Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

After the meal.

Little Black said goodbye to Luke and drove away.

Luke sat in the driver's seat, smoking and thinking.

Since he had accepted Danny Carter's commission, and the fee offered was very generous, he naturally wanted to give it his all.

Relying solely on Little Black was definitely not going to work; Luke had to start investigating from other angles as well.

Moreover, being a detective is different from being a police officer. If Luke were speaking as a police officer, he would certainly have to talk to the female victim, Billie Warwick.

But that wasn't possible now. Luke's identity wasn't appropriate for direct contact with Billie Warwick; even if he hid his identity to talk to her, she would avoid discussing any sensitive topics once asked.

Luke needed to abandon the familiar way of handling cases and investigate as a detective would.

Of course, this so-called detective's way of investigating would still carry certain personal characteristics, after all, old habits die hard.

First, Luke contacted Orty to have her gather information on Billie Warwick and her surrounding relationships.

This was not for free; he would pay the standard rates.

In fact, it would have been convenient and free for him to use police resources to investigate Billie Warwick, but after some thought, he decided against this idea.

It would be no issue if he occasionally used the police system to check someone, as he had done before when investigating Daisy's father.

But since Luke was no longer able to directly receive rewards from the Detective System, he needed new means of earning money. With his current fame, working part-time as a detective could be very profitable; not to do so would be a waste of his reputation.

If he considered detective work a part-time job, he might frequently need to investigate people's backgrounds; it would be inappropriate to regularly use police resources for this.

It's better to spend a little money and have peace of mind.

This expense was a drop in the ocean compared to his commission.

After chatting with Orty, Luke got in touch with the informant Anlek Raul, asking him to keep watch near Billie Warwick's house. Although there might not be any results, the necessary arrangements still had to be made.

Basic mistakes couldn't be made.

Having arranged these tasks, Luke drove home to sleep.

Having a good sleep and rest is essential to ensure normal functioning the next day.

The next morning.

After waking up, Luke poured himself a cup of coffee and sat in the yard drinking it.

Generally speaking, Luke would drink tea when he was off work but would have a cup of coffee on work mornings.

Tea is better enjoyed in a relaxed state; when there's something on the mind, it loses its flavor.

After finishing his coffee, Luke didn't bother cooking. He drove to a nearby Chinese restaurant for breakfast.

A bowl of beef noodles, with two side dishes.

The beef slices were large and thick, with a satisfying chew.

The side dishes were mixed shredded vegetables, and spicy beef tripe.

If there's one authentic Chinese dish in Los Angeles, it's this beef noodle dish, with portions of beef that outdo ninety-five percent of noodle shops back in China.

The noodles were al dente, made by an authentic noodle master who had immigrated here.

Eating a bowl of these beef noodles made one feel completely comfortable, utterly content.

"Ding-a-ling-a-ling..."

His phone rang.

Luke pressed the answer button, "Good morning, beautiful."

Orty's voice came from the phone, "Where are you?"

"I'm having breakfast at a noodle shop, missing me?" Luke said with a laugh.

"That's right, I miss you. Do you have time today? Let's meet up."

Luke thought for a moment, "I can't during the day; how about this evening?"

"Forget the evening, I like to get my beauty sleep," Orty changed the subject, "I've found the person you were looking for."

"Quite efficient, eh? Send it to my email in a bit."

Orty retorted, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"Thank you."

"That's not what I wanted to hear." Orty hesitated, then asked, "Are you investigating the Danny Carter assault case behind the scenes?"

"Wow... so that's what you're asking." Luke hesitated slightly, then explained, "Danny Carter is a friend of my friend, and he's run into trouble. You've probably seen the news.

My friend has asked me to help clear Danny Carter's name."

"Danny Carter is lucky to have met you."

Luke laughed, "You sound a bit jealous?"

"I am not," Orty said, ending the call abruptly.

Luke could guess what Orty was thinking; he had known Orty for some time, and he had also signed a consulting contract with Pinkerton Detective Agency, but he had always been reluctant to formally accept commissions.

Not long ago, after much persuasion from Orty, he had taken on an assignment.

Just a few days had passed, and Luke was already taking on tasks independently of her, even asking her to help investigate relevant people—it was natural for her to have some thoughts.

This was a normal reaction; if she hadn't shown any emotion, Luke would have been worried.

Women, getting emotional is normal; a bit of charm and all is well, a minor issue.

Luke opened his email on his phone and began examining Billie Warwick's information.

Name, Billie Warwick

Age, 20

Occupation, Restaurant Waitress

Relatives, Mother, Live-in boyfriend.

Race, African-American

License Plate Number, 3CVb328

Address, 209 Napley Community

Attached to the information were also photos of Billie Warwick, her mother, and her boyfriend.

Having read the information, Luke had a general understanding of Billie Warwick's situation.

Indeed, Billie Warwick had a boyfriend, which must be one of the reasons why the police suspected Danny Carter of assault.