Chapter 47: Sherlock's Deduction
Hank looked embarrassed. In Ron's view, he simply lacked experience dealing with such sharp-tongued geniuses, while Sherlock's verbal barbs felt like a gentle breeze to Ron—almost harmless.
Otherwise, how could Ron have grown up alongside Sheldon without managing to strangle that troublesome kid?
"The criminal is right under my nose? Who are you talking about?" Hank rubbed his increasingly balding head, straining to think but still unable to identify anyone nearby with such capabilities.
"First, let's discuss the drug maker—your wife's brother-in-law, a guy named Walter White."
Hank was taken aback. "How is that possible? You must be talking nonsense! I know Walter well; he is definitely not that kind of person!"
"So, you're an idiot."
Sherlock said this bluntly, and Ron finally spoke up to ease the tension. "Sorry, Sherlock, but my subordinate doesn't seem very bright. Could you please walk him through your reasoning?"
Perhaps out of boredom or because he had some time to spare, Sherlock patiently began to explain to Hank.
"You must have investigated the market trends for the equipment and chemicals needed to produce these drugs, right? The flow of drugs is murky and hard to trace, but those specialized chemical tools are rarely bought, making it easy to track their whereabouts. I suspect that no one is purchasing these items; they are likely missing from a school lab, correct?"
"Yes, that's right." Hank began to regain his composure after the initial shock. He hadn't mentioned this detail; how did Sherlock know? Could it be true that there was a genius who could deduce the entire case without being on-site?
"Now, let's put together several clues from this drug manufacturing case. First, you mentioned that the purity of the drugs exceeds 90%. This is definitely not something that a public school punk could achieve; it requires advanced chemical knowledge and relevant experimental experience.
Stealing supplies from a school laboratory would be easier for a teacher, who has the keys, than for any student.
Additionally, I found that Mr. White was a well-known chemistry prodigy in his youth. He even co-founded a chemical company with friends and conducted nearly all new product research independently, and the equipment that went missing from the school matches what is needed to produce these drugs."
"Secondly, the drug dealer you're investigating has a tangled history with this chemistry teacher. Honestly, using amnesia to cover up his disappearance is a very weak excuse.
Claiming he sought drugs because he was a user is also flimsy. If you were to pull a hair from his head for testing, you'd find no traces of drug use whatsoever. No one understands the dangers of meth better than a chemistry genius."
Hank felt a cold sweat break out as Sherlock connected these dots. He realized how many details he had overlooked. However, Sherlock was in no mood to coddle Hank's feelings and continued his rapid-fire reasoning.
"Next is the third point: motivation. There's no doubt about it. A person suffering from a terminal illness and coming from a modest background would certainly want to use their skills to leave something for their family or secure funds for their own treatment.
To be honest, Ron, if you come to me with another case as dull as this, don't bother. Although I'm quite bored right now, your case is simply too easy."
Ron had long since become accustomed to Sherlock's cutting remarks and merely shrugged. "Well, since you're idle anyway, why not help me think about where that drug lord who sells drugs everywhere might be hiding, my dear deductive genius Sherlock?"
Complimenting him wouldn't cost a thing, and Ron was always generous with free praises.
Not only was it free, but it could also potentially lead to a significant monetary reward.
"Alright, first tell me, besides California, in which other states have you discovered these drugs? If possible, please provide them in chronological order."
"First is California, then Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico..." Ron smoothly listed a series of states.
"No need to continue. The drug lord you mentioned is the owner of the Chicken Brothers chain. Go find him."
"Wait, how did you deduce that?" Hank asked incredulously.
"Based on the timeline of the drug discoveries, it correlates perfectly with the distance from California, clearly indicating the drugs are spreading out from there. The commonality among the states you mentioned is that they all have Chicken Brothers franchises."
"But these states also have KFC." Ron finally caught Sherlock in a logical misstep and teased him.
Sherlock shot back, "But KFC's food distribution is done directly from local farms, eliminating the need for long-distance interstate transportation. In fact, the only chain in America that sources all its supply from a single place is Chicken Brothers."
Ron quickly searched on his computer. With Sherlock's hint, he realized the abnormality of the company: their website claimed it was to ensure a uniform taste and texture of the chicken.
However, anyone with a bit of common sense knew that nearly all American chicken was produced by specific breeds developed by biological companies and that even the feed was standardized. Therefore, chickens raised anywhere would taste essentially the same.
"Mr. Fring!" Hank exclaimed as he looked at a photo on Ron's computer.
"What? You know him?" Ron asked curiously.
Hank pointed at the picture of the Black owner. "He is one of the biggest sponsors of the DEA's Los Angeles division. Their funding is always tight, you know."
"Well, it seems your assassination was not unwarranted."
"Your intelligence system is really as leaky as a sieve," Sherlock mocked from the other end of the line, his voice grating on Ron's nerves, but he took it in stride.
"Since the great genius has already deduced the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes, could you also help me locate their drug production site? You know how the law works; without evidence, I can't arrest them."
"Alright, their drug lab should be in a laundromat in Glendale."
Hank mused, "Is that also a deduction?"
"No, I found it on Google Maps. It's registered under Gustavo, located away from the downtown area, with a plausible reason for venting toxic fumes, and it's close to the highway for rapid shipping. There's no better place than that."