Chapter 18 Accident

Luke scanned the area, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He then knocked on the door.

"Dong dong..."

No answer.

"Dong dong!"

He knocked again, with the same result.

"Lindsay, open the door. I know you're in there."

After a moment, a faint movement could be heard from inside. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'm David's partner. We saw each other two days ago. David asked me to bring you something."

"I don't need anything. Just go away."

"David's waiting in the car, and you know how he is. If you don't open up, he'll just kick the door down. It's better to avoid that."

There was a soft click as the door unlocked. Lindsay, her head bowed, stepped aside to let Luke in.

The house was cluttered, with items scattered everywhere. Leftover takeout was piled on the table, men's boots were haphazardly tossed underneath, and an old-fashioned television stood against the wall—an uncommon sight in China.

Lindsay grabbed the boots and tossed them into the bedroom. "So, what's the deal?"

Luke, eager to leave, handed her the naloxone. "David asked me to give this to you. It won't cure your addiction, but it could save your life if you overdose."

Lindsay examined the naloxone. "I know what this does. I used to administer it to others, but I never thought I'd need it myself."

"You were a paramedic?" Luke guessed.

"No, I was a narcotics officer. Didn't David mention it?"

Luke hesitated. "We don't usually discuss personal matters."

"That's fine," Lindsay said, opening the door and signaling him out. "Don't let David come back. I don't want to ruin his future because of me."

As Luke left, he struggled to find the right words and simply walked out.

...

Back in the car, David looked uneasy.

After a pause, he asked, "How is she?"

Luke chose not to mention the boots. David, being an experienced investigator, would likely have inferred that detail on his own. "Your wife used to be a police officer?"

"Yeah, that was a long time ago. At first, I thought she was just making excuses not to come home, but I didn't realize she was using drugs until it was too late..." David sighed. "Anyway, thanks."

Luke's phone rang. "Hello?"

It was Daisy. "Luke, I checked the law firm's surveillance records. I found no suspicious individuals entering the office, but there was a power outage on Wednesday night, so some footage is missing."

"Wednesday night?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"About forty minutes."

"Got it. Keep the records and let me know if anything else comes up."

Luke ended the call, and David asked, "The girl from last night?"

"Yes, something seems off."

"Looks like you two are getting along well."

"It's not what you think. She was just asking for help."

"Come on, many relationships start with helping out. If she's asking for help, she might be interested in you."

"David, remember the robber I caught?"

"Of course, Tim. I was involved in his interrogation."

"Tim mentioned he was short on money and saw the news about the 'Taser robbery.' He decided to imitate it and frame someone else. Do you think that's the whole story?"

"Could Daisy be overreacting? Many victims get paranoid after a robbery."

"Daisy's handling it well."

Luke considered the new information. The power outage and the robbery timing suggested more than a coincidence. If the office was targeted on Wednesday and robbed on Thursday, the robbery might have been premeditated rather than a spontaneous act.

The suspect, Tim, might be hiding a larger conspiracy.

"I need to talk to Daisy."

"Go ahead. I want some time alone."

"Okay, see you later." Luke started to get out of the car.

"Don't be foolish. You won't get a cab around here. I'll drop you off where you can catch one."

"You've become more considerate."

"Yeah, some people still want to replace me, though."

"If you could get rid of your bad temper and reckless behavior, I might consider not changing partners."

David smirked. "Haha, you might want to replace me then."

At 11:30 a.m., at Rose Bar.

Luke and Daisy chose this spot for two reasons: familiarity and the quiet atmosphere during lunchtime. The bartender's surprise was evident as he greeted them.

"Danny, a lamb chop set and a steak set," Luke ordered.

The bartender gave an approving nod and a thumbs-up, which Luke smiled at, ignoring Daisy's lack of notice. The waiter brought two glasses of water, and Daisy took a sip, clearing her throat.

"Luke, what should I do now?"

"I need to ask you some questions to determine if the power outage was accidental or intentional."

"Okay."

"Has your firm ever had a power outage before?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"If the theft happened Wednesday night, why did you only discover it on Sunday?"

"I was busy with a client and court on Thursday and didn't have time to check the documents."

"Have you recently crossed anyone or caused any issues?"

"No."

"Think carefully. Has any of your work affected others negatively?"

"As a lawyer, conflicts of interest are common, but everything I do is legal. I can't think of anyone who'd go so far as theft."

Luke's tone grew serious. "The theft might not be the end of it. If it wasn't random, it could be related to the robbery. This situation might be more serious than you realize."

"You mean I might still be in danger?"

"Let's assume the suspect tried to steal something from your office but failed. If the item was crucial to them, they might have decided to rob you directly the next night. And Tim being locked up doesn't mean he doesn't have accomplices..."