Deputy Chief's Office.
"Knock knock..." Luke tapped on the office door.
Luke entered the office and saw Reid holding a pot of freshly brewed coffee.
Reid smiled, "Did you come in drawn by the smell?"
Luke sat beside the sofa, "It would be even better with some donuts."
Reid shook his head and poured a cup of coffee for Luke from the pot, "Don't tell me you came here specifically for afternoon tea."
Luke took a sip of the coffee, "It's nice.
I'm here to report on the job."
"Have there been developments in the investigation of the two murder cases?"
"Yes, we've found some new leads.
You know about the case of the oil painting theft at the Getty Museum?"
"I've heard about it, is there a connection?"
"We found out that the murdered officer Jens Hauley had rented a warehouse, in which we found $200,000 in cash, a floor plan of the Getty Museum, and maps of the security personnel and facilities.
According to Jens Hauley's partner, Jens Hauley had been working as a part-time security guard at the Getty Museum for the past three months.
Now Jens Hauley is dead, and the Getty Museum's oil painting has been stolen. I suspect there might be a connection between the two."
"Have you figured out the source of the $200,000?" Reid frowned slightly. If it were a bank deposit, it might be legitimate income, and also under the watch of the tax bureau, but $200,000 in cash is questionable.
"No, his fiancée also doesn't know about the money."
Reid stood up and paced back and forth in the office, "Do you think the $200,000 is stolen money?"
Luke replied, "Hard to say."
"There's no one else here, say what you really think."
"From our investigation, Jens Hauley and his fiancée decided to marry in the summer of 23, and he wanted to give her an unforgettable wedding, which required quite a bit of money.
Jens Hauley went to work part-time as a security guard at the Getty Museum because he didn't have enough money.
Assuming Jens Hauley had that $200,000 in cash at the time, he wouldn't have to worry about the wedding expenses at all.
So, I infer that the $200,000 must have been acquired recently.
Additionally, it's unusual for a person to store $200,000 in cash at a warehouse; it's neither safe nor logical.
Unless there's something wrong with the money and it can't be deposited in the bank." Luke paused and continued,
"Also the detailed floor plan and security distribution map of the Getty Museum stored in the warehouse, why would a part-time security guard need these?
These pieces of evidence make one suspect that he might have been in contact with the suspects of the painting theft."
Luke didn't spell it out, but Reid had already understood, Jens Hauley was likely one of the suspects in the oil painting theft, having used his access as a security guard to obtain the museum's floor plan and security distribution map.
And the $200,000 cash might have been a payoff from the robbery gang.
Reid said, "Your analysis makes some sense, but Jens Hauley was shot dead on the night of the 25th, while the painting was stolen in the early hours of the 30th.
Even if there was internal conflict, it should have occurred after the robbery. Why would the gang kill Jens Hauley beforehand?"
Luke answered, "That's indeed a point of doubt, and there's currently no clear evidence. However, from the clues we've investigated, Jens Hauley was not the kind of hopeless person.
I suspect that he initially was led astray by financial hardships and disclosed the museum's security details to the robbery gang.
As a result, he received $200,000 in cash, enough money for his wedding.
At this point, the robbery gang might have made new demands, perhaps wanting him to participate in the robbery plan, but Jens Hauley refused.
He had a fiancée, a stable job, and didn't want to get too deeply involved.
However, once something is done, it's hard to turn back; the robbery gang wouldn't allow anyone to exit halfway for fear of leaks and might resort to murder to silence him.
These are just my analyses, still lacking enough evidence."
An officer being killed easily ignites the collective anger of his peers, and many viewed Jens Hauley as a hero protecting the city after his death; at this point, finding negative evidence about him, or even suspecting him as one of the suspects in the painting theft, must be handled cautiously.
Otherwise, it may cause unnecessary trouble.
Reid said, "Investigate according to your thoughts, but don't jump to conclusions. Until there's sufficient evidence, don't easily suspect your colleagues."
Reid finished the remaining half cup of coffee in one gulp, "I'll go ask which department is responsible for investigating the painting theft case."
Southern District, night shift detective division.
The site of the painting theft case falls under the Southern District, which is handled by its night shift detective division.
Luke brought Port to the Southern District to learn about the situation.
The one responsible for reception was still Detective Chief Davo Gali, who had also received Luke when he took over the Jens Hauley murder case earlier.
Upon meeting, Port greeted, "Davo, long time no see."
"Hey, Port, you finally decided to come back, how are things in the Robbery and Murder Department?"
Port laughed, "Trust me, it's thrilling."
Davo shook hands with Port, "Welcome home."