Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Luke stepped out of the bar.

Brown followed him out, his expression complex—nervous, anxious, fearful, as if he wanted to stop Luke and ask for clarity, but he dared not.

It wasn't just concern for his own safety, but more importantly, the worry for his daughter.

Luke got into the Mercedes G500.

Brown glanced at it and froze, staring fixedly at both the Mercedes and Luke.

Seeing that Luke had no intention of leaving, he cautiously took the passenger seat.

"What do you guys really want? What will it take for you to release my daughter?" Seeing the Mercedes G500, he knew that Luke likely wasn't short of money and thought of his ex-wife. Could it be related to Lee Mei?

Luke, worried the kidnappers might call and that Brown would say something inappropriate, revealed his badge, "LAPD."

Brown was startled, it took him a moment before he spoke, "How did you find me?"

Luke said, "That's not important. What's important is how we can rescue Betty. In this, the goals of the police and yours are the same. We should cooperate, don't you think?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you guys. The kidnappers called and told me not to call the police. They only wanted money and would not harm anyone as long as I agreed to pay a certain ransom. They would release my daughter then.

On the contrary, if I dared to call the police, they would kill her.

I worried about my daughter's safety, so I decided to pay the ransom myself to get her back.

I've already given the kidnappers the money. According to our agreement, they should release her once they get the money." Brown picked up his phone, "I'm waiting for the kidnappers to call."

Luke nodded, "I hope the kidnappers stick to their word and release Betty, but did you consider what happens if they take the money and don't release her?

If their goal was just to extort the ransom, once their goal is achieved, the hostage no longer serves a purpose.

Indeed, some kidnappers with a semblance of conscience might release the hostage.

However, some kidnappers, to ensure no information is leaked by the hostage, might also choose to kill them to cover their tracks.

The ransom could not only save lives but could also be a death warrant for the hostage."

Brown's expression turned grim. He understood this logic, but when faced with choices, people tend to seek benefits and avoid harm, naturally preferring to believe the favorable outcome and instinctively avoiding the harmful reality.

"God bless..." Brown took a deep breath,

"I believe that even bad people have a good side. I trust Betty will be alright and will come back safely."

"I hope so too." Luke glanced at his watch; it was almost 8:30 PM, "Did the kidnappers mention when they would release the hostage?"

"They didn't specify a time."

Luke reminded, "It's been half an hour now. The longer it drags on, the less likely they are to release her."

Brown mumbled to himself, "I believe they will release Betty, they must. Just wait a little longer... They might not have gotten the money yet, or might not have reached the place where Betty is being held... I believe Betty will be fine."

Brown's words, Luke was not sure if they were meant for him or if Brown was just reassuring himself.

Previously, Luke had pretended to be a ransom payer and had already deduced the location for delivering the ransom.

But he had not acted rashly.

Kidnapping cases differ from other crimes; in other cases, one only needs to catch the criminal, but in kidnappings, rescuing the hostage is paramount.

Even if the victim's family calls the police and is willing to cooperate with the authorities to catch the suspect, the police will still act with extreme caution because if the suspect escapes or they cannot find the hostage in time,

the hostage could still be killed by the accomplices of the kidnappers.

Even if the police know the kidnappers are demanding a ransom, they won't act rashly but will wait until the kidnappers state a meeting place, then get there ahead of time to set up surveillance.

Getting there "ahead of time" is crucial.

Leaving it until the last minute won't work; a large police force must be arranged in advance to ensure both the capture of the suspects and the immediate rescue of the hostage.

Now, thirty minutes had passed since the ransom exchange.

Going to the ransom drop now no longer made sense; rushing there recklessly could backfire. If they encountered the kidnappers, to catch or not to catch?

If they caught the kidnappers but couldn't find out where the hostage was, the hostage might be killed by the accomplices.

If they didn't catch them, rushing there would also increase the risk of exposure.

Of course, Luke had already reported this clue to Susan, letting her decide whether to rush to the scene to implement the arrest. A captain is not just a symbol of power; they must also bear the corresponding responsibility.

Seeing Brown fixated on his phone, Luke asked, "Have the kidnappers been contacting you through this phone?"

"Yes."

"What's the kidnapper's mobile number?"

Brown cast a wary look at Luke, "What are you planning to do?"

"Track the kidnapper's mobile number or contact method."

"Would that endanger Betty?"

"No, it's only using technology to track; the police won't act immediately and it won't interfere with their releasing Betty."

Brown looked at Luke, "Can I trust you?"

"Who else do you plan to trust?

The kidnappers?

It's been half an hour already. They should have gotten the money by now, but have they contacted you?

Has Betty been released?

If the kidnappers keep delaying, what do you plan to do?

Just keep waiting?

You know what the outcome might be."

"Oh my God…" Brown hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind, flipping his phone, "The number that contacted me is 626 816 3746.

Please promise me, if you guys take any action, you must tell me ahead of time.

Let's wait a bit longer."

After sending the number to Susan, Luke then said to Brown, "After five minutes, you take the initiative to call the kidnappers, asking when they will release her."

Brown shook his head, "The kidnappers said not to call them, just to wait for their call."

Sometimes, a bad guy's words are more effective than a cop's.

Luke asked reluctantly, "When did the kidnappers first contact you?"

"June 20th in the morning."

"So the kidnappers contacted you before the police?"

"Yes."

"Man or woman?"

"Man."

"What did he say?"

"He first confirmed my identity, then said he had kidnapped my daughter and ordered me not to call the police, or else he would kill her.

I didn't believe it at first until Betty got on the phone. That's when I knew it was real.

I was completely stunned at that moment.

I pleaded with them not to hurt Betty, saying I would meet any demand they had." Brown sighed softly and continued,

"They warned me again not to call the police, or else they would kill the hostage.

Then they asked me to prepare a ransom of two hundred thousand US dollars.

I told them I could pay, but I was out of town, and two hundred thousand US dollars is not a small amount; I needed some time.

The kidnapper then set the transaction time for tonight."

Luke thought for a while, "You've been saying 'they'? Are you sure it wasn't just one person?"

"I only communicated with one person, but he kept saying 'we,' so I think there must be accomplices."

"Do you know any more clues about the kidnapper?"

"No, he only called twice, we didn't talk much."

"What did he say the second time he called?"

"He just asked if I had the money ready. I said I did, then he told me the place and time of the transaction, once again warned me not to call the police, and then hung up."

"Did you hear Betty's voice this time?"

"I didn't get a chance to speak before he hung up."

"So, you're not sure about Betty's condition either?"

Brown, eyes red, nodded.

"What about the nanny, Amy Ma?"

"I don't know."

"You didn't ask?"

"The kidnapper wouldn't let me ask questions. In that situation, I was too nervous and we hardly spoke a few words. All I could think about was Betty, sorry... I..." Brown showed a trace of guilt on his face.

Luke said nothing. When real danger arises, those who remember you care genuinely about you aside from yourself.

All other relationships seem unimportant then.

Time ticked away, and nearly twenty minutes later, Brown's phone still hadn't rung.

Susan had been using technical methods to monitor the kidnapper's mobile phone number, which was an unregistered SIM card that had been disconnected.

They could only locate him once the kidnapper switched the phone on.

No matter how much Luke cared about Betty's safety, it was merely out of sympathy. Since the father chose to trust the kidnapper, Luke did what he could to fulfill his duty, and just quietly waited.

Nearly an hour had passed, and Brown became restless, his face filled with anxiety, "What's happening?

Why isn't there a call?

How could this happen?

He promised he would release my daughter..."

"Ring ring..." At long last, a call came through.

Brown's phone rang.

Brown's eyes opened wide, looking somewhat scary as he glanced at the unfamiliar number on his phone.

Luke glanced at the incoming call number, memorized it, and advised, "Although it's not the kidnapper's number, we can't rule out that the kidnapper is using a new number. You must stay calm, don't get nervous, and make sure not to slip up."

"I understand." Brown nodded, took a deep breath, and then pressed the answer button, "Hello, this is Brown Kenneth."

"Mr. Kenneth, you mustn't have forgotten my voice."

"No, Mr. Kidnapper, have you received the money?"

"Yes, thank you for your generosity, Mr. Kenneth."

"Can Betty come back to me now?"

"Of course, Betty is a good girl, and I would like to keep my promise, but... there has been a little accident."

"What accident? What happened to Betty?"

"Don't worry, we've taken good care of Betty. We were just about to let her go, but she doesn't want to leave alone, to be precise."

"What do you mean?"

"Betty wants to take her nanny, Amy Ma, with her. I can tell their bond is deep, which is touching, but the problem now is that no one has paid Amy Ma's ransom, so I can't let her go."

Brown's voice was tinged with a plea, "Please, release Betty first, you promised me."

"Of course, I would like to keep my promise to release Betty, but now the problem is that Betty doesn't want to leave without Amy Ma, which puts me in a difficult position."

"Can you let Betty talk to me on the phone?"

"No."

"So what can be done for Betty to come back to me?"

"The best way is for you to also pay Amy Ma's ransom, so I can let both of them leave together."

"What! Asking me for another ransom, that's not what you said initially."

"Well, I can't help it, your daughter insists on taking Amy Ma with her."

With a trembling voice, Brown asked, "How much do you want?"

"The usual price, two hundred thousand US dollars."

Brown fell silent, his face showing anger, conflict, and helplessness, but he dared not lash out.

"Mr. Brown, I'm giving you one day to think it over. If you're willing to pay Amy Ma's ransom, I will release both of them together.

Do not call the police, keep your phone available, and I will confirm the transaction time and place with you."

After hanging up, Brown could no longer hold back and cursed, "Fuck!

This damn swindler, I've already paid the ransom as required, and he's blackmailing me again, a greedy bastard."

Luke didn't bother to comfort him, considering they didn't trust you, why bother.

He started the car, stepped on the gas, and drove quickly toward the detective bureau...