The silver-haired deputy captain smiled and said, “Oh, the two top detectives of the bureau are back. Did you find the suspect Tony Williams?”

David Smith casually replied, “No, we found Tony Williams’s house, but no one was there. Judging by the state of the place, he’s been gone for at least a week.”

“Since you didn’t see Tony Williams, how did you get into the house?” The deputy captain paused, then waved his hand. “Never mind, forget I asked. You two should report to the captain.”

Jenny Smith said, “David Smith, are you hurt?”

David Smith instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth. “We ran into a bit of trouble while looking for information on Tony Williams, but the good news is, we managed to turn a local street racer into a temporary informant. He agreed to help us look for leads on Tony Williams.”

At this, David Smith looked over at the clerical staff. “Matthew Johnson, we need more information on Tony Williams. You’ll have to step it up.”

Matthew Johnson stood up, pushed his glasses up, and explained, “I’ve been checking, but there isn’t much on record for him.

Over a decade ago, Tony Williams ran a small restaurant, but it didn’t last long before closing down. There are also some stock trading records, but he didn’t do that for long either.

After that, he didn’t have any proper jobs.

There are some medical records, though. The most recent was three years ago, when he was hospitalized for a drug overdose.

He’s also been to rehab five times, but obviously, it didn’t work.”

Marcus Johnson curled his lip. “There are a lot of people like that in the slums—marginalized figures. It’s hard to find them with just official records. The best way is through gangs or friends and family.”

Luke Johnson pressed, “What about Tony Williams’s immediate family?”

Matthew Johnson replied, “Tony Williams’s hometown is in Nevada. He only moved to California twenty years ago, and his relatives are still in Nevada. We haven’t found their contact information yet.”

There’s no household registration system in the US, and people move between cities a lot. As the second largest city in the country, Los Angeles sees a huge influx of people every year.

Luke Johnson asked David Smith, “Are you going to report to the captain, or should I?”

David Smith pointed to his own face. “Do you think I’m in any shape for that right now?”

Luke Johnson knocked and entered the captain’s office.

“Captain, I’m here to report on the progress of our investigation.”

Susan Smith gestured to the chair opposite her. “Have a seat.”

Luke Johnson briefly recounted the investigation at the gun shop and Tony Williams’s house.

He embellished his own role a bit and downplayed David Smith’s actions.

It wasn’t that he was trying to steal credit, but some of David Smith’s methods weren’t suitable to mention to Susan Smith, so it was also a way to protect David Smith.

It benefited them both.

After listening, Susan Smith asked, “Is that informant trustworthy?”

“He has no direct connection to Tony Williams. For the sake of his own freedom, I believe he’ll do his best.”

“Keep a close eye on him. Don’t let anything go wrong.”

“I will,” Luke Johnson said, then changed the subject. “Captain, there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss.”

“Go ahead.”

“I want to change partners.”

“Why?”

“Maybe… David Smith and I just don’t get along.”

“But as far as I know, you two are pretty close.”

“Even married couples have conflicts after spending too much time together, let alone partners. I still want to switch.”

“Then give me a reasonable explanation.”

Luke Johnson thought for a moment and said, “David Smith and I have different approaches to investigations. I feel some of his actions are a bit too aggressive. Even if it’s for the case, it could easily lead to complaints.

I’ve tried to persuade David Smith to be more rational, but clearly, he won’t listen.”

“You’re right. David Smith’s methods are indeed aggressive and reckless. He’s violated department rules multiple times. We’ve known each other since my days in Internal Affairs.”

“So you agree to let me switch partners?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page. You two are partners. When David Smith makes a mistake, you can stop him right away and help me keep an eye on him.”

“Are you kidding?”

“I’m serious. If anything comes up, you can report to me at any time.”

“So now I’m your informant?”

Susan Smith pointed outside. “Everyone in this office is my informant. Is that a problem?”

“No… you’re the Boss.”

“Good. You can go now.”

Luke Johnson got up and walked to the door, then turned back and said, “David Smith has been in the Robbery and Homicide Division for many years—he’s more senior than me. Even if I wanted to persuade him, he wouldn’t listen.”

“So what do you want to do?”

“When we’re out on duty, can I take the lead? That way I can better control the situation.”

“Fine.”

“If you could talk to David Smith yourself, I believe he’d rein it in a bit.”

“David Smith is a detective, you’re just an officer. I can’t order him to listen to you. I’ll support you, but not in that way. If you want to take the initiative, you’ll have to fight for it yourself.”

“How do I do that?”

“That’s your problem. Close the door for me, thanks.”

“Talking to you… is always a pleasure.” Luke Johnson slammed the door shut.

…

David Smith glanced at Luke Johnson. “You don’t look so good. Did your flattery backfire?”

Luke Johnson was a bit frustrated. It looked like he wouldn’t be able to shake this guy off for now.