Chapter 363: Chapter 230: The Bizarre Case Cracked by the Team Member, Hostility_2
After Dean calmed his complex emotions, he began to get into work mode.
He was now only a little short in his strength attribute. Once all his attributes reached 15 points, he would hit the modern human limit, akin to having top-tier physical gifts in every aspect.
Based on information he had previously received, once all attributes reached this limit, his panel would undergo a change. Dean eagerly anticipated this!
That was why he had rushed here as soon as he got off the plane.
Upon hearing Dean’s inquiry, Daisy and Harry exchanged glances. Finally, Daisy bit the bullet and said, "Dean, you have to promise to stay calm after you hear this!"
Calm? Dean was stunned. He was certain that, apart from his mother complaining about Thompson frequently staying out all night, everything at home was peaceful. What could possibly be so enraging?
"Rest assured, I’m not an impulsive person!" To find out what they were beating around the bush about, Dean could only promise solemnly.
"Alright, this matter actually involves your father..." Daisy began.
It turned out that after the new mayor took office in Los Angeles, he initiated some actions, cleaning out many public officials from various departments—remnants from the Carmen Family’s rule. This included the former captain of the Anti-Narcotics Division. The charges against him included instigating informants to trap and kill ’colleagues.’
That ’colleague’ was Dean’s father, who had been dead for eight... no, nine years.
The accusers were the informant’s family.
Under normal circumstances, such internal accusations and the messy procedures involved would take a lot of time. Coincidentally, however, Dean’s previous help to Eve in handling internal issues at the Narcotics Division had exacerbated the charges against the former captain. In a bid to protect himself, he began desperately implicating others.
This included Dean’s father!
Dean frowned. "I don’t quite understand. If that former captain ordered someone to kill my father, and he’s already been arrested, what does this have to do with me?"
He was actually aware of this matter. Back in March, when Monet took him to Saul Aston’s mayoral inauguration party, Saul had discussed it with him to secure Dean’s loyalty. But Dean felt no familial affection for his body’s original father. So he hadn’t paid it much mind, merely planning to tell his mother after the operation to give her some peace of mind.
"It’s because that former captain bit back!" Daisy sighed.
"He produced evidence claiming your father was actually involved in the Narcotics Division dividing the spoils back then. He said the reason your father was later killed by an informant was that he tried to climb the ranks and was betrayed by that informant.
"By the time the former Narcotics Division captain and his men arrived, your father was already dead. They could only kill the informant who was trying to break out. The perjury regarding your father’s cause of death was also to cover up the Narcotics Division’s criminal involvement!
"The former captain produced evidence for these claims. In fact, if Monet wasn’t currently in charge of the Internal Affairs Department, you’d have been subpoenaed by now."
"Did Monet tell you to say all this to me?"
Nearby, Harry looked at Dean with concern and nodded. "Boss Monet couldn’t contact you directly, so he had us call you back first. He said you should keep a low profile lately. He’ll handle this matter, and it won’t affect you."
Dean scoffed inwardly and nodded lightly. "Understood. I just got off a long flight and am a bit tired. I’ll rest in the office for a while. Don’t disturb me!"
With that, Dean dropped his luggage and walked into his Inspector’s office.
Closing the door, Dean leaned back in his chair, immediately took out his phone, and dialed a number he had never called before.
The call connected quickly.
A sweet female voice came from the other end, "Hello, this is ’Sam’s Cookie Shop.’ What can I do for you?"
"Help me order six of your takeout meals, to be delivered to the homeless people outside!"
There was a moment of silence, then the woman’s puzzled voice came through, "Sorry, you said you want to order six takeout meals for the homeless outside?"
Seeing her reaction, Dean’s eyebrows furrowed.
Could Anbei have tricked me?
Anbei had told him that if he ordered six takeout meals from Sam’s Cookie Shop for the homeless, Anbei would get the message and come find him. But this employee’s reaction...
Dean’s tone grew heavier. "Yes, that’s right. I want to do a good deed today! Also, send another three orders to the Central Division. I’m craving cookies!"
"Central Division?" The woman sounded relieved. "The delivery fee will be quite expensive, you know."
"No problem!"
He hung up the phone.
Dean lit a cigarette, his face expressionless as he tapped the desk.
Actually, Dean believed his body’s father had indeed had dirty hands back then.
Eight or nine years ago, the entirety of Los Angeles was under the rule and influence of the Carmen Family. His father, being of mixed heritage, had wanted to gain a firm foothold in a place like the Narcotics Division. Staying clean would have been impossible, not to mention the Carmen Family was secretly trafficking drugs in major states across the United States.
The problem was, now the Ashton Family secretly controlled Los Angeles. Saul Aston was even the public-facing mayor. And I’m one of their men. Is this even a big deal? That former captain, who managed to work until retirement, couldn’t be an idiot. Ostensibly, he was biting at this body’s long-dead father, but his real target was me! How dare he? A ruined old man, whether he implicates anyone or not, will spend the rest of his life in prison. Why would he bother to show hostility towards a young, promising detective he’s never even met? Doesn’t he have anyone he cares about in this country? Isn’t he afraid of my revenge later? Someone that stupid couldn’t have been a Narcotics Division captain until retirement! I have reason to suspect someone instructed him to do this! So, who holds a grudge against me?
When Daisy said all this, the first person who came to my mind was my old boss, Monet, now the supervisor of the Internal Affairs Department! No particular reason! Monet is in charge of investigating these things.
Whether someone instructed that former Narcotics Division captain, or that former captain had lost his mind and started implicating people randomly, Monet would be the first to know.
If he wanted to, he could suppress this matter so it wouldn’t even make a ripple. But Monet instead had Daisy and Harry call me back from the Commonwealth, then had them tell me about this, and even told me not to worry... This is worth mulling over.
I’m certain Monet could suppress this for me if I asked. But that’s because our relationship is good right now. What if one day our interests conflict? Wouldn’t this then become a fatal point of leverage? Thinking about it more carefully, could my two-week suspension also have been a move to set up something for the future?
So, to be safe, Dean had to figure out if Monet was leaving this as a hidden card because he was wary of Dean taking his position later, or if Saul Houston’s faction instructed Monet to do this to put a few ’leashes’ on Dean.
Regardless of the reason, from the moment Monet didn’t call me himself to explain this, I have to start making preparations!
「An hour later.」
The takeout arrived.
"Sir, the total for the takeout is 48 US dollars; my errand fee and gas are 70 dollars!" a chubby little guy said, smiling as he handed a large bag to Dean.
This was typical for phone-ordered takeout in the United States these days: labor cost more than the food itself. Unless it was absolutely necessary, very few suckers were willing to order takeout by phone; at most, they’d call ahead to order and then pick it up themselves when convenient.
Dean pulled out a few fifty-dollar bills and stuffed them into his hand. "Your errand fee is too low, Anbei!"
The chubby boy’s smile stiffened, turning into a wry one. His voice also changed to Anbei’s. "Damn it! My expression, tone, appearance, and movements—my Disguise was flawless. How did you see through it?"
Dean stepped back, re-examining the chubby white kid before him, and asked in surprise, "It’s really you?"
Although he knew Anbei possessed a highly skilled Disguise technique, to think he could even fake all that fat and maintain such flawless facial expressions was still beyond Dean’s expectations.
Anbei was speechless.
That bastard actually bluffed me!
"What do you need me for?" Anbei rolled his eyes. He felt that this jerk Dean was somewhat his bane!