Yusuf Zuck was settled into an office where there was a sofa, and James Hart also indicated that Yusuf could rest on the sofa for the time being. As for when Yusuf could leave, he would have to wait for notification.
The police had the authority to detain Yusuf for forty-eight hours, so after they finished questioning Yusuf, they still had to verify everything since someone had reported him, making a thorough check necessary.
Overnight, James Hart took several case officers to the hospital. Following the ward area Yusuf had described, they found Felix Zuck in the hospital room and the little nurse, Paisley Kirk, and questioned them individually.
The interrogation didn’t last long, only about fifteen minutes or so, after which James Hart also met with the attending physician to simply learn about the patient’s condition, length of hospital stay, and so on.
Finally, James Hart and his team went to another floor, which was where the driver Yusuf had mentioned he saved was.
It was already past eight in the evening, but Jade Cooke’s room was very lively today because it was his birthday. Jade’s parents and sister were all at the hospital, celebrating with a cake for Jade.
Before James Hart and his team could enter Jade Cooke’s room, they were stopped by a young man and woman. The young man was Erasmus Cooke’s bodyguard and part-time driver, and the woman was Anna Cooke’s bodyguard driver.
Jade Cooke’s parents were both senior military leaders, so they each had dedicated service and were always accompanied by bodyguards twenty-four hours a day.
Since the two bodyguards were not wearing military uniforms, the woman with James Hart immediately took out her credentials when they were stopped and said coldly, "Step aside." The clear and bright credentials flashed before the eyes of the bodyguards.
The male and female bodyguards glanced at the credentials and did not yield. The male guard asked in a deep voice, "What do you want?"
"We’re here to ask Jade Cooke about a case. And who are you? What do you do? Show us your IDs!" the female officer commanded.
After exchanging a look, the bodyguards almost simultaneously took out their military IDs, with the male belonging to an amphibious marine corps from East Sea, and the female from Inner Nine Bureaus—an even more significant affiliation.
After seeing these two credentials, James Hart and his team were all stunned. What was Jade Cooke involved in? What exactly was going on?
The female guard paid no attention to James Hart and his team, instead turning and entering the room. In just a few seconds, the door to the hospital room opened again, and Erasmus Cooke came out.
Erasmus Cooke was also in casual clothes. When at home or in the capital, he was almost always in casual wear, only wearing his military uniform when at work.
The Shepherd family was known for its strict discipline, being a pure military family.
"Hello. May I ask what case you need to understand from Jade Cooke? What has his car accident got to do with a criminal case?" Erasmus Cooke reached out and greeted them.
"May I ask who you are?" Even if James Hart had never met Erasmus Cooke, he could tell at a glance that he was a military man, because of his particularly sharp eyes!
"I am Jade Cooke’s father." Erasmus Cooke did not mention what he did for living, as it was unnecessary.
"It’s . A man named Yusuf Zuck may be involved in a case, and we want to ask Jade Cooke about Yusuf!"
"Yusuf Zuck?" Erasmus Cooke seemed stunned for a moment but soon nodded and said, "Come in then." He didn’t obstruct the investigation but allowed James Hart and his team to enter.
In the hospital room, Jade Cooke had already blown out the candles and was chatting and laughing with his sister, while his mother was knitting a scarf.
The whole family looked surprised when they saw Erasmus Cooke come in.
"It’s the police. They are here to ask Jade about Yusuf Zuck. We won’t be a problem here, right?" Erasmus Cooke said to James Hart.
"It’s okay, it’s okay, we just have a few questions and then we’ll leave," James Hart repeatedly gestured with his hands.
"Oh, then please sit down. How much do you know about Yusuf Zuck?" Jade Cooke, Anna Cooke, and Jade Cooke’s mother were all immensely curious.
"This is the situation," Yusuf Zuck was in this ward on the evening of the 21st and stayed for a while, isn’t that right?" At this time, it was just James Hart speaking, the other members of the investigating team had already fallen silent, because even a fool could see that this family was no ordinary one.
"The 21st..." Jade Cooke was baffled for a moment, "What’s the date today? I’ve been so confused in bed."
"I know, I was off work on the 21st. Oh yes, that day Yusuf Zuck and his dad had just been transferred back to the hospital, and they did come to our ward. I was there too," Anna Cooke interjected.
"Now I remember, right, on the evening of the 21st Yusuf did come."
"What time did he leave?" James Hart continued to ask.
"Delaney, what time did he go?" Jade Cooke looked at his sister.
"I remember he left not long after, and I went back to school. I left at ten, so he would have been around nine, maybe between nine and nine-thirty? Or after nine-thirty, roughly around that time. But what’s happened to him?" Anna Cooke asked curiously.
"Nothing much, we’re just asking. Since that’s the case, we won’t disturb you any longer. Thank you for your cooperation," James Hart said with a smile, nodding to everyone, and then headed out with his team.
Erasmus Cooke followed them out to the hallway where James Hart reached out for a handshake and said, "Thank you for your cooperation."
"No problem, we’re just doing our duty, but may I ask what exactly is going on?" Erasmus Cooke inquired.
"Here’s what’s happening. A few days ago in a district near Beiyin in Haidian, there was an arson, and six people died at the scene. This afternoon someone reported that Yusuf Zuck is the real culprit behind the killing of those six people, so we are conducting initial visits and investigations," James Hart explained.
"Oh, I see," Erasmus Cooke appeared to understand, "It couldn’t have been Yusuf, could it? He had just returned to the capital from Shandong that day, and it was I who arranged his return. The people died that night?"
"Yes," James Hart nodded.
"Well, you just follow the regulations in your investigation," Erasmus Cooke declared.
"Okay," After another handshake with Erasmus Cooke, James Hart took his team and left.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the hospital, he immediately called the office, instructing them to release Yusuf Zuck.
After ending the call, the female officer expressed her confusion, "Why release him? We haven’t finished our investigation. Shouldn’t we also check his hometown? And there’s the case of his father’s injury. Who did that? Could it be related to those six people? Is there a chance that it was a revenge killing?"
"Yusuf has witnesses, the hospital nurse, his father’s attending physician, and the Shepherd Family can all vouch for his presence in the hospital that night. Also, Yusuf has no calluses on his hands, indicating he’s not a gun expert. Analyzing these facts, he can be temporarily ruled out," James Hart clarified.
"But there are still many doubts, especially concerning his father. Who would be so cruel to injure him?" This update is available on novel-fire.net
James Hart, with a gleam in his eyes, said, "We’ll investigate the doubts slowly. But for now, let’s release him. If he is guilty, releasing him now can throw him off guard and allow us to shadow him more effectively."
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Jade Cooke’s father had gone to the hallway to talk, apparently also about Yusuf Zuck. The husband and wife were deliberating whether or not to inquire further.