In a black Dodge on the road.

While driving, David asked, "You must have made a decent income this month, right?"

Luke smiled and said, "Indeed, I've come into a little fortune. If you need money, I can lend you some."

"No, I've already gathered enough for the bail and am planning to contact a lawyer to bail Linda out."

"Good luck."

"What about you? How do you plan to spend that money?"

"Might buy a car, a BMW 730. What do you think?"

"Cool, it's a good car. If I had the money, I might be tempted too.

But, as someone who has been there and as your partner, I'd still advise you to invest the rest of the money after buying the car.

Life is long, and luck doesn't last forever. There will be down times, so saving up isn't a bad thing."

Americans rarely talk about money or ask about someone's salary—it's considered private.

However, cop partners share a close relationship, so this kind of talk isn't really abrupt."

Luke responded, "That's what I was thinking too."

"Good."

"You're a smart man, likely to have a brighter future than me."

"Come on, don't talk like an old man. You should start a new life," urged Luke, disliking David's gloomy demeanor,

"Once you bail Linda out, you don't owe her anything. You can't take care of her forever. You should get a divorce and start a new relationship. It could turn a new page in your life."

David chuckled, "Maybe."

A few minutes later, the black Dodge stopped in front of Boel's auto repair shop.

After getting out of the car, Luke looked around, "This repair shop seems somewhat decent. The previous one was more like a chop shop than an actual repair shop."

David said, "But generally, those who can afford a Mercedes S600 don't come here for repairs. They prefer professional 4S shops."

"Maybe not the car owners, but the drivers could be a different story," Luke walked briskly into the repair shop, where several workers were busy with cars.

"Which one of you is the boss?"

"I am. Are you here to get a car repaired?" a middle-aged Caucasian man approached.

"Are you Carus Boel?"

"Yes, what can I help you with?"

"I'm Detective Luke and this is Detective Chief David."

"Did you find Santos Mending?"

"Sort of, can we talk to you?"

"Of course, please come in."

Carus Boel led the two into an office.

It was called an office but looked more like a storeroom filled with various items.

"Sorry, the office is somewhat messy," Carus Boel gathered some items from the sofa and tossed them onto a chair in the corner, "Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thanks," Luke turned on the body camera.

Carus Boel sat across from them, "How's Santos? I've been missing him a bit."

"No, he's not doing well."

"Is he injured? Or has he been kidnapped?"

"He's dead."

"Oh my God... That's the last thing I wanted to hear. He was a good person; he didn't deserve this."

"How long had Santos Mending been working here?"

"About eight or nine months."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"The evening of March 28, when he got off work.

The next day, he didn't come to work and didn't leave any messages. I called his cell phone, but no one answered.

On March 30, he still didn't show up for work, and I couldn't reach his phone, so I went to his house, but no one was there. It felt like something might have happened.

So I reported him missing."

Luke said, "You're a responsible boss."

"He was the best employee in the shop, hardworking, never complained, and was never late or left early. He was responsible towards his job, so I was responsible towards him."

"Do you know where his wife is?"

"No, I rarely asked about his family. You know, getting too familiar with employees isn't really a good thing."

"Did he live at 122 Oli Street?"

"Yes."

"Oli Street isn't close to here, is it?"

"The rent there is cheaper, and this road isn't usually too congested, so commuting by car is still manageable."

"What kind of car does he drive?"

"An old white Nissan Altima, nearly as old as you."

Luke guessed, "His financial situation isn't very good?"

"I think it's more about his lifestyle, economical, simple."

"What's the license plate number?"

"8Ceb383."

"Has he run into any trouble recently?"

"I'm not too sure."

"Has he had conflicts with anyone?"

The boss pursed his lips, hesitating.

"We're just trying to get information, you don't have to feel burdened, the content of the statements won't be disclosed to the public."

"There's a guy named Benjamin Nasi who often comes to the shop to cause trouble for him."

"Is there any grudge between them?"

"Previously, Benjamin Nasi also worked at this shop, but he wasn't good at his job, often messing up, so I fired him.

Benjamin Nasi has always felt that Santos Mending took his job, replaced his position.

He's held a grudge against Santos Mending ever since.

The guy turned into a drunkard, making a scene every time he drank. I think you should check on him."

"Do you know how I can contact Benjamin Nasi and his address?"

"Of course, he's worked here for several years, I'd be happy to give it to you." The boss checked the employee records and handed over Benjamin Nasi's information to Luke.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Luke handed him a business card, "Feel free to contact me if you remember anything new."

"No problem."

Carus Boel saw Luke and his partner out of the repair shop.

Luke reported his findings to Susan before he and David went to see Benjamin Nasi for more information.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at a rundown neighborhood.

They found Benjamin Nasi's house using the address.

The yard fence was completely rotted away, the surrounding area was in poor condition, the small yard was cluttered with various items and trash, a majority of which were beer bottles.

David walked to the door and knocked hard, "Thud, thud…"

No one responded.

Luke dialed Benjamin Nasi's mobile number, but it was unavailable.

David spread his hands, "What do we do now?"

Luke surveyed the surroundings, "Ask the neighbors around here."

"OK, you gather information, I'll keep watch here."

"Don't kick the door." Luke dropped the remark and went to inquire with the neighbors.

Luke knocked on a few doors; only two households were home.

According to the neighbors, Benjamin Nasi lived alone and had not been seen for several days.

Later, Luke and David regrouped and briefly discussed the situation, asking, "What do you plan to do now?"

Instinctively, David said, "This guy seems suspicious, we should take a look inside."

"We don't have a search warrant."

David scrunched his nose, "I think I smell blood."

"Come on, you're not a police dog."

"I'm serious."

"Don't start with that; I'm not letting you kick in the door, don't forget what you said about Marcus yesterday."

"I won't kick the door." David finished speaking and began examining around the door, as if looking for something.

Checking the windowsill, lifting the worn carpet, raising the flowerpot, "Wow, look what I found.

Many drunks keep a key by the front door." David shook the key in his hand, "Can we go in now?"

"Did you really smell blood?"

"This time it's real. As LAPD, we have a duty to check it out, to ensure the safety of the citizens." David said earnestly, then opened the door.

The moment the door opened, Luke frowned slightly, unsure if it was psychological, but he also faintly smelled blood.

As they entered the house, the sensation became more pronounced.

The living room was extremely messy, not from searching, but because it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

Luke walked further in and saw a large dark red stain behind the sofa, the smell of blood hitting his nose.

The bloodstains continued all the way to the bathroom...

"Fuck, there really is blood!"