After a short while, the clerk came in from the back carrying a box. The outer packaging of the box was identical to that of the X26-C Taser.

The boss opened the box and took out a black Taser: “This is a modified Taser. It’s much more powerful than a regular Taser, and also more dangerous, so use it with caution.”

Luke Johnson picked up the gun and examined it: “Has this gun been modified in any other way?”

“A regular Taser ejects confetti with a serial number from the magazine after firing. This Taser’s magazine has been modified so it doesn’t eject any confetti, which saves a lot of trouble.” The boss gave a knowing look.

He didn’t care what Luke Johnson wanted the gun for—as long as he paid, that was enough.

Luke Johnson smiled: “This is exactly what I’m looking for. How much?”

“Four thousand dollars.”

Luke Johnson glanced at the boss: “Do you take me for a sucker? A regular Taser is only a thousand dollars. I’ll give you two thousand at most.”

“Sir, even if you have the money, you might not be able to buy something this good. If you think it’s too expensive, you can buy a regular Taser, like you said, for just a thousand dollars.”

Luke Johnson played with the gun, looking reluctant to put it down: “Three thousand dollars. I’ll take it.”

The boss was silent for a moment, then nodded: “OK, the gun is yours. Consider it making a friend—hope you’ll look after our business in the future.”

“I’ll take any more guns like this you have.”

“There’s only this one left.”

“Afraid I can’t pay?”

“No, this gun was modified by an expert, and it’s hard to get. My shop only ever had two. One was sold to a customer in January, and now there’s just this one left.”

Luke Johnson changed the subject: “Selling this kind of modified Taser is illegal, isn’t it?”

The boss’s expression changed slightly, and he reached to take back the modified Taser: “If you want to buy a gun, you’re always welcome. If you’re here to cause trouble, the big guys in my shop aren’t just for show.”

Luke Johnson stepped back and pulled out his badge: “LAPD. I suspect you’re connected to two armed robbery cases. Please come to the station to assist with the investigation.”

The boss spread his hands: “Oh my God, I’m just a gun dealer, running a legitimate business. What buyers do with the guns is none of my business. You can’t scare me.”

Luke Johnson shook the modified Taser in his hand: “If this is what you call legitimate business, then I’ll have to do things by the book.”

Luke Johnson took out his radio: “David Smith, bring in the arrest warrant. We can make the arrest.”

A moment later, a burly bald man walked into the shop, showing the handcuffs at his waist.

The boss panicked immediately: “No, no, no, sir, I was wrong.

Give me a chance, I’m willing to cooperate with the police investigation.”

Chapter 11: Obligation

Luke Johnson asked again: “How many of these Tasers do you have in your shop?”

“Really, only two. The other one was sold in January.”

“I want the buyer’s information.”

“I can do that. But I hope this matter ends here and doesn’t affect my business.”

Luke Johnson said, “I’m not interested in small fry like you, but if you dare lie, I guarantee you’ll be forced into early retirement.”

“There’s no need for me to lie about something like this. I’m just a businessman—nothing is more important to me than business.” The boss finished speaking and pointed to the bench outside the counter: “Please have a seat while I check the gun purchase records.”

In a gun shop, Luke Johnson didn’t dare let his guard down. He scanned the surroundings, staying alert at all times.

“Sir, I found it.”

The boss came over and placed a document on the counter: “This is the buyer information for the modified Taser.”

Name: Tony Williams

Phone number: 626 863 9845

Purchase date: January 13, 2022

There was also a photocopy of the driver’s license below the information.

The photocopy of the driver’s license photo was a bit blurry.

Luke Johnson pointed to the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling: “Pull up the surveillance footage.”

“Sir, surveillance footage is only kept for a month. It’s already March, so the footage has been overwritten. I can’t pull it up.”

“Hand over the hard drive where the surveillance footage is stored. We need to take it back to the station.”

“OK.” The boss was a bit reluctant, but still did as Luke Johnson instructed.

Meanwhile, David Smith wasn’t idle. After getting the customer’s name and driver’s license, he immediately contacted the clerk Matthew Johnson to verify the information.

Soon, Matthew Johnson sent back the detailed information for customer Tony Williams.

“Sir, here’s the hard drive you wanted.” The boss removed the hard drive and handed it to Luke Johnson.

David Smith pulled up a clear photo of customer Tony Williams on his phone: “Is this the guy who bought the modified Taser?”

The man in the photo was a white male, looked to be in his forties, and had a small mustache.

The boss looked closely: “Uh… looks a bit like him.”

David Smith said, “Hey, don’t play games with me. Look carefully—I want an accurate answer.”

The boss looked troubled: “We get a lot of customers every day. I can’t possibly remember everyone’s face, and it’s been over a month. I really can’t recall.”

David Smith was a bit dissatisfied and wanted to say more.

Luke Johnson, worried about a repeat of last time, shook the hard drive in his hand: “David Smith, we still have this. Machines are more reliable than people.”