America: The Gear-Up Detective

Before Rhodes could ask, Willow continued, "I have a friend who saw Evelyn that night."

"Where?"

"There's a small path on the southwest side of the school, which is a shortcut to Osaka."

She saw Evelyn there, walking with a dark-haired woman.

Rhodes' mind raced through all the interpersonal networks he had recently investigated regarding Evelyn. There were quite a few people who matched the description. Then Rhodes asked:

Did she get a good look at the woman?

Willow replied, "No, but she seems to be a bit older than Evelyn, though she wasn't entirely sure."

I just wanted to help in a little way; I don't know if this message will be of any use.

"Of course it's useful." Rhodes looked up at the starry sky above the ranch, his mind racing. "At least we know the suspect's gender and hair color, don't we?"

After hanging up the phone, Rod also shared the message in the work group chat so that the people who were still working overtime to review the surveillance footage could conduct targeted screening.

Rod returned to the table and continued eating.

At this moment, Wesley looked at Rhodes and said with a smile, "Grandpa said that when you went fishing two weeks ago, you caught a sunken corpse?"

Rod nodded, swallowed the food in his mouth, and then said, "That's not all. Last weekend, our police station was also hit by a shooting. It caused quite a stir, didn't you know?"

Upon hearing Rhodes's words, Wesley feigned sudden realization, "I knew that figure in the video who subdued the gunman with his bare hands looked familiar! It was you!"

Wesley then moved his stool next to Rhodes, put an arm around him, and leaned closer, saying, "When did you become so skilled? Chinese Kung Fu?"

Rhodes took a sip of soup, looked at Wesley who seemed to be up to something, and shook his head with a smile. "No, it's just some fighting techniques. It's far from real Kung Fu."

Wesley's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Whatever it is, do you think I can learn it?"

As he spoke, Wesley gestured a couple of times, trying to support his biceps.

Rod couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Didn't you always believe that a lawyer's words are more effective than his fists? Why did you suddenly decide to learn these skills?"

Wesley blinked, looking a little embarrassed, then whispered to Rhodes, "I met a policewoman... she's pretty good at fighting, and I want to learn a few moves, something to do to... no, something to do for self-defense."

Rhodes' curiosity was immediately piqued. He had met Wesley's girlfriend from college; she was strong-willed, beautiful, and a perfect match for Wesley.

However, after the two broke up for some unknown reason, Wesley never found another girlfriend. Unexpectedly, his uncle started a new relationship without anyone noticing.

Noticing Rhodes' curiosity, Wesley pinched his right hand, ran it across his mouth, and made a zipping motion to indicate that he wouldn't say anything.

Rod shrugged. "Instead of learning some fighting techniques, I think you should work out and build up your physique. What do you think?"

A harmonious dinner was spent amidst laughter and chatter, and Rod felt the warmth of family that he hadn't experienced in a long time.

After a quick wash, Rod lay in bed without going to train anymore. He thought for a moment and then sent a message to Liu Qingxi. He figured the disappearance of his good friend must have been a huge blow to the girl's mental state.

The two chatted like this until midnight, when Rhodes finally fell into a deep sleep, and the night passed without further incident.

The next morning.

Rod went to bed late last night, but got up early this morning.

As soon as I went downstairs, I saw my mom, Laura, standing by the kitchen, flipping eggs in a frying pan with both hands, and wearing AirPods on both ears, looking like she was talking to someone.

"Is the situation stable? Yes, keep a close eye on the patient's condition. I'll go for another check-up on Monday..."

Seeing Rhodes approach, Laura said a few words and then hung up the phone, looking at Rhodes in surprise, "You can actually get up so early?"

Rod's lips twitched, and he said helplessly, "I have to work overtime today. There's a case I haven't finished dealing with yet."

Laura sandwiched a fried egg between two slices of warm whole-wheat bread, added some tomato slices and lettuce, and a few pieces of crispy bacon, then handed the sandwich to Rod, saying:

"I knew you couldn't have woken up this early on your own."

Rod took the sandwich and promptly changed the subject, "You were just talking about work, right? Have you been very busy lately?"

Laura cracked another egg and, while frying it, replied to Rod: "Didn't you know? I was the one who performed the surgery on that officer from your police station who was shot last week."

Otherwise, how could someone as busy as me possibly see your "heroic figure" online?

"Dalton?" Rod recalled the shooting scene from last week. When he last asked, Dalton was still in the ICU and in critical condition. He never expected that his mother had performed the surgery on him. No wonder his mother refused to attend the family gathering with his grandfather Edgar last weekend.

"How is he?"

"He is now out of danger and has been transferred to a regular ward. He is recovering quite well."

Laura made herself another sandwich and poured herself and Rhodes another glass of milk, handing it to Rhodes.

Rod was about to wave his hand in refusal when Laura gave him a look, followed by a barrage of technical terms: "Drinking milk in the morning is an efficient way to replenish high-quality protein... seizing the golden window for calcium supplementation... gently awakening the digestive system..."

Before Laura could finish speaking, Rod finished his sandwich in two bites, then gulped down his milk in one go, and ran out the door as fast as he could. "Okay, okay, all done. Time to go to work."

Despite saying that, Rod felt a warmth in his heart. In his previous life, he was used to being alone, often working overtime late into the night and not eating breakfast. It seemed like he had never had a mother who cared about him and made him breakfast since graduating from high school.

......

Police station, second floor.

The office of Team Six.

Rhodes arrived relatively early today, but Evan was already sitting in front of the computer.

Rod walked over and saw that what was on Evan's computer was a surveillance video playing at double speed.

"Haven't you finished reading yet?" Rod asked.

Evan frowned and replied, "I already finished watching it last night."

"?"

Before Rhodes could ask, Evan continued, "But it's precisely because I've seen it that I find it strange."

"With so many shops and so many security cameras in Osaka, how come Evelyn couldn't be found?"

Then, Evan, as if questioning Rhodes, or perhaps analyzing to himself, said:

"You said last night that Evelyn and that suspect took a back road to Osaka."

But if we don't see them in Osaka, does it mean that their destination, or rather the woman who took Evelyn away, was never Osaka in the first place?

"Did she just choose a secluded spot one night to kidnap Evelyn?"

Rhodes thought for a moment and said, "Watching the surveillance footage here isn't very useful right now. Why don't we go check that alleyway and see if we find any new clues?"