The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 219: Want to Trade?]

One of the hardest things often lies in finding a breakthrough.

Frank, who hung around on Twitter, often managed to dig up some meaningful material that helped Twitter and West Coast Media Entertainment Studio gain some traction. Hawk immediately had Edward contact Campos to relay the critical point about little boys and the Catholic Church.

However, this matter also posed challenges; the Catholic Church was like a hornet's nest -- one couldn't poke it lightly. The focus still had to remain on Pat Kingsley personally. This made Hawk admire real investigative journalists even more.

In North America, big news thrived everywhere, yet once you dug too deep, it was easy to get yourself into serious trouble.

Campos indicated that he would mobilize the team to conduct targeted surveillance immediately. At this stage, for the secretive filming efforts, Hawk wasn't just participating but merely giving orders -- the folks from Butterfly Consulting always found a way to accomplish the task.

...

Los Angeles, Westwood.

Near a villa along the street, the traffic was light, although a few family cars passed by now and then. Campos drove a Ford Mondeo and parked it in an empty spot, pulling out binoculars to observe the villa across the street.

At the nearby intersection, Edward drove a regular business vehicle, parked in the lot close to the corner. He lifted the radio and asked, "Hey, what's the status?"

Campos replied, "Everyone is in position. As long as she steps out today, she won't be out of our sight." He checked the time and added, "Based on her recent trajectory, she should be heading to church for Mass today."

Besides Campos and Edward, Carlos and Garcia also arrived at a key intersection nearby. Considering Kingsley was a woman, Campos had specifically called in two capable women, Betty and Fiona, to join them.

...

Inside the villa, Simon Foster, wearing glasses, stepped out of his study and looked at his wife, who was packing her bag. He asked, "Are you coming back for dinner today?"

Kingsley lifted her bag and replied, "After Mass, there will be Communion at the church. I'll probably be a bit late coming back."

After all these years, Simon Foster had long gotten used to it. "I need to head out too. I have events to attend this afternoon and evening."

Kingsley nodded and left the villa with her bag in hand.

The female driver had already pulled the car up to the pathway in front of the house. Kingsley got into a BMW 7 Series and instructed, "To St. Beatrice Church." The car turned onto the main road, heading northwest towards the Santa Monica Mountains.

...

In front of the BMW 7, Campos, showcasing impressive driving skills, followed the car from the front and kept moving forward along the main road.

Confirming that Kingsley didn't have any followers behind her, Garcia, Carlos, and Fiona, along with Edward and others, expertly executed cross-tracking.

...

The BMW 7 entered the southeastern part of Santa Monica Mountains, where a modest-sized church appeared not far from Palisades. This was St. Beatrice Church, a Catholic establishment in Los Angeles, which paled in size compared to the much larger Our Lady of Angels.

However, behind the church was a charity school called St. Beatrice that housed homeless children. ...

Edward had parked at a higher vantage point early on, using binoculars to observe the church and the charity school behind it. As he recalled Hawk and Frank's words, he felt increasingly acutely aware of their weight.

The church, the charity school, and the series of generous benefactors... It seemed terrifying just to think about.

The BMW 7 parked in the church's lot, and Kingsley got out alone, her expression serious as she walked towards the church with her bag. The area had a steady stream of cars and people coming and going. Campos and the others soon caught up.

Carlos stayed outside to keep watch as backup. Campos and Garcia, along with Betty and Fiona, split up to enter the church. They had prepared in advance and blended in seamlessly among the many attendees.

...

Betty was the first to find where Kingsley was seated and quietly made her way there, sitting a row behind her without getting too close. Fiona also noticed and, without exchanging any words with Betty, found a nearby empty seat, patiently waiting for Mass to begin.

Campos and Garcia each found suitable spots as well. The five of them subtly surrounded Kingsley.

...

As the church grew quiet, Mass was about to begin. Kingsley appeared to be a devout parishioner, slightly closing her eyes, lost in the warm embrace of the Lord, feeling not just peace, but a peculiar sense of anticipation.

What delightful surprise would come after Mass?

Kingsley had been a benefactor of this church for nearly twenty years, enjoying preferential treatment throughout that time. Trust had long been established between them; every two to three weeks, the church offered her the best psychological comfort.

Here, Kingsley truly felt the grace of the Lord.

...

Campos squinted his eyes, continuously watching and waiting for an opportunity. After Mass ended, those who wished to stay for Communion began making their way to the dining area on the other side of the church, where designated people would distribute it.

But Communion was tiered; some went left, while others went right. Here, God wouldn't ask about your ranks, but how much you had donated.

Seizing the moment when it got a little chaotic, Campos discreetly signaled to Fiona. Fiona, with her petite frame, quickly and skillfully followed Kingsley. She reached into her pocket, gripping the tiny listening device she had prepared earlier.

Up ahead, in a bid to assist Fiona, Garcia accidentally stepped on Betty's foot, leading to a brief squabble that drew the attention of those around, creating a minor disruption. A priest came over to maintain order.

As people focused on Garcia and Betty, Campos moved forward a couple of steps, seemingly wanting to join in on the commotion, his tall frame blocking Fiona's smaller figure.

Fiona worked quickly; the black listening device was surreptitiously placed on the bottom of Kingsley's black handbag.

In front, with the priest persuading him, Garcia apologized to Betty, and the church's order returned.

...

Everyone moved forward, with Garcia and Betty heading to the side for regular Communion.

Last time Fiona was here, she had donated and received preferential treatment, so she walked closely behind Kingsley, moving to the other side. Campos made a donation on-site and also received a ticket.

Blending into the crowd, they entered the dining area to enjoy Communion and received holy water as a bonus.

Having experienced too much darkness in Mexico, Campos was wary of anything that could be termed holy water. He planned to dispose of it in a garbage bin after leaving the church.

Nonetheless, some attendees sprinkled holy water on themselves after enjoying Communion.

After that, including Kingsley, the long-time donors with established trust in the church followed a priest named Michael Baker to the back of the church, where St. Beatrice charity school was located for some rest.

The rest were taken on a tour by Father George Neville to learn about the history, developments, and planning of the charity school, assuring new donors that their money would indeed be put to good use.

Simultaneously, this was a selection process. They knew how to make donors with special needs willingly part with more money.

Campos trailed behind the donors' group, watching from a distance as Kingsley and the others entered an apartment building.

Nearby, there was a wall that separated the building from the outside world. Campos quietly made a call, indicating the location.

...

Carlos, who was waiting outside, promptly drove to a road close to the apartment building. He donned his earpiece and activated the receiver and recorder, listening in.

On the earpiece, two voices soon came through.

"Ms. Kingsley, please come this way. This time, we urgently imported a good-looking boy, the kind who can speak and understand English fluently, just as you requested."

After the man spoke, a woman's voice followed, "Thank you, Father."

The sound of a door opening was heard, then Kingsley's voice, tinged with surprise, exclaimed, "Oh, what a exquisite boy! I can't thank you enough."

In her excitement, she dropped the formalities, addressing him directly, "Michael, you always know what I want."

The man's voice came again, "I wouldn't want to intrude on the lady's enjoyment."

The door closed behind them.

...

Inside the room, Kingsley gazed at the handsome young boy and couldn't help but think of her grandson back in New York. She grew fonder of him and offered a warm smile, "Don't worry; I'm here to help you. You're about the same age as my grandson, so you can call me Grandma."

The boy, timid and hesitant, didn't respond at first. Kingsley studied his features, placing her handbag on a nearby table. "Can you tell me your name? Where are you from?"

Seeing her kind demeanor, the boy, who didn't seem like a bad person, said, "My name is Mila. I came here with my parents from Guatemala. They passed away not long after we arrived, and I was sent to this charity school."

"What a poor child," Kingsley said, extending her arms to embrace him, pulling him onto her lap. "I'll take care of you from now on, okay?"

She pulled out some chocolate she had brought and offered it to him. "Try this; it's a little treat I brought just for you."

The boy opened it and stuffed it into his mouth. "So sweet, so delicious!"

Kingsley asked, "Do you want more? However, you need to trade me something in return..."

The boy, despite his past experiences, couldn't fathom the malicious intentions hidden beneath the kind face of this elderly lady. Tempted by the chocolate, he asked, "What do you want from me? I can give it to you."

Kingsley burst into laughter.

...

Outside, Carlos almost ripped off his headphones in fury, continuously muttering insults about the pervert!

He found it somewhat normal when young stars faced various scandals. After all, the demand was high.

But for a 70-year-old woman...

Carlos mused over this, suddenly flashing back to the face of the boss.

Though he wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue or a good person in the traditional sense, compared to these perverts, his moral character was exceptional.

He could even be considered a good person.

*****

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