1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 15 Yet another high-risk occupation leads to death
The next case seems to have nothing to do with Theodore.

In an effort to protect him, Wenner stripped him of his control over the case.

Theodore only saw a young man, pretending to be calm, being brought over by two grumpy-faced police officers near the end of his shift, followed by an aggressive middle-aged man and a noisy woman.

Wenner, along with Deputy Superintendent Jimmy Calhoun and West Precinct Chief Grant Whitaker, came out to greet them, but the middle-aged man did not give them a friendly look.

Jimmy Carhol, also known as the 'Deputy Commissioner,' is the deputy to the West Precinct Chief. He was Bernie's superior and was in charge of the patrol department, overseeing several precinct affairs.

It was he who called Wenner over and gave him a good scolding.

The four of them went to the bureau chief's office for a private chat.

Theodore made an excuse to go to the archives and passed by the office when he heard an angry roar coming from inside.

When it was time to leave work, the police station was crowded with people carrying cameras, their flashlights flashing incessantly, and cars blocking the road in front of the police station.

Every time someone came out of the police station, a bunch of microphones would be thrust at them, and a barrage of questions would be asked of them.

Why was Congressman Howard's son brought to the police station?

"Is Congressman Howard's son connected to the murder of the prostitute on Rose Street a few days ago?"

"Congressman Howard's son..."

These people are very well-informed; only two hours have passed, and they already know what happened.

…………

Saturday's newspaper was excellent.

Several local newspapers featured the case on their front pages, providing the latest firsthand information, including evidence, testimonies, and details about the deceased. The articles vividly described how Howard Jr. killed Jeanne.

The article concludes with a quote from the deputy commissioner: "No matter who he is, or who his father is, if he commits a crime, we will arrest him!"

When Theodore read this, he sensed an atmosphere of power struggle.

In contrast to the active and proactive deputy commissioner, the chief of police did not express his views through any public channels, and Wenner, who was very confident from the beginning, also appeared very low-key.

The case has attracted widespread attention throughout Felton, and a strange atmosphere seems to permeate the police station.

Theodore put down his newspaper and looked toward Wenner's office.

A dozen minutes ago, the deputy commissioner came to the homicide unit in person to demand the person's release. Wenner took the person to his office for a detailed discussion, which lasted for quite some time.

"Julian, this is the director's order." The office door suddenly opened, and the voice that came from inside immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Kahor stood at the door, one hand on the doorknob, looking smug. "I didn't want to take this case either. You know my men are all patrol officers. You guys are the ones who handle murder cases."

“But you have a past with Congressman Howard, and the chief was worried that your personal feelings might get involved if you led the homicide investigation. That's why…”

"I sent someone to take him away."

Kahle sauntered away, his small steps smug, past the angry glares of the homicide detectives.

Behind him was Wenner, his face flushed with anger.

After a long silence, someone muttered "son of a bitch" under their breath, and the office immediately erupted in noise.

Wenner didn't stop him; he seemed stunned by the noise and just stood behind his desk, letting the outside world continue its commotion.

Soon, detectives from the patrol team arrived and took Howard away.

Seeing their smug expressions, the murder squad was filled with indignation, but had nowhere to vent their anger.

Only after the people were taken away did Wenner speak up, calling Theodore and Bernie into his office. After closing the door, most of the anger on his face dissipated.

"The case has been transferred to the patrol department," Wenner said in a deep voice, sitting in his chair.

Bernie jumped up immediately. "Boss, we can't let them have it!"

He said excitedly, "That bastard Jimmy Carhol has always wanted to disband our homicide squad and let his rabble take over the homicide cases. If we transfer the cases to him, he'll have even more leverage to persuade the chief!"

Wenner tapped the table, and Bernie reluctantly sat down. He turned to Theodore and asked, "What do you think?" Theodore was taken aback. "What?"

Do you think Howard Jr. killed that prostitute?

Theodore couldn't figure out what he was up to, so he shook his head. "No."

Wenner raised an eyebrow, opened a drawer, took out a folder, and tossed it over.

"You two will investigate this case."

Theodore opened the folder and read its contents with Bernie.

It only contains alarm records and a string of addresses.

The two looked at Wenner in confusion.

“We just got it this morning.” Wenner pointed to Bernie. “The body is still at the scene. You’ll go with the forensic pathologist.”

He instructed, "There's no need for a public investigation; conduct it quietly."

He waved his hand and said, "Go on."

Theodore and Bernie came out completely bewildered and drove after the hearse.

On the way, Bernie quietly shared his guess with Theodore: "This is the boss's counterattack. He wants to compete with that bitch's son, Kahor. It must be."

Theodore felt that Wenner was not the type to take murder lightly, but since it involved a power struggle, he wasn't sure.

The crime scene was next to Rose Street, but despite being only one street apart, the circumstances were worlds apart.

Rose Street may have old buildings, but its commercial activity ranks among the top in Felton, surpassing many other commercial districts in the city center.

However, just one street away, this place presents a slum scene.

The apartment where the deceased lived was converted from an early workers' dormitory. The corridors were narrow, allowing only two people to pass at a time, and the rooms were even smaller, with only one more bathroom than the hotel on Rose Street.

Theodore and Bernie arrived at the deceased's room. The door was closed, and two patrol officers were smoking outside.

After showing their badges, the two were allowed to pass. One of the officers said this, took out his keys and tossed them to Bernie, then turned and walked with his partner toward the stairs.

Theodore frowned, watching the two patrol officers' retreating figures. Bernie chuckled coldly and opened the door.

The forensic doctors, dressed neatly at the door, stepped into the room, with Theodore and Bernie following behind. The already cramped room immediately felt crowded with six people inside.

The room was really cramped, with most of the space dedicated to a double bed. Opposite the bed was a small dressing table, and in front of the dressing table were two chairs. That was all the furniture.

The deceased was a woman who appeared to be in her forties, heavily made up, lying on the ground with a pool of blood beneath her. There was a bloodstain on the wall above her head, resembling an exploded pomegranate seed.

There were many toys on the bed and floor, and the trash can was full of garbage.

All four forensic pathologists were trained by Samuel and possessed basic professional skills. They worked in pairs, with one conducting a simple external examination of the body and the other recording the results.

After the recording was completed, the body bags were laid out to the side. One group carried the body into the body bag, while the other group began to pick and choose to put evidence into the paper bag and take pictures of the room.

At this point, their behavior became unprofessional. In Theodore's view, they took a lot of worthless items and let go of a lot of valuable evidence.

Moreover, their photography skills were very amateurish; many photos were taken at an angle, not to mention the lack of rulers and numbers.

Although my skills are amateurish, I managed to take a lot of photos, and I didn't miss any of the nooks and crannies.

Theodore didn't disturb them and walked around the room twice.

The four forensic doctors worked skillfully, having already put the deceased into a body bag, and were now laboriously carrying it out, the body bag piled high with the evidence they had collected.

Only Theodore and Bernie remained in the room. Theodore then squatted down in front of the pool of blood and examined it closely.

Bernie had arrived at some point, bending over and staring at the bloodstains on the wall. When Theodore looked up, he whispered, "Did she come? What did she say to you? Did she mention the killer? What's his name?"

(End of this chapter)