The Wolf of Los Angeles.

Chapter 23 Crooked ways
At the front desk, Donnie is waiting in line to check in.

Hawke found a seat in the lounge and sat at the small round table.

As always, he immediately considered countermeasures, observed his surroundings, and looked for favorable conditions.

Diagonally opposite, there sat a woman with delicate makeup, a good figure and a tight skirt. When she saw Hawke's outfit, she mistook him for a business elite on a business trip. She raised her eyebrows in his direction, moved her palm forward, landed on her smooth stockings-covered legs, brushed past her knees, and then hooked her fingers.

Hawke could see clearly that this woman was most likely a high-class call girl.

The platform determines the level. Just being able to attract customers in a hotel is several levels higher than prostitution on the street.

The agent behind her should have a special relationship with the hotel.

Hawke thought of a solution and hooked his finger at the callee.

The woman in the short skirt immediately stood up and sat across from him, showing a professional smile: "Good evening, handsome man, my name is Jacqueline, yes, the same name as the Jacqueline whose husband had a hole in his head, just as charming. Are you alone tonight? Do you need someone to accompany you?"

Hawke took out his cell phone, turned on the screen, and said, "Do you have a cell phone? Tell me your number."

Jacqueline smiled with white teeth: "Why, one night is not enough, you still want to contact me? In our line of work, we can't just give out our phone numbers to others..."

She stopped talking automatically before she finished speaking.

Because Hawke took out a $20 bill and put it on the table.

Jacqueline spoke faster than she thought. She immediately gave out a string of numbers and went to get the money.

Hawke dialed the number and Jacqueline's phone vibrated.

Jacqueline hung up and said, "You're in such a hurry? Shall we go upstairs?"

At the front desk, Robert Downey Jr. began to go through the formalities.

Hawke took out $50, put it on the table, pointed to the front desk, and said in a low voice: "Do you see the man in the gray sweatshirt and baseball cap? After he finishes checking in, follow him upstairs, see which room he's staying in, and then call me to let me know."

It's easy for someone in Jacqueline's line of work to get into trouble, so she was somewhat alert: "You...what do you want to do? I don't do anything illegal."

Hawke was too tired to complain, and didn't want to waste time talking, so he took out a business card and handed it to her: "I'm a freelance journalist."

Being in Los Angeles, Jacqueline didn’t need much explanation, she nodded: “I understand, he’s a celebrity.”

Donnie was almost done with the matter, and Hawke didn't have much time, so he said, "I'll give you another $50 after it's done."

He gave some pointers: "You just need to follow them into the elevator, pretend to live on the same floor, and then get out of the elevator later than them and follow behind to see."

This was too easy. Jacqueline picked up the $50 and looked at the front desk: "I did it."

Hawke reminded, "Don't just look over there. Aren't you good at acting when you're working? Use your skills to coax clients and this will be easy to accomplish."

He saw Robert Downey Jr. walking toward the elevator and said, "You go over now."

Jacqueline picked up her handbag and walked towards the elevator.

Donnie entered the elevator shaft and looked toward the entrance.

Sarah Parker came over slowly and stood behind him waiting for the elevator.

The two seemed to be strangers at all.

Three people entered the elevator hall one after Sarah Parker.

One of them was Jacqueline.

She was a little nervous, but as a talent in a special industry, she still had some acting skills. After all, a dead fish would not be worth the price.

It wasn't hard to feign calm at this point.

The elevator came down and Donnie went in first, pressing the button for the 4th floor.

The rest of the people walked into the elevator one after another. Jacqueline reached out and tried to press the button, but when she saw the 4th floor, she withdrew her hand.

The other two pressed the 5th floor.

Jacqueline stood in front and the elevator quickly reached the fourth floor.

When they came out, Jacqueline was walking in front, but her body suddenly tilted, as if her high heels were sprained, and she quickly held onto the wall of the elevator.

Donnie walked by first, and then Sarah Parker walked by.

The two men just glanced at Jacqueline and turned out of the elevator.

Jacqueline waited for a moment and heard the sound of the woman's high heels stopping. Then she came out of the elevator and saw the two people entering a room.

She looked at the house number, turned around and entered the security passage, and dialed the number she had just called: "They are on the 4th floor, room 407."

Hawke said, "I see, come down."

Jacqueline reminded: "Don't forget the $50 you promised."

"Please wait patiently in the lobby. I'll send it to you soon." Hawke hung up the phone, went to the hotel map, and determined the location of Room 407.

The bedroom window of the room faces the front of the hotel.

Hawke came out of the hotel, crossed the narrow street, came to the other side of the road, looked up, and saw that the light in room 407 was already on.

It is obvious what a single man and a single woman want to do when they book a room in such an inconspicuous little hotel.

Hawke remembered clearly that Sarah Parker had not divorced Bro Derek, and Robert Downey Jr. also had a wife and children.

Being the compassionate, nice guy that he is, he had to inform Sarah's husband and Donny's wife.

Hawke turned around and looked behind him. There was an old four-story office building. He immediately returned to the car, drove to a secluded location in the alley, changed back into his original clothes, put on his equipment bag, put on gloves, and prepared to climb the stairs.

This type of old American-style office building usually has iron fire escape stairs on the side exterior walls.

Hawke observed for a moment, and using the angle of the wall and the downpipe bolts, he climbed up to the second floor. He grabbed the iron guardrail, climbed up the fire escape stairs, and successfully reached the roof.

He opened his backpack, took out his camera, installed a telephoto lens, mounted it on a tripod, and turned the lens toward the window of 407 opposite. Just as he took a photo of Downey's profile, a woman's hand reached out from the window and closed the curtains.

The camera couldn't see through it, and Hawke cursed to himself, scratching his head.

Giving up is impossible.

"Bastard." Hawke continued to think of a solution. This was the first order for the West Coast Entertainment Studio after its opening.

It is impossible to climb up along the outer wall of the hotel. There are pedestrians and vehicles on the street, and it is easy to be discovered.

The call girl from before? It seems that there is not much room for him to develop. He can't have too many illusions about this kind of person.

At this moment, "Das Kapital" is embodied in Hawke. When the profits are big enough, he can always think of some ways.

Although it is a crooked way, it is useful.

Hawke searched his coat pocket and found the convenience store business card and brochure he had put in during the day, with the convenience store's contact information on them.

This place is not far from Shengli Street, and it may take less than five minutes to drive there.

Hawke called the number and said quickly, "I'm a freelance journalist who visited your place during the day. I want to buy some things. Please deliver them immediately."

The woman on the other end said lazily, "It's too late. We can't deliver the goods."

Hawke said simply: "Double the price and shipping costs."

The woman immediately changed her tone: "Hello, customer. Just tell me what you want. I promise to deliver it as quickly as possible."

(End of this chapter)