Chapter 97
“Ringing ……”
Luke’s cell phone rang, it was a call from Blackie.
“Hey, that’s a good call, we’ve got a discovery on our side and were just about to let you know.”
“What discovery?”
“We found a body near where we abandoned the car.”
“The body of Badman Pool?”
“No,” Luke responded, asking rhetorically, “You got a lead on Porter Mishus?”
“Not yet, but, I found out something else.”
“What situation.”
Black sold the situation, “You’ll find out when you get here.”
“Where?”
“The Bernard Motel.”
Luke frowned slightly, “You went to see the wife of the driver, Bardman Pool?”
Half an hour later.
Luke and David drove to the Bernard Motel.
Upon seeing Blackie, David couldn’t help but curse, “FUCK, when will your stinky behavior change? If you keep going on like this, sooner or later you’ll die on a woman.”
Xiao Hei spread his hands with an innocent face, “You misunderstood, I didn’t come here to look for women, I just happened to pass by while inquiring about news of Potter Mishus.”
David glared at him, “Do I look like an idiot to you? This shithole is so out of the way and you just happened to be passing through?”
Blacky was defeated, “You’re right, I did come to see Laura Pool and her son, but it’s not what you think, I just thought it wasn’t easy for them, mother and son, and I wanted to help them.
You guys have to believe me.”
David said, “If you want us to believe you, do something decent.”
Luke stepped up to the plate, “Marcus, you said on the phone that you found something, what’s the situation?”
“You’ll find out when you go in and see.”
Without further ado, Luke went straight into the motel to find Laura Poole’s guest room.
“Knock knock ……”
The door opened.
Standing in the doorway was the little boy.
“Hi, boy……” Luke had just greeted him when he realized that the kid’s face was bruised and obviously swollen.
“Are you okay?”
The kid lowered his head, “I’m fine.”
“Where’s your mom, I want to talk to her.”
The little boy opened the door and stepped aside.
Luke entered the guest room and saw Laura Quarrel sitting on the couch, again with her head bowed, “Officer Luke, you’re here too?”
Luke was a bit puzzled, this talking without looking at people?
Walking in and taking a look, Laura Poole also seemed to have injuries on her face, “Laura lift your head up.”
Laura Poole slowly raised her head, her face was bruised, purple and her eye was swollen.
“What happened?”
“Something trivial.”
“What kind of trivia?”
“I went to the supermarket to buy something and got into a fight with someone. The other guy was worse off than me, I’m fine, I’ll be fine in a couple days.”
“Hey boy, will you go out with Marcus for a while? I want to talk to your mom alone.”
The boy nodded and followed Black out.
David closed the door and observed the house.
Luke sat down next to the couch and continued to inquire, “Laura, what the hell is going on? I’m a cop, don’t give me that lame excuse.”
“Officer Luke, I’m not lying to you, it really was just a fight.”
“Who was the guy who beat you up? What’s the name?”
“I don’t know, and I’m not going to call the police because I hit her too, you know …… sometimes fights between women can be crazy.”
Luke nodded, “So let’s change the subject?”
“How is your family doing financially?”
“Just so-so, I’m a full-time housewife and rely on my husband alone for money.”
“How much money does Badman-Poel earn in a month?”
“About five thousand dollars.”
“Does he have any extra income, like bringing home large sums of cash?”
Laura Pool pursed her lips and answered dryly “No.”
“Think again. Money that doesn’t belong to you, isn’t yours after all, and has the potential to bring you disaster.”
“Really no.”
Luke left a business card, “Call me if you need me.”
“Thanks.” Laura Pool escorted the two out of the guest room.
David asked in a low voice, “What do you think she’s hiding?”
Luke thought for a moment, “Badman-Poel is close enough to Congresswoman Riley Hare to not only be her driver, but to do things for her.
Like bribing a gunman to stage his own attack.
Riley Hare would not have met directly with the shooter and would not have handled the money side of things.
In my analysis, Bardman-Poel is likely to take a kickback from this.
If Badman-Poel was in danger, he would certainly leave the money to his wife and children.
The money isn’t clean, but as long as it’s in the pocket, no one wants to pull it out easily.”
The two men went out of the hotel and saw Blacky talking with Laura Poirer’s son.
Luke waved and got into the black Dodge.
After a while, the little boy went back to the guest room.
Blackie got into the Dodge as well, “How was your chat? Did Laura talk?”
“She’s tight lipped.” Luke asked back, “How did you talk to the boy?”
Black sighed, “I did ask around a bit, but …… it’s always like this, I’d feel guilty.”
David shook his head, “Bullshit, don’t flatter yourself, you’re just a heartless guy.”
Black seemed a little scared of David, or maybe just didn’t care, “I was just talking to Jayden and the person who hit him and Laura was Laura’s brother.”
“WHY?”
“Jaden doesn’t know much about the specifics, except that Bardman Pool put a lot of money in Laura’s brother’s house, and last night Laura went to get it, but was refused by her brother, and the two got into a fight.
The bastard even hit Jaden.” There was a hint of anger in Black’s tone.
David skimmed Luke, who was next to him, “Looks like you guessed right, it’s really something to do with that stolen money.” Looking aside again, Blackie said, “Do you know where Laura’s brother’s house is?”
“Yeah, Jayden told me. He trusts me.” Blackie was a little down in the dumps.
Luke took out his cell phone and contacted Susan for a search warrant.
An hour later.
The three arrived at a poor neighborhood.
Blacky got out of the car, scanned around and opened his arms, “No one knows this place better than me, no.”
Luke and David lazily ignored him and checked their pistols.
Blacky walked up to a rundown house and knocked on the door, “Knock knock ……”
“Cackle ……” The door opened, but it was still padlocked, and a black man in his thirties showed his head, “Who are you looking for?”
“Are you Rob Kool?”
“That’s me, what can I do for you?”
The black man flashed his badge, “LAPD, open the door, we need to find out something about you.”
“I didn’t call the police.” Rob Coil was a little resistant, not quite wanting to open the door.
“Open the door and don’t make me say it a third time.”
The door opened and Rob Kool pinched his nose, “Did that bimbo Laura Quarrel send you guys?”
“Isn’t she your sister? Is it nice to talk about her like that?”
“Not from the moment she asked for money.”
“Did Badman-Poel keep a large sum of cash in your house?”
“No, she lied, I don’t owe her any money. You guys can go.” Rob Curl tried to close the door to his room.
David walked over and pushed the door open with one hand, “Here’s a warrant, open the damn fucking padlock or I’ll kick it in.”
I don’t know if the warrant worked or if David was more of a deterrent, but Rob Coil opened the door.
Luke said, “Did Bardman Pool deposit a fortune in stolen money with you, and if so, you’d better hurry up and get it out before you get yourself into trouble.”
Rob Curl hesitated for a moment, “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“If you won’t tell us, we’ll have to find out for ourselves. Marcus keep an eye on him.”
“I’d be glad to.”
Black then watched Rob Coil in the living room as Luke and David began to search the house.
The kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedrooms were searched inside and out.
David searched the side bedroom and found a large backpack in a hidden compartment in the closet, “I got something over here.”
Luke walks over to check it out.
Opening the zipper of the backpack, it was filled with green bills, as many as thirty piles.
David exclaimed, “Wow Wow …… being a driver can be really lucrative these days, I want to change my profession.”
“FUCK!”
“I @#$%……”
Suddenly, there was a scuffle outside.
Luke pulled out his gun and rushed out of the house to see Blacky and the homeowner, Rob Coil, fighting.
To be exact, it was Blacky riding on top of Rob Coil and fighting.
“STOP! Marcus stop.”
Blacky was fighting mad and throwing punches at Rob Coil.
Luke put away his pistol and racked him away, “Marcus, calm down!”
David came out with a bag of money, “FUCK, what are you guys doing?”
Rob Kool lay on the ground and wiped the blood from his face, “This asshole’s crazy. We were having a nice conversation and he comes up and punches me.”
David asked, “Marcus, why did you hit him?”
Marcus spat, “The asshole deserved it.”
David looked back at Rob Coil on the floor, “You tell me?”
Rob Coil gasped and leaned back on the couch, pointing at Black, “That asshole asked me if I hit Laura Poile, and I admitted it.
He then asked me why I hit Laura’s son, Jaden.
I told him that the little brute bit me first, and he came up and beat me like a madman.
I’m going to sue him, I’m going to get a lawyer and sue him!”
David sighed, “Luke, take Marcus out.
Leave this place to me.”