Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

"I only forgive you this once, not because you're a cop, but because your friend is my fan. You should be grateful you have such a good friend."

Little Black said with a smile, "Luke, I like this guy, he's quite interesting."

Luke nodded, "Indeed, he's more interesting than his stand-up."

"Hey, you can insult me, but don't look down on my profession. Have you ever listened to my stand-up?

If you haven't, you have no right to speak."

"I indeed haven't heard it, but I've heard that your headline performance opportunity was taken by Darcy. That's the reason for your resentment toward Darcy, right?"

"Hey, I'm not a narrow-minded person. I don't like him, not because he took my headline spot, but because there's something wrong with his performance style.

He doesn't respect women and always likes to tell some vulgar and lewd jokes. That won't last long."

"Is that why you wanted to kill him?"

"I never said I wanted to kill him. You're slandering me."

"I'm not slandering you. You did say it."

"I didn't."

Luke held up a transparent plastic bag with a letter inside, "This threatening letter was found in Darcy's house. The sender really hates Darcy's performance style, thinks it disrespects women, contains too many lewd jokes, is very vulgar, which is consistent with your view.

The letter also ends with a warning that if Darcy doesn't change his style, he will die an ugly death.

And now, as it turns out, Darcy indeed died.

So we have reason to believe that the sender has a motive for the crime, which is why we asked you to come here."

"Hey... even if someone wrote a threatening letter to Darcy... it doesn't prove it's related to me." Kenneth stammered, sounding less confident.

Luke compared the threatening letter to the signature on a poster, "Before bringing you to the station, we had experts examine your handwriting. Your handwriting matches exactly with that on the threatening letter. You wrote this letter."

"Fuck!" Kenneth slapped his forehead with his hand.

"Kenneth, how do you explain this?"

"I want to see a lawyer."

...

Luke and Little Black returned to the interrogation room to rest.

The deputy team leader asked, "Why have you come out so soon? How did the interrogation go?"

"The guy wants to see a lawyer, so, we have to suspend the interrogation temporarily."

The deputy team leader pressed, "Did he admit he wrote the threatening letter?"

"He didn't, but the guy is feeling guilty, he's completely panicked, otherwise he wouldn't be calling for a lawyer right away." Little Black snapped his fingers and speculated, "From my experience, this guy is very likely the real poisoner."

"From your experience?" The deputy team leader curled his lips, "I don't think he's the poisoner."

"Why not?" Little Black asked back, "You haven't even dealt with him or know anything about him."

"But I know you, and I know your experience." The deputy team leader held down his pinky nail with his left thumb.

Unconvinced, Little Black shot back, "You're wrong, dead wrong. This guy has a motive; there's definitely something fishy."

"Having a motive isn't enough, you need evidence of his crime." The deputy team leader spread his hands, "That's fundamental."

Luke poured a cup of Longjing tea and took a sip, "The deputy's right.

Fellows, I need your help to check the surveillance videos from the subway station and Shanyuan Supermarket to see if this guy was at the poisoning site."

Jackson suggested, "I think we should search his house to see if we can find cyanide and suspected tools used for the crime."

"Good idea, but we need a search warrant before that. That task is yours," Luke pointed toward the captain's office.

Everyone set off to their tasks while Luke prepared himself for what he believed might be a tough battle ahead.

...

Over an hour later, Luke and Little Black returned to the interrogation room.

The lawyer didn't stay to accompany Kenneth, and after meeting with him alone, the lawyer left.

To Luke's slight surprise.

Luke put the threatening letter back on the table, "Kenneth, how did it go with your lawyer?"

Kenneth nodded, "Pretty good."

"Then explain the threatening letter."

Kenneth looked closely at the threatening letter, "Yes, I wrote this."

"Why write this letter?"

"Because I hate that guy Darcy. He's corrupted stand-up with his sleazy performance, dragging the art form down further. If he's allowed to continue, stand-up comedy will become synonymous with vulgarity, and that's unacceptable," Kenneth said angrily as he continued to vent,

"And that Ali Huang, that woman is just a 'filth ho'. I disdain to be in the same profession as them. It's a disgrace.

People like them will ruin the profession of stand-up comedy."

Seizing the moment, Luke asked, "So, you killed Darcy?"

Kenneth hesitated for a while before gritting his teeth and saying, "Yes, I killed him!"

Luke and Little Black exchanged glances, both surprised at how easily the other had confessed.

Luke pressed on, "How did you do it?"

"I poisoned his water."

"How did you poison it?"

"I took advantage when he wasn't looking, went over there, unscrewed the cap, and put some poison powder in it."

"Where did you poison it?"

"Right by the stage."

"Did anyone see you then?"