and finished the beef burger in a few bites and took a big gulp of his coke.
David picked up a french fry and asked, “How’s the case of Henrik Laurie’s disappearance coming along?”
“It’s coming along somewhat, and the person I’m looking for is probably the last person to have contact with Henrik Lawley.”
“Has Henrik Lawley been kidnapped or is he missing?”
If anyone else asked, Luke would definitely not say, but David was different, the two used to be partners, there was enough basis for trust, and secondly, Luke had taken the initiative to ask for his help in the investigation this time, covering it up was rather bad.
“Henrik Laurie left the Four Seasons Hotel on his own initiative, after that, he went to other places, now it is difficult to determine whether he is missing or kidnapped.
Moreover, the attitude of the people around Henrik Laurie is also a little strange, not very cooperative with the police investigation, the whole case is like a layer of fog ……”
David shrugged his shoulders and laughed, “It seems that it’s still the Division of Triad and Narcotics Control that suits me.”
The two ate while chatting.
Half an hour later, there was another sound of footsteps on the stairs, this time lighter and more athletic compared to the previous heavy footsteps.
A black man wearing a gold necklace walked up the stairs, wearing a gray undershirt, craning his head to look around the entire restaurant, glancing at David, and then staring warily at Luke.
The black man squeezed out a smile, “Yo, if it isn’t Officer David. What a coincidence.”
David pointed at Luke, “Gentoro, this is my former partner and a good buddy of mine, you can trust him completely, just like you trust me.”
The man known as Gentoro relaxed a bit, “Boss, what did you summon me here for?”
“Wanted you to help find someone.” David took out the video of the black man and pointed to the tattoo on the video screenshot, “I need to find this person.”
Gentoro looked at the surveillance video, “Can’t even see this man’s face, how am I supposed to find him?”
David said, “This man has a tattoo of the Custer Gang, the tattoo is on the back of his neck, plus his physical features, aren’t these enough to identify him?”
Gentoro shrugged, “I’ll need some time.”
Luke was sizing up Gentoro as well, and seeing the same tattoo on his arm, he knew he was part of the Custer Gang as well, and said, “I need to find this man as soon as possible.”
Gentoro slumped in his chair as if he had no bones, “That’s going to be difficult. Besides, I don’t want to betray my gang.”
“No one will know about this, I promise.” David pulled two hundred dollars out of his pocket, “I’m not going to let you do this for nothing, here’s your funding. When you find this man, there will be no shortage of favors for you.”
Gentoro took the two hundred dollars, still a little hesitant: “This makes it a little difficult for me ……”
David took out another hundred dollars, “Kid, don’t be too greedy.”
“Thanks boss.” Gentoro hurriedly put the three hundred dollars away and got up, “I will find him as soon as possible, don’t contact me again on your own accord.”
Four o’clock in the afternoon.
Robbery and Murder Division office.
Just as Luke was waiting a bit impatiently, he received a call from David.
“Luke, found the guy in the video.”
“What’s his name?”
“Theo Holder.”
“Where is the person?”
“The Velen apartment.”
“Good, meet us in the parking lot in five minutes.”
“Am I going too?”
“Sure, you get a piece of the action here too.” Luke finished, hung up his cell phone, and clapped, “Guys, come alive. Lieutenant, you stay and watch the house.”
The lieutenant spread his hands, “Let me know when you catch a suspect and I’ll have coffee ready for you.”
“You’re so sweet.”
Half an hour later.
Velen’s apartment, outside room 305.
Luke, David, and Jackson stood on either side of the door.
David gestured, then knocked on the door. There was no response.
David knocked again, “Hey, this is the apartment manager, you’re in arrears.”
Still no response.
Luke pressed himself against the door and listened, but he vaguely heard movement inside, “There’s someone in there.”
“I knew it, these guys aren’t going to be a relief.” After David finished speaking, he raised his foot and kicked at the door lock, “Bang!”
The apartment door was directly kicked open.
“LAPD!”
“Freeze!”
The three of them covered each other and rushed into the apartment.
“No one in the toilet.”
“No one in the living room.”
“Closet empty.”
“No one under the bed.”
The apartment was small, and except for the separate toilet, the outside was a large open room that was easy to search.
Jackson saw that the window was open and walked over to look around and saw a black man climbing down the drainpipe, “He’s down there, the asshole jumped out the window and ran away.”
The tattooed black man who had already climbed to the first floor looked up and jumped down from a distance of two meters, landing steadily on the ground while comparing a middle finger with his right hand, grinning with a smug look.
As if saying again, if you have the ability, you come to catch me ah.
Suddenly a shadow flashed out from the side, the tattooed black man turned his head to look and saw a strange black man standing in the corner as well, with a gun in the other’s hand.
“Fuck!” The tattooed black man turned and ran.
Only to hear a shout from behind, “LAPD! Don’t move or I’ll shoot.”
The tattooed man didn’t stop for a second and continued to run forward.
“Bang!” The tattooed black man felt a pain in his back, a strong electric current passed through his body, and his whole body went numb and collapsed to the ground.
Blackie walked over with a stun gun, coolly blowing on the muzzle: “With me here, you don’t want to run!”
Luke poked his head out of his third floor apartment and waved his hand, “Bring him up.”
“He’s as limp as a shrimp right now, I need someone to give me a hand.” As Black spoke, he cuffed the tattooed man’s hands, and he could feel his body still shaking.
Soon, Jackson came downstairs as well and helped Blackie escort the tattooed man up to the third floor apartment.
Luke walked up to the tattooed man, observed his figure and the tattoos on his back, and opened the door, “Where’s Henrik Lawrie?”
The tattooed man stalked his neck and glared back at Luke, “I don’t know any Henrik Laurie, you’ve got the wrong guy.”