Fusco's mind stirred, remembering Jack's previous mention that both candidates in the upcoming New York City mayoral election, which would be decided in a few days, were suspected of having something fishy going on. (Chapter 1425)
At the time, he had even quipped that these days, every election had its share of dirty laundry. Hearing Simmons' words now, it was surprisingly consistent with Jack's earlier suspicions.
Fusco, having a sudden realization, didn't press the issue directly. Instead, he angrily pushed Simmons's pistol away from his head. "Since you both have such powerful friends, why are you still targeting me?"
Simmons put the pistol away. While still threatening, his tone was less aggressive and more menacing.
"Because we can't let the FBI get any evidence, such as the account book you mentioned. Otherwise, not only the remaining senior executives, me, my boss, but also you, no one can escape.
Let me kindly remind you of one thing, have you forgotten Oyster Bay?"
Fusco certainly remembered Oyster Bay. It was the token of allegiance that Jack had made for him. A certain forest near the seashore mudflats was now almost becoming a burial ground for serial murders.
"Think about it, Leonard (Fusco). We're all in this together. You need to get out of this mess just as badly as we do. When push comes to shove, who's your most reliable backup?
Your partner whose father is the director, or me?"
Seeing his bait taken, Fusco felt reassured, leaning his head back against the headrest. "Okay, okay, I'll check into that ledger.
But this is the last time. Don't bother me again, and I don't want your money. After this, we're all done."
"No problem, it's a deal," Simmons said readily. Seeing Fusco agree, he opened the door and got out, sidling back until he was out of the rearview mirror, not wanting him to see his sweat-soaked back.
Fusco wasn't much better. He breathed a sigh of relief once he was sure the guy was gone. He was about to pull out his phone to text Jack when Simmons's ugly face appeared through the window again.
"What the hell?"
Fusco shuddered, instinctively reaching for his sidearm.
Simmons flicked the car window, signaling him to lower it, and tossed a manila envelope into the driver's seat.
"I said I don't want your money," Fusco said, feeling something was amiss. The envelope was too light. If it were US dollars, it would probably be a few hundred at most. This guy wouldn't spend so little on him.
"Open it and take a look." Simmons leaned against the car door and raised an eyebrow at him smugly.
Fusco opened the envelope suspiciously, and what caught his eye was a photo of a slender, beautiful woman. Beneath the photo were two bearer bonds, each worth $100,000.
"You said you don't want the money, but there's no need to refuse this. Think of it as a severance pay from leaving 'HR,'" Simmons said, swallowing his pain and feigning a magnanimous attitude.
Fusco looked at him like a lunatic. "At this hour, you're still thinking about this?"
"The pay's good. This is just the down payment. There's a rich guy who's in trouble and wants to get out. He wants to kill this woman. I'll find someone to do the job. You just need to help cover it up with the Serious Crime Unit afterward."
Simmons sighed hypocritically. "Having fewer people to share the money isn't without its advantages. The pay is good enough for us to leave the country afterward."
-
Half a day later, in the small building where the Most Wanted team was based.
"A two hundred thousand dollars in deposit?" Jack was also a little confused by the figure. "Are you sure it's okay?"
"I had someone check it out. Both bonds are real and can be cashed at any time." Fusco was even more confused. "What is this? Hush money?"
Jack took the photo Fusco handed him, took a closer look, and almost laughed out loud.
Who else could this iconic big eyes and pert nose be but "Root"? Not long ago, she was the mastermind behind the assassination of New York City Councilman Mike Delancey and had a small fight with Finch.
As a result, Finch's computer system was paralyzed by a worm virus and his vest was also removed.
Later, although the "POIs" managed to make a comeback with the participation of Jack and cleared the innocent Powell, Finch was unable to catch any clues from the other party. In the end, "Root" revealed her online name "Root".
Seeing her photo at this moment, Jack took out his mobile phone and called Finch, "Let me guess, you got a new number, and it's a beautiful woman."
Finch on the other end of the phone was obviously stunned, "How did you know?"
"Because our Detective Fusco just received a commission for a murder. Someone paid a large deposit to entrust 'HR' to kill a woman.
Perhaps to let the detective work for them with peace of mind, or perhaps for some other purpose, Simmons transferred the 200,000 deposit directly to Fusco."
Jack took a picture of the photo in his hand with his mobile phone, forwarded it, and continued, "I think your 'machine' will not let go of such an obvious premeditated murder case."
Finch on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, probably receiving a message, and then replied, "It's her, that's right, Caroline Turing. There is not much information about her online, and I'm still collecting it.
Thank you for the information, Jack, now we at least know the threats she faces . "What is it?"
Jack smiled quizzically over the phone. "The last name Turing isn't common. I only remember Alan Turing, the British mathematician known as the father of computers."
Finch clearly didn't get the hint and continued his usual stern explanation. "I don't think the two are related. According to the information I've found so far, Caroline Turing was born in Texas, the daughter of a farmer.
Speaking of which, her profession does have some relevance to you, Jack. She's a psychiatrist."
Jack paused for a moment, unsure how to remind him. After some thought, he decided to let it go. This matter involved too many issues, perhaps even the key to whether "machines," artificial intelligence, could escape their predicament.
Finch had hidden too many secrets, and continuing like this wasn't going to work. Unleashing "Root" to stir things up might yield some unexpected developments.
Jack had all the contingency plans ready. While "Root" was a bit erratic and acted somewhat unscrupulously, she wasn't inherently bad and could be saved.
The last fight was a test of some kind, and strictly speaking it did not lead to irreversible bad consequences. But this time "Genmei" joined the game herself, and Jack had roughly guessed what her purpose was.
For Root Sister, who viewed the "machine" as a form of electronic life, Finch, as its creator, could be considered its father in some sense.
Therefore, she likely wouldn't harm Finch, so Jack wasn't worried.
However, at the end of the call, he added a reminder, "Finch, I'm likely very busy these days with the crackdown on 'HR.' I won't be using this number this time. Please contact me if you need any help.
Also, if you need to go out on another mission, remember to bring my little gift."
"Thank you for your concern," Finch paused, then continued hesitantly. "Actually, we received two numbers this time.
The other number also belongs to a beautiful woman. Mr. Reese believes she's a higher risk, so he plans to bring her directly to you."
Jack was confused. The base building wasn't their last resort, but unless it was an emergency, Reese wouldn't bring anyone with unknown circumstances there.
After all, this was a secret FBI base. If it were easily exposed to the public, it would be easy for someone with ulterior motives to link the mysterious "man in the suit" to the FBI.
Finch didn't explain the reason, simply saying Reese was on his way with his men, so Jack didn't press his questions.
Although he was a little confused, he still had some trust in the "POI" duo, knowing they wouldn't mess around. He went straight into the kitchen and got busy.
His recent preoccupation with dealing with the messes with Ria and the New York Mafia's Five Families had depleted his refrigerator stock, leaving only a few packets of dumplings in the freezer.
Seeing Detective "Doudou" devouring a bag of pumpkin seeds with such relish, seemingly not wanting to leave even the shells, Jack boiled some water and cooked the last of the dumplings for him to fill his stomach, then began to work his magic.
By the time Reese arrived with a beautiful woman, a scallop, emitting the rich aroma of cheese and garlic, was just coming out of the pot.
"Tyler? Why are you here?"
Jack, carrying a plate out of the kitchen, was surprised to see Taylor Kelly following Reese.
The reporter, initially a bit nervous, saw Jack, but her nervousness vanished instantly, seamlessly transforming into a cheerful expression.
Taylor had met Reese and Finch before, when she'd taken Lila to Pennsylvania, but Jack hadn't given them a detailed introduction.
The reporter was a clever one. While she claimed to be investigating the latest urban legend about the "Man in the Suit" and had guessed something afterward, she didn't engage in any annoying, pestering, or questioning.
"Mr. Reese said I might be in danger, and he brought me here," Taylor said, leaning over to Jack, her eyes blinking, a docile expression that said, "If you don't ask, I won't ask. Aren't you being sensible?"
Jack placed the plate steadily on the dining table, turned to Reese and asked, "Is she the other number Finch mentioned?"
Although the man still had an expressionless and cold face, he could not hide the smile of watching the fun in his eyes. "So I sent Ms. Kelly to you for protection. I suspect this is related to your previous request for her to investigate the recent mayoral election."
Jack looked at Taylor helplessly, "Have you found the mysterious broker hiding behind the two candidates?"
Taylor's eyes flickered, and he carefully hugged Jack's arm and acted coquettishly, "Ever since City Councilman Mike DeLand After West was assassinated, his replacement, Ed Griffin, was a highly popular candidate. Polls showed his approval rating far surpassing that of Landon Walker, a former District Attorney. "
So I tentatively shared the information you gave me earlier, deliberately mentioning in today's follow-up report on Leah that some of his dirty money had entered Griffin's campaign account through some unknown means."
Jack frowned upon hearing her say this. The information he had revealed to Taylor at the time was that some of Leah's funds had been hedging their bets, entering the campaign funds of both Griffin and Walker.
He didn't suspect Taylor of deliberately biasing the report, so the answer was obvious: this girl was trying to lure the enemy out of their hole.
"Both mayoral candidates have shady underbelly. You're deliberately only reporting on one, signaling to the person behind it that you know more and are just waiting to be exploited."
He flicked the girl's forehead with his finger. "You knew the dangers of doing this. You should have discussed this with me in advance."
"I didn't mean to hide it from you," Taylor pouted her red lips in grievance. "I wanted to tell you the moment I found the suspect, but before I could call you, that cool guy in a suit came to me."
She even emphasized the three words "guy in a suit" with a hint of meaning.
Jack sighed and glanced at Reese, who was fighting with Fusco over lobster meat. How could this be cool?
Finding a pen and tearing off a piece of notepaper, Jack wrote a name on it, folded it, and handed it to Taylor. "Let's play a little game. If the suspect you find is the person on the paper, you win.
The reward is that you must stay by my side and accept my protection for a period of time."
Upon hearing this, Reese and Fusco, who were feasting at the table, paused and exchanged strange glances, suddenly feeling full.
"Quinn Alonzo."
After Taylor said the name, he couldn't wait to open the note. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as what was written on it.
"Who is this guy?" Fusco picked up the cup and took a sip of water, which allowed him to swallow the lobster meat that had been stuck in his throat.
Taylor's face flushed with excitement, and it was unclear what she was excited about. Hearing this, she helped explain, "Alonzo is Griffin's campaign manager and a professional powerbroker.
He came to me this afternoon and frankly admitted that Griffin had completely lost his chance after my report came out. He even kindly warned me to be careful of retaliation from Griffin, saying that he had spread rumors to target me."
Reese frowned, not understanding her judgment. "He's trying to be nice to you. You're the uncrowned king, and he's a political powerbroker. In theory, you're both potential collaborators who rely on those politicians. This behavior seems understandable and nothing to be blamed."
(End of this chapter)