North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1497 - 804: Clues Converge (2)

Jimmy:"The murderer, huh?"

Hank:"At least he's the only suspect for now."

Jimmy:"OK, send the suspect to everyone later. Now let's assume this person is Heisenberg, the drug cartel's chef. He must be well protected. Finding his location and killing him could very likely be the work of a rival cartel or even an internal struggle within their own group. This murderer is an important clue."

Jimmy left the meeting room and went to Miguel's place, "Miguel, have you cleared the information on Gus?"

Miguel:"Yes, we've found out he's a well-known entrepreneur, and a lot of information is public."

Miguel handed Jimmy a stack of printed materials and searched again on the computer. Jimmy frowned:"Anything else?"

Miguel:"Something indeed feels off. We previously paid no attention, but upon collecting data this time, we found out this Gus is in his fifties, with no family - no parents, spouse, children, relatives. All information pertains solely to him, and there's some vagueness in his previous immigration records."

Jimmy thought for a moment and patted him:"To the meeting room."

Jimmy walked into the meeting room with the materials, "Hank, are you sure you're familiar with this Gus? He seems suspicious. Miguel."

Miguel shared his findings with Hank, who also flipped through the materials Jimmy placed on the table, brows furrowed. They hadn't paid attention to this before.

Jimmy continued:"Let's temporarily list him as a suspect. We'll keep investigating. Miguel, I need you to continue investigating information about Gus, beyond local information, and check his registered past records, trace it upwards."

Miguel nodded and turned to leave the meeting room.

Hank then said:"This number on the napkin needs to be verified, I'll handle it."

Jimmy nodded, "I'll continue investigating Jesse, sync any news with me immediately."

Such troublesome research tasks, Jimmy handed all to them. After getting Jesse's friend's address, he immediately got up and hurried to "Badger's" house.

Jesse doesn't have many friends, but Hank's team indeed caught one of them before, and he was Jesse's friend, caught through the impersonated Heisenberg.

Badger's house wasn't hard to find, given he has a record, many details were comprehensive. However, Jimmy didn't knock and enter to find Jesse directly; he stayed outside watching for a while. With only Badger in the house, Jimmy didn't need to check if Jesse was there like others, unnecessary. Since Jesse wasn't there, just observe where Badger goes or if someone comes looking for him.

Jimmy overestimated; after watching all night, he still didn't find any sign that Jesse was looking for his friend. Meanwhile, the DEA's surveillance team also didn't see Jesse return to his house. The drug parties inside the house were lively, making it impossible to install bugs and surveillance cameras.

This was troublesome. Albuquerque isn't small, and with a significant population, locating a specific individual is challenging, especially since Jimmy's team couldn't issue a public arrest warrant for police assistance. Jimmy patted the steering wheel, started the car, and returned to the hotel to rest.

A week has passed since Jimmy began the investigation, with little gain, besides analyzing Gus might have issues, there's no other lead caught.

Jimmy grabbed half a dozen beers and went to Hank's home. Hank didn't go to the DEA office today because he was undergoing therapy. Jimmy knew in advance, and he came hoping Hank might recall any other suspicious clues worth investigating. Previous data processed offered few leads, and without specific evidence, they couldn't act against Gus.

Hank was also troubled; unable to formally investigate Gus, many of their technical methods couldn't be employed. They must find a way to bring Gus into focus.

But soon an opportunity came, Hank's brother-in-law's family visited Hank in the evening. Upon seeing little Walter, Hank suddenly felt inspired; sometimes opportunities arise unexpectedly.

Hank and little Walter are similar; Hank is in the lower body recovery phase, currently using a wheelchair. Little Walter suffered slight cerebral palsy in childhood, needing crutches for walking even after growing up. After some persuasion, little Walter really decided to take his uncle for a ride.

Yes, little Walter can drive. Though his legs aren't very agile, with vehicle modifications using both legs to control brakes and accelerator, different from ordinary right-leg control, he still managed to pass the driving test.

Cars modified for the disabled can drive legally on roads, explaining why parking spots for these vehicles often bear disabled signs.

Hank knew little Walter could drive without issue; just needed him to drive Hank for a ride, then to Fried Chicken Brothers to treat little Walter, easily dragging time until Gus showed up. Afterward, find a way to acquire fingerprints.

Hank's plan was excellent and executed perfectly. Little Walter and Hank had a good relationship; unlike Walter, Hank wasn't quiet. His outgoing uncle often shared things little Walter didn't know, making him happy. Even small gestures of care could cheer up little Walter with a disability.

In Fried Chicken Brothers' store, Hank and Walter laughed and ate chicken and cola. After a while, Gus came out and said:"Never thought our hero would visit my store. Had I known earlier, I'd have offered you a discount."

Hank laughed:"Oh, that won't do; I'm treating the little guy today." He winked at little Walter nearby.

Gus smiled:"Let me at least refill your cola."

Hank:"Oh, thank you."

Gus reached for Hank's nearly finished cup, refilled it, and returned it, chatted briefly, then left.

After little Walter finished eating, they left the restaurant, but Hank took the cola cup Gus had handled and brought it home in a bag.

Though Gus knew Hank's identity and their investigation, progress was known only by Hank, Jimmy, and Miguel; hence, he hadn't realized they were onto him. With Hank and little Walter dining together, Gus naturally lowered his guard.

After returning home, Hank immediately arranged for them to fetch the cola cup. Gus's fingerprints were on it, and once extracted, they could be compared, especially to the fingerprints found at the murdered chemist Gale's home. If matched, many things could be tied to Gus.

Moreover, the numerical code on the Fried Chicken Brothers napkin at Gale's home, Hank found clues in those numbers, pending a summary through Gus's fingerprints. These clues could be connected.

Hank was working hard, and Jimmy was no slacker either. He continued staking out Badger and finally saw a tall, thin person visiting. They both got into a rundown car and left.

Soon, the car arrived at a rather worn-out motel. After waiting a while, Jesse emerged empty-handed, observed the surroundings, found no unusual signs, then promptly opened the car door and left with the other person.