Chapter 522

Chapter 522: Chapter 522

On that topic, Cameron’s expression grew a little excited. "We have a special screening process. We specifically target families that have a bit of money, or own a home, but don’t have any men in the prime of their lives.

"Someone like Roger Rowan—a fool with just an old mother, a sister who isn’t a blood relative, and a resettlement house—is the perfect target."

A fool won’t question things that are obviously off. The family structure is simple, so even if the scheme comes to light, we can handle them if they come looking for us—as long as they don’t call the police.

And most important of all is that resettlement house.

Roger Rowan has a house in his name, which means the potential loan amount is larger. When he can’t pay it back, we just seize the house, flip it, and sell it for double.

Besides, we have countless ways to get back any commission we pay out. There’s no way we can lose money.

"Your branch offices look pretty professional. Good enough to fool some older folks, no problem.

But being this professional, I’m sure plenty of people have fallen into your trap!" Evan Keller slammed his hand on the table. His expression was stern, and his eyes were fixed on Cameron, trying to read his face for any information.

’Why would Cameron’s boss go to so much trouble for this operation? He must have more than just this small crew working for him.’

’The number of victims has to be huge. In places we haven’t even discovered, there must be countless people whose families have been torn apart and lives ruined because of what Cameron and his group have done.’

Cameron didn’t put up the stubborn resistance Evan had anticipated. Instead, after hearing the question, he answered frankly, "Sure, but I’m just a small fry. The most I’m in charge of is my own little turf.

As for the others, I know they exist, but I honestly don’t know their exact locations."

The boss was afraid we’d share information with each other, and even more terrified of there being an undercover cop in our midst. That’s why every location is kept strictly secret, and personnel transfers between offices are also tightly controlled.

You basically work at one location for life.

Even though Cameron had been in the organization for so long, he only knew the people who had just been arrested. He wouldn’t recognize any of the others, even if they were standing right in front of him.

Evan was shocked. ’The internal security in this fraud ring is actually this strict!’

’It’s going to be tough to pry any other information out of him!’

"So, you’re saying you know absolutely nothing about the others?" Although Evan was anxious, he didn’t let it show on his face. His tone remained steady, as if Cameron’s answer was exactly what he’d been expecting.

Cameron glanced at Evan Keller, unable to gauge the detective’s current attitude or figure out how much he really knew.

’But I’m already caught. A prison sentence is unavoidable. If I cooperate with these cops, will I have a chance at a reduced sentence?’

’And what should I say? How much should I reveal?’

These questions swirled in his mind. After a moment of thought, Cameron chose his words carefully. "I do know about one. But if I tell you, what’s in it for me?"

Hearing this, Evan Keller rapped his knuckles hard on the table, his tone severe. "Are you trying to bargain with the police? What you should be doing right now is cooperating with our investigation!

"Benefits! Watch out, or we’ll slap you with an obstruction charge!"

That’s what he said, but inwardly, Evan was ecstatic. ’This Cameron guy has a lead!’

’If I can just get it out of him, this case will have a major breakthrough!’

Of course, even if they just continued the investigation as is, the police could eventually uncover the mastermind and catch the scammers who, like Cameron, preyed on the intellectually disabled.

But that would drag the investigation out, alert the other scammers, and make it impossible to catch them all in one fell swoop.

And as for the people running the show from behind the scenes, at the slightest sign of trouble, they would immediately grab everything they had prepared and disappear.

More importantly, in the meantime, more victims would surely be created.

What if someone, driven to despair by the scam, did something reckless?

Therefore, the fastest way forward was to get a lead out of Cameron. They could then follow it up, investigate, and arrest everyone involved as quickly as possible.

Cameron, who had just been about to use this information to negotiate, shuddered, his expression twisting for a moment.

But he quickly composed himself, his eyes fixed on the two officers in front of him.

"No, that won’t work. What if the boss finds out I snitched to you guys and goes after my family? What am I supposed to do then?" According to his crimes, he was looking at twenty to thirty years, max.

If he got a sentence, he could still get it reduced for good behavior during his rehabilitation.

Most importantly, if he went to prison and the boss confirmed he didn’t talk...

...then after the heat died down, he’d give his family a huge sum of money to make sure they’re set for life.

Cameron wasn’t worried about this being an empty promise. If the boss wanted his subordinates to keep risking their necks for him, he wouldn’t dare withhold the money.

If he talked, and the cops failed to round everyone up, Cameron didn’t even dare to imagine the kind of retaliation he and his family would face.

’Snitching? All risk and no reward. I’m not taking that kind of raw deal!’

Evan Keller thought for a moment, understanding Cameron’s hesitation. He spoke again. "If that’s what you’re worried about, you can rest assured. The police department has its ways. We can bring in everyone involved.

What you need to do now is cooperate fully with our investigation, earn yourself a lighter sentence, and get out sooner to reunite with your family.

Besides, you said it yourself. That boss of yours has tons of these offices and employees. They probably haven’t even noticed you’ve been arrested."

"Impossible! Someone comes to check the books every night at midnight!" Hearing the rhythmic tapping of fingers on the desk, Cameron retorted anxiously. The heavy sense of dread in his heart intensified, and his words grew sharper.

’Every night at midnight?’

’Excellent. With a specific time and location, I can hand this over to Zoe Sawyer. Let her see if she can figure out who this contact person is.’

’Then we can grab the guy tonight, bring him in for questioning, and maybe squeeze some more intel out of him. From there, we can follow the trail, get a lead on the mastermind, and take the whole organization down in one fell swoop!’

Having figured this out, Evan Keller glanced toward Zoe Sawyer and Heath Hale, who were standing by the door.

The three of them were perfectly in sync. They exchanged a single glance and immediately understood what the plan was.

Heath Hale gave a wave to Evan Keller and Cameron, then led Zoe Sawyer back to the temporary office that had been set up for them.

"This next backtracking session probably won’t yield much information. Can you really do it?