Those diners, seeing Matthew Brooks arrive in his police uniform, naturally dared not hide anything from him. Although they hadn’t paid attention to Howard Clark’s appearance when entering the restaurant, they did notice a smell of herbs.

　　This only deepened Matthew Brooks’s suspicions.

　　If Raymond Shaw knew that his casual remark—“the household registration has already been reported”—would make Matthew Brooks pursue the matter so relentlessly, he would definitely regret it. He had always thought that, since Matthew Brooks only joined the police force last year, he was too inexperienced to notice him at all. If anyone was likely to pay attention, it should be the patrol officer for this area, Jack Gordon.

　　It was overstepping for Matthew Brooks to inspect the Delicious Restaurant, but for Jack Gordon, it was part of his duty. Matthew Brooks asking him for help was only natural. They were both patrol officers; by helping Matthew Brooks this time, he could expect help from Matthew Brooks in the future if anything happened on Changtang Street or Taigu Street.

　　Moreover, whenever Matthew Brooks asked him for a favor, he never left him empty-handed, and this time was no exception—he casually slipped him two packs of Sanpao Tai tea. Of course, Matthew Brooks wouldn’t directly ask Jack Gordon to investigate; he just “kindly” told him that the two strangers at the Delicious Restaurant were Raymond Shaw’s relatives and asked him to look after them and help them get their household registration sorted out as soon as possible.

　　As soon as Raymond Shaw heard that Jack Gordon had arrived, he hurried out from the backyard. Lifting the curtain, he clasped his hands together and said with a beaming smile, “Officer Gordon, you’re here! Please, have a seat. I’ll have someone cook a couple of dishes. Today’s pig head meat is excellent—you must try it.”

　　Jack Gordon was different from Matthew Brooks; he was the patrol officer for this very area. A local official is better than a distant one, so Raymond Shaw valued Jack Gordon far more than Matthew Brooks. As long as Jack Gordon entered his restaurant, he would always find a way to offer him some benefits.

　　“No need. Old Shaw, you have relatives visiting?” Jack Gordon waved his hand and glanced toward the back door where Raymond Shaw had come out.

　　“Two relatives from the countryside came, but one of them is sick.” As soon as Raymond Shaw heard Jack Gordon ask about this, he cursed inwardly—this black dog’s nose really is sharp.

　　“If someone’s sick, they need treatment. How long are they planning to stay?” Jack Gordon said as he started to head toward the back. If you want benefits, you have to make the other party anxious. The more anxious they are, the more you get.

　　“Officer Gordon, I still have a bottle of Fenjiu here. How about trying some today?” Raymond Shaw quickly grabbed Jack Gordon, slipping two bills into his pocket in one smooth, unnoticeable motion.

　　“Really?” Jack Gordon squeezed his pocket and stopped in his tracks.

　　“Would I ever lie to you?” Raymond Shaw said with a smile. He immediately brought out a bottle of Fenjiu and had someone quickly cook a few good dishes, then sat down to drink with Jack Gordon.

　　While the food was being served, Raymond Shaw took a turn at the restaurant entrance. Although he only glanced outside briefly, he could see everything clearly—everything outside was as usual. This put him a little at ease; it seemed Jack Gordon was just going through the motions. But he decided in his heart that Howard Clark could no longer stay in the backyard and must be moved tonight.

　　However, Raymond Shaw didn’t notice that Watson Harris, who was standing at the door, had already perked up his ears and was leaning against the wall, carefully listening to his conversation with Jack Gordon.

Chapter 10: Countermeasures

　　After taking Raymond Shaw’s money, drinking his wine, and with Matthew Brooks having given him a heads-up, Jack Gordon naturally wouldn’t follow all the procedures to the letter. Besides, after a good meal and with money in his pocket, why would he bother to check up on things? At a time like this, it was best to go watch an opera or take a bath—that was the most comfortable thing to do.

　　After Jack Gordon left, full and satisfied, Raymond Shaw immediately decided to arrange for Howard Clark to be moved that very night. To prepare for any possible inspection, he arranged for another man to stay there instead. As for Grace Hale, since she had already shown her face a few times, she continued to stay at the Delicious Restaurant.

　　That afternoon, Jack Gordon found Matthew Brooks, pulled him aside, and patted his chest, promising that there would be no problem with the household registration for the people at the Delicious Restaurant. Matthew Brooks just smiled and said nothing in response to Jack Gordon’s assurance. The smell of alcohol still lingered on Jack Gordon; even if he hadn’t given him a heads-up, the newcomers at the Delicious Restaurant would have no trouble getting their registration.

　　“These are the documents Raymond Shaw gave me today—two people, with photos. Take a look.” Jack Gordon took out a file and handed it to Matthew Brooks.

　　“Since you’ve already checked, there’s naturally no problem.” Matthew Brooks smiled and shook his head, not taking the file.

　　“If I’m supposed to look after someone, I have to be thorough.” Jack Gordon said with a smile. He had done a favor for Matthew Brooks and gotten a benefit from Raymond Shaw—he loved doing things like this.

　　“I’m just going by what Raymond Shaw said. You still need to do your checks. If anything goes wrong, I won’t be responsible.” Matthew Brooks slipped two more packs of cigarettes to Jack Gordon and patted him on the shoulder.

　　He still couldn’t be sure whether the people at the Delicious Restaurant were problematic, but regardless, he wouldn’t take responsibility for them.

　　“Of course.” Jack Gordon replied casually.

　　“Thanks, I’ll treat you to a meal next time.” Matthew Brooks said.

　　Matthew Brooks was very curious about the “relatives” Raymond Shaw had just brought in. He wanted to know if Raymond Shaw would make any moves in the next few days. But since he had to patrol, he could only have Watson Harris keep an eye on the Delicious Restaurant.

　　“What did Jack Gordon want with you?” Caleb Bennett asked casually.

　　“Wasn’t it just about the household registration for the Delicious Restaurant?” Matthew Brooks smiled and handed over a cigarette.