"Not bad, a bit better than you." Luke pulled out a chair and sat down.

Mamba curled her lips, "If I wasn't changing magazines, you'd be the one dead."

"If you hadn't been changing magazines, I wouldn't have rushed in, let alone only shot your arm."

"Then I should thank you for not killing me."

"Just answer my questions properly."

The dark-skinned woman Mamba laughed, "You're easily satisfied, huh?"

Luke shrugged, "You're not my type."

"Is that why your aim was so accurate?"

Luke chuckled, glancing at his watch, "The doctor has limited visitation time, we need to talk business.

What's your name?"

"Anya Ose."

Luke continued, "In the early hours of December 30th, were you involved in the oil painting heist at the Getty Museum?"

Anya Ose remained silent.

"The infamous 'Black' Mamba dares to shoot it out with cops, but doesn't dare to tell the truth?"

"Is this supposed to provoke me?"

"I'm just stating facts, the other members of the oil painting robbery gang have all been caught, even if you don't admit it, they will still identify you. I don't think you have any reason to hide it anymore."

Anya Ose took a deep breath, "Yes, I was involved in the oil painting heist."

"Where's the painting?"

"I don't know, the Professor handled it."

"How did they handle it?"

"Sold it, I got 600,000 US Dollars."

"Does that include the fee for killing Officer Jens Hauley?"

Anya Ose pressed her thick lips together, "Yes, I killed Jens Hauley too."

"Why did you kill him?"

"It was the Professor's order."

"Jens Hauley was shot twice, yet you fired four shots at the scene. Your marksmanship is really poor."

Anya Ose laughed, "I did it on purpose. The first two shots killed Jens Hauley, the remaining two were intentionally shot wide. Did you think the shooter was a rookie?"

Luke nodded, "Where's the weapon?"

"In my armory, it's a silver pistol, very beautiful, custom-made, I like it a lot."

"The police found one of your hideouts in the Dalman community. There was an explosion when searching the house. Was that your bomb?"

"No, it wasn't me."

"Who was it then?"

"I don't know."

"Lying isn't a good habit."

Anya Ose laughed, "It was the Professor."

"You're not very good at lying."

"OK, I set it up."

"Why did you do it?"

"The Professor's orders."

"Where is the Professor?"

"I really don't know."

"If I knew where he was, he wouldn't really be the Professor."

"Do you have any leads on the painting?"

"No."

"How long after the heist did you get the money?"

"January 1st, in the morning."

"All in cash?"

"Yes."

Anya Ose, although unable to provide leads on the painting, did provide a timeline for when they got the money, which in its own way, is a clue.

The painting was stolen in the early hours of December 30th, and just one day later it was converted to cash. This speed was too fast, indicating that the Professor had found a buyer in advance, which matched my previous speculation.

Anya Ose asked, "How is David Marco?"

"He was resuscitated and is currently out of life-threatening danger."

Anya Ose smiled, her expression indecipherable, "Lucky bastard."

Luke didn't know if David Marco was lucky, but the nickname 'Black' Mamba certainly wasn't without reason; she was ruthless enough.

After finishing the report, Luke returned to the police station and went straight to the Chief's office to report the situation.

After verification by the technical team, the silver pistol found in Anya Ose's armory was confirmed to be the murder weapon used in the shootings of Jens Hauley and Kilo Jones.

The perpetrators and the murder weapon in the Highway 1 dumping case and the officer shooting case have been found, and they can enter the closing stage of the investigation.

However, the main perpetrator of the painting heist, the Professor, remains at large, his whereabouts unknown.

The ten stolen paintings are also missing.

In response to these two situations, Luke held a case summary meeting upon returning to the office.

First, he gathered all the clues about the Professor, known to be a white male of medium build with golden hair, blue eyes, wears black-rimmed glasses, has a thick beard, and his right leg has some issue, causing a limp.

Luke also had several members of the gang undergo forensic sketching, giving him a basic understanding of what the Professor looks like to avoid missing him when they pass by.

Luke inquired with the deputy about two other suspected 'buyers' of the paintings, and the deputy hadn't found too many issues.

For the moment, all leads on the Professor and the paintings had gone cold.

...

Evening.

Luke returned home and took a hot bath, no longer thinking about the painting heist case.

He'd been focused on the case for quite some time, leaving almost no time for rest.

Although the case hasn't been completely solved, Reid and the police leadership are very satisfied with the progress made.

Luke could finally take a breather, giving himself some relaxation.

Soaking in the hot bath, sipping red wine, letting his mind drift.

He had a nagging feeling that he was missing some clue...

Stop.

Can't think about the case now.

Luke pulled his thoughts back, opened a mobile app, and prepared to read a novel for a bit.

He enjoys reading novels, but his taste is picky; he only reads the good stuff.

Finding books he likes among thousands in the library is a very enjoyable, even exhilarating, experience.

But it's also troubling, because once he finds a novel he likes, he becomes engrossed, sometimes reading through the entire night.