Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Savia Car Shop.

This shop is located in the southern suburbs of Los Angeles and is where Marico Marquis works. According to Marico Marquis, he recently had a conflict with a colleague at the dealership.

Two black cars drove into Savia Car Shop. Luke got out of the car, observing the environment of the shop, which was divided into front and back yards. The front yard had some decent-looking used cars on display, probably for sale.

A tall Latin woman wearing flesh-colored stockings walked over with a smile, "Sir, are you here to repair or buy a car?"

Luke asked, "Hey beautiful, can you repair cars?"

"No, I can't repair cars. I only handle sales.

If you want to repair your car, I can take you to the back yard, where we have the most professional repair technicians."

Luke said, "We don't need a car repair."

The Latin woman smiled, "I'm Alanah, if you want to buy any type of car, I can help you with that."

"Sorry, we're not here to buy a car." The man showed his badge, "LAPD."

Alanah frowned slightly, "Sir, what brings you here?"

Luke asked back, "Are you Alanah Huarez?"

"That's me." Alanah Huarez seemed puzzled, "How do you know my last name?"

"We want to ask you about some circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"Do you know Marico Marquis?"

Alanah Huarez pursed her lips, "Yes, he's a colleague at our dealership.

But he hasn't come to work today, if you're looking for him, you should call him directly."

"We've already met Marico Marquis and now want to talk to you."

"What do you want to talk about? What exactly are you doing?"

"As far as I know, you and Mr. Marico Marquis have some conflicts."

Alanah Huarez paused, then sneered, "Conflicts? Is that what he said?

If that's the case, I don't think there's anything to talk about."

"Hey, who are you guys? Why are you stopping my girlfriend?" A burly white man in blue overalls walked over, wiping his greasy hands.

"Kaby, I never agreed to be your girlfriend." Alanah Huarez folded her arms, rolling her eyes.

"Darling, everyone in the dealership knows it's only a matter of time.

You'll be my woman sooner or later." The burly white man stood in front of Alanah Huarez, addressing Luke and his companions, "I heard someone came to make trouble, is it you guys?"

The man showed his badge, "LAPD. Are you Kaby Hawkins?"

"That's me.

If you have something to discuss, just tell me.

Alanah's business is my business."

Luke asked, "Do you know Marico Marquis?"

"I wish I didn't know that bastard, are you here because of him?"

"Do you know there was an incident at his house?"

"Yes, he asked the boss for leave a few days ago, saying his wife was in a car accident.

But what's that got to do with us?"

"According to our investigation, his wife's car may have been tampered with, leading to brake failure and losing control.

And you once had conflicts with Marico Marquis and even threatened revenge."

Kaby Hawkins shrugged, "I... That was just drunk talk."

"So, you admit to saying something like this?"

"Listen, I indeed have some conflicts with Marico Marquis, but that's unrelated to his wife, and I wouldn't harm her."

"What conflict do you have with Marico Marquis?"

Kaby Hawkins glanced at Alanah Huarez beside him, hesitating.

"I'm on the verge of going mad." Alanah Huarez complained, turning and leaving.

Kaby Hawkins then said, "I like Alanah and have been pursuing her.

Previously, things were going well between us until Marico Marquis arrived and changed everything.

Marico Marquis is an absolute playboy, good at charming women. Despite being married, he always claims to have a bad relationship with his wife, using it to get close to Alanah and win her heart...

That's the disgusting behavior I hate about him."

Kaby Hawkins paused and continued, "I know what you're thinking, I do hate Marico Marquis, but I didn't tamper with the car, and I have no reason to harm his wife.

If his wife truly died, he'd come to harass Alanah even more, certainly.

So, doing this gives me no benefit at all."

Luke stared at him, without detecting any signs of lying.

From what we've gathered now, Marico Marquis, Alanah Huarez, and Kaby Hawkins are in a love triangle. Kaby Hawkins is a mechanic with skills, but his motive for committing the crime seems insufficient.

Alanah Huarez might have a motive, but lacks the mechanical skills.

Luke asked further, "As far as you know, in the repair industry, are there others with conflicts with Marico Marquis?"

"Of course, why don't you ask Marico Marquis." Kaby Hawkins finished, then laughed, "Right, even if you asked, he probably wouldn't tell."

The man asked, "Is there a story here? I love hearing stories!"

Kaby Hawkins said seriously, "Marico Marquis is a playboy.

You might think I only dislike him because of Alanah.

But it's not just that.

Because he harassed Alanah, I inquired about him from friends.

This guy has a bad reputation at the dealership. The reason he came to our dealership is that he was fired from the previous one.

As for the reason for dismissal, he was flirting with the dealer's girlfriend."

The man curiously asked, "Does his wife know about this?"

"Haha..." Kaby Hawkins laughed, the smile seemed odd, "At that time, he didn't have a wife yet."

Luke speculated, "Is Marico Marquis's wife the ex-girlfriend of the previous car dealership owner?"

"That's right.

That bastard Marico Marquis loves to flirt with other people's girlfriends. It's no surprise that someone would seek revenge on him."

Luke asked, "Do you know where Marico Marquis used to work?"

"Klein Car Dealership."

"Do you know the owner of that dealership?"

"No, but I heard the owner got dumped by his girlfriend and soon after was jailed for drunk driving."

"Has the owner of Klein Car Dealership been released?"

"I don't know."

Luke shook hands with the person, "Thank you for the information."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to let more people know about the true nature of that bastard Marico Marquis."

After asking a few more questions, Luke left the Savia Car Shop with his team.

…

Auburn Hospital.

Room 402.

Alanah Huarez lay alone on the bed; her mother had left at some point.

"Knock, knock..."

The sound of knocking came from outside.

"Come in."

Luke and Little Black pushed the door open and entered the room.

Alanah Huarez asked, "Captain Li, have you found out who wants to harm me?"

"We've found some leads and would like to verify some details with you."

Alanah Huarez showed a nervous expression, "My husband, he..."

"I'm not asking about your husband."

Alanah Huarez breathed a sigh of relief, "I said, the car accident definitely had nothing to do with him."

Luke sat by the bedside and asked, "How did you meet Marico Marquis?"

Alanah Huarez thought for a moment, "By a very random chance..."

"Have you heard of Klein Car Dealership?"

Alanah Huarez's face changed slightly, "Yes, my husband used to work there."

Luke continued, "Do you know the owner of that dealership?"

Alanah Huarez pressed her lips and said softly, "Yes, he... is my ex-boyfriend."

"What's his name?"

"Williams Klein."

Luke continued, "Can you talk about the emotional journey between the three of you?"

Alanah Huarez sighed, "I...

I'm the one who let Williams Klein down.

He was very good to me; we dated for three years and were even considering marriage.

One day, I went to Klein Car Dealership to find him while he was in the middle of business talks with a client, which was when I met Marico.

He was handsome, humorous, and caring, and we had mutual hobbies and lifestyles.

After meeting him, I gained a new understanding of love.

I hopelessly fell in love with him, a feeling that was particularly sincere as if missing it would mean no second chance.

So, I left Williams and chose to be with Marico.

I never regret that choice."

Luke asked, "Where is Williams Klein now?"

"I heard from friends...

Soon after we broke up, he was jailed for drunk driving, and I haven't seen him since." Alanah Huarez finished with a deep breath, "Why did you bring up Williams?"

Luke replied with a question, "Do you think the car accident could be related to him?"

Alanah Huarez was stunned and remained silent for a long time, "I don't know."

After finishing the questioning, Luke immediately left the hospital.

On the way back to the police station, Luke contacted Matthew to investigate Williams Klein's background, and the officers who arrested him.

…

Half an hour later.

Robbery and Murder Department, Squad One office.

Luke entered the office, poured himself a cup of warm water, and asked, "Matthew, have you found Williams Klein's information?"

Matthew looked at the computer screen and read, "On the night of July 3, 2022, Williams Klein drove drunk and collided with a black Toyota.

The officer who arrested him was Ossie Perkins, a victim in another car accident case."

Little Black laughed, "Got it, Williams Klein was abandoned by his girlfriend Alanah Huarez, who ran off with his employee.

Williams Klein drowned his sorrows in alcohol, resulting in a car accident, and was then arrested by Officer Ossie Perkins.

Williams Klein has been released from prison now.

He blames Ossie Perkins and Alanah Huarez for sending him to prison and harbors resentment, seeking revenge on them."

Luke nodded, agreeing with the analysis, and asked, "Has Williams Klein been released from prison?"

Matthew shrugged, "Officially, his sentence has ended."

Little Black frowned, "What do you mean officially? What about in reality?"

Matthew said, "He died last year, in prison.

And dead men don't commit murders."