Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Similar situations, Luke has seen before, for example, a thin old man with white hair, trembling as he walks, holding a golden retriever. He indeed has it on a leash, but if the dog wants to bite someone, the old man can't even keep it under control and might be pulled down by it.

The leash is just for show, he simply doesn't have the ability to control the dog.

If it were someone like Luke, a strong man, he could easily pull the disobedient dog back home, give it a beating, and make it behave.

Dogs have a strong sense of hierarchy. You have to make them realize your status is higher and you are stronger; only then will they obey you.

If they see you as weak, your status in their eyes will be below them. They won't serve you; you'll be serving them.

Luke knew Anika Carmen was deeply poisoned, her thoughts hard to correct, so he changed the subject, "After Haida Cartman was bitten by your dog, how did you handle it? Did you call 911?"

"No, it's not that I didn't want to save her, it was already too late."

Coco accidentally bit her leg's artery, she lost a lot of blood, and had already died."

Luke wrote down in his notebook, "What did you do afterward?"

"I was very scared at the time, never encountered such a situation, so I dug a hole to bury her."

"Even if the person died, you should have called the police, that's the right way to handle it."

"I didn't dare... I was afraid you would kill Coco.

I was very panicked, it was the first time I encountered such a thing."

Luke's tone was severe, "It's not panic, it was intentional murder and corpse burial."

"No, I didn't kill her, I just buried the body."

Luke pointed to a document on the table, "But according to forensic doctor's tests, the deceased wasn't killed by being directly bitten, nor from excessive blood loss, but suffocation."

Anika Carmen frowned, shaking her head, "What do you mean by that?"

"When you buried Haida Cartman, she was still alive, you killed her."

Anika Carmen's eyes widened, face twisted, "No no no, that's impossible, she lost so much blood and was motionless, how could she be alive?"

"Perhaps Haida Cartman thought you were going to kill her, so she pretended to be dead.

It's also possible Haida Cartman fainted from blood loss.

Either way, she was buried alive, and you are the real murderer."

"Wooo..." Anika Carmen started crying, "I didn't know, I thought she really died. God, why are you treating me like this? Why did this happen to me?"

Anika Carmen cried bitterly, seemingly unable to accept that she killed someone.

After a long while, Luke continued asking, "Why did you kill the vagrant Teddy Colin?

Think carefully before answering, stop lying.

The police have enough evidence, even if you don't admit, you'll be convicted."

The previous interrogation seemed to have greatly affected Anika Carmen; she hesitated for a while before speaking, "Teddy Colin deserved to die! he kept blackmailing me."

"What's he holding over you?"

"That day, Coco biting someone was seen by him, he used it to extort money from me.

On August 25, we made the first transaction, I gave him all the cash at home.

He also promised never to threaten me again with this matter, and we'd owe each other nothing.

But just two days later, on August 27, he called again asking for money.

I refused.

I knew if there's a second time, there would be a third, fourth time.

But Teddy Colin wasn't content. On August 28, he threatened to call the police if I didn't pay.

If that happens, not only will Coco be killed, but I'll also go to jail.

I agreed to raise money for him again.

But I knew very well, it's a bottomless pit, as long as Haida Cartman's body is there, he'd keep threatening me, and I couldn't keep giving him money.

On the night of the 29th, I brought tools to dig up the body and completely destroy it.

With no body, he couldn't threaten me anymore, and no one would know Coco bit that woman." Anika Carmen sighed, not sure if regretful or helpless, "Just as I dug up the body, Teddy Colin discovered me.

He was angry, thinking I was deceiving him, threatening to call the police.

I warned him, already took my money, if he dared report, he'd be caught too.

But he claimed I had no evidence to prove this, denying ever extorting me.

I was very angry, had to compromise, agreed to give him another sum, but insisted I had to deal with the body today."

Teddy Colin laughed, telling me not to waste effort, starting a fire would attract police attention, better to bury the body back, that's the safest.

I questioned him, if he intended to blackmail me a lifetime?

I vividly remember, Teddy Colin showed disdain, said it was for my own good.

He even pulled out his phone, said he filmed me burying the body, even without it, could report me.

I was particularly angry, knowing as long as that video exists, I'd be blackmailed forever...

Then, I took advantage of his distraction, snatched the phone, during the struggle, accidentally knocked him unconscious with a shovel, took his phone.

After that, I set fire to Haida Cartman's body and the phone, leaving no one to threaten me.

But unexpectedly, just as the fire started, the wind blew.

The fire grew, not only burning the body but also nearby trees. I couldn't open my eyes from the smoke, so I left.

I thought Teddy Colin would run too, didn't expect him to be burned to death."

Luke thought for a moment after listening, "Did you use a fire accelerant?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure Teddy Colin wasn't dead then?"

"Exactly, he just fainted."

"Lie. According to forensic doctor's identification, Teddy Colin wasn't killed by smoke or fire, but you sliced his throat with a shovel."

"I didn't, you have no proof to say I killed him.

This is slander."

Luke pulled out another file, "The tech team found the same fire accelerant on both bodies. If you didn't plan to kill Teddy Colin, why did you spill it on him too?"

Anika Carmen opened her mouth, seemed wanting to argue, but couldn't find the right reason for now.

Luke continued to speak, "The evidence is very clear now, your lies will only anger the jury and judge, making the charges worse."

Anika Carmen showed a look of defeat, clenching her fists tightly, then slowly releasing, after a long silence, with a hint of plea,

"I wish to see Coco one last time."