Chapter 96: Old Man Dex

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Old Man Dex

Ruby had been stubborn for as long as they had her in custody.

At first, she refused to say a word. Later, she started spouting nonsense. In any case, she wouldn’t give a straight answer to any of the police’s questions.

In contrast, Jim Lynch, who had been with her, was starting to show cracks. His initially firm expression had given way to conflict and hesitation.

This gave the interrogators from the provincial department a glimmer of hope, and they prepared to ramp up the pressure.

Frank Keller might know something about Ruby. If he did, it would be a huge boost to their investigation!

The chief was a little surprised. ’He’s actually connected to this international crime syndicate?’

"Alright, go ahead. Just remember to change into civilian clothes first," the chief instructed.

Just as their car was pulling out of the police station, an old man at a nearby stall noticed them driving over.

He assumed they were off to another case.

But a closer look revealed that everyone in the car was in plainclothes, their expressions relaxed. It didn’t look like they were on their way to a case at all; it seemed more like they were heading out for a good time.

As the car passed the stall, the owner waved to them. "Getting off work, Captain Keller?"

"Still open, Boss Thorne? All our recent cases are wrapped up, so we finally get a chance to relax. We’re heading out with some colleagues for barbecue." Evan Keller chuckled and nodded at the owner, exchanging a few more pleasantries before driving off.

Once they were past the intersection, Evan Keller rolled up the window, his expression turning serious. "Zoe, why do you think there’s something wrong with Boss Thorne? You never mentioned it before."

"You were so sure we’d be questioned on our way out, telling us to be on guard and not blow our cover."

Zoe Sawyer, sitting in the back, answered Evan Keller’s question succinctly. "I noticed it last night when we went to the hospital. I caught a glimpse of a figure in the alley, peering around furtively."

"I glanced over as we passed and got a clear look at his face. I just figured he was a local who’d heard the noise and come out to see what was going on, so I didn’t think much of it. But when we were leaving the hospital, I saw him again, lurking in a dark corner."

"After we got in the car, he started following us."

Once or twice could be a coincidence, but that last part was just too obvious.

’Besides, I’ve seen enough TV shows and read enough novels to know this is classic informant behavior. He might even be connected to a bigger fish.’

’If we catch him, it could be another major commendation!’

Heath Hale nodded. "That’s good, sharp and vigilant. In that case, send a message to Officer Lee. Tell him to keep an eye on our guy."

"There’s a camera at the station entrance. We can check if he did anything after we left."

"It’s a shame we don’t have any direct evidence, or we could pull the data from Boss Thorne’s phone."

As soon as Heath Hale finished speaking, Sean Hughes, who had been silent until now, sent the message. After getting a confirmation from Officer Lee, he looked up and updated the other three in the car.

Once that was handled, Sean Hughes threw an arm around Zoe Sawyer’s shoulder. "You’re really something else, Zoe! What a catch!"

Zoe Sawyer put her hands on her hips, looking smug and letting out a couple of satisfied "hmphs."

But her triumphant moment was brief, and she quickly composed herself.

Meanwhile, after seeing the car leave, Boss Thorne took out his phone and deftly dialed a number.

The moment the call connected, an obsequious look spread across Boss Thorne’s face. "Old Man Dex, the police haven’t brought in anyone special recently. But that crew went to the hospital twice in less than a day."

"Is that right? Follow them and see what’s going on. Find out what they’re up to, and there’ll be something in it for you."

"And remember, I want you to keep a very close eye on that guy, Evan Keller." Old Man Dex’s voice came through from the other end, a thread of barely perceptible malice woven into his nonchalant tone.

Those cops had cost him several of his men and nearly exposed him, forcing him to pull his people out of Varden.

If he hadn’t sent someone to take care of Old Cat in time, his losses would have been even greater!

But regrouping, recruiting new people, and infiltrating a new city was incredibly expensive, and it would significantly increase the risk of exposure.

This was the main reason Old Man Dex had been lying low all this time.

So, no matter how you looked at it, Old Man Dex wanted Evan Keller dead. Only that would satisfy the hatred in his heart.

"Yes, I understand. I’ll go right now."

Boss Thorne practically bowed to the phone as he accepted the mission.

After hanging up, Boss Thorne checked his phone and saw several new payments deposited into his bank account. A huge grin split his face.

He abandoned his stall, threw on a mask and a hat, and sped off toward the hospital on his little electric scooter, terrified that any delay would cause him to fail the task Old Man Dex had given him.

’This was all about the money!’

’Just a few more years of this, and he could retire abroad and live the good life!’

In his excitement, Boss Thorne didn’t notice a nearby security camera swiveling slightly to record his every move.

By the time he reached the hospital, Zoe Sawyer and her team were already inside the patient’s room.

Heath Hale had volunteered to stay downstairs and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.

Upon seeing Boss Thorne appear at the hospital entrance, Heath Hale quickly snapped a photo before ducking into a corner.

In Frank Keller’s room, Sean Hughes held a digital recorder, making sure not to miss a single word of what he was saying.

"Is there anything else you’d like to add?" Sean Hughes asked routinely, once he was sure Frank Keller had finished.

He didn’t expect anything more, but Frank Keller’s expression turned hesitant.

"There is one thing, but I’m not sure if it’s anything."

"Before I realized something was wrong, there was one week when they brought in five people. The number itself wasn’t unusual, but the fact that all five of them were Chinese was. And then, less than a month later, they were just... gone. No news of them at all."

Frank Keller’s expression was troubled. He had casually asked about them, but the guards just said they were short-term residents who had moved on to a better place and that it was nothing to worry about.

But Frank Keller always felt there was something wrong with that story.

"They never came out of their rooms, not once."

"As for their names, Frank Keller had managed to coax them out of the guards during conversations."

"To avoid suspicion, he left right after he got the names and never brought it up again."

If Sean Hughes hadn’t asked that final question today, he honestly wouldn’t have remembered it.

"Okay, I’ve got it all recorded. We’ll investigate this thoroughly," Sean Hughes said, putting away the digital recorder and nodding at Evan Keller.

They would have to wait until they got back tonight to discuss the details and formulate a plan.

Zoe Sawyer raised her hand, her voice drawing the eyes of the other three in the room.

"How about we find Beau?"