Following Interstate 20, the trio arrived at the small town of Heflin. After witnessing the thriving scene of Margrave, the town's desolation was even more striking.
Even driving through the center of town, they saw fewer than a handful of living people. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, a southern state like the United States would surely be a good base for survival.
A state trooper's car brought the FBI to the crime scene. The bodies had been taken away, leaving only a Volvo VNL truck with a gleaming chrome radiator grille.
Compared to the more cramped cabovers, the large nose of an American heavy truck is naturally much more attractive. Furthermore, with its front -mounted engine, noise levels are less likely to affect the driver.
Furthermore, the large front section acts as a natural energy-absorbing buffer, significantly improving safety for the truck driver.
Thanks to the vast expanse and sparse population of the Great Plains, problems like the long-nose truck's large turning radius and poor forward visibility are minor drawbacks.
Long-distance driving demands a high level of cab comfort, and the spacious interior of a long-nose truck is particularly suitable for larger individuals with long arms and legs.
Therefore, whenever the Most Wanted Squad's command vehicle is out, everyone takes turns driving; after
all, no one can resist the allure of a large truck. After inspecting the trailer towed by the truck, Aubrey discovered a set of footprints. After eliminating the Bodettes' footprints from the photos, Jack sent them back to Alice.
"It's a nearly new Volvo VNL760, worth at least $170,000," Clay said meaningfully.
Jack nodded in understanding. "Have Alice carefully check their bank accounts, and we'll ask anyone along the route who knows this couple."
After having the state troopers take them to the parking lot where the dashcam had been deactivated, the three of them searched around for a while before finding a functioning surveillance camera.
Aubrey went to the parking garage office to request the video, while Jack and Clay wandered around and ended up at a bar near the lounge area.
The bartender, a black woman with dreadlocks, immediately recognized the photo of the Bodettes on Jack's phone.
"Yeah, I saw them last night," the bartender muttered as she wiped down a glass. "Maybe I've seen them before, but I don't remember much. But that old woman last night gave me something to remember."
"What do you mean?" Jack paid $20 for a glass of ice water, which immediately sparked the bartender's conversation. "Because she was stupid enough to get into a fight over darts, and someone said she cheated."
"A fight over darts? What kind? Was it serious?" Jack gestured for her to elaborate.
"It was just a fight. To me, it was just a drunk guy who didn't want to lose to a woman, that kind of thing." The bartender's voice was loud enough to wake an elderly black man dozing on the bar next to him.
"Are you talking about 'Rib' and 'Elmer' last night?"
Jack showed him his phone screen. The old black man took one look and said, "Aha!" "Yeah, those two."
"So 'Rib' and 'Elmer' are their nicknames? How did they get that?" Jack tried to get closer, but the reek of alcohol nearly choked him.
The old black man just chuckled, his eyes fixed on Jack's empty glass, which had held a $20 bill just half a minute earlier.
Having accidentally revealed his wealth, Jack didn't bother using his F.D.A. status to pressure him anymore and waved to the bartender for another whiskey.
The old black man knew the couple's situation. "'Ribs' because Teddy's ribs are delicious, and after the '80s, he got so fat you couldn't see his ribs anymore.
And the reason he calls his wife 'Elmer' is ostensibly because of the cartoon 'Rabbit Run,' but actually because of 'Elmer' glue."
Jack's mind raced before he realized that the villain in 'Rabbit Run,' who always opposed Bugs Bunny, was named Elmer Fudd. As for the glue,
"Are you saying she has dirty hands?"
"Petty theft, cheating, that's about it. Why are you after them? Are you cops?" The old black man downed his whiskey in two gulps, a look of gloating.
Clay lifted his T-shirt to reveal the pistol and badge on his belt. "Pretty much. We're the FBI. They were killed last night."
"Damn it, how could that be?" The old man's nimble tongue lashed out in a stream of Southern slang, his bloodshot eyes nearly popping out.
"I just saw them last night."
"So you were pretty much the last person to see them." Jack waved to the equally surprised female bartender, offering him another drink, and continued his inquiries.
"How about you tell us more about them?"
the old man crossed himself and took another sip to calm his nerves before saying, "There's not much to talk about. They're both the kind of people who don't really follow the rules.
Driving while fatigued, price-cutting, and other illegal activities are common."
"Does that include smuggling contraband?" Clay asked.
"I don't know, maybe." The black old man shrugged slightly.
--
"The parking lot footage has been sent to Alice. While it captured the Volvo VNL760, Alice said it's not recommended to get too excited.
Besides the poor angle, it was nighttime, so the resolution isn't great. We're lucky we could even make out the license plate."
Aubrey, cellphone in hand, had just met the two at the bar entrance when he delivered the bad news.
"Have the stolen goods been confirmed?" Jack asked.
"They're primarily tablets, at least 200 of them. They're quite valuable and easy to sell, which seems to explain everything."
Aubrey frowned as he spoke. "But what's strange is that there's also high-value cargo like cell phones, LCD TVs, and hard drives in the car."
As he spoke, his phone rang again, this time with a text message. After reading it, Aubrey's expression became somewhat amused. "It was forwarded by Alice. She said the Blue Springs Police Department, not far from here, just received news that the stolen laptops have been found.
The local elementary school principal reported that someone left eight boxes of brand new tablets at their door, over 200 in total."
(End of Chapter)