Los Angeles Detective

next morning.

Near Laura Pall's house.

In a Ford Explorer.

Luke yawned, flattened the seat, and moved into a more comfortable position.

"Last night, I asked you to stare at Pari Jones. Why did you drink with her? Have you been exposed?"

"How is it possible? I am Detective Marcus of the Police Detective Bureau, how could she see through me." Xiao Hei was quite confident, and smiled, "I didn't look for her, she took the initiative to look for me.

In fact, this is quite normal. A handsome single man is sitting not far away, with a faint glint of melancholy in his eyes, which woman would not be tempted.

I can understand her. "

Luke shook his head. He didn't know where his inexplicable sense of superiority came from. You must know that a good reporter is not only good at digging news, but also a good observer.

He was worried that Xiao Hei would be discovered by the other party during the stalking process.

Of course, it's not a big deal, "What did you talk about?"

"The vampire, she is very interested in this, and even regarded me as a customer of the bar, asking me about the bar's situation.

He also asked me if I had been here last night, and if I saw any strange things, such as vampires biting people.

He even asked me if I really believed in vampires and the like.

I told her, 'Of course there is.

But fear not, I will protect you. '

Through her insinuating questions, she felt that she probably knew about the murder that happened last night. "

Luke pinched his forehead, and felt that there should be two possibilities for Pari Jones to chat with Xiao Hei.

The first possibility is that she recognized Xiao Hei, knew that Xiao Hei was a policeman, and wanted to trick him.

The second possibility is that she didn't know that Xiao Hei was a policeman, but she just saw a single man not far away who seemed to be interested in her, and she happened to want to inquire about something, so she hooked up with Xiao Hei.

Luke felt that the second possibility was more likely. Xiao Hei's image itself was somewhat unreliable. As long as he was himself normally, no one would associate him with the police.

If you really want to play, he might be crazier than Pari Jones.

If, as Xiao Hei said, it was Pari Jones who took the initiative to ask him for information, it means that Pari Jones probably knew that there was a murder in the bar.

The homicide happened yesterday. Although the police are investigating, they have been keeping it secret. It stands to reason that Pari Jones should not know that the scene of the first crime was in a bar.

This also confirmed Luke's previous guess that Pari Jones probably had other sources of information.

Luke took out his mobile phone and reported to Susan, expressing his guess about Pari Jones.

He didn't plan to investigate Pari Jones directly. The other party is a reporter. If he investigates the other party without evidence, it will be very troublesome if the other party finds out.

As for whether to investigate Pari Jones, that is Susan's problem.

The captain is not called for nothing, he has to step up at critical moments.

A yellow school bus slowly stopped in front of Laura Pall's house.

Jaden waved goodbye to his mother and got on the school bus.

Xiao Hei said flatly, "He is a good guy, just like me."

Luke laughed, "That shows that good things are limited."

"Haha..." Xiao Hei laughed heartlessly.

He doesn't have high demands on himself and is very satisfied with his current life.

Then the two got out of the car.

Xiao Hei waved his hand and said, "Laura."

"Marcus, why are you here? Jaden just went to school."

"I know, I watched my buddy get in the car."

Laura Pall was a little surprised, "Are you here to find me?"

"That's right."

Laura looked at Luke aside, "Inspector Luke, you're here too."

"Laura, how are you doing?"

"It's okay. The police station refunded us part of the money, which is my husband's legal income. We are living a decent life now. What's the matter?"

"Have you been to Dracula's Bar lately?"

"I've been there, what's the problem?" Laura stepped aside, "Oh, come in and tell me."

Luke and Black went into Laura's house.

The living room is not tidy, there are clothes scattered on the sofa, and a model of a vampire is placed on the TV cabinet.

"Sorry, the house is a bit messy." Laura put the clothes on the sofa back, "Please sit down."

Xiao Hei picked up the vampire model and looked at it, "Laura, have you started to like vampires recently?"

"Uh, it's just a decoration." Laura said perfunctorily, then changed the topic, "Tea or coffee."

Xiao Hei waved his hand, "No need, we just chat for a few words."

"OK." Laura sat down on the sofa next to her.

Xiao Hei is familiar with Laura, and this time he is in charge of the questioning, "Laura, do you often go to Dracula's bar?"

"No, just occasionally, just relax."

"When was the last time you went?"

"Yesterday, no, it was the night before yesterday, what happened?"

"Did you go there alone, or with other people?"

"I went with friends."

Xiao Hei took out a photo of the victim, "Is it her?"

"My dear...Nicole...what's wrong with her? Could it be...she's dead!"

"She died near the bar the night before yesterday or in the early hours of yesterday. Since you went to the bar together, we want to know what happened at that time."

"Wait, why did she die? I still can't accept it." Laura covered her head with her hands.

Xiao Hei wanted to pat her on the shoulder, but he stretched his hand half way and then retracted, "What's the relationship between you two?"

"We used to be colleagues, and we had a good relationship. Although she was younger than me, she got along very well, and we would meet occasionally.

Since my husband... left.

She has been helping me out of my sadness, treating me to dinner, chatting with me, she is a good person. ' Laura sighed.

"What's her full name?"

"Nicole Cecil."

"Can you describe what happened that night?"

Laura fell into memories, "I was not in a good mood that day and wanted to go out for a drink.

Just ask her to go to Dracula's Bar for a drink.

It was a vampire-themed bar, which was interesting.

We had a good time at first, drinking a little wine, chatting, dancing.

Then her phone rang and there was some noise in the bar, so she went outside.

After waiting for a while, I received a message from her saying that I had to leave first.

After that, I never saw her again. "

Xiao Hei asked, "Laura, can I read the message she sent? Of course, you can also refuse, this is not mandatory."

"OK, you are my friend, there is nothing wrong with it." Laura took out her mobile phone and clicked on the communication software, "This is what Nicole sent."

Xiao Hei took it over and looked at it, and there was only one sentence, 'Laura, I'm leaving early, let's make an appointment another day. '

Xiao Hei handed the phone to Luke. Luke glanced at it and returned it to Laura, asking, "How did you get to Dracula's Bar?"

"We took a taxi."

"What time did you go to the bar?"

"About eight o'clock in the evening."

"What time did Nicole leave? What time did you leave?"

"Nicole is around nine twenty, and I'm around ten thirty."

"During this time, have you seen any suspicious people?"

"Uh... you know, it's a vampire-themed bar with a lot of fancy-dressed people, but they're not bad in their nature.

Some people also took the initiative to strike up a conversation with us, and some people offered me a drink, but I didn't feel anything suspicious. "

"Do you know who called Nicole?"

"have no idea."

"What's her phone number?"

"626 826 3173"

Luke wrote it down in his notebook and continued to ask, "As far as you know, does Nicole have any physical problems, such as mental or heart diseases."

"Not as far as I know."

"How's her guts?"

"What does that mean? I don't quite understand what you mean?"

"Is she brave?"

"It's okay. Does it have anything to do with her death?"

"There is indeed some relationship." Luke said perfunctorily, "Does she like vampire culture?"

"Ah... how should I put it? I can't say that I like it very much, but I don't think she hates it either."

Luke asked back, "That is to say, you actually want to go to the vampire bar, and she just goes with you."

"Yes." Laura replied, pointing to herself, "What do you mean? You think I killed Nicole."

"Nono." Xiao Hei interrupted the two, "That's not what he meant, it was just a routine question."

But Laura seemed to have heard it in her heart, grabbed her hair, "Damn it... If I didn't ask her to go to the bar that day, she wouldn't have died.

I really didn't expect this to happen, I just wanted to go and relax.

Shared with her a good bar with great vampire culture, I thought she'd love it...  

I really didn't expect this to happen. "

Xiao Hei comforted, "I know, it's not your fault, she just had an accident, you don't have to blame yourself too much.

Also, when did you become obsessed with vampire culture? "

Laura sighed softly, "Ever since my husband died, I've missed him a lot, and thought it would be nice if he was still around, if people didn't die or could come back from the dead.

When I entered that bar, a kind of hope would faintly rise in my heart.

How I wish...he could still be alive.

Vampires are okay, ancient and powerful beings who have eternal life.

They can allow ordinary people to obtain this ability through the method of First Embrace.

What a magical ability, what a desirable ability..."

Tears welled up in Laura's eyes, and she sobbed softly.

Seeing her like Xiaohei felt very sad and worried, "Laura, you should cheer up, your husband is dead, and he won't be coming back.

But you still have Jaden, even for Jaden, you have to face reality and become strong.

Understand? "

"I know, but I really miss him. Jaden is the same. I often hear Jaden sobbing in the room. He misses his father as much as I do."

Xiao Hei continued to persuade, "Laura, you must cheer up, Jaden will only become strong if you are strong.

You have to set a good example for Jaden and let him understand that his father is dead and it is impossible to come back.

At the same time, his father was watching him in heaven.

He lives well and works hard, that's what his father wants to see most.

If you can't get out by yourself, Jaden can't get out even more.

He's still a kid and it's going to have a bad influence on him. "

Laura nodded and said nothing, not sure if she had listened.

Luke didn't care much about Laura's housework, and he didn't think he was qualified to be someone else's spiritual mentor. "Did Nicole bring anything with her that night?"

"There is a black backpack with some commonly used items in it."

Luke wrote it down in his notebook and continued to ask, "Do you know where Nicole's family lives?"

"SNIYIG 73. She lives with her parents and occasionally in the company dormitory."

...

73 SNIYIG Avenue.

A commercial vehicle with the logo of the news station was parked beside the yard.

Two people got out of the car, one was the black female reporter Pali Jones, and the other was a videographer.

Pari Jones said, "Carter, just stay in the car."

The photographer was a little surprised, "Are you sure?"

"Of course, I will do this interview myself."

Pari Jones walked to the door and rang the bell, "Ding dong."

After a while, a white man in his fifties opened the door, "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm Pari Jones."

The white man shook his head, "Sorry, I don't know you."

"I'm a reporter for CBE News Television."

"Reporter? What's your business?"

"Our TV station has a program. Miss Nicole Cecil is our interview subject. We want to interview her."

"Wow...Interview with Nicole, why haven't I heard her talk about it before."

"Maybe... she wants to give you a surprise."

"She's not at home right now."

"I know that I not only want to interview Nicole, but also her family, so as to get to know a more real version of her from many aspects."

Mr. Cecil pointed to himself, "You want to interview me too?"

"Yes, this is my press card." Pari Jones handed over the card.

"I don't really want to be interviewed...not really ready yet."

"Mr. Cecil, don't be nervous, we're just asking about Nicole, not about your private life."

Cecil smiled and said, "Hearing you say that, I feel a little sad instead.

Come on in, I'll get in touch with Nicole, and if she's okay, I can do an interview. "

Pari Jones entered the room and said with a smile, "Mr. Cecil, you should know that Nicole wanted to give you a surprise, and she didn't know that we were coming to interview you.

Actually...we also wanted to surprise her. "

"surprise?"

"Yes, what do you think?"

"OK, sounds good."

"So, can we begin?"

"Can."

Pari Jones officially began to ask, "Mr. Selsey, are you willing to accept an interview about your daughter Nicole?"

"Yes."

"Does Nicole have a boyfriend?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Does she like going to bars?"

"Occasionally. Even if she goes, she probably won't tell me."

"Have you ever heard of Dracula's Bar?"

"No, the name sounds a bit strange, does it have something to do with vampires?"

"Yes." Pari Jones asked, "Does Nicole like vampire culture?"

"She's timid. I remember when she was a kid, she went to the movies and there was a scene where a vampire came out of a coffin and she was shocked. She didn't like vampires..."

"So you think she'll go to a vampire-themed bar?"

"She shouldn't go alone."

"What if a friend asks her out?"

"That's possible. Nicole is a very kind girl who takes care of her friends very well and rarely rejects others..."

...

In a black Ford Explorer.

While driving, Xiao Hei said, "You know what? I am very worried about Laura, she is not a strong woman.

This is a big question. "

Luke said, "Maybe her husband's death has a greater impact on her, maybe it will be fine after a while."

"It's not just Laura that worries me, it's her impact on Jaden.

The biggest difference between me and Jaden is that I have a strong mother.

My mom took care of me from a young age and she was never depressed or dependent on any man.

She made me understand that people need to be self-reliant, self-reliant, and self-loving.

I didn't have a father, but it didn't have much of a negative impact.

Jaden is different. If his mother can't let go, he is even less likely to let go. "

Luke asked back, "So what are you going to do? Help him fill in the father's place?"

"Wow... Your question is difficult for me. I don't have the confidence and preparation to be a father. I don't think I can do it." Xiao Hei shook his head.

Soon, the two fell into a brief silence.

To be exact, Xiao Hei became quiet.

The two drove to Nicole's community.

Xiao Hei observed the surrounding landmarks, "It seems to be No. 73 in front, and there is a car parked at the door."

Luke saw it too, frowned slightly, "Pull over."

"Why? There is still a distance."

"That's the news station's car."

Xiao Hei pulled over and asked curiously, "Could it be that reporter Pali Jones also came to interview Nicole's parents?"

Luke sighed, "Probably."

"How did she know that the deceased belonged to Nicole? And how did she know the address of Nicole's home?" Xiao Hei showed a surprised look.

That's what Luke was thinking too.

Luke and Xiao Hei also just learned Nicole's real identity and home address from Laura.

But reporter Pari Jones arrived first, and was even interviewing the family of the deceased.

This is a big problem.

A reporter knows more about the case than the police.

It would be fun if the news reports revealed more content and leads than the police found.

This problem is serious.

Not only for the case itself, but also for the First Squadron of the Robbery and Murder Division.

Luke, as the elite of the Robbery and Murder Department, has both glory and loss.

He was thinking deeper.

He had already guessed that Pari Jones might have some clues that the police didn't know about.

Now it seems that Luke still underestimated the other party.

If she just saw Nicole being killed, Pari Jones probably wouldn't be able to find out Nicole's identity.

According to Laura's description, Nicole was carrying a black backpack with her on the night she was killed, but the police have never found that backpack.

Pari Jones likely obtained the contents of the deceased's backpack, which led to the address of Nicole's home.

It is illegal to take evidence from a crime scene.

Of course, these are all Luke's conjectures, and there must be real evidence to arrest people.

A few minutes later, Pari Jones came out of Nicole's house, got into the car of the news station and left.

Luke and the two entered Nicole's house and asked about his father.

Sure enough, as Luke guessed, Pari Jones was investigating the Dracula bar.

While Luke asked Xiao Hei to stabilize Nicole's father, he immediately made a video call with Susan and told him about the new investigation.

Luke briefly explained the clues he had found, and concluded, "The current situation is very troublesome, and we must take action against Pari Jones."

"Do you have any evidence that Pari Jones took the items left by the deceased at the scene?"

"No, this is just my speculation."

Susan's tone was also a little helpless, "Pari Jones is a reporter, it's very difficult for us to arrest people based on speculation alone."

"Captain, what I am worried about now is not only that Pari Jones has other important clues, but more importantly, she dared to contact the parents of the deceased, which shows that she is ready.

She was making a time difference, and reported the case as news in advance before the police found out Nicole's real identity.

I'm guessing she's very likely to be covering the case on tonight's news.

Plus, according to Marcus' investigation, her show was at eight o'clock in the evening. Luke glanced at his watch, "Nine hours from now." "

Luke's judgment has a certain basis, and it is not entirely a guess.

You know, before meeting Nicole's parents, Pari Jones must have guessed that the police would investigate Nicole's parents sooner or later. Once the police learned about her interview from Nicole's parents, they would definitely guess that she might have Leads unknown to the police.

As a result, the police may interfere with her news reports.

Therefore, after contacting Nicole's parents, she will definitely make a program as soon as possible and broadcast it that night.

But the problem now is that all speculations and suspicions have no evidence.

The best course of action would definitely be to arrest and search Pari Jones.

But there is no evidence and it is difficult to apply for a search warrant.

There was no search warrant and no evidence could be found.

Another important point is that Pari Jones is a reporter. If the police have insufficient evidence to arrest her, it is very likely that there will be a news incident.

After a while, Susan said, "According to your previous report, I asked Matthew to investigate Pari Jones' information secretly.

She had two remittances yesterday afternoon and this morning respectively, the first time was 1,000 US dollars, and the second time was 4,000 US dollars, both of which were sent to the same person, Michael Carter.

Miguel Carter has a history of drug use and is still on bail because of violent injuries. "

Susan didn't explain, but Luke already understood what she meant. "I'll see."

These two remittances are too coincidental.

The reporter and the police have informants, and the two sums of money are probably used by Pari Jones to buy clues.

The battle line breaks through from weak links.

...

On a street not far from Dracula's bar.

A white man was wandering on the street with messy hair, yawning and sniffing from time to time.

When passing by an alley, a black man appeared next to him, staring at a pair of big eyes and squeezing his eyebrows, "Hey, buddy, I have a new product, do you want to try it?"

The white man hesitated and refused, "No, I've quit."

"Come on, don't lie to yourself. This is a new product, the quality is guaranteed, and it is still in the trial sale stage. The current price is very cheap. After this period of time, it will not be the same price.

You try it, it is definitely a good product. The black man looked left and right, and then took out a bag of sugar from his pocket.

"new goods?"

"That's right."

The white man swallowed, "How much?"

"As I said, it's a trial sale now, and it only costs fifty dollars."

"OK, give me a pack."

"That's right. There's no need for people to make things difficult for themselves. They should enjoy themselves in time." The black man smiled, handed him a bag of sugar, and took another fifty dollars from him.

"Dude, see you another day." The black man left a few words and disappeared into the alley.

The Caucasian man put the sugar into his trouser pocket, with a complicated look on his face, including excitement, worry, and more impatiently.

He quickened his pace and walked forward.

A Ford Explorer was parked on the side of the road, and a black-haired youth and a black man got out of the car.

It was Luke and Xiao Hei.

Xiao Hei stopped the white man, "Hey, why are you sneaking around?"

"Get out of my way, I don't."

"You have."

"It's none of your business, don't get in my way." The white man threatened with wide-eyed eyes.

Xiao Hei flashed his police badge, "lapd, do you still think it's none of my business?"

"Come on, this trick again." The white man showed an annoyed look.

In the United States, the police are allowed to fish to enforce the law.

"Migel, if I remember correctly, you are still on bail for violent assault. Your sneaky appearance makes me feel suspicious, and I will conduct a routine body search on you.

Face the wall, put your head in your hands, and don't play tricks. "

"You guys..." Meigel wanted to scold, but he didn't dare to say it.

Soon, Xiao Hei found the bag of sugar from his pocket, "Wow, what is this? I think your bail officer should be very interested."

"Please don't do this, I don't want to lose my bond and I don't want to go to jail, give me another chance."

Xiao Hei asked back, "Why should I give you a chance, give me a reason?"

Meiguer looked gloomy, obviously he also knew that it was difficult to persuade the police.

Luke looked at Miguel and said, "Hey, I seem to have seen you, do you know Pari Jones?"

"Yes, I know her." Meguel replied hastily, as if grasping at straws.

"how did you guys meet?"

"Ah...Actually, we are still in touch today. I am a friend of her, and I have provided her with some interesting news." Miguel seemed to regard Luke as a friend of Pari Jones.

"What news?"

"I... discovered a murder."

"where?"

"Dracula's bar, four or five blocks from here."

"How did you find out?"

"At the time, my car was parked at the back of the pub, where you didn't pay for parking...

I was drinking in the bar when I heard screams from the back door of the bar, so I went out to check and found a woman lying on the ground, I was so scared that I was about to drive away.

After that, I sold the news to Pari Jones. We are friends now. Are you familiar with her?

We have mutual friends, can you let me go? "

Luke laughed, "I can help you or not contact your bail officer, but I don't make friends with liars, and I don't like people who lied to me."

"I didn't lie to you, what I said is true."

Luke cut to the chase, "There is one thing that you may not be aware of, the purpose of our visit is to investigate the murder at Dracula's bar.

We have more clues than you, don't hide anything from me, what did you find at the back door of the bar? "

If it was as simple as what Migel described, and Pari Jones was not a fool, how could he pay him so much money twice.

There is definitely something wrong with this guy.