Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

That night, the male owner came home drunk, and the two had an argument. He began to beat her, straddling her and choking her. She once thought she was going to die.

Later, her adopted son appeared just in time, saving her life, and she decided to leave the suspect.

Initially, she didn't plan to fake her death, she just wanted to disappear from the suspect's sight, but eventually, things escalated beyond her imagination.

At this point, she didn't dare to go back. She knew the suspect had a strong desire for revenge, and if she appeared now, even if she could prove he didn't commit murder, the fact of domestic violence remained.

The suspect would still have to go to jail for that, and when he came out, he would undoubtedly retaliate against her even more mercilessly."

Luke said, "Given her situation, I doubt that this was the first time she suffered domestic violence."

"Indeed, I heard that she was pregnant before, but because the suspect got drunk and beat her, it resulted in a miscarriage, leaving her unable to have children."

"Why didn't she call the police then?"

"The suspect threatened to kill her if she dared to call the police and said he would also harm her family. She was frightened."

"So she kept hiding all this time?"

The deputy nodded, "Even now, when the suspect is mentioned, there's fear in her eyes. I guess she might be trying to take revenge on him this way."

Luke found it hard to comprehend this behavior. Hiding her identity for so many years just to take revenge on her husband by sending him to jail?

If she originally had such resolve, why didn't she use it to resolve the issue of domestic violence?

Domestic violence is a malicious behavior.

Once it happens, there should be no thought of covering it up, and definitely not because of shame. It must be resolved thoroughly, and the more public it becomes, the better.

There must not be a second occurrence.

Tolerance and pity for the abuser will only result in further harm to oneself.

This couple serves as a classic example of what not to do.

Luke roughly understood the situation of the case but did not know the details, so he left the report writing to the deputy and was happy to take it easy.

The old deputy did not complain, and he seemed quite enthusiastic. Luke estimated that he could work for another three to five years.

If I get promoted again, should I consider promoting him?

Thinking about their age difference, Luke found it quite amusing.

That evening, Luke invited everyone to the bar for drinks, including Reid and Marcus.

Luke thought Marcus would be bored accompanying a pregnant woman every day and would seize the opportunity to have a good few drinks.

Surprisingly, halfway through, Marcus left.

Luke was a bit astonished. Had Marcus really changed his ways?

The following morning.

Luke got up early, and around six, drove to the Palisades Community.

This was a high-end wealthy community, with wide roads, large distances between each villa, high greenery, plenty of tall trees, complete amenities, and a beautiful environment.

Luke's Mercedes G500 didn't stand out at all while driving on the community road. Along the way, he even saw several peacocks, unafraid of people and living quite comfortably.

Luke had researched online, and strictly speaking, this was also a Chinese community, with Chinese residents making up as much as fifty percent. Famous chain stores like Haidilao, Din Tai Fung, and Mei Zhou Dong Po had lavish flagship stores here.

Driving a little further, Luke found the villa up for auction. It covered a vast forty thousand square feet, making it quite large even within the community. There was a row of trees outside the villa serving as a natural fence, and the green lawn was beautifully trimmed, which Luke guessed was managed by a property company.

After getting out of the car, Luke entered the spacious yard and finally saw the house's appearance. Compared to other houses, this one was much older, still of wooden construction. Not only was it old, but it also hadn't been renovated or repaired for a long time, likely contributing to its lower price.

Walking on the wooden steps, which creaked and swayed a bit, Luke worried they might collapse.

When Luke reached the door, he found the lock was broken. Pushing the door open, he was greeted by a high ceiling with somewhat outdated decor. The house was very old, clearly having not been cleaned for a long time.

However, the house was not small, covering twelve thousand square feet. After taking a tour, Luke found evidence of habitation in an upstairs bedroom, including some leftover food packaging.

Perhaps due to professional instinct, Luke felt a slight sense of vigilance.

Luke began a thorough search of the house, which comprised two levels, with a total of five bedrooms, one study, one entertainment room, seven bathrooms, seven showers, and two kitchens. While more bathrooms and showers might be understandable, he couldn't figure out why there were two kitchens.

Luke took another tour of the house, purposely searching for hidden compartments or a basement. Since Zhou Tiansheng had purchased this house, he would surely use it for some purpose.

After almost an hour of knocking and probing, Luke discovered a hidden compartment behind a bookshelf. It wasn't large, just the size of a backpack, with a lock hanging on it, which Luke easily broke.

Opening the cabinet door, he found a handgun, a box of bullets, and a complete set of identification documents. The documents had Zhou Tiansheng's picture but named Zheng Basong. Was this an attempt to confuse others between Chinese and Thai identity?

Beneath this hidden compartment, there was also a bag. Luke opened it to reveal ten stacks of green bills, totaling one hundred thousand US Dollars in cash.

That seemed right; after all, a prominent figure wouldn't leave without having a backup plan.

Luke left the villa content with the money, sitting in the car and glancing at the courtyard on the right, noting the villa's large plot of land and prime location. The market price was lower than the community average probably due to the house's dilapidated condition.

If Luke were to buy the house, repairs or reconstruction would require substantial funds.

Of course, once the house was fixed, the value would undoubtedly increase.

Luke sat in the car considering for ten minutes, then directly called Negan, "Hey, boss, I'll take that villa in Los Angeles."