The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 314 No problem

"Who are these two?"

Tifa took in Kim's momentary stiffness, pale face, and quick averted gaze, a knowing glint in her eyes, before secretly rolling her eyes at Eric, who was chuckling dryly.

Eric chuckled dryly as he stepped forward, gently pressing down on Tifa's right hand, which was hidden behind her back, and the gun in her hand. He whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

I'll explain it to you later.

Tifa looked at Eric with a half-smile.

"These are Kimmy and Amanda. They've run into some trouble and need to settle here temporarily."

Eric then turned to Kimmy and said, "You guys take a bath first and relax. I'll bring the clothes over later."

"Jinmi, you can do it, right?" Eric smiled.

Kimmy pursed her lips, glanced at Eric and Amanda, nodded silently, helped the still somewhat timid Amanda, and walked towards the bathroom that Eric had indicated earlier, then gently closed the door.

The click of the door lock closing was particularly clear in the quiet suite.

Once the girls were out of sight, Tifa twisted her wrist slightly, freeing herself from Eric's gentle touch, and casually displayed the small pistol in front of him. She looked up, a half-smile on her face, at Eric's stiff expression.

“Now, Mr. Stevens, shouldn’t you give me a proper explanation? You said you were just going to take care of some personal matters, so why did you suddenly bring back two girls? And they seem to have been quite frightened.”

Eric coughed lightly: "It's a bit complicated. I just rescued them from a human trafficking gang."

Tifa raised her eyebrows even higher, stared at Eric, leaned closer and sniffed, and indeed smelled a very obvious smell of gunpowder, and immediately made a rough guess in her mind.

"Should be fine?" she said softly, a hint of worry in her eyes, as she checked Eric's body with both hands.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Eric saw the worry in Tifa's eyes and knew that she had probably been overthinking all day, otherwise she wouldn't have come out with her gun to check as soon as there was any noise.

Thinking of this, Eric hugged Tifa and whispered.

"It's all over."

Tifa asked earnestly, "Darling, I want to know what it is?"

“Okay, I’ll tell you,” Eric said with a smile, pulling Tifa into the bedroom and sitting together on the chaise lounge by the bed. He naturally wouldn’t hide anything from Tifa.

He recounted the whole story, from Bill's phone call to Kimmy's arrival in Paris and his picking him up, telling Tifa everything.

Seeing Eric beginning to show remorse, Tifa finally understood the whole story and said helplessly.

"So I'll have to look for my old job again later?"

Eric apologized, "I'm sorry, I ruined our holiday plans."

Tifa shook her head: "Darling, I think you did the right thing rather than being bored sunbathing in a five-star hotel."

She glanced in the direction of the bathroom: "You rescued two girls, prevented a tragedy, destroyed a den of iniquity, and fulfilled your duty as a friend."

As she spoke, Tifa smiled and looked at the embarrassed Eric, saying, "I like you just the way you are, but I saw that Kimmy earlier? She seemed to have a bit of a thing for you too?"

“How could that be?” Eric said awkwardly, “She’s still young.”

These words made Tifa chuckle: "Darling, you seem to be only twenty-five years old this year?"

Eric shrugged and said, "My mental age is at least forty."

“Yes, yes, you’re older than me,” Tifa said helplessly, getting up and walking behind Eric, reaching out to rub Eric’s shoulder.

"So, honey, according to your reasoning, the police will be coming to the door later?"

Eric nodded and said, "If they're not as bad as we think."

Tifa frowned, recalling what had happened earlier that day:
"No wonder that DuPont police inspector suddenly left today; I heard he's quite capable."

Then, Tifa added worriedly, "Are you sure your friend can get you out? Without proper channels, human trafficking is impossible."

For this to happen, there must be a complete chain of events, which will likely involve many people.

Having worked for the FBI, Tifa naturally had her own judgment. As she spoke, she seemed to recall something else and said:

"They're all Albanian, and I suspect they have connections to Albanian organized crime."

According to the database, this is a transnational gang, a criminal organization that causes headaches even for European countries, including Albania itself.

Suddenly, a warm hand touched the back of her hand and gently squeezed it. Tifa stopped talking and looked at Eric.

Eric smiled and said, "It will be fine. If I'm not mistaken, this matter should escalate to the diplomatic level."

Those lurking in the shadows, or whatever other monsters and demons, if they're smart, should cut their losses and save themselves, instead of continuing to cause trouble for us.

Eric shrugged and said, "Bill's identity should have deep ties to the CIA. As for what the CIA does, I don't need to say more."

Tifa's eyes lit up slightly; she instantly caught up with Eric's train of thought: "Darling, you mean..."

Eric patted Tifa's hand, everything was understood without words.

As Bill said, Europe is their backyard.

God knows exactly how much dirt the CIA has on so-called big shots in Europe.

He dared to be so reckless because he had considered this aspect; otherwise, Bill wouldn't have been so confident, unless he had actually accumulated a lot of dirt on certain important figures while working for the CIA.

Considering Bill's background and his statement that someone would take on this task.

Eric had a feeling that the person Bill was talking about must be the CIA director in charge of France.

According to the explanations in the movies I watched in my previous life, he was the stationmaster of Paris.

This is considerable power, and the position is estimated to be extremely crucial.

As for why I say that...

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and one of the leaders of the EU and NATO, France's political, economic, and military movements have a significant impact on the global landscape.

Therefore, the power of the CIA director in charge of the French side is not reflected in the so-called administrative rank, but in the resources, authority and influence they control.

This soft power and covert power can sometimes be even greater than that of a publicly known senior U.S. diplomat.

In an instant, all sorts of thoughts flashed through Eric's mind, and he subconsciously raised an eyebrow as he thought about it.

"In the game, would this kind of character be considered a regional governor of an intelligence kingdom? A strategic character with enormous resources, connections, and freedom of action?"

Of course, we'll have to wait and see what actually happens, since these are all just guesses.

But the more Eric thought about it, the more he felt that the matter was actually quite stable, and it wasn't that he was underestimating others.

After all, it would be a world-class joke if a criminal gang that needs to hide its true nature could outmaneuver the CIA.

Even if this criminal gang has dirt on some big shots or has some big shots backing them, can they be tougher than the CIA?
Moreover, it's fine if no one knows about human trafficking in private, but once it's exposed to the public, those so-called big shots will only abandon these insignificant scum even faster.

“They’re not even on the same level,” Eric thought to himself.

"Have you thought it through?" Tifa's voice rang out. Eric nodded and smiled, "Yes, it should be fine."

Tifa breathed a sigh of relief and bent down to hug Eric: "Are you sure?"

"determine."

"Then I'll feel relieved."

"After I'm taken away, will they be handed over to you?" Eric said softly.

“Mm,” Tifa replied.

Eric smiled and said nothing more, but buried his face in Tifa's neck, inhaling her reassuring fragrance, and the last bit of tension in his heart relaxed.

The two lingered for a while until they were startled by the faint sound of police sirens outside the window. Tifa stood up, straightened her clothes, and looked at the flashing red and blue lights outside the French windows.

"I'll go see what's in the fridge and prepare some hot drinks."

As she spoke, she walked to the wardrobe and picked out two casual outfits suitable for young girls.

"After they come out of the shower, they need to replenish their energy and also need to feel normal again."

Tifa paused, then looked at Eric seriously and said:

"I'll wait for you to come back."

“Okay.” Eric nodded with a smile, watched Tifa leave the bedroom, then got up and walked to the French windows to look downstairs.

At this moment, several police cars stopped downstairs, their flashing red and blue lights casting ever-changing shadows on the magnificent exterior of the Morris Hotel.

Several uniformed police officers were talking to a man who appeared to be the hotel manager in the porch, while others began to put up police tape and block the entrance.

The commotion was considerable, but Eric remained remarkably calm.

The DuPont police inspector was not among the group of people downstairs.

This means that he has likely already entered the hotel and is heading towards a suite.

The fact that this police superintendent dared to personally visit the place demonstrates the importance he attaches to this matter and the pressure he may be under.

Eric dusted himself off and turned to leave the bedroom.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Tifa came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with a few glasses of water and some simple snacks, and looked at Eric.

Eric smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, then walked towards the door.

Tifa suppressed her emotions, stood still, and stared intently at Eric's retreating figure.

Stopping in front of the door, Eric quickly reviewed all the information again, and only opened the door after confirming that there were no problems.

The door opened.

DuPont, whom he had met once before, stood alone outside the door. There seemed to be other police officers in the corridor behind him, but he did not intend to let them in.

DuPont's gaze first swept over Tifa, and he nodded to her before fixing it firmly on Eric.

"Mr. Stevens?"

DuPont looked at the handsome young man in front of him, but the scene inside that building flashed uncontrollably through his mind. His right hand unconsciously pressed on the holster at his waist, his muscles already tense.

“Relax, Inspector.” Eric sensed Inspector DuPont’s tension and smiled.

"So what brings you here so late?"

DuPont pursed his lips and held up a summons document, saying, "We are investigating two major cases that occurred today: one is the discovery of four male bodies in the restroom of Charles de Gaulle Airport; the other is the discovery of fifteen bodies in Building B at 117 Rue de Roger, with obvious signs of a fierce firefight at the scene."

DuPont stared intently into Eric's eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of anything amiss.

"According to our investigation, you had contact with several of the deceased at the airport this afternoon and took one of them away in a black Audi A6 Avant with the license plate number '[redacted]'."

Meanwhile, at the crime scene on Roger Street and in the CCTV footage along the street, we found your tire tracks and your car, as well as the time of your return shown in the hotel surveillance footage, which highly matched the time of the incident.
Therefore, we need you to come to the police station to assist with the investigation; this is a formal summons.

DuPont raised the document in his hand again.

Eric glanced at the document but didn't take it. Instead, he looked back at Tifa and gave her a reassuring look before turning to DuPont without offering any excuses.

“I can go with you, but before I go with you, I think I have the right to contact my lawyer and notify the U.S. Embassy in Paris, according to procedure.”

After all, this doesn't seem like a simple question, right?

DuPont frowned instinctively. How could this guy react so quickly? This level of familiarity with legal procedures was more like someone who frequently deals with laws and rules.

“That’s your right,” DuPont said, looking at Eric.

"We will make arrangements after we arrive at the police station."

Eric nodded calmly, not dwelling on the matter any longer; it was completely unnecessary.

But when she turned to Tifa, her voice was gentle: "I'll be back soon."

Tifa nodded, suppressing her worries, and whispered:

"Be careful."

Eric gave her a reassuring smile, then turned and walked towards the door.

Seeing Eric's cooperation, DuPont's scrutinizing gaze intensified.

He waved, and two uniformed police officers immediately stepped forward, one on each side of Eric.

DuPont followed closely behind, his gaze fixed on Eric's back. He was curious about what gave this guy such confidence.

It was precisely because the other party was confident and dared to return to the hotel that he had the courage to come up alone.

If he could, he really wouldn't make things difficult for the other party. In a sense, what the person in front of him was doing was eliminating harm for the people.

The group walked silently through the thickly carpeted corridor toward the elevator.

Eric could feel DuPont's almost tangible gaze behind him, and he could also sense the tense, alert posture of the police officers on both sides.

Eric seemed oblivious to all of this, calmly looking ahead, and even politely stepping aside to let DuPont go first when the elevator doors opened.

DuPont walked in silently.

The elevator goes down.

DuPont glanced instinctively at Eric's tall and relaxed back.

He had seen all sorts of criminals and victims, but someone like the one before him was truly rare.

Four dead bodies lay in the airport, and one person was missing. Fifteen bodies with blown-out heads lay in the building. The person who had caused all this was standing quietly in front of him, without a trace of malice, only a peaceful calm.

(End of this chapter)