Cinephile hustle

"Isn't he a doctor? Every doctor always makes some small mistakes in the process of growing up, so that he can be more sophisticated." Haili's fingers brushed Ian's chin, and Ian turned his face away, Haili didn't think Confidently dialed Cliff's mobile phone number, "Cliff, I need you to help me investigate a doctor, the name is Joshua Manning, I need you to find a reason to sue him from all his previous cases Negligence of duty, drug abuse, etc. as long as it keeps him here!"

"receive."

Cliff's efficiency was astonishing. When Dr. Manning's lawyer arrived, Dr. Manning was facing charges of using cancer drugs to assist patients in making drugs.It would be very troublesome to clear such accusations, and they could detain Dr. Manning for a long time.

Although Manning was locked up, no substantial progress was made in the case.

They scoured Mr. Manning's network, his emails and his call logs, but were unable to find a clear suspect.

Ian sat in front of piles of records, carefully analyzing one by one.

Hailey came to him with a paper bag and put the coffee on his left hand.

"Thank you," Ian said.

Haley sat down on the corner of his desk again, looking down at Ian.

"Ian, looking for a needle in a haystack like this will not yield results. We must be more targeted." Hailey's voice was very soft, "Think about it carefully. You are very smart and good at observing, otherwise you would not have done it eight years ago. Saved me from those lunatics."

Haili's voice was very soft, like a soft sponge, wrapping Ian's nerves layer by layer.

"You don't have to compliment me like that. When it comes to observation, I'm far inferior to you."

Although he said so, Haili's words inexplicably made Ian's mood settle down.

In his mind, he began to sort out the relationship between everyone, whether it was the victim or the suspect.

First, the victim was somehow related to Van Chart.Adam disturbed Van Chart's life with insurance marketing, and Amanda hurt him emotionally by using Van Chart's death as a stunt to sell his work for a high price.Wendel, on the other hand, had negative comments on Van Chart's paintings, because Wendel's qualifications in the art world could easily lead others to have negative thoughts on Van Chart's works.They all more or less hurt Van Chart.

Look at the suspect again.Obviously, Eng Norman helped Dr. Manning complete the layout because he admired Van Chart.

As for Dr. Manning, he is definitely not the executor of Wendell's murder, but he is a doctor, like freezing Adam to keep him looking up, sleeping pills in Amanda's body, Wendell's tranquilizer, obviously Dr. Manning is the mastermind of all murders.He arranged the killings the same way as Van Charter's paintings, which should be for "tribute".He presents his paintings in another, more profound way.

According to the profiler's analysis, this is his twisted way of expressing love.

Whether it was Eng Norman or Dr. Manning, they had a clear purpose in these three murders, and they gave meaning to their actions.And what about the executors of the three murders?What is his purpose?

Something flashed through Ian's mind.

He looked up at Haley, "All three of Van Chart's works are displayed in the Griffin Gallery?"

"Yes." There was a smile on Haili's lips, "What did you think of?"

"Amanda Cook is the art dealer of Griffin Gallery. From the beginning to the end, Van Chart did not agree with Amanda's philosophy, and he was very mindful of others using his illness to hype, so it is reasonable that he I won't give my paintings to Griffin Gallery again. Unless someone in Griffin Gallery crosses Amanda and gets Van Chart's approval!" Ian looked at Haili very seriously.

"Oh, I see what you mean. I heard a story about an insurance salesman who killed a little girl and took her keys just to scare her parents so he could sell insurance. "Hailey rubbed his chin, his eyes were dark and deep.

"And this person, after helping Dr. Manning carry out his plan, can use the power of the media to hype Van Chart's paintings to a higher value." Hai used his mobile phone to open a webpage and delivered it to Ian. "It has been pointed out that these three murders are very similar to Van Chart's paintings, and the collectors are afraid that there has been a lot of discussion. The current estimated price of Van Chart's "Dancing Stars" has already approached some well-known modern artists. The painter. No matter who gets the agency rights of Van Charter's paintings, as long as the paintings are sold, the agency fee is enough for him to be carefree for the rest of his life."

"Oh... Griffin Gallery." Haley pursed his lips and agreed with a smile.

Ian called the Griffin Gallery, and it was Griffin's secretary who answered the phone.

"Hello, I would like to ask if Mr. Griffin is in?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Griffin is on a plane to Washington."

"Then I would like to ask, which art dealer is in charge of Van Chart's paintings now?"

"Mr. Griffin took charge of it himself."

This answer was somewhat within Ian's expectations. He thanked the other party indifferently and notified the Washington police to arrest Griffin as soon as the plane landed.

"Arrest Griffin? We need evidence, Ian. Otherwise he'll be like Dr. Manning and ask to see a lawyer. When the lawyer comes, we have to let Griffin go." Haley spread his palms.

"If he was the 'executor' in all three cases, I'm sure there will be traces left. Let Finn and his men check Eng's van carefully to see if there are any traces! Also check the black Curtain, since Engel left his own hair on it, maybe Griffin has it too! If it doesn’t work, find a way to prolong his arrest. Whether it’s driving speeding or selling fake paintings, you always have a way , right?" Ian looked at Haili and raised his eyebrows.

Hailey laughed, "I thought you hated my special class's behavior."

"Disgust, maybe out of jealousy. I'm a grassroots, nothing."

"You have everything I have." Hailey smiled lightly, and tapped the tip of Ian's nose with his finger.

The moment he turned around, Ian suddenly had the illusion that he was spoiled by this guy.He would do anything for him.

An hour and a half later, the Washington police informed Ian that they had successfully arrested Griffin at the airport, and he would take a flight back to New York three hours later.

Ian leaned back in his chair and exhaled.Meanwhile, Finn and his men are racing against time to find clues.

It's just that when Griffin was brought into the interrogation room, he still found nothing.

Ian looked at Griffin through the glass with folded arms.He was indeed tense, and kept trying to loosen the tie in front of his neck.But the tie is too tight.

Hailey patted Ian on the shoulder, "Let's go, you can make Griffin tell the truth without anything, that's the real skill."

"No, I'll stay here to observe his reaction. It's just right, let me see your skills."

Ian raised the corners of his lips, it was a slight smile, faintly present, but it represented approval.

Haili was stunned, and blinked at Ian: "Dear Uncle Ian, thank you for your approval."

He walked in with two paper cups, handed one to Griffin, and placed the other in front of him.

Griffin was clearly thirsty, and he drank from a paper cup.In this way, Hailey can get Griffin's DNA and fingerprints as long as he gives the paper cup to Fern.

"Griffin, you've seen these three murders in the papers, haven't you?"

Haley placed the three photos side by side in front of Griffin.

Griffin swallowed and shrugged: "I saw it."

"Did you see that? Media reporters are just publishing photos. Not many of them know how to appreciate modern art. And there are even fewer reporters who can instantly associate the murder with Van Chater's paintings. Why? There will be wild rumors on the Internet that Van Chart’s paintings lead to murders, and there are so many mysterious colors added to these paintings...Is it you who posted the post?” Haley leaned on the back of the chair, crossing his arms Smiling and looking at each other.

His eyes were deep, as if he had seen the truth long ago.

Griffin pursed his lips. "I need to see a lawyer. I won't say anything until the lawyer comes."

"Hmm - a very wise choice. Let's see how much evidence we can find before the lawyer comes?" Hailey stood up with a smile, picked up the two cups, and walked out.

When Griffin's lawyer arrived, Ian and Haley also got the news that Griffin sold a fake of a modern painter to a collector three months ago.The other party is about to file a lawsuit against him, and Griffin promised the other party that he will return the amount of the counterfeit to the other party before the end of the year.

Van Chart’s paintings have risen to such sky-high prices that the fee will give him the opportunity to pay back the money and avoid the reputational damage caused by the lawsuit, otherwise he will never be in the art collecting world again.

Griffin discussed with the lawyer. The lawyer represented Griffin and said to Haley: "Detective Russell, Mr. Griffin is willing to cooperate with your investigation. After linking Mr. Charter's paintings, he published them on the Internet to hype up the prices of the paintings. But this is not illegal, and it does not constitute a reason for you to arrest him. If Mr. Charter wants to use the loss of reputation as an excuse to Mr. Griffin filed a lawsuit, and that was a matter between Mr. Charter and Mr. Griffin, and it seemed that the FBI would not need to intervene."

Ian called Fern, and they still couldn't find any evidence of Griffin's involvement in the murder.

Ian and Haley had to let Griffin go.

Before leaving, Ian grabbed Griffin by the collar, "Look into my eyes and be honest, do these three murders have anything to do with you?"

"No... Really not!" Griffin shook his head vigorously, "I am a person who sells art for a living! Van Chart is dying, who knows if his last painting will be finished , so these three paintings in our gallery are enough for me! I really don't need to kill people to drive up the price of paintings! This is outrageous!"

"Ian." Hailey raised his chin, motioning for Ian to let go of Griffin.

"What's wrong?" Ian walked up to Hailey.

Haley leaned closer to Ian and whispered in his ear, "Griffin wasn't in New York when Wendell's murder happened. He was betting big in Las Vegas. He won a lot of money."

It feels like it's back to square one, unless they can pry Dr. Manning's mouth open.

"Dr. Manning seems to be very protective of this 'executor'. Even when we have been suspicious of him, he still puts all the suspicion on Engel."

"Perhaps this 'executor' is very important to Van Chart. If it wasn't true that Van Chart had cancer, otherwise I would suspect that he did all this by himself." Haley was still leisurely, "I Well, you should have a good night's sleep, look under your eyes, it's already dark."

Ian took a breath, and it was indeed time to go home.I don't know what's going on with Lancer, he really has no time to care about him these days.He probably didn't eat well again.

"Haley, besides Griffin, you should know many art dealers, right?"

"What's wrong?" Hailey smiled, his eyes curled up.

Ian thought about it, but still didn't say it.

"It's nothing, I'm going back."

Just as Ian took a step, he was suddenly hugged behind him.When Hailey's profile was pressed against the back of Ian's head, he suddenly missed the thin boy eight years ago.

Hailey's arms were getting closer and closer, and Ian could clearly feel the rise and fall of Hailey's breathing on his back.

"What do you want to say? Why don't you say it. You know if you say it, I will do it for you."

"I'm tired, Haley. You said I should go back and get some sleep."

"Well, goodbye. Uncle Ian."

Haley kissed his hair lightly.

Ian didn't know when his senses became so keen.Even through the hair, he could clearly feel Haili's warmth, the softness of his lips and his desire to hug him tightly.

"Ian, you're not really asking for a transfer, are you?"

"Didn't you say that if I want to get rid of you, I will go to heaven?"

Ian broke Haley's hand and walked out.

It was rush hour again, and the road was a bit congested. He received a call from Maddy Ron.

"Hey, I heard that Detective Russell passed the shooting test and is already a detective with a gun. Should I thank you? Or should I congratulate you?"

Muddy Ron's voice was as punchy as ever.

"It's off-duty time, I think I have the right to refuse to listen to your nonsense."

"Well then, I wish you and Haili to cooperate tacitly and finish the case at hand as soon as possible."

Just as he was about to hang up the phone, Ian couldn't help but said, "I want to ask you a question."

"Oh? What's the problem?"

"You said Hailey had six partners. So how did they wake Hailey up when he was hallucinating and his heart stopped?"

Mady Ron was silent.

After a long time, he said, "Has no one mentioned it to you? Hailey should have told you."

"He never said that."

"...Okay. You should know that under normal circumstances, three to five minutes of cardiac arrest will cause irreversible damage to the brain. Before that, Hailey would have adrenaline on his body. If that happens, his Partners will inject him with adrenaline."

"He never told me he had it on him. Otherwise I wouldn't have needed..."

"Don't need to kick his feet or pierce his fingers? Maybe for him, the pain you bring him is more meaningful than the cold injection."

"...that madman."

After the phone was hung up, Ian leaned the car against the side of the road and quietly felt the traffic passing by him.

He remembered eight years ago, when he took Haili to look for a way out in the forest, but found that the "hunters" could always find them the first time.So he began to suspect Haili, and finally found that a tracker for livestock was implanted in Haili's back by a "hunter".Without anesthesia, he used a Swiss Army knife to cut open the flesh on Hailey's back and pick out the tracker.

At that time, Haili just hugged him tightly and didn't cry out in pain.

From an early age, he could endure everything from pain to loneliness.

Ian pressed his forehead hard. He couldn't drive, so he simply went to the supermarket and bought two steaks.

It wasn't until he calmed down that he drove back to the apartment. When he opened the door, he saw Lancer still sitting in front of the drawing board, drawing with great concentration.

Ian didn't bother him, but took the steak to the kitchen.He sliced ​​up some butter, melted it in a frying pan, chopped up some onions, and prepared the steak.

Lancer seemed to have heard the voice, got up and came to the kitchen, staring at Ian's back.

"Lancer, when I'm not around, no one comes to trouble you, right?" Ian turned his head.

Lancer nodded vigorously, and he told Ian in sign language: My painting is almost finished!

This is a work he painted with the painting tools Ian gave him.

"Then can I see it later?"

Lancer shook his head: I'll show you after I finish.Is your case solved?

Ian shook his head, "No. Whenever I feel like I'm about to grasp the answer, the answer goes away."

Lancer: Like inspiration.

Ian couldn't help laughing.

He brought the steak to the table, and Lancer happily sat across from him and began to eat.

Ian looked at him.He remembered that he was taking Haili to walk in the dark forest.Hailey was hungry, so he gave Haili the only bar of chocolate on his body.This guy ate the whole bar of chocolate in two or three bites, and even licked off the outer wrapping paper.

That day, Hailey told him that this was the best thing he had eaten in so many years.

There was a soft sound on the table, and Ian raised his head, and Lancer was looking at him curiously.

Lancer asked with sign language: What are you thinking?

"Nothing. You remind me of someone I once knew. You two eat alike."

What is that person like?

"He... is a little liar, a little troublesome, a little confusing, a little bad... a little distressing..."

Lancer tilted his head: Is he important to you?

"I don't know...no, actually I always knew...he is very important." Ian pulled the corners of his lips and leaned towards Lancer with a helpless smile, "But maybe it's better not to let him know this. "

Lancer asked: Why?

"In this way...he won't be so complacent, and in order to keep proving to me that he is important, he won't become the kind of person I don't want him to be."

Lancer's expression was ignorant.

Ian didn't go on, but lowered his head and ate the steak on the plate.

After the meal, Lancer cleaned up the plates and the kitchen.

And Ian fell asleep on the sofa.

This time he slept deeply, until Ian was woken up by Haili's phone call early in the morning.

"Ian, Van Charter is dead."

"What? How did you die?" Ian sat up from the sofa.

"Murder. I'm on my way to his villa now."

"I'm going out right away."

Ian didn't even change his shirt and suit. He found that the bedroom door was ajar, and Lancer was no longer there.

Ian looked at the time, it was exactly seven o'clock in the morning.

Lancer left a note on the table, he went out to buy breakfast.

Ian let out a breath and sent a text message asking Lancer to be careful.After all, the person who intends to kidnap him has not been found yet.

When Ian passed Lancer's painting, his arm caught the white cloth covering it and fell down.

Ian quickly picked up the white cloth, raised his eyes, and couldn't help being stunned when he saw the painting.

The picture is very beautiful, the colorful sunset glow and the street lights meet together, it is natural and soft, but it connects many colors together.

Ian couldn't help but look at it for two more seconds. He told himself that it was wrong to look at Lanser's paintings privately without Lanser's consent.

He quickly covered the painting, locked the door and left.

When he came to Van Chart's villa, the New York police had pulled up the yellow isolation tape.

Finn Keating was standing in the doorway wearing gloves and overalls, and raised his glasses when he saw Ian.

"How's it going?" Ian asked.

"At least looking at the murder scene, we can rule out burglary. Because apart from the great painter who looks terrible, the whole villa has no signs of being messed up. His body is in the upstairs studio."

As Ian lifted his legs up the stairs, Finn handed him a paper bag.

"What's this?" Ian asked.

"Sick bag. There was a rookie cop who almost threw up at the crime scene just now," Finn replied.

Haili on the side laughed out loud. He patted Fern on the shoulder and said, "You don't have to worry about this. Uncle Ian's experience is much richer than that of a rookie policeman. He has seen even scarier scenes. .”

Ian chuckled, put on his gloves and shoe covers, and went upstairs.

The moment the door was opened, a strong smell of blood came oncoming.

Van Chart sat on the drawing chair with his head raised, his hands tied behind the handles, and his face was pained.

A policeman came in front of Ian and Haley, "I heard that in the serial murder case you were in charge of, the murderer killed people based on Van Chater's paintings...so we think that this case should be in your charge within the range."

There was a big pool of blood under the painting chair.

Dr. Byrne, who rarely left the dissection room, came to the scene with a box.

As soon as he opened the door, he opened his arms for a hug with Hailey.

"Oh dear—you're poor!"

"Why do you feel sorry for me? It's not me who died!" Hailey shrugged.

"Such a case without aesthetic feeling must make you feel visually poisoned!"

Ian pulled Haili out of Dr. Bourne's arms and said to him, "Doctor, there is a corpse waiting for you. We need you to make a preliminary determination of his cause of death."

Doctor Byrne walked up to Van Chater with regret, pressed his fingers on his body, and after examining his facial features, he said: "There are nine intuitive stab wounds on his body. Judging from the amount of bleeding at the scene, He died of excessive blood loss. Of course, it is not denied that the extreme pain made his heart overwhelmed like Wendell, and he suddenly collapsed. If it is the latter, his pain is much less. The specific results will not be confirmed until after the autopsy."

Ian pulled a policeman over and asked, "Is the victim the only one here? Is there another young man named Maslow here!"

Dr. Manning once said that when he left to attend the seminar, he specially entrusted Maslow, a student of Van Charter, to accompany and take care of him.

"No. The maid in charge of cleaning called the police. She said that she only saw Van Chart in the whole villa."

Ian looked at Haley, "You have Maslow's phone number, right?"

As things stand, Maslow is the prime suspect.

Hailey smiled and took out his mobile phone and called Maslow.Ian was worried that no one would answer the call, but he didn't expect to be connected in less than two seconds.

"Hi, Maslow, I'm Agent Russell."

"Oh! Agent Russell! Hello! Are you coming to my place for tea today?"

Maslow's voice sounded full of expectation, not at all like after murder.

"I'm a little busy today, and I may not be able to visit your place. I just wanted to ask Mr. Charter if he was okay?"

"Is he okay? He seemed in good spirits when I left yesterday. Why are you asking him all of a sudden?"

"You were not with Mr. Charter?"

"Oh, because I'm about to have a small art exhibition in Washington. The organizers and I have a lot to discuss. Mr. Chater told me not to delay the art exhibition because of his business. He also said with a smile that his illness is well under control , will not die suddenly. Is...is something wrong with Mr. Chater?"

"It's nothing. Looking forward to your art exhibition, remember to send me the invitation letter."

"Haha, of course."

The phone hung up, Haili looked at Ian, "Did you hear that? What do you think?"

"Even if Maslow's painting exhibition is real, it doesn't mean that he is not suspected. The most troublesome thing is that Maslow lived in this villa, and it is normal for his fingerprints and DNA to appear here. Hey, Fei Well! Have your men found the murder weapon?"

"The murder weapon?" Fein sent a pair of knife holders to Ian, "What do you smell?"

"Disinfectant." Ian frowned. "The murderer didn't abandon the murder weapon, but used disinfectant to destroy the DNA and put it back on the knife holder? It seems that he is very confident."

"I bet the fingerprints were wiped clean too."

At this moment, Ian received another call from the New York Police Department.

"Agent Connor! Something happened to Griffin!"

"An accident? What happened?"

"His car was parked downstairs in his apartment, the door was wide open, and there was a pool of blood on the ground! If we guessed correctly, he should have been injured and taken away!"

Ian closed his eyes hard and took a deep breath, "Are these things endless?"