"I actually quite like you,"
Luke said, "Your bald head makes a great target."
Pike laughed and rubbed his bald head.
The tall black man sitting on the sofa stood up, his face dark and threatening as he looked at Luke, clearly thinking it would take just a word from the boss to take Luke down.
Luke was not one to coddle him, "Put away your gun, and if you dare to polish that piece of junk again, I can't guarantee I won't get excited and shoot you.
"Don't test my patience, got it?"
Pike said with some dissatisfaction, "Detective Chief Luke, did you come here just to throw your weight around, to show off the might of the LAPD? If that's the case, then you can only leave."
"The one strutting around is you, the guy with the headscarf at the door, and this big idiot who can't stop wiping his gun. They are the ones irritating me."
"They always act like that, and I'm used to it. You're the first one to object.
I'm not targeting you; it's just their habit.
By letting you in, I'm already showing my sincerity." Pike gestured and the tall black man put his gun away.
Luke showed a satisfied expression, "OK, I'm not one to hold petty grudges. Let's consider it water under the bridge and talk business."
"Have a seat," Pike pointed to the sofa opposite him, "Want something to drink? I've got everything here."
Luke waved his hand, "No need."
Marcus answered, "Beer."
Pike laughed, turning to a black girl nearby, "Get Detective Marcus a bottle of beer."
Soon, the girl with the voluptuous behind twisted as she handed Marcus a glass of beer.
"Thank you." Marcus popped the cap and took a big gulp, grinning at Pike, "Nice taste, I like it, too."
Pike also picked up a beer bottle in a toast, then asked Luke, "Detective Chief Luke, what do you want to talk about?"
Luke countered, "What do you hope I'll talk about?"
Pike corrected, "It's you who wanted to see me."
"You also want to get information from me, don't you? Otherwise, there was no need for you to see us."
Pike pursed his lips, "You've hurt my guys."
"I thought you'd pretend not to know about it?"
"He shot first. What would you do if you were me? Is that reason enough?"
Pike nodded, "Now you can state your purpose."
"I'm here to save you."
Pike laughed, "Ha, are you joking? Do you think anyone can hurt me?" Pike pointed to the big black guy and the henchmen outside, "Do I look like I need a cop to save me?"
Luke's face was serious, "You killed an FBI agent. They won't let you go."
"Don't slander me. I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't kill an FBI agent."
"The fact remains, and the FBI has already started investigating you. Your best bet for self-rescue is to cooperate with the police. Right now, only the LAPD can protect you. Otherwise, the moment you fall into the hands of the FBI, everything in this apartment will no longer be yours."
When Luke said this, he wasn't betraying FBI information but using it to intimidate Pike.
Assuming FBI Agent Fannie was indeed killed by Pike, he must have been prepared for FBI retaliation from the start, so it made no difference whether Luke said it or not.
If Fannie wasn't killed by Pike, then it didn't matter if Luke mentioned it. It wouldn't make a difference.
Pike's face was cold, "I'm not easily frightened."
"So, you're already ready to face the FBI?"
"I'll say it again, I haven't killed any FBI agents and have no grudge against them. Why would I confront the FBI?"
"But the fact is that an FBI agent died on your turf, and they think you're responsible. If you want to clear your name, you need to help the police with their investigation."
Pike pursued, "Investigate what?"
"The Maraboya High School shooting incident."
"What's that got to do with the FBI agent?"
"At the time, an FBI agent was undercover on campus and got killed too. The FBI has already suspected you."
"The Maraboya High School shooting has nothing to do with me. Even if an agent was indeed killed, it's also nothing to do with me."
Luke smirked, "Whether it was you or not doesn't matter. What matters is they believe it was you."
Pike was silent for a moment, "What do I have to do to clear my name?"
"Tell the police what you know about the Maraboya High School shooting case. Once I find the real murderer, they'll have no reason to target you anymore. Think about it."
Pike sat on the sofa, smoking a cigar with his eyes closed. After a while, he spoke calmly, "I will never cooperate with the police, never."
"Then there's no point in talking." Luke finished and got ready to leave.
"Woah, leaving already? I thought you two were getting along well; I assumed you would stay a bit longer." Marcus also stood up, not forgetting to take the half-finished beer with him.
Pike also stood up, "Marcus, the friend you brought doesn't seem too pleasant.
But I do like you. Stay in touch."
"No problem. Your apartment's nice, perfect for parties."
"You're right. That's exactly why I chose it." Pike gave Marcus his business card.
Marcus took out his own card to exchange.
After that, Luke and Marcus left the apartment.
Marcus boasted, "See that? Everybody likes me."
Luke shook his head, "It's not you they like, but the skin you're in."