Chapter 71: Is Sherlock Holmes Bald?
"Yes," the detective said, unsurprised that Director Kate Joyner knew Chuck.
Consultants like Chuck were legends in law enforcement circles, their reputations preceding them throughout the profession.
"His reputation is well-deserved," Kate nodded approvingly, watching Chuck maintain his composure in the interrogation room while the hooded punk girl was on the verge of total breakdown.
"When will this wrap up?" The Dean glanced at her watch. "I need to speak with Dr. Wolfe."
She had rushed over from home, where she'd been hosting Thanksgiving dinner. If this situation hadn't been so catastrophic, she wouldn't have left in such a hurry. Now that the case had been taken over by the FBI's New York field office director, whom she trusted, she could finally breathe easier. She planned to return home to salvage what was left of the holiday, then follow up on the case later.
After all, real investigations took time—they couldn't be wrapped up overnight.
Those detective shows on TV, where everything flows smoothly and gets solved in a couple of episodes, were pure fiction.
As president of a world-renowned university, if she wasn't good at time management, she'd work herself to death and still never finish everything.
"Let Dr. Wolfe take a break," Director Kate Joyner told the detective. "We need to transport the suspects to the federal building anyway, and we'll handle the rest of the investigation from there."
"You're the boss," the detective shrugged with resignation, pushed open the door, and whispered a few words to Chuck.
Chuck turned his head and looked their way.
Through the one-way mirror, Kate felt like Chuck was looking directly at her, and she couldn't help but frown. She thought to herself: "These brilliant types all have different personalities, but one thing stays constant—they're all insufferable to deal with."
Chuck stood up and walked out.
"Hello, Dr. Wolfe, I'm Kate Joyner," Kate extended her hand to Chuck and introduced herself. "Director of the FBI's New York field office. We're taking over this case."
Chuck shook her hand and nodded.
"Dr. Wolfe's investigative methods are quite unique—just as impressive as a consultant I worked with at Scotland Yard," Kate couldn't help but ask curiously, "Do you know Sherlock Holmes?"
"Is he still curly-haired, or has he gone bald yet?" Chuck asked in return.
Kate was caught off guard, then smiled. "Curly-haired? So you do know him. Of course, talented investigators like yourselves must have your own professional network. It's perfectly natural that you'd know each other. But why would he be bald?"
In her mind, the consulting detective behind Scotland Yard was handsome, if somewhat arrogant, but with a thick head of curly hair—baldness was completely out of the question.
"Based on statistical analysis of genetics, dietary habits, stress levels, and other factors, he has a 67.4% probability of male pattern baldness before age 30, increasing to 93.4% by age 40," Chuck stated matter-of-factly.
"Do you two discuss this topic regularly?" Kate's mouth twitched. "Are you sure you won't end up in a fistfight?"
"He tried once, but couldn't land a hit," Chuck said calmly. "Don't worry, although you're also British, you've relocated to the States, and you're female, so your baldness probability is negligible. However, transitioning from Scotland Yard to running the New York field office as a female director creates significant stress. You should focus on stress management, otherwise, while you won't go bald, you'll experience overall diffuse hair thinning."
"Okay, that's enough!" Kate couldn't take any more and cut off Chuck's blunt assessment, her expression stern. In her crisp British accent, she declared, "The FBI's New York field office will handle this case from here. Dr. Wolfe, you're welcome to continue consulting tomorrow."
With that, she signaled to her agents to escort the hooded punk girl and the other suspects out. She nodded to the group and clicked away in her high heels.
What kind of person was this? How incredibly rude!
This was 1991, a full decade before 9/11. The NYPD's Intelligence Division hadn't yet expanded into counterterrorism, and there was no joint task force merging FBI, CIA, and other agencies in New York. The FBI's New York field office remained the most powerful federal law enforcement presence in the city.
Of course, commanding the tens of thousands of NYPD officers was beyond their jurisdiction, but having a female field office director transferred from Scotland Yard was still unusual.
American women might find handsome men with British accents charming, but male agents simply didn't appreciate having a female boss with that accent.
Despite the fact that this female director held dual citizenship and was technically American, having already made her mark at Scotland Yard at a young age and become a rising star there.
Times had changed, after all.
This was America now, not some British colony!
So if she, as the female director, wanted to successfully establish her authority and earn the respect of all law enforcement agencies while being able to command effectively, she needed to work twice as hard and handle twice the pressure.
She definitely didn't want to hear about stress-induced hair loss and genetic predisposition to baldness!
Whether it was male pattern baldness or diffuse thinning, it had nothing to do with her! Hair loss was normal, and it certainly wasn't as serious as Chuck made it sound!
After they left, the Dean smiled at Chuck: "Dr. Wolfe, could we chat for a moment?"
"Sure," Chuck nodded.
"Well," the Dean glanced at Justine, who had remained silent. Seeing that Chuck hadn't stepped aside for a private conversation as she'd hoped, she hesitated, then continued without excluding Justine, saying with a smile, "This time, it was entirely thanks to Dr. Wolfe's heroism that Justine was saved and the situation didn't escalate further. On behalf of the university, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Wolfe. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Actually," Chuck nodded, looking at the quiet Justine, "Justine, does your family ever take vacations abroad?"
"No," Justine was caught off guard.
"Would your family like to take a vacation abroad?" Chuck continued. "I have a colleague whose parents flew overseas for Thanksgiving. They had a great time celebrating the holiday while traveling. And with Christmas and New Year's coming up, would your family be interested in an overseas vacation?"
Justine immediately understood. She glanced at the Dean, who maintained her smile, and nodded. "Yes!"
Chuck looked at the Dean.
"Dr. Wolfe makes an excellent point. International travel is a wonderful experience," the Dean understood Chuck's suggestion and continued with a smile. "Justine has been through such a traumatic experience. I think the university could arrange for your family to take an overseas vacation and experience celebrating the holidays abroad. What do you think?"
"Let my mother take my sisters," Justine shook her head. "No, I don't want to fall behind in my studies."
The overseas trip was for her mother and sisters' safety, and after tonight's shock, she'd gained some perspective. She couldn't sacrifice her entire future for revenge that might never come.
Without having to worry about her family's safety, she actually wasn't that afraid anymore.
(End of Chapter)
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