Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Daisy did not answer directly but looked at Luke, "Are you very interested?"

"Of course, scandals involving major celebrities are news that the entire nation pays attention to. Everyone is curious; it's the best topic for after-dinner conversation.

My mom and uncle would be extremely curious."

"Then, are you interested in joining this case?"

"What do you mean?"

"Danny Carter has already hired three lawyers, and he might hire a fourth, even a fifth one. I think that's enough lawyers.

Instead of hiring more defense lawyers, it would be better to hire an excellent detective.

If we could dig up more new clues, it would be more valuable than hiring several more lawyers.

Are you interested?"

"To be honest... not really."

"Why not?"

"He's looking to hire lawyers, not detectives. What am I then? Your assistant?"

"No, that's not what I mean.

You would be responsible for investigating new leads in the case, and I would make sure that this evidence is effectively utilized in court.

Danny Carter has been living in Los Angeles; he surely has heard about your reputation. I believe he'd be very willing to hire you."

"Then how would my fee be calculated?"

"The same as the lawyers in the legal team. What do you think?"

"Sounds not too bad, but I need to talk to him first before deciding." Luke was not a lawyer; he had a moral baseline and would not help the physically strong escape justice.

...

Seven in the morning.

Daisy got up on time and washed up.

Compared to her usual days, she was somewhat more excited today. It was the first time Daisy had taken on a celebrity case like this, in terms of notoriety, influence, or fees; she had never encountered anything like it before.

She had gotten this case also by chance, initially leveraging the law firm's connections since Danny Carter was already a client of the firm, and secondly because of gender reasons, as cases involving male strength often primarily employed female defense lawyers.

Her decision to have Luke involved in the case as a detective was also multi-faceted.

Firstly, Danny Carter had already hired three lawyers and might hire more, but Daisy felt that the case wasn't that complicated. Three lawyers were already sufficient; more wouldn't be of much help, but hiring a well-known detective like Luke could be.

Having solved numerous significant cases in Los Angeles, no one would doubt Luke's ability to solve them. His participation could unearth more clues favorable to Danny Carter, which could be more noticeably beneficial for the case.

Secondly, Daisy was the least experienced among the three lawyers, and it was almost certain that she wouldn't be the one pleading in court. However, with Luke's involvement, it would be different. Given Luke's relationship with her, if Luke found any clues, he would surely inform her first. With Luke's help, she would stand a chance to plead in court.

This case had a high level of attention, and her notoriety could also rise substantially.

The last point was that the fees for such cases were high. Even if shared among several people, it still amounted to a significant income; better to let Luke benefit than someone else.

Various thoughts crossed her mind, and while thinking, Daisy also prepared breakfast.

She usually had a simple breakfast—milk, fruit, a sandwich—but Luke had a bigger appetite. With Luke around, she would also fry bacon and ham.

At the dining table, the two chatted for a bit more.

After the meal, Daisy went to the law firm, and Luke returned to the community.

After driving into the community, Luke did not immediately go home but went to the east side of the community to retrieve items from a UPS intelligent parcel locker.

Yesterday, Luke's dad had also sent a birthday gift, but with Luke not at home, he asked the courier to leave it temporarily in the locker.

Luke opened the parcel locker to find a cardboard box about twenty centimeters long, ten centimeters wide, and eight centimeters high. From its size, the gift didn't seem too substantial.

Luke wasn't in a hurry. After returning home and parking the Harley in the garage, he sprinkled some fish food into the aquarium, enjoying the view of the colorful fish eagerly feeding.

Though it seemed like a trivial thing, Luke watched for two full minutes.

Once the fish food was almost finished, Luke used a key to slice open the cardboard box, revealing a gray paper box inside, wrapped by a transparent plastic bag.

Luke slid open the plastic bag, opened the box, and found a black spring-loaded retractable knife. The handle felt heavy and had a switch on the top. With a forward push, a sharp blade popped out, serrated on one side.

Pulling the switch backward retracted the blade.

Luke measured with a ruler, the handle was about 12.5 cm long, and the blade about 11 centimeters, making the total length 23.5 centimeters.

With the blade retracted, only the 12.5 cm handle remained, making it easy to carry.

As a policeman, he could inevitably face unexpected situations, and an extra dagger served as another means of self-defense.

Luke tested the handle, which felt good, and the blade was very sharp, making it a quality knife.

...

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Daisy led Luke to the Marriott Hotel.

After getting off the elevator, the two entered the seventh-floor hallway. Luke asked, "Does the suspect not have a residence in Los Angeles?"

Daisy corrected, "He's the client."

"Sorry, it slipped out."

"He has a villa in Beverly Hills, but it's too inconvenient with reporters all over the place outside the villa.

After being released on bail, he has been staying at the hotel."

"What about his family?"

"He's divorced, with one child in the custody of his ex-wife."

"Famous, wealthy bachelor, his life must be quite colorful."

"That's right, and the bail money was substantial too," Daisy quipped, coming to a door and pressing the doorbell, "Ding-dong."

After a little while, the door opened.