Chapter 28 Traces

After half an hour, they left the club.

David announced, "I'm heading back to the police station to brief the captain on Harry's situation and see if we can track him down. What about you?"

Luke glanced at his watch. "It's time to clock out, so I won't be returning to the station."

"I figured as much," David replied, and drove off.

Luke meandered through the neighborhood until he stumbled upon a Korean restaurant that caught his eye.

Los Angeles has a vibrant Korean community and an abundance of Korean restaurants. In Luke's experience, Korean cuisine meant barbecue and kimchi.

Given that Luke is a meat lover, he ordered pork belly, beef, lamb chops, fat intestines, chicken wings, and a cold beer.

After a long day at work, he enjoyed indulging in his meal.

Satisfied and full, Luke took a taxi home.

Upon entering the house, he found his mother, Linda, sprawled on the living room sofa, engrossed in a soap opera.

"Evening, Mom. Where's the little nerd?"

"Upstairs, working."

Luke smiled, doubting that his little brother was actually doing homework and suspecting he was chatting with a girlfriend instead.

As Luke headed upstairs, Linda stopped him. "Don't forget next month's rent."

"Don't worry, I've got it covered. I'll pay it on the 1st as usual."

"That's good. By the way, if you want to eat at home more often, there'll be an extra $100 charge."

Luke was taken aback but shrugged it off. "Sure, whatever."

"Great."

After retreating to his room, Luke showered and lay down, his mind drifting to the ongoing case.

He felt a bit awkward telling David he couldn't return to the station tonight. If this were before his rebirth, he'd have stayed late.

His thoughts were a mix of frustration and resignation...

"What's the point..." Luke muttered, trying to push work out of his mind.

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through TikTok for a distraction. The videos of beautiful foreign women caught his attention, momentarily lifting his spirits.

It was past nine o'clock when he decided to text Daisy: "Just got off work and I'm beat. What are you up to?"

Minutes later, when he'd almost given up on a reply, his phone buzzed: "You're luckier than me. I'm still buried in work at the law firm."

"Didn't you want to grab a drink tonight? Why are you working overtime?"

"I did want to, but with the workload, I have no choice but to push through."

"What time will you be done?"

"Probably around ten."

"It's getting late. You should call your boyfriend to pick you up."

Boyfriend? Not quite. Just a polite excuse to avoid conversation.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead you."

"So I'm not your type?"

"It's not that. I'm just too busy for a relationship right now."

"I didn't think you were such a workaholic."

"Don't you think so?"

"Maybe you're too attractive to be a workaholic."

"You're quite the charmer." Daisy laughed. "There are people who pursue me, but right now, I'm focusing on my career. I might be better suited for a relationship with my work."

Luke joked, "Your boss must be a big fan."

"Haha... I won't keep you. I need to get back to work. We'll have to reschedule."

"Got it. Drive safely."

"Thanks."

Yawning, Luke thought about how he needed to step up his game as an older brother, especially with his little brother having a girlfriend.

The next morning, Luke was treated to the same breakfast routine as his brother.

The spread included an omelet, milk, and vegetable salad. The little brother ate reluctantly, but Luke found it quite enjoyable.

After breakfast, Luke prepared to head to work.

"Can I borrow your bike for school?"

"Why?"

"Because it's cool to show up on a Harley."

"Nice try. I took a cab home yesterday. Maybe another time."

The little brother rolled his eyes, visibly disappointed.

A car horn beeped outside.

"Mom, breakfast was great. See you later!" Luke called as he hurried out.

Outside, a black Dodge awaited him.

As Luke got in, David complained, "I'm starting to feel like your chauffeur."

"Feeling honored?" Luke teased.

"More like exhausted."

Luke glanced at David's tired eyes. "Rough night?"

David yawned. "After updating the captain, I patrolled the area near Tony's place with Raymond. I even said hi to the drag racers but still couldn't find Harry. He's definitely hiding."

"Want me to drive today?"

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance."

"Still patrolling?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"We could trace his phone number or credit card."

"Harry's a gang member. If he's hiding, he won't make any rookie mistakes. Matthew checked—Harry doesn't even have a fixed address."

Luke considered this. "But what's his motive? Just because Alisha won't perform for him?"

David said, "Gang members can be vengeful. Alisha's refusal might have pushed him over the edge."

"What about the other two victims? Why involve them?"

David speculated, "Maybe they crossed him too."

Luke shook his head. "It's too coincidental that all three women look alike."

David pounded his fist in frustration. "I'll find that jerk, Harry."

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Robbery and Murder Division. As they reached the office, they saw Raymond, Marcus, and Jenny heading out.

David asked, "Where are you off to?"

Raymond replied, "We were about to call you to update on Harry."

David was surprised. "How did you find out?"

Raymond pointed to Marcus, who grinned. "I had some friends check into Harry's whereabouts. This morning, they let me know he's staying at a motel near Virtual Avenue."

David felt disheartened. After patrolling all night and questioning drag racers, Marcus solved it with a call.

Seeing Marcus's smug expression made David feel a bit envious.