In the morning, after laying out the day’s work, Hunter left the police station with a file folder. As he drove, he pondered a question.
Does Lance really not leave any evidence behind every time he does something?
He didn’t think so.
Lance wasn’t a god. Even if he were, he would still leave evidence. It was just that they hadn’t found it.
When he was studying at the police academy, the professor in charge of criminal investigation had also talked about this issue. There is no such thing as a perfect crime in this world.
As long as a crime is committed, some clues will inevitably be left behind. What the police have to do is find that key piece of evidence among the numerous traces.
During the discussion of the bombing case yesterday, he had discovered a clue that wasn’t very noticeable.
He hadn’t noticed it at first either. It was only after he went home, took a shower, and was about to have a drink before bed, looking at the wine glass in his hand and the bottle on the table, that he suddenly realized something—
The broken liquor bottles scattered in the wasteland around the farm!
Yes, the broken liquor bottles, the Golden Lion brand bottles.
What kind of clue were these bottles?
Someone might ask, and Hunter didn’t understand at first either. He just subconsciously felt that it was a clue.
It took him a considerable amount of time to finally understand what he thought was wrong.
If the distillery was Lance’s, then for him to export these Golden Lion brand liquors on a large scale, he would need to manufacture bottles!
As long as he could be linked to these bottles, it would be tantamount to catching him by the tail.
And by catching this little loose end, it might be possible to persuade a judge to believe that Lance not only made the bottles but also produced the liquor and sold it externally.
If he didn’t sell it externally, then where did so many bottles and their contents go?
Hunter, having figured this out, was quite excited. He had to have several drinks to calm himself down.
He planned to deal with this matter when he went to work today, but this time he didn’t tell anyone.
Webber’s death had served as a reminder to him. Lance’s infiltration of the police system was terrifying. Two precincts had already openly defied his orders as chief. So, in the other precincts, including his main headquarters, were there also people who had sided with Lance?
He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to guess, because once he started guessing, he would definitely not be able to sleep.
He drove out of the police station without telling anyone. It seemed like an irresponsible act for the police chief to leave the station at such a critical moment.
But in fact, for the police of their faction at the moment, what was actually in effect was a “dual-chief system,” that is, Chief Hunter and Chief Charlie.
And Chief Charlie’s status was clearly higher than Chief Hunter’s. If they couldn’t find Hunter, they would naturally call the former chief, Charlie.
There was a high probability that they could reach Charlie, so Hunter being away for a short while, for an afternoon, would not be a problem at all.
So this time, he didn’t tell anyone. He planned to go out and investigate it himself. After he had investigated it clearly and obtained the key evidence, he could directly launch an arrest of Lance!
As one of the former leaders of the criminal investigation team, he had experience in handling cases independently, so he was not worried or afraid.
The glass factories in Golden Port were all in the industrial district. Because they required burning, which produced some smoke, setting up a glass factory near a residential area would lead to complaints.
So most of the factories were concentrated in the industrial district on the westernmost side of the city. The supporting facilities here were also very complete, the land prices were cheap, and the labor costs were not expensive, making it very suitable for starting a business.
He came to what people called “Glass Street.” Both sides of this street were lined with glass factories of all sizes, and the chimneys of almost most of them were emitting smoke.
As the population of Golden Port continued to grow, the demand for glassware was also increasing.
After Hunter parked his car, he began to walk.
The car was too big of a target. He was worried about attracting curiosity and being discovered.
He came to the first glass factory. The workers inside were working. When the manager saw Hunter approaching, he immediately came up with a smile. “Sir, what can I do for you?”
Hunter also smiled. “Can you produce bottles?”
The manager said with a smile, “Of course, every factory here can do that. Can you tell me what you need these bottles for, and if they have any specific shape requirements?”
Hunter shook his head. “No special requirements. I plan to use them to hold some… liquid beverages, but I need them to be very safe, because those beverages are very special.”
The manager understood what he meant. They did privately make liquor bottles for people, because there were many family workshops that also brewed various alcoholic beverages.
They needed containers for these things. Although these businesses might not be large, if they made a lot at once, they could slowly sell them off.
But he wouldn’t show it. “Are you talking about carbonated drinks?”
“You can take a look at these…” he took out some pre-made bottles, which were no different from beverage bottles.
Then you buy a capping machine, cover it with a metal cap, press down hard, and a sealed bottle appears. But this was obviously not what Hunter wanted.
He shook his head and took out a drawing of a bottle he had made himself. The design was slightly more complex.
The manager just glanced at it and shook his head. “Sorry, we don’t make this.”
The bottles he provided could also be said to be soda bottles. If they were implicated and taken to court, they could completely use the excuse that the other party came asking for soda bottles, and what he sold were soda bottles.
As for what the buyer did with the soda bottles, it had nothing to do with them.
But if they directly sold this kind of bottle that was obviously a liquor bottle, they would definitely be held jointly liable.
Hunter took out the prepared photo of a Golden Lion whiskey bottle. He stared at the manager. “What about this kind?”
The manager frowned and looked at it, getting a little impatient. “Sorry, we don’t provide these. I hope you can ask elsewhere, or I’ll call the police.”
Hunter raised his hands. “No offense intended. I’ll leave now.”
The manager watched him leave and shook his head, not foolishly calling the police. This kind of thing happened from time to time.
Hunter wandered this street all morning without any success. Just as he was about to finish checking all the storefronts on this side of the road, he stopped outside a “Gold Star Glass Factory.”
The factory didn’t seem too busy. Several workers were standing at the entrance smoking. He glanced over and walked towards them.
Whether in this era or any other time, as long as you are in the Federation, if a stranger walks towards you with a clear purpose, you’d better be prepared for two things.
One, the other party pulls out a weapon. You’d better immediately raise your hands and cooperate, regardless of whether he wants your necklace, your shoes, or your hat. You’d better give it to him, otherwise he might really shoot you twice or stab you twice.
For these people, crime is like the discomfort after waking up every day. They’ve long since gotten used to it, and even a little inseparable from it.
Two, if the other party doesn’t pull out a weapon, then you’d better run. He might just be acting on a whim, so you have a chance to protect your property.
However, if your running ability is not good, and the other party has inherited the stamina and speed of their ancestors who toiled under the hot sun, then you’d better just stand there and cooperate, because you will be caught and then have your nose broken.
The few workers all stood up and stared at Hunter.
Hunter took two dollars out of his pocket. “I have a question.”
The few workers looked at each other. One of them, who seemed to have more prestige, stood up. “What do you want to ask?”
“I’ve worked on this street for over twenty years. There’s nothing here I don’t know.”
Hunter tilted his head, motioning for them to talk on the side. The man did not refuse and followed Hunter to the side.
The worker tentatively took the two dollars from Hunter’s hand. Hunter did not stop him, which brought a lot of smiles to the worker’s face.
“I want to order a batch of glass products, but I’ve asked several places, and they all refused. Some even said they would call the police.”
The worker was not surprised to hear this. “Someone was arrested for making liquor bottles. Prison, fines. You know, the law is just a toy for those big shots!”
“They can convict you however they want.”
The worker’s words were filled with dissatisfaction with the current judicial and law enforcement systems. Hunter pursed his lips. “If I want this batch of liquor bottles, who should I look for?”
The worker hesitated. They did produce a large batch of liquor bottles every once in a while, so they were capable of producing them, but this matter had to be decided by the manager.
His hesitation made Hunter realize that this glass factory also produced liquor bottles. He directly took out the photo of the broken Golden Lion whiskey bottle. “This kind.”
He stared at the worker’s expression. The moment the worker saw the photo, his expression changed uncontrollably.
This change made Hunter clench his fists. He knew he had found it.
The worker pushed the photo back. “Sorry, I can’t make the decision on this. You have to talk to the manager.”
With that, he turned to leave. “I’ve already answered your two dollars’ worth.”
Hunter smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll talk to your manager later.”
He did not go to the manager.
As an old police officer, he knew very well that going to the manager at this time would only alert the manager and the people behind him, so he left immediately.
As for the worker?
He got two dollars. He probably wouldn’t go around talking. He knew these workers very well.
They liked to take small advantages but were afraid of getting into trouble.
It was just that he didn’t know that the worker went to talk to the manager right after he returned. They had been working together for many years, and the worker felt that this person might cause damage to the factory.
He didn’t want to lose this job.
“What did he say to you?”
The worker honestly recounted what had happened, and even specifically added, “The way he spoke was a bit like a cop, not like a gangster. You know, gangsters and cops talk differently.”
After hearing this, the manager could only glare at him. “So you answered his questions?”
“Shit!”
“You’d better pray that the boss doesn’t think this is a problem!”
“Now, get out of my sight. You guys are giving me a fucking headache!”
The few workers left. They had all worked at this factory for ten or twenty years and had a deep affection for it, and their relationship with the manager was also good.
These reprimands were actually nothing to them.
After watching them leave, the manager dialed Lance’s number.
“Mr. Lance, we’ve run into a little trouble here,” he said tactfully, not getting straight to the point.
Lance didn’t guess what he was talking about at first. “Did some gangsters give you trouble?”
“Let their leader take the call.”
“No, no, that’s not the problem.”
“Just now, a man who might be a police officer came over and asked if we could produce liquor bottles, and he showed a photo of a Golden Lion liquor bottle.”
“I suspect he might know something.”
“And just now, outside the factory, he seemed to be probing those workers. I’m not sure if the workers revealed anything.”
Lance frowned. He had indeed not thought about this problem.
But fortunately, although he had acquired the factory, the factory’s information had not been changed. The only possible trouble was that these workers had seen him.
Of course, this was not a problem either. It could be handled by Roben the lawyer. When it came to wrangling, Roben was not only an expert, but he also had connections upstairs.
But this was a hassle.
“Wait a moment. I’ll arrange for someone to come over.”
After hanging up, he had Devon come over. The young man had been in the spotlight lately and was very willing to participate in various activities.
“Go to Mr. Bruce’s place. He’ll give you a few photos. Take the photos to our glass factory in the industrial district, and have the manager identify who came over just now. Then bring the photos back.”
“If the person he saw is not in the photos you brought, then you take him to see Bruce, and leave the rest to Bruce, understand?”
Devon repeated Lance’s instructions to confirm that there were no errors, and then he left.
Then Lance also made a call to Bruce. Since he was transferred to the Forest Police Department, he had refused to take up his post and had been at home.
He was waiting, waiting for Lance to deal with Charlie and Hunter, and then to get back what he had lost, with interest.
He was very happy to help with Lance’s request. The police force also had many activities every year, and they would take photos to commemorate them. Bruce took out a few photos taken at recent police force events, with the main personnel all in them.
The chiefs of the various precincts, the higher-ups at the main headquarters, and some star police officers, as well as the graduation photos of several classes from the police academy—
As a precinct chief, Bruce was qualified to participate in every graduation ceremony as an “honorary alumnus,” which was also a kind of “alumni relationship.”
When Devon brought these photos to the glass factory manager, the manager easily found Hunter in the photos and said with great certainty, “It’s this person.”
“Are you sure?” Devon asked. He actually knew Hunter too. This knowledge was not that he and Hunter were friends or had talked, but just that he knew that person was the police chief, nothing more.
The manager nodded and confirmed again, “Yes, it’s this person. I won’t forget him. He just came.”
Devon immediately picked up the phone and asked the manager to step aside for a moment. “It’s Hunter.”
“Hunter?” Lance was a little surprised by this result.
Lance frowned. He didn’t know why Hunter would go personally, but this was definitely not good news. “Let the manager take the call.”
After a while, the manager’s voice came from the receiver, and then Lance continued.
“This matter has made me realize that we need to make some changes. Move the factory to Gold Star City. We have people there who will arrange everything for you.”
“At that time, we will have a bigger factory, more advanced machinery, and more workers. You tell the workers that they will become team leaders and so on, and their salaries will also be increased.”
“If they are not willing to come with us, then give them a sum of money and let them learn to shut up. Otherwise, my people will help them!”
“You go talk to the workers immediately, and then shut down the factory immediately.”
“Take the people, leave that place, immediately!”
Lance quickly made his arrangements. This was not entirely because Hunter had discovered the factory.
The output of the Lawrence Farm was very large. Gold Star City was obviously closer to the Lawrence Farm, and the enforcement of Prohibition there was not very strict.
The manager agreed. He could no longer leave Lance. His life now and his past life were two extremes!
In the past, his wife was always sighing, always hinting in her words that he was unwilling to fire the redundant workers, which was dragging them down.
She was always complaining about various things!
But now she had changed. She no longer complained. She had become tolerant, merciful, and compassionate.
She didn’t care what happened to the manager’s factory. She even said with a laugh that as long as she didn’t lack money, she wouldn’t care if the manager found another mistress outside.
In middle age, one basically sees the essence of life very clearly.
The demands of the lower class on life are actually very low. As long as they don’t live in poverty and are not defeated by money, that’s enough.
Everything else is bullshit!
So moving to another place to live was not a problem at all!
The manager put down the phone and walked from his office to the factory floor. “Everyone, come over…”
About ten minutes later, the entire factory was shut down, and at the same time, these workers all went home.
As for the manager, he directly bought a train ticket to Gold Star City. This time he was going alone.
Hunter, who had returned to the police station, made a call to Charlie.
“I’ve caught Lance’s little loose end.”
This slightly triumphant tone made Charlie stunned for a good while. “How did you do it?”
He recounted his discovery and probing. “I can be sure that even if that factory didn’t produce liquor bottles for Lance, they should know who is producing these bottles!”
After hearing this, Charlie thought for a moment. “Tell Director Dale about this. It’s too slow for us to go through the judicial process to get a search warrant. The Bureau of Hazardous Materials has its own legal office. Let them issue the document directly to us.”
He paused for a moment. “No, I’ll go and talk to him. You find some people, people you can trust. I don’t want Lance to know about this as soon as you say it.”
Although there was no evidence to prove that the farm distillery was Lance’s, they all tacitly agreed that it was Lance’s farm.
The Four Families were in a slump now. The Kodak Family’s liquor all relied on smuggling. Everyone knew this, even the Bureau of Hazardous Materials.
There was a reason they didn’t investigate. After all, a considerable part of the profits generated by these liquors had to be sent to Golden State.
Then, the only one in the city with such a large production demand was the Lance Family!
Hunter immediately mobilized some police officers, and Charlie told Director Dale about this. The latter immediately agreed.
He was in a terrible mess now. If he could catch the behind-the-scenes operator of the ranch, it would also be an opportunity for him to atone for his mistakes.
At least it could clear him of suspicion!
Half an hour later, the search warrant was delivered to Hunter. He personally led eight police cars, sirens blaring, to Glass Street in the industrial district.
When he saw the closed factory gate, after showing a look of astonishment, he slammed his fist on the steering wheel!
(End of Chapter)