North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws
Chapter 112 - 101 Case Organization, Four Directions of Investigation_1

Chapter 112: Chapter 101 Case Organization, Four Directions of Investigation_1

The Fourth Squadron meeting room.

Everyone started reporting their work progress.

Dean briefly mentioned the findings from the prison visit, particularly emphasizing the issue with the black prison guard, Carnif.

"Daisy, without filing an application, can you manage to access the financial transactions of Carnif and his wife?"

Daisy hesitated a bit, "It’s possible as there are quite a few bank employees who are relatives of our officers, but such actions are against the rules, and those lawyers are very familiar with these processes."

She didn’t outright say it.

This pertained to issues with procedural integrity in handling cases.

If there was any flaw in the process, defense lawyers would latch on to that and question the entire integrity of the evidence chain.

Dean scanned the room, noticed Daisy and Robert’s troubled expressions, and couldn’t help but say with a smile, "What are you thinking about? I just need to know where Carnif’s money is coming from, to understand the role he played in this incident. As for evidence, if we spot the target, there will be flaws to exploit!"

Old Hunter nodded, "Dean is right. The procedures have indeed become more stringent now. In my younger days, we could directly bring someone in for interrogation if there were suspicions. Now we are shackled with both footcuffs and handcuffs, making everything uncomfortable."

Of course, he didn’t mention that in those days, miscarriages of justice were terrifyingly common, and the number of corrupt police with gang affiliations wasn’t small either.

Dean’s explanation convinced Daisy.

She nodded in agreement.

Nobody noticed that Dean was subtly changing their way of conducting their work.

"Alright, that’s what Harry and I discovered at the prison. What have you all found?"

Old Hunter tapped the table and made a rather surprising remark, "Actually, I know Durren’s mother; when she was young, she was a very beautiful woman."

"Heh heh, deputy squad leader, did you have a crush on her when you were young?" Harry teased Old Hunter with a wink.

He knew the deputy squad leader’s home life was ruled by a fierce wife.

Old Hunter rolled his eyes:

"Don’t talk nonsense, Mrs. Haas was just well-known back then.

She was very charitable, and due to her bleak experiences in her early years, she became particularly concerned about the living conditions of the elderly, eventually writing an autobiography and using the royalty money to rent apartments for senior care.

Many newspapers of the time reported on Mrs. Haas.

However, there were some unpleasant incidents during that period.

Some accused her of caring for the elderly to collect their Social Security benefits, and though the issue eventually settled down, Mrs. Haas was deeply hurt and started to focus exclusively on charity work for the elderly, avoiding public appearances.

Before I knew it, almost 20 years had passed.

Who would have thought that Durren would turn out to be her son?"

Old Hunter looked pensive.

But Dean furrowed his brows.

So, you just chatted and didn’t investigate?

However, Old Hunter was the deputy squad leader, the kind close to retirement.

Dean needed to allow him some dignity.

Dean gave Harry a look.

Harry, a born sidekick, picked up on Dean’s cue without fail and spoke up, "Deputy squad leader, you’re right. It’s just that Durren has tarnished his mother’s reputation. By the way, did Mrs. Haas stop caring about her son after he went to prison?"

Old Hunter shook his head:

"Mrs. Haas was furious.

I didn’t even see a photo of Durren at her place.

And she said that she hasn’t been in contact with Durren or his wife and child for a long time now.

These days, she spends her time playing cards and exercising with the elderly tenants in her own apartments, giving these old folks, left behind by society’s pace, a peaceful twilight."

This was not only a son being abandoned, but also a daughter-in-law and grandson.

The group nodded in understanding.

It seemed Durren’s mother was a righteous and kindhearted elderly lady.

Such a person, who was misunderstood yet quietly persisted in charity work for decades, was unlikely to commit murder to get her son out of prison earlier.

But Dean had his doubts.

Children from normal families rarely become twisted enough to assault another boy, just ten years old, in such a brutal manner, even after getting married and having a son of their own.

As a psychopath,

Dean had a right to speak on this matter.

Harry once said something quite accurate: An unfortunate childhood requires a lifetime to heal.

Everything experienced in childhood determines a person’s morals and psychological state when grown up.

Many psychopaths,

when looked at closely,

actually had tragic childhoods.

For example, Dean himself needed to rely on the warmth of a woman, the coziness of family, to cage the beast within that lacked humanity and ignored life.

This was also why he never sought a committed partner.

Because he feared infecting his offspring with his own twisted inner nature.

Therefore, Dean had reasons to suspect that Mrs. Haas wasn’t as benevolent as she appeared.

Considering this,

Dean smiled and said, "Deputy squad leader, Mrs. Haas wrote a book in the past?"

Old Hunter nodded, "She went through a great deal of hardship and misfortune, married three times with no good outcomes. I bought her book back then, found it very depressing but admired her for being so open-hearted after enduring so much suffering. It’s been in my study ever since, reminding me constantly."

It was evident,

Old Hunter truly held Mrs. Haas in high regard.

"I’m a bit curious now. Deputy squad leader, could you bring the book for me to read tomorrow?"

"No problem, but let’s focus on the case for now," Old Hunter agreed to Dean’s request and turned to Robert, "What about Durren’s wife and son? What are they saying?"

Robert’s job was the easiest. He shrugged and said, "I contacted them over the phone. They will be back in Los Angeles tomorrow, planning to attend Durren’s parole hearing incidentally."

"Did you look into their situation in Boston?" Dean interjected.

"What?" Robert seemed lost.

"Like Durren’s son, Aluski Haas.

How did he get into Haver College?

And Durren’s wife.

Where does she get the money to support Aluski’s schooling and life, while still visiting Durren in prison every month, bringing him money?"

Robert’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, he lowered his head, "Sorry, I hadn’t thought of that."

Dean stopped looking at him and knocked on the blackboard, writing two lines:

Intimidation!

Enticement!

"The victim, Howard, because of his early experiences, always lacked a sense of security, rarely interacting with people other than his mother, let alone having conflicts,"

"The most fitting motive for the attack on Howard is currently the parole hearing for Duren scheduled for the ninth."

"But Harry and I have already confirmed that Duren doesn’t have an alibi."

"So, all he could do was threaten or bribe someone close to him to do it!"

Dean then adds three lines of text in front of the threats and bribes:

Prison guards!

Relatives!

Strangers!

"Due to the working schedules at Harper Prison,

the only guards with a potential motive are Carnif and Earl.

Earl, being at the front desk because of his personality, has virtually no contact with Duren and thus is a less likely suspect.

Carnif, though, is known for being dirty, with an income that he couldn’t even come close to by merely extorting inmates.

He is one of the important suspects!"

After concluding this point,

Dean points to relatives:

"I’ve looked into Duren’s wife’s profile.

She was a nurse and helped out in Duren’s mother’s retirement home. That’s probably why she ended up marrying Duren.

Her qualifications mean she lacked the ability to support her son’s living and tuition expenses, not to mention, she flew back to Los Angeles nearly every month to visit Duren and give him money!

So we need to clarify the source of her income.

Duren’s son, Aluski Haas!

He’s the same age as the victim, Howard, with excellent academic grades and no criminal record—the only blemish is his father, Duren!

This is something I don’t understand.

Because if Duren’s wife divorced and remarried, not only would the courts support it, it would also give her son a clean slate.

This is another point of interest!"

"Furthermore, in the information provided by Daisy, I saw that Aluski played outfield for the high school baseball team.

This position requires good physical condition.

Considering Duren was incarcerated when Aluski was only ten, an age when a child idolizes his father just before the age of rebellion,

But due to the indecent assault and grievous bodily harm case, Duren was imprisoned,

and his family was torn apart.

So it’s possible Aluski harbors hatred for Howard and could be manipulated by Duren.

He has the physical condition and capability to do such things."

After finishing, Dean pauses for a moment,

letting everyone digest the information and to catch his own breath.

Talking so much left his mouth dry.

Daisy, very observantly, hands him a bottle of water and passes him some documents:

"This is the report provided by Holz.

He says we can confirm that Howard was hit on the back of the head with a stick around 10 p.m. on December 1st, crushing his skull.

This would have required the perpetrator to have significant strength.

According to the simulation of the strike angle, the perpetrator was about the same height as Howard or slightly taller, and was standing on his right side when the sudden attack from behind occurred."

"Very good!"

A look of delight crosses Dean’s face.

"Howard was six feet tall.

Harry is exactly six feet tall.

Earl is a bit shorter, so we can set him aside for now.

Carnif and Aluski, both fit the height profile. It looks like we need to investigate where Aluski was on December 1st!"

"Moreover, Howard took leave to come back for the hearing on the ninth. How did the murderer know his exact timing?

This is another breakthrough!"

Carnif’s financial sources, Aluski’s whereabouts, those who knew Howard’s return route, Duren’s wife’s financial sources...

Dean writes these points down: "These are our next investigation priorities, I entrust them to you all."

"Dean, are you leaving me behind?" Harry looks at Dean with a hurt expression.

Dean, resisting the urge to punch him, calmly replies, "I’m going to Los Angeles’s Greyhound Bus Terminal to see if I can find any new clues."

He had organized the case to this extent.

If these people weren’t up to snuff,

Dean was considering bringing in some talented rookies for training, which would make things easier for him to climb the ranks later and reap the rewards while lying back.

The meeting concludes.

Everyone leaves one by one.

Old Hunter walks up to Dean, looking at him with a complex expression, and after a moment of silence, says sincerely, "Dean, to be honest, you’re the most outstanding young person I’ve seen in decades. I feel as though I’m witnessing a great detective rising before my eyes!"

Previously, Old Hunter used to feel uncomfortable when Dean stood out.

His seniority was overshadowed by Dean’s abilities—a bitter pill to swallow.

But time after time, Dean’s capabilities thoroughly won him over!

"Lieutenant..."

Dean finds Old Hunter’s sudden sentimentality somewhat strange.

He had thought about how to win over Old Hunter.

Yet before he made a move, the man had already conceded,

which was... disappointingly anticlimactic.

Old Hunter mistook Dean’s reaction for shyness, laughed heartily, and clapped him on the shoulder, "Keep it up, Dean, the future is yours."

Dean: "..."

For some reason,

this statement felt quite irksome.

Dean shook his head, called the station to arrange a meeting with the patrol officer who handled Howard’s case, then drove to the Los Angeles Greyhound Bus Terminal,

Hoping to uncover something this time!