Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

"I had referred clients to that maternity center before, and after it went bankrupt, I lost contact with them,"

Luke pressed, "What caused the bankruptcy?"

"I'm not entirely sure about the specifics. I heard it was because someone reported them. Many departments came to investigate. The owner was not only fined but also went to jail because of it, and the maternity center couldn't continue operating," said Amy Ma, followed by a brief silence.

From the existing evidence, Luke still felt that there was some grudge and conflict of interest between the kidnapper and Amy Ma.

"Let me describe the kidnappers to see if you recognize them." Then, Luke began describing the information of the two suspects. "The male kidnapper is Wang Chao, 34 years old, a chef in a restaurant. In America, he has not obtained legal status and is here illegally working.

The female kidnapper is his wife, Liu Xiaoli, who used to work as a dishwasher in the restaurant, also without legal status. She is now pregnant and resting at home."

"Wang Chao, Liu Xiaoli..." Amy Ma muttered, "These names sound somewhat familiar, but... I really can't remember right now."

"Think about it carefully."

After a while, Amy Ma shook her head again, "Sorry, I really can't remember, but I do have a guess about why they committed the robbery?"

"Let's hear it."

"Since both of them do not have legal status and are unwilling to leave Los Angeles, they definitely want their child to obtain legal status. So, their likely motive for the robbery was to go to a maternity center for delivery.

Hope, somewhat confused, asked, "Why can't they just give birth somewhere else, why specifically a maternity center?"

"They are different from ordinary people; they don't have legal status. If they go to a hospital for a check-up on their own, they will be directly deported by immigration, making it even harder to obtain legal status afterward."

Hope said, "They could go to unauthorized clinics. As long as they have money, they can also deliver there."

Amy Ma shook her head, "That's different.

If they do that, the child still won't be able to obtain American citizenship.

A lot of people think that just because a child is born in America, they automatically become American citizens, but that's not the case.

There's another criterion: only children born in regular hospitals attended by a nurse are considered legal citizens.

To put it bluntly, the child is born, but without proper documentation, who's to say they weren't born abroad and then secretly brought into Los Angeles.

To obtain a birth certificate, you need to go to a regular hospital.

But if the pregnant woman doesn't have legal status, going directly for a check-up at a regular hospital would result in deportation.

This is where maternity centers come in.

Existence is reasonable; in America, as long as you have money, a lot of illegal things can be done in a legal way. At the end of the day, with enough money, connections can be made.

Maternity centers serve as a bridge, allowing pregnant women to have check-ups and deliveries in regular hospitals.

The child can then obtain a birth certificate, hence, legal citizenship.

This has already become a massive industry chain," Amy Ma paused, then reminisced, "I noticed the female kidnapper's belly was quite large. She will probably go to a maternity center to give birth."

Amy Ma's analysis made sense, and Luke tended to agree.

Previously, Luke had also thought about the maternity center but had not been sure at the time.

There are some complexities; people who have not been exposed to this industry might find it hard to understand clearly.

It's a professional matter, and it's why Luke was eager to record Amy Ma's statement.

Neither he nor Hope had experience working in immigration services, making it difficult to understand the true function of maternity centers.

So, the next step was simple, just go and investigate various maternity centers to find the kidnappers' trail.

After listening to Amy Ma, Hope asked, "Do you know a plumber named Mark Castle?"

Amy Ma displayed a slightly embarrassed expression, "I do, what about him?"

"You should thank him; he's the one who called 911."

"Had he not called in time, it would have been difficult for us to know so quickly about your kidnapping.

And I can tell that Mark cares a lot about you."

Amy Ma showed a complex expression, biting her lip, "Mark... does he know my true identity now?"

"Yes, he does."

Amy Ma sighed softly, "Is he disappointed, getting involved in all this absurdity with someone twenty years older than him who is just a nanny?"

Hope asked, "Why did you deceive him?"

Amy Ma lowered her head, silent for a moment, "Have you ever played role-playing games?"

Hope chuckled, "Yes, it's quite fun, sometimes even using some clothes and props."

Amy Ma shook her head, "You have no idea what fun is. Temporary role-playing is fake. Even if you dress up, it's hard to invest emotionally.

Both parties know it's not real, it's clear to them, and there's no thrill in it.

But it's different for Marco and me.

In that setting, in that atmosphere, I was the lady.

He was my little wolf dog."