America: The Gear-Up Detective

Police Department, meeting room.

After listening to Rhodes's account, Connor sighed. "You should go find Gabriella Payne to get the information. We don't know Evelyn's specific situation yet, so we need to prepare for the worst."

Rhodes nodded.

Then Connor turned to Jose and Jackson and said, "You two investigate Gabriella's movements over the past few days. Use a two-pronged approach. If there's even the slightest evidence, I can apply for an arrest warrant and a search warrant!"

......

Three o'clock in the afternoon.

This is the most comfortable time of day in Los Angeles, with temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius, normal humidity, and a comfortable level of dryness and moisture, and the sunlight is not too harsh.

This kind of weather is perfect for lounging in your backyard, basking in the sun, and spending a leisurely day.

Unfortunately, Rhodes was on his way to meet a kidnapper, who could very well become a murder suspect.

Perhaps fearing that she might disturb Rod's investigation, Liu Qingxi hasn't sent any messages to him in the past two days.

But Rod knew that she cared about the case more than anyone else, but she kept it to herself.

West LA is a community located about 20 kilometers southwest of UCLA.

Rod drove slowly past the broad-canopied oak trees lining both sides of the road. This was a well-known white neighborhood in the area, quiet and clean, with tree-lined streets and mainly consisting of detached houses and small apartment buildings.

A black Ford Explorer, without any paint, slowly pulled up in the parking lot below a four-story apartment building on the west side of the community.

After getting out of the car, Rod glanced around the parking lot and saw a white Toyota sedan parked in the corner. The car body was clean and tidy, but the wheels were covered in mud.

Rod and Hank exchanged a glance, both having a bad feeling.

Hank looked up at an apartment on the west side of the third floor, which was Gabriella Payne's residence.

Third floor, room 303.

"Knock knock knock~" A crisp knocking sound rang out.

A short while later, a slight noise came from behind the door, but no one came to open it for a long time.

Rhodes held up his badge to make sure the person behind the peephole could see it, then called inside, "Gabriella Payne? I'm Detective Rhodes Lee from the Murder and Heist Division, and Detective Hank is behind me. We know you're in there, open the door!"

We just have a few simple questions to ask you.

As soon as Rhodes finished speaking, he suddenly felt an extremely strong malice coming from behind the door. The passive effect of [Wolf Soul Sense] was activated, and Rhodes could clearly sense that there was a person standing behind the door.

【Wolf Soul Sense】: The wearer can vaguely sense the approximate location and number of all “hostile” creatures within a 10-meter radius.

Good news, there's only one person behind the door.

Bad news: the people behind the door are probably plotting how to kill Rod and Hank.

Just as Rod was trying to figure out how to break down the door, the door to room 303 slowly opened, revealing a narrow crack.

From behind the crack, Gabriella Payne revealed half her face, her eyes slightly gloomy as she stared intently at Rhodes, who was closest to her, and asked in a hoarse voice, "What is it?"

Rhodes stared into those eyes as well. After a brief eye contact, Rhodes felt as if he were looking into a gaze devoid of any emotion.

Next, Rhodes secretly activated the [Bewitch] skill. His mental attribute was now 13.7, which could last for a little over two minutes, which was still plenty of time.

Gabriella has some kind of psychological problem; such people are easily stimulated by the external environment, and their willpower is naturally not strong.

So unless she is some kind of stubborn, psychopathic killer, her mind would absolutely not be able to withstand the effects of the bewitching skill.

Rod spoke up, "Can't we come in and talk?"

Gabriella did not answer.

Rhodes frowned slightly, then continued to press for answers, putting constant pressure on Gabriella Payne.

"Have you seen your old friend, Evelyn Brooks, recently?"

Finally, a struggle flashed in Gabriella's eyes, and she spoke haltingly, "Evelyn? Evelyn...yes, I've seen her."

A hint of joy flashed in Rhodes' eyes; as long as she spoke, it meant the skill had taken effect.

"When was it?"

Gabriela's breathing quickened. "The weekend, at night."

"Did you contact her? Where is she now?" Rhodes continued to press, not giving Gabriela time to think, and relentlessly applying pressure.

"I...I want to give it to her...no, I want to become like that...I want to become her..."

"?"

Gabriella said something incomprehensible, which Rod hadn't yet understood.

Just as Rod was about to press further, Gabriela's breathing became rapid, her limbs twisted unnaturally, she foamed at the mouth, and collapsed behind the door.

Rod's first thought was that Gabriela was up to something.

However, Hank reacted quickly, shoving Rod who was still standing at the door, and after a short run-up, kicked the door hard.

The plywood door was kicked open.

Hank took out his phone and dialed 911 for emergency medical assistance.

"This is Detective Hank, Murder and Robbery Specialist... In a community in West Los Angeles, a suspect has suddenly fallen ill and is in a coma..."

An ambulance is needed. Requesting assistance from detectives and technical support.

Seeing Gabriela's limbs and torso begin to twitch rhythmically, Rod wanted to step forward and restrain her, but Hank stopped him, saying, "Judging from the symptoms, it's probably epilepsy. We can only watch her and wait for her to calm down on her own."

Our next task is to search her room and see if we can find any evidence.

As he spoke, Hank winked at Rhodes, who immediately understood.

Connor hasn't obtained a search warrant yet, and Jose hasn't found anything either, so under normal circumstances, Gabriela can stop Rod and the other person from entering the room.

But now, with the suspect suddenly falling ill and even in mortal danger, Rod and Hank can break down the door and conduct a simple search.

Of course, the purpose of this search was not to obtain any evidence, but to ensure Gabriela's safety and to respond to emergencies, such as quickly and limitedly searching areas where people might be hiding or posing a threat, and whether there were other people in the room who posed a threat to the safety of the officers.

Everything was for Gabriela's safety. Of course, if the search also uncovered clues or evidence about Evelyn's disappearance, that would be incredibly lucky.

Hank turned Gabriela to her side, quickly removed any sharp objects from her surroundings, and unbuttoned her neck to ensure she could breathe properly.

Rod, holding guns in both hands, began searching the entire room to prevent anyone else from posing a threat to the officers' safety.

"Living room, safe!"

"Kitchen, safe!"

"The restroom is safe!"

"Bedroom...safe! Hey, Hank, you need to check this out!"

When Rod searched the innermost bedroom, he saw a large bed in the center of the room covered with densely packed documents and files.

Rod picked up a document at random: [Birth Certificate Application]

And in the name section at the very bottom of the application certificate, it clearly reads: Evelyn Brooks!