But as the words came to his lips, he still didn't ask.

The case was still under confidentiality, and it was his suggestion, so if he told Daisy, it would be like slapping his own face.

If he didn't tell Daisy the details of the case and only asked about the suspect, Luke felt he was being a bit of a hypocrite, not wanting to share yet asking for help. That's not how things should be done.

So he simply decided not to ask and just focused on doing his own job well.

Because they had pre-ordered, it wasn't long after Daisy arrived that the dishes started coming in.

There were dishes Daisy liked, and some that Luke himself liked, as their tastes weren't exactly the same.

The two of them chatted casually while eating and talked about going on a vacation to Hawaii.

Luke still wanted to ask Daisy to go to Hawaii with him; he hadn't had enough yet, and traveling with family felt different from traveling with Daisy.

Luke had figured out a way to get paid leave, now it just depended on whether Daisy had time.

Just as the two were talking animatedly, two women walked into the restaurant and, led by a server, sat down at a table near the wall.

Luke glanced casually, and one of the women seemed familiar. He turned to look more closely; she was stylishly dressed, elegant, and looked to be about forty. It was Sofia's stepmother, Kelly Lax.

What a coincidence, didn't expect to run into her here.

However, due to the angle, Kelly Lax didn't see Luke.

Luke secretly observed Kelly Lax and the woman dining with her. The woman looked to be about fifty, Asian, but not from East Asia, with darker skin, plainly dressed, and appeared somewhat reserved.

Jenny had already informed Kelly Lax, but she hadn't gone to the police station in the afternoon. Presumably, she was also conflicted inside.

Her stepdaughter, who had been missing for ten years, was suddenly found, and as a kidnapper, no less. She probably had more to consider than the police did.

"Ring ring..." Luke's phone rang. He took it out to see it was Anthony's number.

"Hello, this is Luke."

"How's the investigation into Isa Redman's kidnapping case?"

"We just cracked it today. The suspect was caught, and the hostage was rescued."

"Wow, you did a good job keeping it under wraps. Even I didn't hear a thing."

"Though the case has been solved, some minor issues came up, so the case details haven't been released yet."

"Is there anything I need to know about?"

"Yes, there is something to tell you." Luke looked around, "I'm in a restaurant right now, not convenient to talk. Come to my office tomorrow. If you're busy, I can come find you."

"Why tomorrow? Come find me now."

"No, I don't want to see your face at night; it might give me nightmares."

"Come on, there's an operation tonight; you might catch a big fish."

Luke was a bit surprised, "Looks like the investigation has made good progress."

"Yep, your sketch was useful; we found the person who orchestrated the theft of your documents in Hawaii.

Consultant Lee, you deserve credit here too."

Luke glanced at his watch, "When do you plan to take action?"

"Around eleven tonight."

"OK, give me an address. I'll be there by ten." Luke also wanted to find out who was behind plotting against him.

Daisy put down her knife and fork and asked, "Do you have a mission?"

"Not really, just something to do after dinner."

...

Half past ten at night.

Near Los Angeles International Airport.

On a wide road leading to the airport, Luke parked by the roadside to meet up with Anthony.

Anthony handed Luke a cigarette. He lit one for himself, took a drag, and pointed at the sky with his cigarette-holding hand, "The weather is nice tonight. Is that Sirius?"

Luke took a puff from his cigarette, glancing around, "I haven't had a good night's sleep for several nights. I'm not here to stargaze with you tonight."

"Don't rush, the bastard who set you up will walk right into the trap. Just wait patiently, trust me, hehe." Anthony said confidently with a smile.

Luke more or less guessed, "That guy just got back to Los Angeles?"

"That's right, he booked a flight from Hawaii back to Los Angeles today and even arranged for an airport pickup.

I've got people arranged to pick him up."

"Fuck!

This guy set me up, and I couldn't enjoy my time in Hawaii, while he continued to have a good time and only got back today.

It's unfair."

Anthony laughed, "I know, that's why I chose this spot; you can physically express your feelings."

"You're very considerate." Luke chuckled and asked, "How did you find him?"

"I checked all the flights from Los Angeles to Hawaii before and after you left. On March 12th, there was a male passenger who resembled the suspect in the sketch. We pulled up airport surveillance and found he was traveling alone.

This made him seem very suspicious to me, so we conducted a search and found out he's a detective."

Luke summed up, "So, this guy likely got hired to keep me stuck in Hawaii, and after directing the theft of my documents, he leisurely spent a holiday there himself."

"Exactly, this guy is very calculating. If it were me, I'd also want to punch him." Anthony rubbed his hands together and then changed the topic, "Right, you said you had some news for me? What is it?"