Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

In the afternoon, Luke had been searching through documents from 20 years ago until his eyes went blurry, yet he found no trace of anyone resembling "Tony Will."

After work, he went to the Flying Bar to have a drink, partly to ease his fatigue and partly to kill time.

At seven in the evening, the Flying Bar wasn't very crowded. Luke sat at the bar and ordered a whiskey.

In the morning, he had told his mom that he was going on a business trip to Nevada and wouldn't be coming home to stay the night. Now, heading back would be somewhat awkward.

These past few days, he had been trying to mend his relationship with his mother, but with little success.

His younger brother was easy to appease with just a little effort.

Adults were different. His mother's opinion of him hadn't formed overnight, and changing her attitude wouldn't be quick.

Bored, Luke bought five scratch-off lottery tickets.

None won on the first ticket

None won on the second ticket

...

All five tickets were losers.

The bartender, Danny, smiled at him, "You can't win every time. Better luck next time."

Luke tossed the scratch-offs into the trash can. He hadn't even expected to win this time.

After all, the time Luke bought a scratch-off, he won several thousand US dollars; any normal person would continue to buy more.

Not buying would be odd.

Luke buying scratch-offs again today was to dispel others' suspicions.

"Ding-a-ling-a-ling..."

The ringing of a cell phone sounded.

The bar was a bit noisy, so Luke turned on the speakerphone. "Hello?"

His mother's voice came through the phone, "Where are you?"

"Uh..." Luke was taken aback, not expecting his mom to call. Could she have known he didn't go to Nevada today, and was worried he felt too embarrassed to come home? Was she giving him an easy way out?

"I have a new task today, didn't go to Nevada, just got off work."

"Good, come home right now, and if you're not back in half an hour, don't bother coming back at all," Linda issued an ultimatum.

Luke hung up the phone and rubbed his ear, feeling a bad premonition. This didn't seem like she was making it easy for him; it felt more like she was calling him out.

"What happened?" Luke couldn't guess at the moment.

...

Twenty minutes later, Luke was back home.

As soon as he entered the front door, he sensed that something was off. Linda was sitting on the living room sofa with her arms folded across her chest, looking serious.

Jack was standing next to her with his head down and a sullen face.

Luke placed his helmet on top of the shoe cabinet, "What happened?"

Linda tilted her chin up, "You ask him?"

Luke took off his black leather gloves and thought, Could it be that the little guy's romance has been discovered?

"Jack, you tell me."

"Um..." Jack still didn't dare look up and pointed at a DVD on the coffee table, "I got home today wanting to watch 'The Avengers' DVD, but then I found this..."

Luke walked over to the coffee table, picked up the DVD, and saw a cover featuring a buxom woman in a bikini. He chuckled, "I thought it was something serious. Just this?"

Linda demanded, "Luke, I don't care what you want to watch, but this isn't something a 13-year-old should be watching. Jack says this DVD isn't his, is it yours?"

DVDs are no longer common in China, but still quite popular in Los Angeles. It's an interesting phenomenon.

Luke glanced at Jack and noticed he was hanging his head even lower.

"I was wondering where this disc had gone. It was just misplaced," Luke said as he waved the DVD, chuckling, "Little brother, you're not ready for this yet. Ask me again in a few years."

Linda snorted, "Don't smile and joke with me, keep track of your stuff properly. If I see this kind of inappropriate content again, be prepared to move out."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, slightly raising his head to give Luke a grateful look, brother...

"Mom, it's just a CD, and Jack is not that young anymore, no need to be so nervous."

"You're right, I overreacted. Let's switch to a lighter topic, when are you moving out?"

Shoot, collateral damage, "Oh, I don't plan on moving out yet, I need to stay a bit longer."

"I'm not unkind, let's talk about the rent. Jack, go back to your room and study."

Jack, as if pardoned, hurried back upstairs.

"One thousand US dollars a month."

"Mom, you might as well rob me."

"How much do you say?"

"Three hundred US dollars."

"You better start looking for a place to move."

"I'll add another hundred dollars." Luke spread his hands, "Come on, I am your own son, plus I have a motorcycle loan to pay."

"Pay by the first of next month, I want cash."

"Yes, Madam. Can I go upstairs now?"

Linda turned down the volume, "No, what's going on with you and Jack?"

"What do you mean, 'what's going on'?"

"You really think I'm foolish, easy to fool? Why take the blame for him, you definitely wouldn't have done this before?"

"He's my brother." Luke said, and then went upstairs with the CD.

He had just returned to his bedroom when he received a text message, in Chinese.

"Bro, I love you."

Luke replied with one word,

"Scram."

Luke didn't enjoy his drink today, he grabbed another beer from the fridge, and while drinking, he pondered over the case.

There had been two Taser gun robberies already, both victims were young white females with blonde long hair, visually distinct, fitting the pattern of a serial case.

The robbery of Daisy last Thursday could only be considered an imitation.

According to the prediction, the suspect would strike again last Friday, but up until now, the police had not discovered any new cases.

After a tough break finding Tony through the modified Taser gun clue, finding out Tony was an alias, that clue had led to a dead end.

Apart from the Tony lead, the Robbery and Murder Department also investigated the identities and associations of the two victims, but found nothing suspicious.

The investigation was once again at a deadlock.

"Buzz..."

A text message sound interrupted Luke's train of thought.

Again in Chinese.

"Bro, the CD is my friend's, can you give it back to me?"

Luke replied with one word,

"Scram."

Luke picked up the CD, the cover featured a voluptuous lady, and beneath her, a line read 'Strip Club'.

Luke stared at the cover for a while, pondering something indecipherable.

He opened the computer, placed the CD in the drive, put on headphones, and the CD began to play.

The cover lady stood on a brightly lit stage, with a pole in the middle, dressed in a dance costume, her movements seductive, accentuating her curves, very alluring.

The performance was simple, dancing while stripping off clothes.

Luke just watched quietly, his expression constant, as if contemplating a tough problem...

Seeing this CD, he suddenly related it to the 'Taser gun robbery case,' mumbling, "You like, you like...

This isn't provoking the police, it's questioning the victims."