North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1430 771: Panic Spreads (Part 2)

After securing the cash, Jimmy separated his badge and wallet, placing them into separate bags. He then left the hotel in the FBI-assigned vehicle parked there.

He bought a sandwich and hot dog from a nearby food truck, paired with a cup of American coffee—this was his breakfast. While eating, he threw his wallet and badge into different trash bins, quickly completing the cleanup.

Having registered a safety deposit box at the bank, Jimmy stored all the items he had purchased over the past few days into it. The rest of his tasks were routine, and he wouldn't need those items anymore.

Jimmy parked his car in a lot and called Mrs. Haridun. Of course, there was no answer, and the call went to voicemail after a while. This was the procedure. According to Jimmy's current identity, he couldn't possibly know about last night's shooting. After repeated calls with no answer during the day, only then it made sense to visit the scene, justified by his investigation efforts.

He opened the window, smoked a cigarette, and after waiting a while, called again. On the third attempt, expecting the call would go to voicemail again, someone picked up before it could automatically hang up. "Who are you?"

Jimmy frowned and said, "Supervisory Special Agent Jimmy Yang, I'm looking for Mrs. Haridun. Who is this?"

"Detective James Cook, LAPD." The voice on the line replied.

Jimmy immediately followed up, "Where is Mrs. Haridun? Why do you have her phone?"

Detective Cook: "I can't disclose the details, but I suggest we discuss this in person. Can you come to the police station?"

Jimmy: "Give me the address, I'm on my way."

Originally, Jimmy planned to contact Mrs. Haridun multiple times and then reach out to lawyer Sebastian, considering that Mrs. Haridun's phone, a piece of evidence, shouldn't be answered by the detective. He was supposed to learn about Mrs. Haridun's murder from Sebastian, visit the scene, and declare his identity once the site was cordoned off by the LAPD. Now, he had to adjust his plan.

Jimmy called several other people, but apart from one stakeholder, no one else, not even Lester, was reachable—phones were off or not answered. It seemed news of Mrs. Haridun's murder had spread widely; everyone knew.

Jimmy hadn't watched TV, but given how intense the gunfight was, it was impossible for the networks not to report it; perhaps that's how they found out.

Jimmy started his car, leaving the parking lot for the police station. After reporting Detective Cook's name and his own identity, he was led to Detective Cook's office—a large room now almost empty, with only two people examining evidence bags.

Jimmy: "Which one of you is Detective Cook?"

A bald African-American man glanced at Jimmy, walked over, removed his gloves, and shook hands with Jimmy: "I'm James Cook."

Jimmy presented his badge, and Detective Cook quickly returned it: "Take a seat, Agent Yang."

Jimmy: "Let's skip the pleasantries. Can you tell me what happened to Mrs. Haridun?"

Detective Cook sat across from Jimmy and asked, "Do you know Mrs. Haridun? What is your relationship?"

Jimmy: "Her husband was murdered in Miami, and I'm investigating that case. As a victim's family member, Mrs. Haridun and I have been in contact a few times, and the investigation is ongoing."

Detective Cook nodded; these facts were easy to verify, and there was no reason for Jimmy to lie. Since both were working on cases, it was fine as long as Jimmy didn't interfere with his own investigation. "Last night, Mrs. Haridun's apartment building was breached, resulting in a gunfight with eight dead and one injured. Unfortunately, Mrs. Haridun was among the deceased."

Jimmy: "Have the identities of other victims and the injured been confirmed?"

Detective Cook shrugged, "Some have been confirmed; the deceased include Mrs. Haridun and her five bodyguards, with one bodyguard severely injured, currently hospitalized, and two others' identities are still unverified."

Jimmy furrowed his brow and asked, "Anything else?"

Detective Cook shook his head, "Sorry, we can't provide further details at this time; the case is still under investigation."

Jimmy: "Mrs. Haridun is a key figure in the current case I'm investigating."

Cook: "Sorry, we need to continue our investigation on this case. I hope you don't disrupt our investigation."

Jimmy stared at Cook for a few seconds before nodding, "Understood, thank you." He gave Cook a business card from his pocket, "Please inform me of any new leads."

Cook accepted Jimmy's card, nodding, "As long as it doesn't impede our investigation, I will."

Jimmy stood up, shook hands with Cook, and left the police station.

Cook looked at Jimmy's business card with a furrowed brow. Until now, he assumed Jimmy was an FBI agent from the Los Angeles office, but seeing the card indicating the New York Manhattan office surprised him, complicating their investigation with another case involving Mrs. Haridun.

Nonetheless, he still needed to verify Jimmy's identity. He opened a drawer, took out a cardholder, found a card, and dialed the number on the desk phone.

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After leaving the police station, Jimmy parked by the roadside and called Dave: "Dave, boss, there's trouble."

Dave: "Hold on." He gestured to the people opposite to leave the office before asking, "What's the situation?"

Jimmy: "Mrs. Haridun was shot dead last night; only one bodyguard was critically injured, the rest are all dead. Now the LAPD is handling the case; I just left the police station, and their investigation has barely started."

Dave: "What about the attackers?"

Jimmy: "Reportedly, two died; however, I haven't seen the scene or the deceased yet. Without LAPD's authorization, I can't get the details."

Dave tapped the table with his right hand, thought for a while, and said, "Hang on, I need to make some inquiries."

Jimmy: "Alright, I'll wait for your call."

After hanging up, Jimmy stepped out of the car to queue at a mobile food truck to buy something to eat. For him, consuming regular food was already greater than the average person. Eating smaller portions frequently was preferable to overindulging in one meal.

With a taco and cola back in the car, Jimmy's phone rang just in time. He picked up the phone, "Do you have any information?"

"Jimmy, it's Roland; I saw your message." A low male voice came through, prompting Jimmy to glance at his phone before putting it back to his ear: "Roland, long time no see, where are you?"

Roland: "Bangor, Maine. I just arrived here. Where are you? Can we meet?"

Jimmy: "I'm in Los Angeles, but it's fine, I can come find you."

Roland: "Wait a few days, I'll come over after dealing with matters here."

Jimmy: "No, I'm just here on a business trip, not residing here. What are you working on? Need any help?"

Roland: "Not for now, I'll contact you."

Jimmy: "Alright, I'll wait for your call..." Before Jimmy could finish speaking, Roland had already hung up.

Jimmy placed the phone back on the center console, took his taco, unwrapped it, and took a bite. Previously, he missed Roland's attempts to contact him due to being out on assignments, hence leaving him a message. Once Roland checked his phone again, it was likely the call reached Jimmy's current number.

He was eager to meet Roland, but since Roland had other matters and didn't want involvement, he would just wait.