Luke asked, "Are you familiar with Teddy Colin?"
"Pretty much, we all live in Mogaro Forest Park and occasionally sit together for beers or share free pizzas."
"Has Teddy Colin been acting strangely lately?"
Seimir Pick thought for a mont, "He suddenly got rich recently, does that count?"
"Could you specify the ti fra?"
Seimir Pick looked envious, "I rember on August 26th, he bought a lot of pizzas, fried chicken, and whiskey for us to enjoy together, spending at least a few hundred US dollars; that was also the first ti he treated us.
The next day he bought himself a new set of clothes, I don't know the exact price, but it definitely wasn't cheap.
And I heard from others that he had been dining at nearby restaurants during those days and purchased many new items for his tent, which was unusual."
Luke asked, "Do you know where his money ca from?"
"No, we asked him, but he just smiled and wouldn't say.
At the ti, I thought he must have been favored by Lady Luck, who knew in just a few days an accident would happen."
Luke found Teddy Colin's situation suspicious and asked, "Has he been in contact with any particular people recently?"
"I don't know, I rarely pay attention to others and mostly stay in my tent."
Luke asked, "Besides his na, do you know any other information that could confirm his identity?"
"Umm..." Seimir Pick thought for a while, "I think I have his phone number, let find it."
Seimir Pick started checking his phone, and after a while, he said, "Yes, I have his phone number, 714 836 2526."
Luke noted down the phone number and handed his card to Seimir Pick, "Thank you for your help; if you think of any other clues, feel free to contact ."
"I will, it's the least I can do for those two unfortunate friends."
After escorting Seimir Pick out of the office, Luke assigned tasks to the team mbers.
"Deputy, investigate the background of Arian Osborne, the third victim, and contact his family, checking surrounding relations."
The deputy nodded, "Got it."
"Matthew, verify the identity of Teddy Colin, the second victim, using his phone number."
"Jackson, examine Teddy Colin's phone records to look for recent suspicious contacts."
"Yes, sir."
The team mbers set off in different directions.
...
By eleven in the morning, the police confird the identity of the second victim.
Na, Teddy Colin
Gender, Male
Date of Birth, March 2, 1979
Phone number, 714 836 2526
Social Security Number, 623-52-7355
Luke examined Teddy Colin's phone records and discovered a suspicious contact, Anika Carn.
Teddy Colin rarely made calls; in a recent period, there were eight call logs, seven of which were contacts with Anika Carn.
Their first call was on August 25th, and there were continuous call logs over the following days.
Luke also investigated Anika Carn's background and found that Anika Carn lived near Mogaro Forest Park.
Instinctively, Luke felt that Anika Carn might be related to the arson case or at least know so insider details.
...
Wickart Community.
This was a white middle-class community, though sowhat remote, its proximity to Mogaro Forest Park ant a good environnt and landscaping.
Two cars parked outside a blue two-story villa.
Luke stepped out from the front passenger seat and looked at the blue villa to his right, its style sowhat peculiar, like a retro design.
Coco also ca over, "This house is nice, must be wealthy people living here, why would they connect with a vagrant?"
Luke said, "Let's go in and find out."
Coco took a couple of steps forward and pressed the video doorbell.
"Woof woof..."
Barking could be heard faintly from inside the blue villa.
Soon the video doorbell opened, and a young white woman asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Coco asked, "Is this Miss Anika Carn's ho?"
"Yes, I am Anika Carn.
Who are you? I don't believe we've t."
Coco showed his badge, "I'm Marcus, Detective Chief of the Robbery and Murder Departnt, investigating the Mogaro Forest Park arson case, and would like to ask you so questions."
Anika Carn refused, "Sorry, I was ho all day on the day of the fire and I'm not familiar with it.
I suggest you ask soone else."
Coco changed his tone, "Miss Anika Carn, please open the door, we need to talk."
"I don't see anything to discuss between us. I've already told you, I don't know about the Mogaro Forest Park arson case."
"Do you know Teddy Colin?"
Anika Carn paused for a mont, "Yes, I know him, why?"
"He's dead."
"Dead!" Anika Carn seed a bit surprised, "When did he die?"
"August 29th, he was killed in Mogaro Forest Park."
"Oh my, that's horrible!"
Blacky said again, "Miss Anika Carn, we want to ask you about Teddy Colin."
After a mont, Anika Carn relented, "Okay, you may co in."
"Ding dong..." The gate opened.
Luke and his partner walked along the cent path to the villa's entrance.
As they approached, the villa door opened, and Anika Carn brushed her hair back with her hand, "Officers, please co in."
The two entered the living room and sat on the sofa, with a photo on the coffee table in front of them — a picture of Anika Carn and a black Rottweiler.
Luke asked, "You have a dog?"
"Yes, its na is Coco.
I was worried it would bark, so I took it to the bedroom," Anika Carn shrugged, "Would you like coffee or tea?"
"No, thank you," Luke waved his hand, "Let's talk about Teddy Colin instead.
What was your relationship?"
"We're friends."
"When did you et?"
"We haven't known each other for long; he's a new friend of mine."
"Do you know what he did for a living?"
"He didn't seem to have a job; he was a drifter."
"I'm a bit curious, why did you beco friends?"
"You're not the only one, I didn't expect to beco friends with a drifter either," Anika Carn looked towards the bedroom, "A while back, I took Coco for a walk in Mogaro Forest Park. It was so playful it ran off and got lost.
I was really anxious, searching everywhere, but I just couldn't find it.
It's like family to , I couldn't be without it.
In the end, Teddy Colin helped find Coco. I was very grateful, and Coco liked him a lot too.
That's how we beca friends."
Luke asked, "When was that?"
"It was August 24th, I believe."
"Since then, did you keep in touch often?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell what you talked about?"
"All sorts of things, bits and pieces. I'm usually busy, and sotis Coco gets quite bored.
I asked him if he could occasionally look after Coco, take it to Mogaro Forest Park to play.
Teddy Colin was very nice and readily agreed."
"Did you have any financial transactions with him?"
"He helped find Coco, so I did give him so money. Initially, he didn't want it, but then I asked him to help care for Coco, and he accepted it.
He really was a good person.
I'm very sorry about what happened to him.
I believe Coco would be very sad too."
"When was the last ti you saw him?"
"It was probably August 28th, yes, the evening before the fire in Mogaro Forest Park.
I was taking Coco for a walk and ran into him. We chatted for a bit."
"Did he seem unusual at that ti?"
Anika Carn thought for a mont, then shook her head, "I didn't notice anything."
"Do you have any suspects regarding his murder?"
"No, although he was a nice person, we hadn't known each other long.
To be honest, I didn't know him very well."
"How much money did you give Teddy Colin in total?"
"One thousand US Dollars."
"How did you give it to him?"
"Cash," Anika Carn said, frowning, "Hey, you don't suspect I had sothing to do with his death, do you? I have absolutely no reason to do such a thing."
"We're not suspecting you, just conducting routine inquiries with people around the victim," Luke replied, then asked, "Where were you on the day of the fire, August 29th?"
"I was ho, had just finished bathing Coco. Then the fire started in Mogaro Forest Park, it was very loud, I was worried the fire might reach us, and I couldn't sleep at all that night."
"Did you go to Mogaro Forest Park that day?"
"No, I planned to bathe Coco, which is a big task. It's very tiring every ti, so I didn't go," Anika Carn sighed, "If, and I say if, we had gone to Mogaro Forest Park that night and t Teddy Colin, it might have changed his fate.
Perhaps he wouldn't have died in the fire."
Blacky nodded, "Miss Carn, you're a kind girl."
Luke handed her a business card, "Miss Carn, if you think of any new clues, feel free to contact ."
Anika Carn took the card with both hands, "I will."
After that, Luke and Blacky left Anika Carn's house.
Once in the car, Blacky looked towards the villa and asked, "Captain, do you think Anika Carn is hiding sothing?"
Luke smiled, "Did you notice anything?"
Blacky thought for a mont, "What she said seed fine.
But they t on August 24th, and Teddy Colin was murdered on August 29th, just five days later. Yet, they had seven phone conversations in that short ti, and each call lasted quite a while.
It doesn't seem like the casual friendship Anika Carn described; I think she might be hiding sothing."
Luke looked at Blacky with newfound respect, gave him a thumbs-up, "Not bad, I also think she's hiding sothing about Teddy Colin, perhaps even lying."
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