Evening at Daisy's place.

Luke cooked dinner, he originally wanted to make a few Chinese dishes, but Daisy's kitchen lacked the seasonings for Chinese cuisine.

In a rush, he didn't go buy them, so he simply made a few simple Western dishes instead.

Western cuisine, novel at first, but after a while, Chinese food still suited his palate better.

Luke thought about getting a set of cookware and spices once he got back home, to spruce up their meals from time to time.

Isn't life all about eating, drinking, playing, and having fun?

Eating comes first; you can't shortchange your own stomach.

No matter how delicious food from outside is, it's not as comfortable and satisfying as the food you make yourself.

Luke prepared four dishes, pan-fried lamb chops, boiled shrimp, vegetable salad, spaghetti, plus a bottle of red wine.

The two of them chatted while eating.

After taking a sip of red wine, Daisy said, "The station hasn't been busy lately? You still have the time to thoughtfully prepare dinner for me."

"The case is cracked, and we caught the suspect, so I can relax a bit and deal with some things."

"Did you catch the pervert who installed the cameras in my house?"

"Of course, I caught him myself, and even shot him, the guy still hasn't been discharged from the hospital."

Daisy let out a sigh of relief, "Phew... God, finally caught the bastard, I can sleep peacefully now."

Luke chuckled, "You can't sleep peacefully with me around?"

"With you here, my heart is at ease, but… my body hasn't had a rest."

"Life is about movement, isn't it?"

"But one can't be moving every day; I'm tired enough from work each day, I could just sleep right here on the dining table."

Luke caught Daisy's soft left hand, "You shouldn't always think about work; you need to learn to relax properly. Let's go out and unwind together next week."

"To where?"

"Doesn't matter, as long as I'm with you, anywhere will be fun."

"We'll see, before I rest, I have to wrap up the case. Otherwise, I won't be able to go anywhere."

Luke nodded, "By the way, since Cole has been caught, it's time for me to go."

It's better to bring up certain things yourself, that way there's room to maneuver.

If the other person brings it up first, it gets awkward.

Anyway, they had already confirmed their relationship, so it didn't matter much.

"You've been a big help these days...

Of course, I don't mean to rush you out. If you like, you can stay a little longer."

"I've rented a new place, not that far from your house, roughly a fifteen-minute drive. In the future, we can have another place to date."

Daisy raised her glass, "Sounds good, show me around once you settle in."

Luke laughed, "Just looking won't do; I want to hear about your trial stay experience."

...

The next morning.

There was a light drizzle falling from the sky.

Luke looked at the beauty lying beside him, listening to the crisp, pleasant sound of the rain outside.

It was a lazy morning.

Looks like breakfast would be outside.

Not an issue though.

The real problem was the rain today; riding his Harley to work would certainly leave him drenched.

Once the prize money from the painting comes in, buying a car would be on the agenda. In Los Angeles, not having transportation is inconvenient.

The phone began ringing...

It was David's number.

"Hello."

"There's a case, where are you?"

"You coming to pick me up?"

"Cut the crap, we need to go to the crime scene immediately, the captain's pressing us."

"I'm at Daisy's place."

Luke got up to wash up, woke up Daisy, whispered a few sweet nothings, and then the sound of a car horn came from outside.

"Beep beep..."

"I've got to go, see you tonight."

"Got a mission?"

"Yes." Luke kissed Daisy's forehead and left her house.

The courtyard was still showered with a fine rain, the fresh air hitting his face, which he quite liked. It was perfect weather for sleeping in.

Luke took the passenger seat while David punched the gas and took off.

"You planning on living off a woman?"

"I have the means, your jealousy won't help."

"Speaking from experience, don't stay at a woman's place. Short term is fine, but in the long run..."

Luke interrupted his prattle, "I've rented a place already."

"Good, you're more woke than that guy Marcus."

"Don't compare me with him." Luke spread his hands and shifted into a more comfortable position, "What's the case?"

"Layli Harry was shot dead."

"Should I know her?"

"She's the congresswoman from California's third district."

"Wow, a big shot, huh."

"Yeah, there will probably be more reporters around the crime scene than cops; get ready for your TV appearance."

...

Maca community.

This was an upscale community where swimming pools were standard, and only the rich or prestigious could afford to live there.

Luke and David were visiting for the first time, but easily found the female councilor's home, just as David had guessed, already surrounded by television crew vans.

Reporters, with their long and short guns, surrounded the entrance like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.

Patrol officers had already put up police lines; access to the courtyard was granted only after showing a badge, and the sound of clicking camera shutters could still be heard.

The yard was big, with a small garden on the left, a swimming pool on the right, and a beautiful two-story villa in the center with a modern design, featuring large, elegant floor-to-ceiling windows.

In the hall, Deputy Director Reid was on the phone.

Susan was also making a call nearby.

The deputy squad leader, Raymond, and Marcus were inspecting the scene.

Jenny was comforting an Asian woman.

The survey team and the forensic doctor had arrived too; the whole scene was bustling and orderly.

After greeting everyone, Luke started surveying the scene.

A Caucasian woman lay in a pool of blood, dressed in home pajamas, her hands and feet bound, with a bloody, gaping hole in her head that was quite frightening to look at.

The living room cabinets had been opened, with many items strewn on the floor, creating a complete mess.

There were muddy shoeprints around, extending all the way to the door.

Jenny called out, "Luke, I need your help."

"What's up?"

"She's the one who reported the crime, Huifang Wang, of Chinese descent, her English is not very good, she can only say some basic sentences, making it difficult to record her statement."

"Leave it to me." That's the importance of knowing another language.

Who else but me?

"Ms. Wang, can you understand Mandarin?"

Wang Huifang was slightly taken aback, "Yes, you speak Mandarin very well."

"Of course, my grandfather is from Jingou Tun."

Wang Huifang "..."

Luke saw she was a bit nervous, and had tried to ease the atmosphere, alas, she didn't seem to understand.

"I'm going to take your statement."

"Okay, ask away."

"What's your relationship with the deceased?"

"I'm the nanny hired by Ms. Layli, I usually come back at seven in the morning to make breakfast. As soon as I entered, I saw her lying in a pool of blood and called the police immediately."

"Did you touch the body or any items in the house?"

"I was scared to death, I didn't dare to touch anything."

"Did you see any suspicious people when you arrived?"

"No."

"Did Ms. Layli speak Mandarin?"

"No, we used English for some basic communication. I've been working hard to learn English, but it's difficult to learn a new language at my age.

Ms. Layli was a good person, willing to let me work here. She was still young and shouldn't have died like this.

Please be sure to catch the killer."

"We will do our best." Luke asked a few more questions, but didn't get any substantial leads.

A few minutes later.

Reid gathered everyone together.

"Everyone, I just got off the phone with the Chief. The higher-ups at the city bureau are taking this case very seriously and are giving the Detective Bureau three days to solve it."

The deputy squad leader complained, "That's too tight a timeframe; solving cases isn't about just moving our lips at a meeting table."

"I've tried my best to argue," Reid shook his head in resignation, "but it's a unanimous decision from the Chief Committee, and the Chief himself can't change it.

Starting now, all leave is canceled. Any objections?"

Everyone looked at Luke.

Luke spread his hands, "Can we get time off in lieu?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Deputy Director Reid nodded and continued, "You've all seen the scene, so let's hear your thoughts on the case."

Jenny, staring at her phone, said, "Matthew has sent over the victim's details.

Name, Layli Harry

Date of birth, April 13, 1976

Phone number, 626 276 4378.

Address, 108 Maca community

Family status, single, orphaned; younger brother, Maquire Harry.

The deputy squad leader shrugged, "46 and still unmarried, is that a hallmark of a strong independent woman?"

Susan said, "Deputy leader, this is not the time to discuss that issue."

"You're right, I was about to discuss the case."

The deputy squad leader analyzed, "My first impression of this scene looks a lot like a robbery-homicide.

But an estate like this is bound to have a security system, which would have triggered an alarm, not waiting for someone to discover the scene.

So, the perpetrator may not have broken in by force; it's very possible that the crime was committed by someone she knew."

Susan asked, "Does anyone else have any findings?"

Forensic doctor Hila came over, "Chief, Captain, I need to talk to you."

Reid countered, "Have you finished the autopsy?"

"No, I found some unusual conditions. The victim's mouth was stuffed with three fingers, and these three fingers do not belong to her."

Reid frowned, "That suggests there might be another victim?"

Hila let out a light sigh, "To be precise, three additional victims."