CHAPTER 502: CHAPTER 297 QUESTIONABLE FADILI_1

"Any findings?"

Seeing Dean come out of the small room, Officer Nellie’s eyes held a hint of curiosity. Through the glass window, she had only seen Dean and Teague talking. Teague’s emotions appeared stable, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Nearby, Teague’s father, Fadili, was also looking at Dean anxiously. He had come to view this handsome detective as the sole hope for saving his son.

Dean nodded. "Some. At least I can be sure that Teague’s relationship with the now-deceased Teacher Tori was different from that of a normal student and teacher." As he spoke, his eyes locked onto Teague’s father, Fadili.

Upon hearing Dean’s words and meeting his gaze, a flash of panic crossed Fadili’s face. He instinctively averted his eyes from Dean and said wearily, "Teacher Tori was a good person. Teague was often bullied at school, and many times, it was Teacher Tori who helped him out."

Dean stared at him for several seconds before nodding. "Alright, Mr. Fadili. For now, you can go home and wait for news."

Fadili quickly asked, "Don’t you need my help?"

Dean shook his head. "You’re Teague’s father. It’s not appropriate for you to be involved in the investigation."

Before leaving, Fadili continually pleaded with Dean to save his son, his demeanor dejected as he spoke of a father’s helplessness and despair over his son’s plight.

Watching his stooped figure depart, Officer Nellie beside him sighed. "After Teague was arrested, Mr. Fadili closed his fried chicken shop and, along with his wife, went around asking for help. The station assigned you to me because the mayor put in a good word."

"As a police officer, you should look beyond the surface of things, or else you’ll only wind up being led by the nose by bad guys."

The young policewoman’s expression of sympathy froze. She turned her head, her fine brows knitting. "Are you suggesting Mr. Fadili is a bad guy?"

She and her colleagues often frequented the fried chicken shop run by Fadili and his wife. She knew them to be a kind couple.

Dean ignored Nellie’s discontented tone. He bowed his head, lit a cigarette, and after a deep inhale, spoke slowly, smoke swirling around him, "I didn’t say Fadili is a bad guy."

"But he lied!"

"Fadili knows something about the relationship between Teague and the deceased Tori, but he’s worried that revealing it would only further incriminate his son, so he chose to conceal it."

"Moreover..." Dean flicked the ash from his cigarette, his eyes glancing at Officer Nellie. "If I’m not mistaken, there’s quite a squabble in this small town over Teague’s case. The mayor wants a careful investigation, while your boss, the police chief, wants a quick conviction, right?"

Hearing Dean’s words, Nellie’s mouth fell slightly open. "Did Mr. Fadili tell you that?"

Dean shook his head. "Just simple deduction. The police chief cares about his reputation during his tenure; quickly solving the case is his greatest benefit. But the mayor is different. Regardless of whether Teague is the real culprit or not, as long as the mayor appears compassionate in public, he can garner the respect and approval of the townspeople."

These few short exchanges left Nellie looking at Dean with even more admiration, on top of her initial enthrallment.

This guy! Not only is he good-looking and fit, but his mind is just as impressive. Plus, he has that mysterious detective identity... It started with looks but ended with talent.

Various scenes couldn’t help but surface in Nellie’s mind.

Seeing the young policewoman gaze at him intently without a word, Dean knew he had achieved his goal. He stepped forward, patted her on the shoulder, and chuckled, "Nellie?"

For his next move, he needed Nellie, a local officer, to help.

This young Officer Nellie is somewhat naïve and still a sucker for good looks. It’s quite necessary to show off some of my abilities and win her over.

Nellie, snapped out of her daydreams, wiped her mouth in a fluster and said awkwardly, "I was just thinking, what should we do next?"

Dean flicked his cigarette ash. "Go to the school. I need to learn from Teague’s classmates about Teague’s situation and about the deceased Teacher Tori."

Nellie nodded, then quickly shook her head. "Going to the school is fine, but first, we need to get an investigation warrant from the chief. Otherwise, the school won’t cooperate."

In the United States, schools are sensitive places.

Dean didn’t dwell on it. He nodded, got into Nellie’s police car, and they headed to the small town’s police station.

The town’s police station was a small, two-story building with several old police cars parked in the lot. There wasn’t even an old man serving as a doorman at the entrance; it all looked very casual.

In the first-floor lobby, a plump, middle-aged woman was at the reception desk.

After Nellie exchanged a casual greeting with her, she led Dean to the police chief’s office on the second floor.

Before they could even enter, they saw a man and a woman arguing about something in the hallway.

"Who are they?" Dean asked in a hushed voice as Nellie paused.

Nellie felt a warm breath brush past her ear, and her cheeks reddened. She had no intention of keeping secrets. "The man is our police chief, and the woman is a records clerk. They don’t get along very well. They’re probably arguing over some trivial matter again."

Seeing people approach, the man quickly said something to the woman.

The woman glanced at Dean and Nellie and, without any expression, walked into an office.

After the woman left, the man’s face broke into an enthusiastic smile. He approached Dean and extended his hand. "You must be Detective Dean. Hello, I’m Luca, the police chief here."