Luke asked, "How did you et Anette Stone?"
Honey List took a deep drag of his cigarette, looked up at the sky, and recalled, "A year ago, after I retired, I returned to Los Angeles, back to my mother's side, dreaming of starting a new and beautiful life.
But things didn't go as planned.
I couldn't fit into life in Los Angeles, couldn't find a suitable job, didn't get the respect I deserved, and suffered from severe ntal illness, having to take those damn little pills every day.
This was completely different from the retirent life I had imagined.
I also asked myself, why is this? Is it because of personally?
No.
Absolutely not just because of .
I joined a veteran's support group, and I t a lot of retired soldiers who had similar issues, unable to find work, getting no respect, depression, suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, eventually ending up on the streets as holess or even turning to cri.
I didn't want to be like them; I wanted to change, and I was trying to change, but it was difficult.
I sought help from relevant departnts and asked the governnt for assistance, but no one paid any attention.
So, I hoped to use the dia to let more people know about the situation of retired soldiers. It's not just my personal issue; it's a societal problem.
Last year, I sent letters asking for help to several TV news departnts.
But only one person contacted , Anette Stone.
I don't know if he was genuinely concerned or just wanted a big story.
But he gave hope.
We kept in touch. Later, he left CBS, but he continued to follow and investigate the living conditions of retired soldiers."
"When was the last ti you saw him?"
"About half a month ago, I took him to a veteran's support group eting at his request. He felt my individual case couldn't make a big impact on society or draw more attention to the issue, and those politicians wouldn't care much about it either.
To get the nation and society to focus on reintegrating retired soldiers, there must be enough investigatory evidence and plenty of real cases to prove that I'm not an isolated example, but that many retired soldiers face these problems."
Luke took out a notebook, wrote down 'veteran's support group,' and asked, "Did you tell Anette Stone about the slaughterhouse?"
"Yes, I ntioned it at the support group eting. At the ti, not only Anette Stone but others also heard it."
Luke kept watching Honey List and didn't detect any obvious signs of lying in his expression.
If what he said is true, then other retired soldiers attending the support group eting knew about the closure of the slaughterhouse, and additionally, Anette Stone might have contacted other retired soldiers from the support group.
Thus, the range of suspects not only included Honey List but extended to the entire veteran's support group.
"When discussing the slaughterhouse job, did anyone show particular interest in the slaughterhouse or its address?"
Honey List thought for a mont, "Yes, there was indeed such a person. At that ti, I just ntioned that the slaughterhouse closed, and he was very interested. He even said he used to work at a slaughterhouse and asked if it was the sa one.
Then I told him the address, and he said it wasn't."
"Do you rember his na?"
"Yes, Tapani Reagan."
"Do you know any other information about him? Like his phone number, ho address, license plate number, and so on?"
"I know his phone number."
"Looks like this person left a strong impression on you."
"It wasn't just ; Anette Stone was also very interested in him. It was Anette Stone who asked to get his phone number."
"Why was Anette Stone interested in him?"
"Probably because of his experiences." Honey List sighed and said, "He also served in the Middle East. Because he was abroad for a long ti and couldn't take care of his family, he entrusted his best friend to look after his wife and children.
When he retired and returned ho, he felt his wife's attitude towards him changed, and his child was acting strange. Later, during an argunt, his child revealed the truth; during his ti serving abroad, not only would his friend take care of his family, but sotis he would also stay over.
He was betrayed, and the saddest part was being betrayed by his most trusted friend.
No, I misspoke, that's not even the saddest part yet.
This guy beat up his friend, then got arrested by the police and thrown into jail.
When he got out of jail, his wife wanted a divorce and took custody of the child and the house.
This guy had no choice but to wander the streets.
Compared to him, I am undoubtedly lucky. I still have a mother who loves and cares for , which is why I didn't beco holess or a criminal."
Luke rubbed his chin, and from what Honey List described, Tapani Reagan's experiences were indeed tragic. Once the dia reports this, it could resonate with retired soldiers and those still serving abroad.
Putting himself in Anette Stone's shoes, if he were also a journalist, he'd certainly take Tapani Reagan as a case study, which would definitely cause a huge stir.
Based on Honey List's description and the known clues combined, Luke had new speculations and analyses regarding Anette Stone's murder case.
If Tapani Reagan was indeed the perpetrator behind the bombing plot, then his inquiry about the slaughterhouse's address was ant to use it as a base for bomb-making.
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