"Well..."
Brooke panicked and stood silent for a long time.
Luke probed, "Do I take your silence as agreeing?"
"No. Lawn is my family. I was very worried when I saw him injured and focused only on getting him treated. Maybe my concern clouded my judgment."
"That's not a good excuse."
"But it's the truth."
"Who took Lawn to the hospital?"
"Sophia. She called an ambulance."
"What did she tell you?"
Brooke thought for a moment. "The scene was chaotic. We didn't communicate much. I treated Lawn as soon as he arrived."
"How was Lawn's condition?"
"Not good. He was already unconscious."
Luke said, "I'm not a doctor, but I know that doctors ask about a patient's condition before treatment. Since Lawn was in a coma, they should have asked the accompanying family members about his condition. That's basic."
"Uh..." Brooke hesitated. "Maybe I didn't express myself clearly. We talked about Lawn's condition, but nothing else..."
Luke pressed on, "What do you mean by 'nothing else'? I'm asking about Lawn's situation. You're really bad at lying."
"I'm not lying."
"Then recount your conversation with Sophia that day."
Brooke took a deep breath. "I need to clarify something first. Are you interrogating me? If so, I need a lawyer."
Luke shot back, "Your stepfather was beaten and abused. You concealed it from the police and now you want a lawyer? Does that sound normal to you?"
"I... just want to protect my rights. I have a clear conscience. I've always had a good relationship with Lawn. I would never hurt him."
"The fact is, he's been harmed. And as an insider, you haven't been very helpful, making it hard to believe you."
"You can call a lawyer now," Luke said, gesturing. "But remember, once a lawyer gets involved, it's all formalities."
"You know how many good things Dean Cook said. That's why we didn't take you straight to the station but kept you here for questioning. If this goes public, Omei Hospital's reputation will suffer... You might even have to retire early."
Brooke was sweating. "You don't have to scare me. It's not as serious as you say."
"Maybe. I'm just an outsider. You should know your industry's rules better than I do." Luke glanced at his watch. "Call your lawyer. Let's meet at the detective station in half an hour."
Brooke took out his phone, looked at it for a long time, and put it back in his pocket. "I won't call a lawyer. I have a clear conscience and will assist in your investigation."
"Describe your conversation with Sophia."
Brooke thought for a moment. "We asked simple questions about his condition, like how he fell into a coma, how long he had been unconscious, and if he had taken any medication. After that, I mainly communicated with the emergency personnel."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Didn't you find anything unusual when you treated Lawn?"
Brooke explained, "I was panicking. I'd only been responsible for his treatment for a short time, and Lawn is my father. I was very nervous and almost made a mistake, leading to some unprofessional judgment."
"Do you know who beat and abused Lawn?"
"No, how could I? As I said, we have always had a good relationship. Seeing him in that condition made me sad, but I would never hurt him. I want to find out who did this more than you do."
Luke wrote down a few key points in his notebook. "Can I trust you?"
"Of course."
"Lauren was taken to the hospital on February 26th?"
"Yes."
"Where were you that day? What were you doing?"
Brooke recalled. "I was in the hospital. My colleagues can attest to that."
"If I let you read Lawn's diagnosis report again, would you think there's something wrong?"
"I'm just a doctor, not a forensic expert or a policeman. I don't have that kind of vigilance. And Lawn has always been kind to others. I can't imagine who would do this to him."
Luke glanced at the transcript. "Brooke, do you know the consequences of deceiving the police?"
"Why are you saying that? I'm not lying."
"This is just a friendly reminder. You're a doctor with a bright future. Don't make a mistake."
Brooke shook her head. "Everything I said is true."
"Good, thank you for your help."
Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you know who hurt Lawn?"
"That's why we're here today." Luke said, closing his notebook. "You can leave now."
"Is that all?"
"For now. But Dean Cook asked you to go to his office. Good luck." Luke packed up his things and left the meeting room with David.
David asked, "Do you believe him?"
Luke shook his head. "No."
"Me neither. There's definitely something wrong with this guy. He's either covering for someone or an accomplice."
Later, Luke returned to Lawn's ward.
"Knock, knock..."
"Come in."
Luke and another man entered the ward and greeted them, "Mrs. Caroline, Miss Sophia, we meet again."
Caroline said coldly, "I don't want to see you in the ward. Please leave."
"We just received a report from Ome Hospital. Mr. Lawn was electrocuted, beaten, and abused before he fell into a coma. We're here to investigate."
"What? What are you talking about? My husband fell and became unconscious. No one beat or abused him."
Luke asked, "Were you there when Lawn fell?"
"No, I found out later."
"How do you know?"
"Sophia told me. She found him."
Luke looked at Sophia. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Sophia said, "Sure. I rented a house nearby. That day, I went to my father's house to get something. When I entered, I found my father on the living room floor. The coffee table was a mess. I guessed he fell, so I called 911."
"Was anyone else present?"
"No."
"Were there any signs of a struggle?"
"I was scared and didn't pay much attention," Sophia said, looking angry and aggrieved. "You don't think I hurt my father, do you? He's my only relative. I would never hurt him."
Luke stared at Sophia for a while, then looked at Caroline. "Ma'am, I heard the will's video is with you."
"Is there a problem?"
"Lauren was abused before he fell into a coma. We suspect it's related to the video will. It's relevant evidence. Please hand it over."
Caroline stepped back. "No, this is for Lawn's family, not the police."
"Are you trying to destroy evidence?"
Caroline hesitated. "Is it true my husband was beaten and abused?"
"Yes."
Caroline pulled a hard drive from her bag. "Keep it safe."
Luke put the hard drive away and placed a business card on the table. "Ladies, I understand how you feel and know you care about Mr. Lawn. You want to bring the suspect to justice. So do we. If you have any other clues, please contact me."
Luke walked to the bedside, looked at Lawn, and then left the ward.
David asked, "Who do you think is lying?"
"Everyone."
"Is there any evidence?"
"No. More than ten days have passed, and the crime scene has long been destroyed."