Dave was forcefully thrown to the ground by the impact of the door. By the time he regained his senses, his hands were cuffed, and the Miranda rights were being read to him.
"Goddammit, what's wrong with you? Why did you break into my house?" Dave shouted furiously.
Susan demanded, "Where's Alyssa?"
"Do you have a search warrant?" Dave retorted.
Luke presented the search and arrest warrants. "Mr. Lawyer, we've got everything you need."
Dave leaned back, inhaling deeply. "I'll tell you, but I want to see her first."
Susan nodded. "Go ahead."
"She's in the basement. The key's in my coat pocket. Don't scare her."
Marcus's eyes widened. "Wait, did I hear that correctly? Why do we seem like the bad guys here?"
Ignoring Marcus, Dave asked Luke, "How did you find out about me?"
"Curious, aren't we?"
"Of course. I don't think I made any mistakes."
"I'm also interested in your motives and methods. We'll have a thorough discussion later."
"Fine."
Jenny assisted Alyssa out. Wrapped in a blanket, Alyssa glared at Dave and choked out, "You self-righteous bastard, I told you to let me go ages ago. Now that you've been arrested, enjoy your time in jail."
Dave managed a forced smile. "Alyssa, I don't regret it. I'd do it again if I had to. At least, during this time, you were mine alone."
"You maniac, I never want to see you again," Alyssa said, and walked away.
David nudged Dave. "Enough with the romantic nonsense. It's time for you to find a new place to stay."
Dave stood by the police car, taking one last look at his two-story villa. "Please ask your colleagues to be careful during the search. I invested a lot in the decor."
David smiled. "Don't worry. This place is no longer your concern."
Later, Dave was transported to the detective station for custody. The on-site investigation continued into the early morning, and the BMW was towed back to the station.
Luke worked overtime for the first time, volunteering to stay late. After days of hard work, it was time to show results.
At 2 a.m., Luke sat in the office, yawning. The overtime was taking its toll after a period of relative comfort.
The office door creaked open, and a middle-aged Black man in a police uniform entered. It was Red Hussein, Deputy Chief of Detectives and head of the Robbery and Murder Division.
Chief Reid placed a bag on the table. "Thanks for your hard work. I brought some midnight snacks."
"Hey, you're too kind. My stomach's been growling for ages..." Marcus grinned and extended his hand for a fist bump.
Reid didn't respond, and Marcus awkwardly retracted his hand.
"Help yourself. No need to thank me," Red said, pulling out breakfast items. "Here's your hot dog and fat-free vanilla latte."
The deputy captain chuckled. "Wow, you still remember after all these years."
Red patted his chest. "I remember everything."
Luke, also hungry, grabbed a donut and a carton of milk.
Red addressed him. "Luke, I hear you've been making great strides. You were the one who discovered Dave's lead."
"I just did my job. It's thanks to you and the deputy captain that the team's been so effective."
Red was pleasantly surprised. "You have a bright future ahead. I'm optimistic about you."
Chief Reid chatted with the team briefly, then told Susan, "Get Dave's confession as soon as possible."
"I will."
As Reid left, David smirked at Luke. "You really know how to flatter."
"If someone without skills says that, it's flattery. To someone like me who's just made a contribution, it's modesty."
David chuckled.
Luke joked, "How about adding you to the list next time? The chief, the captain, the deputy captain, and Detective David."
"No, I'd rather not be the subject of ridicule."
Susan finished her burger, sipped her coffee, and asked Jenny, "How is Alyssa?"
"Physically fine, but she's scared and a bit emotionally unstable."
"Bring her to the station. We need to question her before interrogating Dave."
"Yes, captain."
An hour later, Alyssa arrived at the Robbery and Murder Division lounge.
Luke and Jenny took her statement while Susan listened. Luke introduced himself and got straight to the point. "Alyssa, were you kidnapped by Dave?"
"Yes."
"Does Dave have any accomplices?"
"Not that I know of. I've only seen him."
"Where's Steven?"
"He's not involved. He didn't kidnap me."
Susan was surprised. The police had suspected Steven as an accomplice. "Did Dave mention Steven?"
Alyssa relayed Dave's words.
The officers were surprised. Dave was the real culprit, and Steven was merely a scapegoat.
Luke took out a photo of Tony Will. "Do you know this person?"
Alyssa studied it. "No, I don't."
"Can you describe the kidnapping?"
Alyssa rubbed her forehead. "Can I have a drink?"
"No, it's best to give your statement sober," Susan said. "Alyssa, I understand this is difficult, but we must handle the case with care. Dave is a smart lawyer. Any mistakes could let him escape justice."
"Yes, he's a terrible person." Alyssa took a deep breath and recounted the events.
"I was performing at a club when Dave saw me and demanded I quit. He offered me a large sum to leave the club and Steven. I refused, and he retaliated by placing photos of me at my parents' house. We argued.
On March 4th, after my performance, Dave asked to talk, so I got in his car. He again tried to persuade me to quit and leave Steven. I refused. He then used a Taser on me, took me to his home, and locked me in the basement. I begged him to let me go until you rescued me. Thank you for saving me in time."
Luke noted the key points. "Did Dave mention the $15,000?"
Alyssa wiped her tears. "Yes, he showed me the IOU. Do you know what Steven needed the money for?"
"Steven used it to rent a shop and planned to open a restaurant as a surprise for you." Luke checked Dave's bank records and found a large cash expenditure around February 10th, aligning with the rent and timeline.
"Really?"
"Yes, according to the landlord."
"Dave is such a liar. He must have known about the shop rental, or he wouldn't have lent Steven the money. He falsely accused Steven of wrongdoing. I almost believed him."
Luke thought to himself, you're not the only one deceived. The police were misled as well. Dave didn't lend Steven money out of goodwill. The driving records showed Dave visiting the shop multiple times, setting up a trap to make it look like Alyssa was murdered, thus implicating Steven in robbery and murder. Steven, fooled by Dave, fled, making it difficult for the police to catch him and reveal the truth. If Luke hadn't discovered the clue from the BMW, Dave might have evaded justice altogether.