North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1527 819_2

Besides the medals, there was also a commendation letter from the DEA headquarters, sent directly to the FBI New York office.

Hank and Gomez also participated in receiving the medals. These two tough agents were severely injured but made significant contributions to the investigation. They each received a Purple Heart Medal, and Hank also received an additional Special Courage Medal, so they both got quite a haul.

Jimmy's good friend, Justin, came to Albuquerque as promised. Jimmy handed over the paper slip Gus gave him, which related to a bank safe deposit box. Jimmy had already checked it out. Inside the box were some of Gus's documents. Jimmy couldn't guarantee if they were fake, as for a drug dealer, a fake identity might well be the real one, or vice versa. Regardless, he didn't destroy it but took it out.

As for the rest of the items in the safe deposit box, he left them all to Justin to handle. He could actually take them back to New York and have the hotel deal with them, or even use a bar to slowly launder the money. But having worked with Justin for so long, even though he'd lose quite a bit in fees, it was still better to have him handle it.

The phrase "eager to return home" perfectly described Jimmy's current mood. After Gus was caught, he had already informed Nia and the others that they could return home. But Nia, who had been staying with Kevin for a month, still needed to wait for Jimmy to come back. Kevin agreed, saying it wouldn't matter for just a few more days; having his daughter and grandson stay at his house was actually nice, and he could come home early after work to spend time with the little guy.

The pressure from the Mexican cartel was a bit oppressive for the average person, even if Jimmy said over the phone that everything was resolved. It didn't completely reassure them, and too much couldn't be said over the phone. So the first thing Jimmy did upon returning to New York was to go to Kevin's house and bring Nia and the others back home.

With Jimmy taking care of things, Nia and little Liam's safety was ensured, putting everyone's minds at ease.

Nia was quite interested in this case and, while Jimmy was making little Liam happy, she asked him to quickly tell her about what happened.

Jimmy couldn't help but give a simple description of Gus's drug trafficking group. When he mentioned their signature product, "blue ice," Nia was surprised and said she had heard of it. During a friend's gathering, she learned that quite a few people on Wall Street were loyal customers of "blue ice." For some rich people, many things are within reach.

Of course, Jimmy understood this. When he was in Little Rock, Justin had already mentioned this situation. Those in the underworld were looking for clues about "blue ice" to monopolize the high-end market. But now, they probably wouldn't have a chance.

Based on what he knew, only Walter and Jesse Pinkman could currently produce "blue ice." One of them was in prison, awaiting trial, while the other had joined the witness protection program, forced to change their identity and leave New Mexico. Getting them out to produce "blue ice" again for the drug dealers would be quite difficult.

There was originally another person, Gale, who could do it, but he was shot dead by Jesse. All things considered, being able to eliminate a high-purity drug from spreading was indeed something Jimmy found satisfying.

However, the other parts of the story were not something he could bluntly tell Nia. Especially the part involving Mexico, which ended in a massacre. It's something he should keep to himself; no need to worry Nia about it.

Having been away from home for so long, Jimmy certainly had to fulfill his duties as a husband. After putting little Liam to sleep, Jimmy and Nia tiptoed back to their bedroom to engage in some shamelessly happy activities.

For Jimmy, the New Mexico issues were over. But for Ruiz, they weren't. He was surprised when he received the DEA's letter of gratitude for Jimmy. During Jimmy's time assisting the investigation, he hadn't synchronized any case information with him. And given the case took over a month to resolve, it was definitely not a small matter. So, knowing that Jimmy had returned to New York, he invited him out for drinks.

Of course, the place to drink had to be Jimmy's bar, which had become a well-known spot. Although it was a bit far from the office, the Upper West Side's security was decent. Drinking here meant no worries about any disorderly conduct. So, a lot of people from the bureau still liked to come over to sit and relax during their free time.

Of course, the presence of so many people from related professions also brought some good news; most street thugs kept their distance from here, even though it wasn't far from Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea District.

Ruiz seemed to be in a good mood. Surprisingly, he didn't choose a private room but sat directly at the bar. When Jimmy came over, Ruiz was chatting with Woody behind the bar.

Jimmy tapped the bar: "Woody, give me a whiskey. You seem happy, Ruiz. What's the good news?"

Ruiz: "When you don't cause trouble for me, I'm naturally happy. So, how's everything going over in New Mexico?"

"Of course, got the gratitude letter, didn't shame our office. Cheers."

After a clink of glasses, Ruiz asked: "Are you planning to take some time off?"

Jimmy: "Of course, after a month-long trip, I need some time to spend with my family. There's nothing urgent at the bureau that needs my attention, right?"

Ruiz: "No, come on, tell me what's going on over there."

When talking to Ruiz, details would naturally come up. The two of them went to a small room, where Jimmy poured himself a drink and detailed the case over there.

Ruiz thoughtfully remarked: "So, this time you guys took down a large drug trafficking group and conveniently took care of a branch of an international cartel, right?"

Jimmy nodded: "To be precise, we took down a big Mexican cartel, and Eladio's estate was taken down by the CIA. So, even though the DEA only officially dealt with a domestic trafficking group, the haul was greater."

Ruiz pointed at Jimmy: "You talk about the CIA, but do you really think I can't tell it wasn't them but you who did it?"

Jimmy shrugged, taking a sip of his drink: "I won't admit a thing. The CIA made official contact with the DEA, saying they were the ones who sent him back from Mexico."

Ruiz considered: "Is the CIA reliable?"

Jimmy: "Should be. We worked together before, on that business with Seventeen. Don't worry, no one's leaking any info; three departments are involved, and unless they're nuts, they should know to keep it under wraps."

Mention of Seventeen made Ruiz's expression change a bit, as this character really brought him a lot of trouble. The key is that their relationship was pretty good before, as Ruiz was Seventeen's contact. If it weren't for Jimmy decisively handling Seventeen, Ruiz would have been implicated when things were eventually uncovered. "Reliable is good. Your status now isn't like before; you need to be careful about some things."

After chatting for a while, Ruiz suddenly asked: "Have you cleared up your educational qualifications yet?"

Jimmy blinked: "No problem, why?"

Ruiz thought for a moment and said: "Maybe you should consider more advanced studies."

Jimmy furrowed his brows at Ruiz: "Is there some issue with my education?"

Ruiz shook his head: "No, it's Dave's suggestion. You've been drawing a lot of attention this past year, especially with cross-departmental work. Maybe he wants you to steady yourself for another year or two."

Jimmy was left speechless. He was just trying to work quietly, but who knew that so many problems would come his way? Whether going to Miami and Los Angeles, or Albuquerque, even though he achieved quite a lot, it wasn't out of his own volition. Isn't staying home with his wife and kids more appealing?

Who would willingly prefer to work?

Jimmy: "Are you sure it's Dave's idea?"

Ruiz nodded, and Jimmy shrugged: "Let's talk about it later. Right now, I just want to enjoy my vacation. I haven't spent time with the kid for over a month. Have fun. I'm heading home first."

Jimmy downed the remaining drink in his glass and got up to leave the small room.

Ruiz watched Jimmy leave, and although his facial expression didn't change, it was clear Jimmy wasn't without thoughts. However, there wasn't much else to be done after Dave had a talk with him, and he realized some things aren't as straightforward.