Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

We were getting along very well, liking each other, very close, and our time together was enjoyable.

That night, I took her to a very expensive restaurant. It was romantic, felt right...

Suddenly, she wanted to talk about marriage.

I thought she was joking at first.

But then...

I realized she was serious about marrying me and was using various means to force me into marriage.

That period was really painful for me; I liked her, really liked her.

But I didn't want to get married, really didn't.

I didn't want children even more so.

"I can't handle that responsibility."

Luke speculated, "She might be pregnant, which could be why she wants to marry you."

"She never mentioned pregnancy. If I had known she was pregnant, I would have made her...

I know it sounds cruel, but I was absolutely not ready to be a father.

No, I should say I was never prepared."

Suddenlt, Luke grabbed Luke's arm with a trembling voice, "I'm really scared now, I tremble just thinking about it, I really don't know what to do.

Oh God, why are you doing this to me.

Save me.

I'm really scared!"

Luke hugged his shoulder, "Buddy, don't be afraid, I'm here for you.

There's not much else I can help with, but if you need money, let me know.

What you need to do now is talk to her, sort things out.

Don't keep scaring yourself by avoiding the issue.

Maybe just like you said, she just gained weight, and isn't pregnant."

Suddenlt took a deep breath, "I will."

"Buzz...""

Both of their phones rang at the same time. Luke took out his phone and saw that Susan had posted some information about the victim in the chat group.

Preliminary autopsy results: male, aged between 13-15 years old, drowned; time of death was between 5 PM and midnight on August 2nd.

There was a Captain America shield tattoo on the shoulder.

Luke also couldn't help but feel melancholic. Ages 13 to 15 are some of the best years of a person's life.

Just like Suddenlt said, being a parent isn't easy.

Handling cases like these, Luke's greatest fear is facing the parents of the deceased.

The two entered the Hilton Hotel, where a young Caucasian man at the front desk, wearing a blue shirt and looking to be in his twenties, younger than Luke, wore a professional smile.

"Gentlemen, how may I assist you?"

Suddenlt flashed his badge, "I'm Detective Marcus from the Robbery and Murder Department, and this is Deputy Chief Luke."

Suddenlt was an optimist. His pain came quickly but disappeared just as fast, which was one of the reasons Luke liked him.

Moods are contagious, and being around such people makes you happier too.

Sometimes, happiness is just a feeling.

The young man asked, "Is this about the body found on the beach?"

"You've heard then."

"Yes, a lot of guests were talking about it earlier, and some clients wanted to check out; we've been quite busy for a while. Officers, is there something you need at our hotel?"

"Based on our guess, the victim was likely a tourist staying nearby. We're conducting a routine investigation and would like your assistance in identifying him."

The front desk is a job that involves greeting and bidding farewell to many people coming in and out of the hotel. If the deceased was a hotel guest, the front desk might recognize him.

"OK, I'm not busy right now, happy to help."

"Thank you." Luke took out the photo of the deceased, "The photo might be a bit disturbing, so please be prepared."

"I just attended my grandfather's funeral recently; it's nothing I can't handle."

Luke didn't say much more and just placed the photo in front of him.

Upon seeing the photo, the young man's expression changed slightly, and he frowned, "Wow, he's so young, such a pity."

Luke observed his reaction, "Was he a guest here?"

The young man hesitated slightly, "No."

Lying.

"Have you seen him before?"

"No."

Lying.

From his reaction, Luke could almost confirm that he must have known the deceased.

With a lead in hand, Luke was no longer in a hurry and looked at the young man, "What's your name?"

"Butka."

"Nice name. Could you get us some employees who were working the day before yesterday? I'd like to gather more information, maybe others have seen the deceased."

"Deputy Chief Luke, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I work at the front desk every day, and I have a good memory. I can recognize anyone who stays at our hotel.

If I don't recognize him, he probably wasn't a guest here."

Luke asked, "Can we see the surveillance footage?"

"Sorry, that won't be possible. Our hotel's management wouldn't agree."

"You didn't ask, how do you know they won't agree?"

"There have been similar situations before. According to our hotel's policy, unless the police have a search warrant, we do not disclose customer privacy.

We need to be responsible for our hotel's customers."

"OK, I understand." Luke left a business card, "If you think of any leads, give me a call."

"No problem."

Afterwards, Luke and Suddenlt left the Hilton Hotel.

Suddenlt asked instinctively, "Where to next?"

"Apply for a search warrant!"

...

Half an hour later, Luke returned to the Hilton Hotel.

Apart from him and Suddenlt, Raymond, Jenny, and two patrolling officers were also present.

The front desk young man Butka looked surprised, "Deputy Chief Luke, Detective Marcus, why have you come back?"