Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

"Really?"

Luke didn't answer, took out a bottle of red wine, poured two glasses, and handed one to Orty, "What brings you here?"

Orty gestured with his glass and took a sip, "Since you guessed I was coming, you should also guess why I'm here."

Luke also took a sip of wine, he was just shooting the breeze, how could he really guess that Orty was coming.

But now that the other party had arrived, the reason wasn't hard to guess.

Considering their relationship, it was very likely that the other party wanted to introduce him to a commission case.

But just two days ago, Luke had declined once; Orty couldn't have forgotten so quickly if it was a regular case, Luke would probably decline again.

That means, this case must be fairly special, and only Luke would do.

"Are you here for the poisoning case?"

"No wonder you're Captain Luke, you guessed my purpose right away, impressive."

"Lieutenant."

"I heard you'll soon be promoted to Captain."

Luke probed, "Did your Detective Agency give me a hand behind the scenes?"

"No, you have your own promotion channels, which is why the agency values you. After all, a consulting fee of 320,000 US dollars isn't something just anyone can get. If I could get that treatment, I'd probably have settled in Hawaii by now.

I absolutely love the beaches there."

Still honest, Luke impulsively asked, "Can you surf?"

"Of course, it's quite fun."

"Cool, I've always wanted to learn to surf. Orty, if you have time someday, we can schedule it in advance."

"My coaching fee is very expensive, more than last time."

Luke laughed, "Isn't 320,000 US dollars enough?"

"Money is one thing, but I'm here today to ask for your help, you shouldn't refuse, should you?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm just stating a condition."

Luke countered, "Can I set a condition too?"

"Let's hear it."

"Next time, can you wear a thong?"

Orty "..."

"I'm here for work? Is that a proper way to ask?"

"I just don't like being threatened."

Orty, resigned, "OK, I take back what I said.

Today, I'm here to ask for your help, I hope you can assist me, Consultant."

"That sounds much better, let's hear it."

"We've received a commission from Wissen Company; they want the Detective Agency to uncover the truth behind the poisoning incident."

Luke countered, "Isn't investigating the truth supposed to be a job for the LAPD, why hire a Detective Agency?"

"You're right, investigating is indeed the responsibility of the LAPD, but the LAPD cares about solving the case, not the survival of Wissen Company.

Following such an incident, Wissen Company is in a tough predicament, and if not handled properly, the company might face bankruptcy.

That's why Wissen Company has asked the Detective Agency to investigate; they want to understand more about the poisoning case.

This way, they can handle the PR crisis effectively and mitigate the company's losses."

"Then you should also know that as a front-line investigator, I can't tell you much."

"Then just tell me what you can. Not every piece of information needs to be kept confidential, and what seems irrelevant to you might require the detectives to spend a lot of time investigating.

If you could help, I would be very grateful."

Luke said, "I suddenly feel like swimming."

Orty was taken aback for a moment, then realized, "Do we really have to do this? Can't there be more trust between us?"

Luke shrugged, "If you don't want to swim, then there's nothing much to talk about."

Orty was somewhat helpless, smiled, "Does your place have a swimming pool?"

"We can rent a hotel room with a swimming pool to talk."

"This case is urgent, and I'm pressed for time."

Luke remained silent, giving no indication.

"Okay, can I use your bedroom for a moment?"

Luke pointed to the guest room, "Please do."

Orty took her bag into the bedroom, and moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Orty emerged wearing a sexy lace blush-colored lingerie, even more revealing than a bikini.

Orty, striding confidently, walked over to Luke, turned around in front of him, and sat down on the sofa opposite, legs crossed, "Can we talk now?"

Luke went to the bathroom, took out a towel, and handed it to her, "I didn't really want this."

Orty wrapped herself with the towel, just enough to cover her private areas but still showing her long legs, "Your eyes are very honest.

Can we talk now?"

"My mind is cluttered, I'm not sure what to say. How about this, you can ask me some questions, but I may not answer."

"Isn't that a bit unfair to me?"

Luke smiled, "Shall I take off mine too?"

Orty took a deep breath, amusement edging her frustration, "Can we start now?"

Luke made a welcoming gesture.

"How many incidents have occurred in the Wissen brand mineral water poisoning case so far?"

"Four."

"What poison?"

"I can't tell you the exact components, but I can tell you it's highly toxic and can kill someone in a very short time."

"Has anyone died?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"The death toll has exceeded three."

"Do you know the murderer's motive for poisoning?"

"Not clear yet."

"Is there any possibility it was orchestrated by another mineral water brand company?"

"There's no evidence pointing to that yet."

"How did the murderer administer the poison? Was there any tampering with the mineral water bottles?"

"Yes, but the method was very clever, it's hard to see from the appearance."

"So we can confirm that it was deliberate poisoning, not a quality issue from the manufacturer."

"Yes." This wasn't something Luke couldn't discuss; if there was a quality issue, the police would have been involved sooner or later.

It was just a matter of sooner or later.

Perhaps just this one night's difference.

And the Detective Agency earns this money.

By getting the information the employer wants as quickly as possible."

"Are you confident about solving this case?"

"Not really."

"I thought you would say you were, considering you've solved quite a few big cases before."

"This case is different from the previous ones, hard to say."

Orty put her legs down, "Can I go change now?"

"We can still talk for a while."

"I hope next time, there can be more trust," Orty said, then got up and went to the bedroom.

Her retreating figure was graceful, leaving much to the imagination.