Law America, the Devil's Agent

Chapter 72 Heinous Crimes Providing Assistance (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

The corridor fell silent again.

Nathaniel leaned against the counter at the nurses' station, arms crossed, watching Link walk toward him.

The two exchanged a glance, Nathaniel opened his arms, and Link went to meet him. The two embraced tightly in the quiet, empty corridor.

They were not just lawyers and clients, but two close friends.

"How are you doing at the new hospital?"

Lin Ke let go of her hand, leaned against the nurses' station, took out a cigarette case from her pocket, then put it back in, remembering she was in a hospital.

"It's alright. Jefferson welcomed me very much, provided me with a private office, and gave me ample research funding."

My colleagues in the department treat me with respect.

Nathaniel smiled, then his smile faded, and he changed the subject: "Was that child your new client?"

Link nodded.

  

Martha Kate.

A friend I met at the gym.

Her son, Alex, a student at Sacred Heart Elementary School, was bullied by classmates and clergy, covered in bruises, threatened and intimidated, and no one could help him.

She only came to me because she was truly desperate.

Nathaniel remained silent for a moment.

He looked to be in a very bad mental state.

I peeked through the doorway when he was struggling in the examination room. His expression—

Just like those children who have experienced post-war trauma and stress.

Like a child who has lost trust in strangers after repeated torment.

Link nodded. "Unlike you back then."

You are still an adult, with enough rationality and willpower to resist external pressure.

But he was still a child.

The injuries he sustained may take a long time to heal.

Moreover, I'm currently somewhat at a loss regarding his case, and I can't push this young person too hard.

He is now completely silent, and I can only piece together the truth from his paintings and Martha's account.

"We are friends!"

Nathaniel turned to Link and said, "Perhaps you can tell me how I can help."

Link was silent for a moment, then told Nathaniel about some clues he had gathered and his own speculations:

The backdrop of Sacred Heart Elementary School, the faceless figures in black robes in Alex's painting, the school's dismissive and threatening response to Martha's complaint, and the dead cat placed on the porch.

After listening, Nathaniel remained silent for a long time.

He certainly understood what Link meant by what he was saying.

Because he himself was a devout believer. He never missed a Sunday sitting on the last row of pews in the church, adhering to the Hippocratic Oath and biblical proverbs as the guiding principles of his life.

Because of his religious beliefs, he knew better than most the true nature of the Catholic Church in certain corners.

Sexual assault against minors.

This is no secret in American churches.

The phrase "priest and little boy" has been thoroughly digested by comedians, used as a staple of late-night shows by talk show hosts, and spawned countless memes on social media.

But this is never funny to those who have experienced it firsthand.

Every instance of clergy abusing vulnerable children is a form of both mental and physical torture.

Some children become despondent as a result, and after suffering irreparable mental and physical harm, they choose to end their own lives.

Even when some children grow up, that shadow will still follow them, becoming a psychological scar that can never be erased in their lives.

"I understand you are a believer, and I won't force you to say anything."

Link broke the silence.

Nathaniel shook his head, about to say something, when the door to the examination room was pushed open.

Martha pushed Alex's wheelchair out, followed by a doctor in charge of the physical examination.

The doctor held a stack of freshly printed test reports in his hand, but his face looked even worse than the papers on the report.

Link glanced at Alex, who was sitting quietly in his wheelchair with an expressionless face, looking down at his hands resting on his knees.

Martha also looked bewildered.

Clearly, the doctor hadn't yet told the poor single mother the truth.

Link walked up to Martha and said in a low voice, "Ms. Martha, please accompany Alex to the lounge for a while. I need to speak with the doctor alone."

Martha glanced at the stack of reports in the doctor's hand, then at Link, and finally just nodded.

She pushed Alex as they slowly walked away down the corridor.

Link turned to the doctor. "Please speak."

The doctor turned to the first page of the test report and pointed to the image records on it.

"The child has multiple old soft tissue contusions on his arms, back, and back of his thighs. The distribution and shape of the bruises rule out the possibility that he fell or was accidentally injured while playing."

The force and angle of the multiple injuries all point to intentional assault.

He turned to the second page, and when his finger stopped on a certain line of data, his lips pursed into a thin line.

"We found traces of semen in the spaces between his bones and in the residue on his body."

At the same time, he had obvious old wounds in his genitals, some of which were already infected.

This is not a one-time injury; it happens repeatedly.

"obscene."

As Link uttered the word, Nathaniel's voice rang out from the side.

The doctor nodded and closed the report.

"I recommend backing up these test results as soon as possible. If needed as legal evidence, I can provide a formal medical examination report."

"Thank you for your help."

This report should not be submitted to any external agencies, including the police, for the time being.

The police had not filed a case against him before.

We need to be fully prepared first. I will handle the relevant archiving directly.

The doctor nodded, turned around, pushed open the door to the examination room, and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

After watching the doctor leave, Nathaniel patted Link on the shoulder, and the two walked side by side toward the smoking area in the corner of the hospital.

Link pulled out a cigarette case from his pocket, took one out, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

Nathaniel also took one, and the two of them took a few puffs each across the stainless steel ashtray.

"Perhaps I can help you with this case."

39

Nathaniel flicked his cigarette ash: "I'm a devout Christian, you should know that. After you cleared my name, those words you said at the press conference—'devout saint,' 'great whistleblower'—"

It not only changed public opinion about me, but also brought me attention in the Philadelphia parish.

The bishop of the diocese and some heads of charitable committees invited me to several events, which led me to meet someone within the diocese of Philadelphia.

He worked in the church's internal investigation office, specifically responsible for handling matters within the church that needed to be dealt with.

There is an internal department within the church that is specifically responsible for handling internal complaints and investigating misconduct by clergy.

A0I—Office of Investigations.

As you know, A0I is a very closed organization, and their self-cleaning is inherently at odds with the positions and viewpoints of lawyers.

The church does not like external legal systems interfering in their internal affairs, so people at A0I have always kept their distance from outside lawyers.

But I have complete confidence in you. Once you have the channels and the means, you'll naturally find a way.

Link stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

Please introduce me to someone.

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