Chapter 91
Luke sized up Bowen Cano, who was half a head shorter than Luke, shouldn’t have been 180CM tall, and less than forty years old.
It didn’t fit the footprint characteristics of a suspect.
Since Bowen Cano was not a suspect, his words were probably true.
Badman-Poel was Riley Hari’s driver.
If it’s true that Badman-Poel hired him to attack Riley Hare’s house.
What was the motive?
Was it Badman-Poel’s own decision, or was it Riley Hare’s direction?
Luke preferred the latter; a chauffeur would be hard pressed to come up with $200,000 in cash all at once.
If Riley Hare was really behind this, what was her real agenda?
Why did she have her home shot up?
Is it related to this murder?
With Riley Hare dead, the only way to find out is to find the black driver, Bardman Pool.
David let Bowen Cano go, “Back to the station?”
Luke looked at his watch, it was past one o’clock in the afternoon, “I’m hungry.”
David had an I knew it look on his face, “How about getting a burger on the way?”
This sentence reminded Luke of a phrase his coworkers used to say in his past life when he was working overtime, “How about a bucket?”
“No.”
Luke mouthed no, but there was really very little variety in American lunches, back and forth.
Eventually a chowder restaurant was chosen.
The two found a window seat and a curvy white waitress approached them, “What would you like to eat?”
Luke glanced at it and at first glance thought it was quite pretty and somewhat familiar, “Alisa.”
The waitress in front of him was the female victim of the ‘Taser Robbery’, and the goddess that lawyer Dave had longed for.
The waitress took a step back, somewhat surprised, “Officer Luke, what brings you here?”
“You work here?”
“Yes.”
David said, “We just happened to stop by and grab a bite to eat, anything quick?”
“The risotto is quicker and it’s a staple of the store, it’s delicious.”
Luke glanced at the menu, “Two seafood risotto and a spicy grilled pork chop, please.”
“Coming right up.” Alyssa said as she went to the kitchen and came over with two cokes.
“It’s on me.”
Without saying too much, Alyssa nodded and turned to leave.
Luke called out to her, “Can we talk?”
Alyssa stopped in her tracks, “Is it about that case?”
“No, it’s that Dave had something to say to you and wanted to ask me to help pass it on. I knew you didn’t want to bring that up and never reached out to you.
If you want to know, I’ll tell you.
If not, that’s fine too.”
Without hesitation, Eliza said, “I don’t want to have anything more to do with him, and I’ve tried to let go of my grudge.
I believe in the law and he will get what he deserves.
My life is easier without Steven and without Dave instead.
That’s all.”
Luke raised his glass in a gesture, “I respect your choice.”
“Thanks.”
Luke had kind of fulfilled his promise to Dave.
Learning that Eliza had gotten a new job, it was expected that he would be able to give up his intention to break out of prison.
It was worse for a smart man to take the bull by the horns.
Filling their stomachs, the two of them were ready to return to the detective bureau.
Luke’s cell phone rang, “Ringing ……”
“Hello.”
Blackie’s voice came from the phone, “Hey, I hear you guys are looking for Bardman Pool?”
“Find out where he is?”
“Is there anyone I can’t find?” Marcus hemmed and hawed.
Luke could think of his smug look through his cell phone.
Bernard’s Motel.
A black Dodge pulled up to the curb and Luke lowered the window.
Blackie walked over to him, put his hand on the window and said, “My informant poked around and found out about Bardman Poehl.
He rented a room here at noon the day before yesterday.”
“Where did you get so many informants?” Luke was a little envious.
“Just by growing up in the ghetto, you get to know a lot of crappy people, and those crappy people live to grow up to be the backbone of the gang.
You’ll be able to spread your network of connections.
Of course, that’s if you live to grow up as well.” Black shrugged, “You want to know a few more informants like that too?”
“I don’t want to take your job.”
The three rushed to the front desk of the Motor Inn.
Responsible for the reception of the front desk is a black amah, Xiao Hei lit out the police badge, said a few compliments, both soft and hard, and successfully gained the trust of the black amah.
The black ama led the three to Badman-Poel’s inn guest room: “Bang Bang.”
The black amah’s force was so great that she was afraid that the people inside would not hear it.
“Who’s out there?” A woman’s voice came from inside the house.
In her characteristic raspy voice, the big black woman said, “Room service.”
“I didn’t order room service.”
“Your guest room is due and needs to be paid for.”
“I paid for three days’ worth of rooms, and today is only the second day.”
“You misremembered and only paid cash for two days.”
“Bitch, do you think I’m easy to bully? Don’t think that paying in cash is ……” The door of the guest room opened, and a black woman around thirty years old stood out with a curse.
When she saw Luke and the others, she was startled and immediately closed the room door.
“Bang!” David grabbed the door of the room and pulled it open with force.
Luke held his gun in both hands, “LAPD.” and brought the black woman under control.
David and Black entered the inn searching one after the other.
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
The inn was small, with a bed and couch in the living room and a separate bathroom next to it.
A little boy was cowering on the couch with a pitiful look on his face.
“FUCK! What are you guys doing! Put away your shitty guns and don’t scare my son.” The black woman yelled.
Luke glanced at the little black boy and put away his pistol, “Where’s Bardman Quarrel?”
“I don’t know.”
“What is your relationship to Bardman Pool?”
“He is my husband, and has not been home for two days, and I am looking for him.”
“What is your name?”
“Laura Pool.”
Luke gestured for her to sit on the couch, “Laura, can I trust you?”
“Of course, I have no reason to lie to you.” Laura took her son in her arms as soon as she could.
Luke turned to the little boy and reassured him, “We’re not bad people, we’re just going to ask your mom a few questions, don’t be afraid.”
With a sobbing voice, the little boy choked out, “Are you guys here to get my dad?”
“No, your father is in trouble and we are here to help him.”
“Can you guys help me get my dad back?”
“We’ll do our best.”
Marcus greeted the little boy, “Hey boy, let’s go outside and talk.”
The little boy glanced at his mother.
The mother nodded, “Go ahead.”
After Marcus led the little boy out, Luke opened the door, “What did Bardman Quarr go and do?”
Laura Quarrel shook her head, “I don’t know, he didn’t say.”
“Then why did you come to this motel instead of staying at the house?”
“Bardman said he was going to do something important that might involve some danger and put us up at the motel. And said he’d contact us afterward, but he never came back or called, and I was worried sick.” Laura Quarrel whimpered.
“Do you know what kind of work Badman Quarrel was doing?”
“Yes, he’s working as a chauffeur for Congresswoman Riley Hare.”
“A chauffeur’s job is to drive, and don’t you think it’s strange that he’s suddenly talking about doing something dangerous?”
“My husband is not only Ms. Riley-Harry’s chauffeur, he’s also her assistant.
Ms. Riley-Harry is unusual, she’s not an ordinary person, she has a lot of potential political enemies, and my husband has been secretly protecting her.
Those things can’t be known to outsiders, and I’ve been quietly supporting him.
So seldom ask him about his work, and this time is the same.
But I didn t expect …… him to never come back, I was worried to death.”
Luke asked, “Since your husband has been missing for two days, why didn’t you call the police?”
“I was terrified and I didn’t know who to call for help or who to trust. Why are you guys here looking for my husband? Has something happened to him?”
“Mrs. Riley Hare is dead. Your husband was her chauffeur and we would like to get some information from your husband.”
“WHAT? You said Ms. Riley died. How could such a horrible thing have happened to the even buyer of …….”
“You didn’t know about this?”
“No, I haven’t been in contact with the outside world since I arrived at the motel. I don’t know anything at all about Ms. Riley Hare. Is my husband in danger? Have you guys heard from him?”
Luke said darkly, would we still be here if we had news?
“You are married, after all, and you don’t know anything at all about Bardman Pool? Or what difficulties he’s had, what people he’s offended?”
Laura Pool thought for a moment, “Some time ago a group of men came to my house and took my husband away.
When my husband came back he was beaten up and I was terrified.
When I asked him what had happened, he refused to tell me, and when I asked him to call the police, he didn’t go.
He also said that I should stay out of the matter.
He had a tough attitude at the time, and it made me feel like something was wrong.”
“What do you remember about the gang?”
“I snuck pictures through the window.” Laura Quarrel pulled out her cell phone, rummaged through it, and handed it to Luke.
In the first photo, Bardman-Poel had just stepped out of the house, surrounded by several men with unpleasant faces.
In the second photo, Bardman-Poel was being led to a car, but his eyes were looking to the right side of the car.
In the third photo, there was another car to the right of that one, leaning against a white man in a suit with a cigarette in his mouth, as if he was standing around watching the action.
Luke’s eyes locked on the man, whom he had seen before.
It was none other than the dead woman’s brother, Maguire Hari.
This made Luke a little surprised.
These two actually had a private connection?
Thinking back to the incident where Bardman Pool hired a gunman to attack the deceased’s house.
At that time, Luke felt that Badman-Poel was most likely just a contact, because he simply couldn’t take out two hundred thousand dollars of hiring money.
And the real hirer was most likely the deceased Riley Hare.
But now it was found that Badman-Poel was in contact with the deceased’s brother, Maguire Hari.
So could it be Maguire Hari who was behind the hiring of the gunmen to attack the deceased’s home?
He had the funds to do so entirely.
And if it was really Maguire Hari who did it, what about his motive?
Could Riley Hare’s death be linked to him?