Chapter 36 - Unexpected Visitor

In the noisy scene, Alex's frustration was notorious.But Ethan still watched him closely and couldn't help but remember what Jenny said to him the other night. Previously Proctor had made a verbal agreement with the previous boss, in exchange for helping him expropriate land for the new casino and solve problems with farmers, in return, he would have some participation as an invisible partner in the casino.But some time later Dan Kendall and Alex secretly worked together to get Proctor out of the game, but apparently they had underestimated him, and the Mayor had suffered the consequences. After connecting some dots everything was more than obvious now, Ethan shook his head. Mayor Kendall was trying to get rid of Proctor, but did not expect him to get rid of the first one.Alex quickly regained consciousness, regained composure, and finally said nothing, and led a group of people to hastily leave the construction site of the new casino, surely this would cause him many problems in his tribe.Looking at Kendall lying on the ground, Ethan also felt a sense of crisis in his heart. He and Proctor are not without conflict. They had already had a conflict that morning because of Rebecca. Now at a minimum, you should improve the security level of your residence, until now there was nothing to worry about, but after this I was more alert, maybe Job could help you. After all, if you could hack a CIA satellite, installing a security system on your property shouldn't be difficult.Previous investigations failed, there were no suspects, and as to why Mayor Kendall came alone to the construction site of the new kinaho tribe casino alone, it has become a whispered mystery among some people in the city.The news of Dan Kendall's death was like that gust of wind that blew suddenly and then stopped quietly.A few days later, on the Banshee High School soccer field.A solemn occasion has been organized in the middle of the stadium.On one side of the wooden platform placed in front, was a portrait of Dan Kendall. On the other side, Gordon Hopewell, unshaven, looked at Carrie in the crowd with a complicated expression and slowly said:—It is difficult to use words to express our feelings at this time. A few days ago, we lost a promising young mayor in an explosion that left us shocked and full of pain. His leadership had inspired us and his vision for our community gave us hope. Today, as we face this tragedy, we must remember his legacy and commit ourselves to moving forward, with the same dedication and strength that he demonstrated. Let's honor his memory by working together to build the future he dreamed of for all of us.Ethan wore his uniform and was sitting in the crowd with his colleagues from the Police Department.As Gordon spoke, he looked forward and unexpectedly Proctor arrived at the memorial site. In the crowd below, everyone is sitting close together. Interestingly, the circle seats around Proctor were empty.However, there was no pressure on him at all. Proctor sat quietly and watched Gordon speak attentively.Next to him, Hood, who had recovered from his injury, hit his arm and Ethan looked back at Hood's reminder.On the other hand, the head of the Chinese tribe, Alex Longshadow, paid no attention to Gordon. He looked at Proctor with a somber expression and his eyes seemed to be able to spit fire.Alex has been going through very difficult times these days. The casino he built took a large amount of tribal funds with him was blown to pieces and the partner he found to finish off Proctor also died.At the moment there is no estimated time for the casino to resume construction and is tired of resisting questions from tribal committee members.Carrie crossed her arms and looked at Gordon standing on top of her. His eyes were completely covered in oversized sunglasses, so outsiders couldn't say what he was thinking.After looking at Gordon for a while, he turned. Hood could feel Carrie's eyes falling on him. The two separated at first touch. Hood looked up at the blue sky and the white clouds behind the wooden platform, not knowing what to think.Gordon noticed Carrie's movements, paused a little in what he was saying, and then continued.— How are you now?Siobhan, aside, grabbed Ethan's arm and asked in his ear.Ethan was tickled in the ears by the warm tone and couldn't help but rub the earlobes with his hands. Hood's audition was amazing and, looking askance, Siobhan immediately sat upright.—Janie, on my behalf, on behalf of my office and on behalf of all the citizens of Banshee, I join you in mourning the death of Dan Kendall.Gordon ended his speech, after sighing, he stepped off the podium with heavy steps.The memorial service ended and after all the people in charge dispersed, Ethan advanced along with the people from the Police Department.Janie was tired of dealing with everyone's condolences. Dressed in a black dress, she looked particularly lonely.—Mrs. Kendall, I'm so sorry.—Thank you.Ethan shook Jenny's hand. In his eyes, there was not much sadness, but more tiredness and even a little relief.After the memorial service ended, shortly after returning to the police station, special agents dispatched by FBI headquarters have arrived in Banshee to investigate the series of previous incidents.Inside the court, they were all scattered.Gordon and Carrie also arrived on the scene feeling the strange atmosphere directly between them and Hood, they all remained silent.Not long after, the wooden door opened.An FBI agent with gray hair and a thin face entered with a stack of documents, followed by Dean Xavier.The skinny-faced FBI agent looked at the documents in his hand, shouted the names they contained, and at the same time approached the appropriate person and looked at them for a second or two.In his slightly cloudy eyes, a flash of light flashed from time to time. As it approached, a thick cloud of smoke appeared. He was an old smoker who had been smoking for decades.He continued to leaf through the documents, when the movements of his hands stopped suddenly.—Lucas Hood.Hood turned around and nodded. After looking at the photos in the file for two seconds, he looked at Hood and continued to scroll down.—Carrie Hopewell.Hearing her name mentioned, Carrie stepped forward. The agent looked at Carrie and showed a significant smile.—Ladies and gentlemen, I am Special Agent Jim Racine and everyone has seen the man behind me.Racine took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, then turned around and said:—By the way, what's your name?—Dean Xavier.Dean Xavier crossed his hands in front of him, showed a hint of shame, leaned over and whispered.—Yes, everyone knows Agent Xavier. Let me tell you about the next process. This is a closed-door audience. Everyone must take an oath and bear witness.Racine shrugged nonchalantly and removed the ashes from his cigarette.—After all, everyone knows that everything you say after swearing on the Bible is true and trustworthy.Seeing the expressionless faces of others, he smiled and continued:—You all have the right to request that an attorney be present, and I also want to warn you that if someone does this, they will immediately receive my obvious and lasting suspicion.Racine looked around, but no one spoke.—I know that your mayor recently suffered an unfortunate explosion, so I called the District Attorney here today to serve as a witness in the hearing process.—Regarding his relationship with Carrie Hopewell, the person involved in this case ...Racine threw the butt, trampled it on the wooden floor, and then took out another cigarette.—Since this is a small town and everyone knows each other, I won't worry about it.—If there is no problem, let's start our little party.Ethan walked to the water dispenser, took a disposable glass, and filled it with a little water.Brock came in for a while. Siobhan looked around nervously, but Ethan was extremely relaxed at the time, because he remembered Jim Racine.This FBI special agent, Jim Racine, once arranged for an informant to infiltrate the Rabbit criminal organization to capture him. With the help of that informant, he managed to catch him, but due to Racine's mistakes that compromised the evidence, he was unable to frame him.After Rabbit was acquitted, Racine soon learned that the informant's entire family had been killed. Since then, he felt deeply guilty and vowed to avenge the death of that family. However, he has failed to capture Rabbit in all these years, and now he has advanced lung cancer, with little life.When he learned of the connection between Carrie and Rabbit, Racine took full responsibility for the case. He decided to use his authority to suppress previous cases of kidnapping, attacks on the police station, and shooting at the abandoned metal factory, keeping Dean Xavier under control. His goal was to keep Banshee Town under control, putting bait to lure Rabbit into his last moments.When Ethan's turn came for questioning, he already knew what Racine's true purpose was. So he did not panic and answered the questions one by one, according to what he had previously discussed with the others.At the end of the interrogation, Ethan nodded at Racine, got up, and left. Gordon, who was sitting behind Racine, seemed distracted and paid no attention to what Carrie had been asked. Although the relationship between her and Hood could be hidden, her past as a member of a criminal organization and her relationship with Rabbit could not be kept secret. Racine was not someone easy to fool, and Carrie would not come out unscathed without giving an explanation.Gordon, having been deceived for more than ten years by the person next to him, seemed to be in shock, something not many could bear. Going down the stairs, several people who had already been questioned were waiting in the hallway for the results. Ethan greeted them, opened the side door, and pulled out his cigarette case. Racine had been smoking in front of him and needed a break.He exhaled a ring of smoke and suddenly the door opened again. Siobhan followed him.—Give me one too.— Ah? You don't smoke, do you?Siobhan did not reply. He simply snatched the pack and lighter from him, skillfully lighting the cigarette.—I don't know what will happen to us. We won't lose our jobs, will we?Seeing that Siobhan was about to put his things in his pocket, Ethan quickly removed the lighter again. There was a lot of smoke in the environment, but that was his only lighter.—Don't worry, we are not your target. He doesn't care at all, as soon as he meets his goal he will leave here, and we can return to normal.Siobhan looked at him with bewilderment, but Ethan did not explain more. He couldn't tell her that he knew Racine was using them to catch Rabbit.After a short break, Gordon opened the door and called everyone except Carie, who would be informed later. All members of the Banshee Police Department sat upright in front of a long table. Racine, arms crossed, watched them like an eagle on the prowl.—Normally, reviewing these testimonials would take us weeks, but based on my experience, I can already say that this is silly. It doesn't matter if it is checked or not.Racine collected the testimony, threw it on the table, lit a cigarette, and continued:—They were so stupid that they didn't even ask for help from the FBI. Instead, they recruited civilians to confront gunmen. It was an idiotic act. You are all idiots, and that will not change.He paused, looking at each of them.—But a group of extremely dangerous gangsters came to their small town and kidnapped their police chief. I understand your intentions to save your people, and I will address it immediately. Officer Lotus, as commander that night, I designate you as the number one idiot. I will impose a 15 month inspection plus a review.Ethan, seeing that Brock was about to protest, gave him a quick touch with his foot. Brock, however, restrained himself.—As for you, the rest of the idiots will have a 12-month inspection period. During this time, the Banshee Police Department will be under the direct supervision of the FBI. I mean, from me. I will see every arrest, subpoena, and even traffic tickets, so be very careful with me.Dean Xavier, behind him, seemed uncomfortable with such insignificant punishments. He stepped forward, but Racine's gaze pushed him back.—That's it. I have something to do, I'm leaving first.Racine looked at his watch, turned around, and quickly left, ignoring the rest. Dean, surprised by the sudden departure, followed, both disappearing into the hallway.Local police officers looked at each other. Ethan and Hood did not know how to react, as it was the first time they had faced a situation like this. Emmett sighed, Brock cursed quietly and Siobhan smiled with relief.Seeing the confusion in Ethan's eyes, Siobhan whispered:—As we warned you, Special Agent Racine will monitor us closely in the future. And that will also be a problem.Gordon, meanwhile, stood up, picked up the documents, and, nodding at Brock, left the scene.—The real problem will be Gordon —Siobhan murmured, watching his back as he walked away —. If the relationship between the local police station and the prosecution does not improve, we are in trouble.When they came out, Ethan noticed that Hood was winking at him, slowing down. After everyone had left, Hood quickly approached and said:—I'm going to the Davis Bar tonight. I need to talk to you.With a mysterious look, Hood left. Ethan, without thinking too much about it, continued his patrol.Later that night Ethan entered the bar. There were only a few customers drinking. He greeted Sugar, had a bottle of beer, and settled into a corner. He had barely taken two sips when Hood appeared. He took a beer from the bartender's hand and sat across from him. They both collided their bottles.—Tell me, why did you want to see me?Hood, playing with the bottle, replied:— Do you remember what I told you here, when I asked for your help?— what do you mean?—You earned our true friendship.—Of course I remember.—That means that you are now part of us. If problems arise, we face them together. If there are rewards, we all benefit.Ethan played with his lighter, his eyes shining in the dim light.—So tell me, will you bring me a problem or a benefit?