North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1297 - 707: Smart People

When they walked together, others definitely had a better impression of Hope, given the societal norms here. So whether it was going to the FBI office or the city police station, Jimmy would let Hope handle the coordination. But of course, when it came to the real work, he had to do it himself.

He had been working with Hope for several days, and had become familiar with Hope's style and general abilities. Once a task was assigned, he could carry it out without issues, but his lack of experience showed. It seemed either he had connections or he was just lucky to be promoted to Senior Agent.

Hope was also aware of his own position, so he walked to the door and knocked. A woman quickly opened it: "Who are you?"

Hope flashed his badge, "FBI Agent David Hope, and this is my colleague Jimmy Yang. Are you Ms. Emily Johnson?"

Emily nodded, "Yes, may I ask what this is about?"

Hope: "Can we come in to talk? We just need to ask you a few questions."

Emily frowned, "My child is inside..."

Hope smiled at Emily, "Ma'am, I think what we need to discuss is not suitable for the door."

Emily stepped aside to let Hope and Jimmy into the house.

The layout of the house looked very ordinary, but was quite tidy. It was apparent that Emily's life was not particularly wealthy, but she was clearly very good at keeping her home in order. Such a person indeed makes a suitable life partner; Hammer had good taste.

Jimmy saw a boy of about seven or eight come out from a room, standing at the door watching them. Emily went over and gently reassured him, sending him back into the room and closing the door before returning to the living room to sit down.

Hope: "Ms. Johnson, we came here hoping to learn more about Mr. Hammer."

Emily had a knowing expression; the FBI certainly didn't visit for a middle-aged woman with a child. "What's up with Allen?"

Hope: "We hope to find Mr. Hammer, but the phone number he left is already turned off."

Emily: "Can I ask why you're looking for him?"

Hope: "I'm sorry, I can't share details of the case right now, as you two are not married and aren't family members. But we must find Mr. Hammer quickly; this matter is very important."

Emily did not expect such an answer. Under normal circumstances, the police would at least state the type of case he might be involved in. Now Hope was not revealing what Hammer was guilty of; this could only mean the case was significant. She nervously asked, "I just want to know if my child and I are in danger."

Hope: "No, at least for now, that's the case."

Emily's child indeed looked like a boy, with short hair and boy's clothing, and unless deliberately dressed this way, it should not be a girl in disguise. Given that Hammer's group seems to be involved mainly with abducting young girls, the boy should still be safe.

Jimmy stayed quiet, letting Hope, who had a decent image and was approachable, do the talking.

After some more conversation, Emily finally agreed to Hope's request. She got up, fetched a phone from beside the TV, looked up a contact, and handed it to Hope. "This is the number he left before he went. He said I could reach him in an emergency, but not to contact him unless it was urgent, as he'd be busy for a while."

Hope took a glance at the phone, then handed it to Jimmy, "Did he tell you when he'd be back?"

Emily: "No, I've only known him for a few months. Since my husband died, he's been my first boyfriend."

Hope couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Emily; her luck was truly poor. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Johnson."

Emily: "I hope all goes well; otherwise, we might have to move."

She sighed, took the phone back from Jimmy, and showed the two out.

If the FBI is visiting, Hammer must be in trouble, and it's serious. Being just an ordinary mom, she definitely doesn't want her child living with a heinous criminal. Though they had a good relationship, she now had to make choices; petty gangsters and heinous criminals are totally different things.

After seeing Hope and Jimmy off, Emily stood in the living room watching them drive away before turning to her child's room. Maybe leaving early for a while wouldn't be so bad; just think of it as a trip with her child.

Jimmy: "Got the phone number, Hope. Can you trace its location?"

Hope: "I can try, or we can ask headquarters to do it."

Jimmy: "Let's do it quickly then."

Hope and Jimmy returned to the hotel. Hope went to contact headquarters for further investigation into the phone, while Jimmy began organizing his equipment in the room.

This investigation was clearly progressing faster than the last one. Just two or three hours later, Hope knocked and entered Jimmy's room, handing over a laptop. "The phone's location has been found, but currently the signal is lost. We only have the last known location: Boise City, Utah, south of Salt Lake City, in south-central Utah."

Jimmy looked at the map. Utah and Missouri are not bordering states; the distance is considerable. How did this guy go so far? Looking at Salt Lake City's position: "Salt Lake City, huh, not the safest place."

Hope: "Should we go there? We might have a chance to catch him directly."

Jimmy: "Let's have headquarters keep an eye on the phone. The signal loss doesn't mean he won't turn it on again. And there's the previous phone number too; these two phones are the only clues we have now. As for going to Utah, let's wait another day or two. If the phone signal was lost because he got on a plane, he might return."

Hope nodded, taking his laptop back to his room.

Utah is quite a distance away, and the cabin here isn't completely dealt with yet. Leaving now would mean they couldn't catch anyone promptly if they returned.

Another day passed, and Jimmy and the others finally had a breakthrough. Someone arrived at the cabin on a motorcycle, unlocked it with a key, placed a backpack inside, then locked it again and left.

The person wore a motorcycle helmet, concealing his appearance. His clothes were well-covered, with no bare skin showing. He didn't take anything from the room—at least it seemed so—indicating he came specifically to drop off that bag.

Jimmy: "Hope, take the car and hide it down the road, in case someone else shows up. We'll go in and take a look."

Jimmy replaced the equipment's batteries, and Hope left to move the car, returning quickly. The two of them donned disposable gloves and reopened the padlock.

The black backpack from the video was in the corner. Hope carefully stepped inside, retrieved the backpack, and brought it outside. Opening it, he found a few bottles of water, some bread and biscuits, and several rolls of cash, all in $20 bills.

Hope inspected the backpack to confirm there was nothing else inside. He looked at Jimmy: "Something's off about these things."

Jimmy: "Maybe it's for a getaway, but we don't know who that was earlier. Put it back for now."

Hope nodded, zipped up the bag, and carefully placed it back in its original spot after ensuring everything was as it was. He locked the cabin door and left.

Jimmy: "There are two scenarios: this person is preparing for his escape, and these are the supplies and money. The other is that it's for someone else. We can't yet confirm who knows about this place or who it's prepared for."

Hope: "There's another possibility: they're planning to return soon. These are reserve supplies. The stuff inside might barely sustain someone for two days, maybe more."

Jimmy: "Exactly, meaning Hammer might be coming back."

Jimmy and the team returned to their surveillance spot, which was fairly hidden, allowing them to observe the front of the cabin directly. Jimmy surveyed the surroundings and said: "Hope, you should head back. Keep tabs on headquarters to track the two phone numbers again. Also, check the nearest surveillance on your way back here and see if you can find that motorcycle. And next time, bring me some food and drinks; we might have to stake out here for a day or two."

Hope: "Okay, signal here is weaker in the woods. If there's an emergency, contact me immediately."

Jimmy waved him off. Stakeouts here were different from in the city. Jimmy could see through things better, and if something happened, he could protect himself, which was better for everyone.