North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1236 679: Warning

This matter can be major or minor; Kevin hasn't given a clear opinion yet and needs some time to consider how to handle it. Jimmy isn't in a hurry to finalize this matter either, so let's leave it to Mark and Julia for now.

Investigating electricity usage isn't a simple task. It requires procedural applications, and cross-departmental coordination here in the States isn't as simple as making a phone call. Under the principle of not wasting resources, Julia directly applied for the electricity usage data for all the houses on the street, including their murder case.

The next day, Julia received a fax from the power company with the electricity usage report. A quick glance was enough to understand the problem; the target house had unusual electricity usage, several times that of the neighboring houses. Moreover, not only the target house but the neighbor's electricity was also abnormal.

Julia gave the report to Jimmy, "Yang, this house's electricity usage is abnormal, as well as the one next to it. They might be growing plants inside."

Jimmy took a glance and waved his hand, "Yeah, I could guess that. It's not troublesome, you handle it yourselves. Think about how to ensure things are solid, don't leave others any leverage."

Julia was a bit dumbfounded, "We handle it?"

Jimmy: "Yes, it's not hard, but the process must withstand scrutiny. I can't handle everything for you. Think it through."

Julia took the report back to her seat, unsure about the process as this investigation wasn't like the murder cases they had been handling.

Jimmy wasn't shirking responsibility; he had already pointed out the biggest suspicion to avoid Mark and Julia going astray. Now, it was just letting them deduce the process with the results, which was quite easy.

Mark and Julia had been agents for quite some time and had handled cases independently. If they couldn't handle things with clear results, that would be a bit too dogmatic. Maybe it would be better for them to rotate through a few departments like Jimmy for more experience.

Mark was still handling the investigation over at OPR. Upon his return, Julia briefed him on the situation. Mark glanced at Jimmy and nodded, "We'll handle it, no problem."

Jimmy: "By the way, let me know when you have results. The New York DA's office isn't easy to deal with."

Mark: "Understood."

Jimmy: "How's it going over at OPR? Have they been giving you a hard time?"

Mark shook his head: "They just inquired about the situation. I saw the surveillance footage they provided. It's not clear, but it can basically confirm it's me."

Jimmy: "Yeah, if there's evidence, it can't be helped. Be more careful in the future, and observe the surroundings beforehand."

Mark: "I understand. We're waiting for OPR's investigation results; no conclusions have been announced yet."

Jimmy: "You're short on time, so settle this before the complaints yield results. The murder case is a good excuse."

Mark nodded: "Yes, I understand. Julia, let's head out."

Jimmy watched Mark and Julia pack up and leave, nodding. Mark was evidently more decisive than Julia, though occasionally impulsive. This was somewhat like Jimmy, but he didn't have Jimmy's ability to turn the tables in unfavorable situations, so independently, he's probably not qualified yet.

Julia was more meticulous, conducting more detailed investigations into clues when handling cases, which complemented Mark well. However, she too didn't yet have the capability to handle cases on her own.

This was already quite good, considering the two had just been formalized for less than a year, and expectations couldn't be too high.

Jimmy's guess was indeed correct. After Mark and Julia left, they discussed in the car how to handle this matter. Firstly, it's about how they discovered the clues; they couldn't very well say Jimmy pointed them out.

They adjusted their murder case investigation, using clue investigation as a reason to investigate the victim's neighbors, which was entirely justified. Now they just needed a reasonable excuse for him to enter through the backdoor for observation, and they could stumble upon them growing plants.

Back near the target, a black van was parked there. Mark looked around, knocked on the backdoor, and boarded as it opened, closing the door behind him.

Mark: "Any findings?"

Surveillance Agent: "Nothing yet. Since we arrived here yesterday, only one person came out, and it was to throw out trash. The person who came over was a food delivery guy. Based on the number of takeout boxes in the trash, only one person should be inside."

Mark: "Alright, continue the surveillance."

After saying that, he got off the van, synced up with Julia in the car, as they looked at their target house. "Julia, have you found the details on the neighboring household with unusual electricity usage?"

Julia nodded: "Found it. Do we need to handle it together?"

Mark: "Let's go check it out. They might be connected."

Julia discussed the situation of the neighboring residence with Mark while walking over. She knocked on the door, and a man came out. She used the murder investigation as a pretext, hoping he could provide any unusual clues he might have found, while Mark took the opportunity to observe the inside of the house, but due to the angle, he couldn't see much.

Bidding farewell, Julia put away her notebook and pen, whispering to Mark, "He's got issues too."

Mark: "Yeah, too nervous. It's not the usual nervousness people feel when seeing FBI agents, but I couldn't see inside from the door."