The Police Station.
Despite receiving numerous calls claiming Davis Brown had been seen in various locations...
When it concerned a three-year-old child, and faced with Dexter's tip, the police dared not be careless. They urgently dispatched a patrol car already on the street to verify the situation at 2119 North Wallace.
Meanwhile.
Dexter wasn't idle. He immediately got into his car, stepped on the gas, and sped toward another payphone not too far away.
In a blink, Dexter arrived. He made another call, this time altering his voice to sound hoarse and different, and reported to the police.
[I just passed by 2119 North Wallace and saw Debbie Gallagher in the backyard playing with that kidnapped kid, Davis Brown. I shouted, and Debbie Gallagher immediately grabbed Davis Brown and ran back into the house in a panic! You guys better hurry up and check it out. I'm worried something might happen to Davis Brown.]
The Police Station.
The officer who took the call jolted upright.
Holy smokes!
Two back-to-back calls, both placing Davis Brown at 2119 North Wallace!
And this second call was incredibly detailed!!!
The credibility was extremely high!
"Thank you, we're on our way!" The officer replied solemnly, then slam, hung up the phone. Immediately, he broadcasted over the radio to all units in the field.
[All units proceed to 2119 North Wallace! Surround the house front and back!! Davis Brown is highly likely being held inside!]
The next second.
Patrol cars from all directions sprang into action, charging straight for 2119 North Wallace.
In one of the cars, Tony practically stomped his foot through the floorboard, his expression grave beyond belief.
2119 North Wallace...
The Gallagher house, Fiona...
Kidnapping a child??
Okay, honestly, it wasn't surprising for a Gallagher to do something crazy.
Tony wasn't shocked, but his feelings were incredibly complicated.
Should he warn Fiona?
Kidnapping a child was a severe felony...
If the police surrounded the house and found Davis Brown inside...
Heh.
The consequences would be unimaginable!
As Fiona's simp, still harboring a sliver of fantasy about getting back with her and fking her again, Tony's instinct was to tip her off. Give her time to react, maybe mitigate the disaster...
But remembering how Fiona treated him, how she cheated on him, hatred surged in his heart...
Tony was torn.
He struggled with himself for a moment.
Then Tony hardened his heart.
His hatred for Fiona conquered his love.
Tony swallowed his reluctance and did nothing.
On the other side.
Dexter was also driving, speeding toward his house with a face full of smiles... Hehe, such an interesting show, he had to see it with his own eyes.
Just thinking about it was exciting.
Dexter was happy. He lit a cigarette, his thoughts drifting to what happened after Debbie kidnapped Casey in the original show...
Thinking about that made him laugh.
In the show.
After Fiona discovered Debbie kidnapped Casey, she actually delivered Casey straight to Veronica and Kevin's house, asking Veronica to look after him...
That move was not only laughably absurd but also perfectly highlighted Fiona's selfishness and the fact that she never treated Veronica like a real friend.
That was kidnapping a child! A super heavy felony!
And she didn't hesitate to dump the kid on Veronica, dragging Kevin and V down with her?
Dexter genuinely felt that if he were in Kevin's shoes and that happened, he would have had the urge to kill Fiona on the spot!
Are you kidding me?
Sitting at home minding your own business, and a felony drops from the sky?
"Damn Gallaghers," Dexter shook his head, chuckling to himself. He sped up, not wanting to miss the upcoming spectacle.
---
The Gallagher House.
After hanging up the phone, Fiona frantically dug out a cigarette and lit it. Anxious and irritable, her brow furrowed tight as she smoked puff after puff.
In moments, she finished one and lit another, inhaling deeply again.
Steve sat nearby watching her, worried. "Don't worry, we can solve this."
Fiona glanced at Steve, then looked toward Debbie, who was sitting on the sofa with a sullen face.
Fiona wanted to scream at Debbie, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not knowing what to say, she remained silent.
Heh.
What pathetic familial love.
The living room fell silent, filled only with swirling smoke and thick tension.
Time ticked by, second by second.
...
With his brain buzzing, completely unable to believe this was happening, Lip drove the beat-up truck with a grim face, speeding back to the Gallagher house.
Ian, whose mood was already terrible from the Mickey situation and had no money for a cab, was sprinting home on foot.
The two brothers were rushing back to the Gallagher house from different directions.
It didn't take long.
Both brothers realized that more and more police cars were speeding past them on the road. And they were clearly heading toward North Wallace...
Ian wasn't smart enough to connect all the dots; he just felt something was wrong.
Lip, however, was smart. Even if it was just street smarts, he was quick. He realized something was off and a possibility popped into his head.
The moment the thought struck him, Lip panicked. He hurriedly pulled out his phone and called Fiona.
The call connected immediately.
"The cops seem to know the kid is at our house! God knows how many cop cars are heading your way right now!! Hide the kid! Put him in the basement!" Lip yelled as soon as she picked up.
Hearing this.
Boom!
It was like a lightning strike. Fiona froze, her mind going completely blank, unable to speak or move.
Steve, sitting right next to her, heard Lip's shouting. His reaction wasn't much better. Terrified, his instinct was to run!
He had to run!
If the cops showed up and found Davis Brown...
Heh.
Debbie wouldn't be the only one screwed!
Lip didn't get a response and panicked even more. He shouted louder, "Fiona!"
The shout jolted Fiona back to reality. She nodded dumbly. "Okay."
She struggled to stand up, intending to go upstairs and bring Davis Brown down.
But then.
WEE-WOO WEE-WOO WEE-WOO~~~
Ear-piercing sirens erupted from both the front and back of the Gallagher house almost simultaneously.
Hearing the sound.
In an instant.
Fiona's face turned white as paper. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor. Into the phone, she whispered in despair to Lip, "Too late..."
Steve didn't help Fiona up.
Because hearing all those sirens, Steve was terrified too. He was panicking, about to wet himself.
On the sofa, Debbie's eyes turned red. Tears of fear streamed down her face as she looked at Fiona. "Fiona..."
Lip heard the sirens through the phone. His heart sank to the bottom of the ocean, his face dark enough to drip ink.
The next second.
Lip hung up the phone, veins throbbing on his forehead.
In the passenger seat, Karen glanced at Lip but said nothing. She just tapped away on her phone, sending a message to Dexter: [Is this your masterpiece?]
---
Dexter arrived at North Wallace just in time to see several police cars with sirens blaring parked in front of the Gallagher house. He grinned.
Quickly.
Dexter arrived at his own house, got out of the car, pretended to look confused, then walked briskly to his porch. He lit a cigarette to watch the show up close.
At this moment, six police officers with grave expressions stood silently at the Gallagher's front door.
The back door had a similar scene.
In fact, many of the officers had their hands resting on their holsters.
The sirens were loud, the police presence massive...
Naturally, the neighborhood's unemployed, loafing scumbags came out of their homes one by one, watching the drama just like Dexter.
Thump, thump, thump~~~
The lead officer banged heavily on the Gallagher's front door and shouted loudly, [Police! Open the door!!]
Just as the words rang out.
Skreee~~
The sound of screeching brakes.
Lip arrived. He slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the car, scanned the scene, saw Tony, and rushed over.
"Tony, what are you guys doing?" Lip shouted, feigning ignorance.
Tony was Fiona's simp, not Lip's. He wasn't even really friends with Lip, just an acquaintance. So, in this situation, he didn't waste words and adopted an official tone. [We received a report that Davis Brown is in your house. Please cooperate with the police and open the door!]
Faced with Tony's attitude, clear anger appeared on Lip's face. "Are you kidding me? Why would Davis Brown be in my house?"
As his voice fell.
Whir, whir, whir~~
Two helicopters flew in rapidly.
Dexter looked up.
One was a police chopper, the other a news chopper.
Oh boy.
This is going to be huge.
Dexter thought with a smile, looking back down the street.
Several news vans were racing toward the scene like lightning.
Haha. Dexter smile brightened considerably.
With so many colleagues present and a child kidnapping involved, Tony had no patience for Lip's nonsense. He kept a stern face and said, "Whether Davis Brown is in your house or not, open the door and let us check, and we'll find out!"
Lip wanted to stall for time to let Fiona hide Davis Brown in the basement. Hearing this, he didn't back down. He rushed to the door and roared angrily, "Do you have a warrant? Last I checked, this is America! Without a warrant, you can't enter my house!"
See, Comrade Lip only had street smarts.
With this attitude...
Tony and the other officers, even if not brilliant, became even more certain that Davis Brown was in the Gallagher house!
Therefore, none of them dared to delay any longer.
More media were arriving. This needed to end fast, or heads would roll.
"Under the premise of probable cause, we don't need a warrant! Open the door immediately!" The officer in front of Lip shouted fiercely.
Lip refused to back down, stalling aggressively, face red and neck veins popping. "What probable cause? Tell me!"
The officer had a headache and explained, "We received a report, an eyewitness saw..."
Hearing this, Lip sneered. "Just one phone call? That's probable cause?"
Dexter , cigarette in mouth, saw this and knew Lip was stalling. He was sure Fiona was inside trying to hide the kid. He hesitated.
If these cops dragged this out any longer, and Fiona actually managed to hide Davis Brown well...
Debbie Gallagher might actually luck out and survive this.
That wouldn't be fun.
So...
Should he give permission for the police to break down the door?
The Gallagher house belonged to him; Fiona and the others were just tenants. He had the right to allow the police entry.
The problem was, once he opened his mouth, he would officially tear up any relationship with Lip and Fiona. Furthermore, how would it affect his relationship with Carl?
Dexter wasn't sure. His mind raced, and he decided to gamble. He spoke up. "Tony, this house is mine. Break the door down. I authorize it."
As soon as these words came out.
The officers at the door and Lip turned to look at Dexter in unison.
Quite reasonably, Lip's eyes burned with furious rage.
The next second.
The police officers sighed in relief.
The lead officer didn't delay. He immediately radioed the officers at the back door, authorizing the breach.
Everything happened fast.
In the blink of an eye.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Both the front and back doors of the Gallagher house were kicked open almost simultaneously.
Dozens of officers swarmed in without hesitation. The momentum was terrifying.
Lip didn't follow them in. He stood frozen outside the door, eyes spitting fire, fists clenched, staring daggers at Dexter.
Dexter took out another cigarette, lit it, and remained calm and silent.
---
Inside the Gallagher House.
Fiona sat on the sofa, trembling violently, her expression dark as she smoked furiously.
Steve, terrified out of his wits, was doing basically the same thing.
In the corner of the dark basement, Debbie held Davis Brown tight, shivering and weeping.
Bang, bang, bang.
The front door burst open, and officers rushed in.
Fiona quickly stood up, desperately trying to maintain composure as she shouted, "What are you doing?! What right do you have to barge into my house?"
"We have the owner's permission!" The lead officer threw back coldly at Fiona. Without wasting time, he directed Tony and others, "Check every room on the first and second floors, carefully! Go!"
Hearing this, seeing the old cop didn't mention the basement, Fiona instinctively sighed in relief.
But just as she exhaled...
A black officer reminded the lead cop, "Captain, this house has a basement!"
Boom!
The last shred of hope shattered completely.
The tiny bit of strength Fiona had managed to muster vanished instantly.
Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the sofa, her face white as a sheet.
Seeing Fiona's reaction, the officers, including the captain, were now absolutely certain Davis Brown was here, and likely in the basement.
"Two of you watch them! The rest follow me to the basement! Move!" The captain ordered decisively.
Tony looked at Fiona in this state, his heart aching.
But it was too late.
Even if Tony wanted to do something, he couldn't.
Tony sighed silently, looked away, and followed the others to the basement. Out of sight, out of mind.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes...
The captain returned to the first floor carrying Davis Brown.
Debbie, face covered in tears and wailing loudly, hands cuffed behind her back, was dragged by her arm by the black officer, following behind the captain.
Back in the living room.
The captain looked coldly at the panicked, shivering Fiona and Steve. He ordered fiercely, "Cuff them both! Take them in!"
Then, the captain looked at Lip, who had entered the house not long ago. "Cuff him too!"
Click, click, click.
The sound of three pairs of handcuffs locking was crisp and clear.
Moments later.
The captain carried Davis Brown out of the Gallagher house first.
Outside.
Davis Brown's relatives, who had just arrived, cheered in unison upon seeing him.
The crowd of onlookers and media personnel did the same.
[Missing three-year-old Davis Brown has been found by police!]
[Thanks to police efficiency, three-year-old Davis Brown appears unharmed.]
[Davis Brown is reunited with his family. Wait, his clothes seem to have been changed! My God, what happened to him?]
[Now, the perpetrators are coming out! Chicago! Let's open our eyes and take a good look at these criminals!]
[...]
Debbie, Fiona, Steve, and Lip were marched out of the Gallagher house under police guard, appearing in the view of hundreds of people and live on camera for media outlets.
Just then.
Ian, who had been sprinting all the way, arrived about a hundred meters from the house, breathless. He clearly saw Fiona and the other three being cuffed...
Instantly, Ian stopped dead in his tracks.
The next second.
Ian decisively bolted, running into a side alley to hide!
Dexter noticed this and was delighted. Ian, oh Ian, you really are witty!
---
In front of the Gallagher House.
Naturally, when Davis Brown's family saw the four Gallaghers, they went berserk. Screaming curses and trying to rush past the police to attack them.
"You bastards!! What did you do to my Davis?"
"I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!"
"Are you people even human?"
"He's only three! How could you!!"
"Animals! Scum!"
"..."
Fortunately, there were enough police on scene to hold back the family. Otherwise, Fiona and the others might not have made it into the police cars in one piece.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Fiona, desperately wishing this was just a nightmare, bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. She walked like a zombie, her soul gone...
Debbie just wailed continuously, shaking as if she might pass out...
Steve retained a shred of reason, regretting everything so deeply his guts turned green. He wanted so badly to go back thirty minutes to the moment he found the kid.
In fact, Steve was questioning his entire life.
Why?
Why didn't he leave immediately?
Why did he get mixed up in this?
How stupid am I?!
God knows how much Steve regretted it in that moment!
Lip's face was full of rage. He hated Dexter to death, focusing all his anger on Dexter ... even though it made zero sense.
The four of them endured the curses, the screams, the accusations, and the blinding flashes of the media cameras, step by step, until finally, they were shoved into the police cars one by one.
Dexter watched this and sighed silently with a touch of emotion.
After this, Fiona probably won't find a decent job for the next few years.
Of course.
He didn't pity Fiona.
While he played a part in Fiona ending up here, the main cause wasn't him.
It was Fiona herself making a series of incredibly stupid decisions that led to this ending.
Discover Debbie kidnapped a kid -> First reaction isn't to fix it, but to cover it up and hide -> Police show up, still don't confess, instead choose to hide the kid...
Heh.
This incident was just like Fiona's life.
One bad decision after another. The result?
A miserable life. What else could it be?
Thinking this, Dexter sighed again, then took out his phone and called Carl.
Having orchestrated this great show and watched it to his satisfaction, now it was time for the next step.
---
The next step wasn't complicated.
Comrade Debbie Gallagher had to go to juvenile detention.
Lip wasn't deeply involved, so it would be hard to send him to juvie.
Comrade Steve was innocent, just stupid and a simp. No need for him to go to prison.
Fiona...
At a time like this, if Fiona didn't go to prison and stayed out, constantly worrying about Debbie, losing her job, having no money to eat... that would be even more painful.
So let her stay out.
So...
Spend some money, hire a big-shot lawyer, and arrange this properly.
As a lawyer himself, Dexter knew this arrangement wouldn't be hard.
In fact, if his law license wasn't only valid in New Mexico and useless in Illinois, he would have done it himself.
The call connected quickly.
Carl was with Mickey working on the shooting range stuff. They had heard about the kidnapping but didn't know the four had been arrested yet.
So, picking up Dexter call, Carl was cheerful. "Dexter , good afternoon."
Dexter smiled. "Good afternoon."
"What's up?" Carl asked.
"Something happened. Looks like you haven't heard yet. Your family is in trouble," Dexter replied.
Carl paused. "??? What happened?"
"Debbie kidnapped a kid. Just now, Debbie, Fiona, Lip, and Steve were all arrested by the police," Dexter said.
Carl was stunned. "??? What are you talking about?"
"I'm at home. Have Mickey bring you over immediately. We'll talk when you get here," Dexter didn't waste words.
"Okay..." Carl replied.
Even with the conflicts, even if he hated Debbie right now, Carl essentially still cared about family. Hearing Fiona, Lip, and Debbie were in trouble, he was worried.
Dexter hung up and immediately called Ian, who was hiding god knows where. "Ian, come to my place. Carl will be here soon. Let's solve this."
Ian was huddled in a corner, panicked and clueless. Hearing this, he nodded frantically. "Okay, thank you..."
"I'm doing this for Carl, not for you. Don't thank me," Dexter replied with a smile. Before Ian could say anything else, he ended the call. He lit a cigarette, opened a beer from the fridge, sat on the sofa, and waited patiently.
---
Ian was close by and appeared in front of Dexter in less than ten minutes.
Notably, Ian didn't come alone; he brought Liam, evidently having made a quick stop at home.
Ian was frantic. Seeing Dexter , he asked with a tearful voice, "Mr. Dexter , what do I do?"
Dexter shook his head. "Calm down. Sit first. Then tell me the specifics. Who kidnapped the kid?"
Ian, who wasn't exactly independent-minded at this stage, was completely lost. He sat down obediently and answered, "Fiona called me earlier and said Debbie stole the kid. Told me to come home. Didn't say exactly what happened."
Dexter nodded, then pretended to think. "If that's the case, then Fiona, Steve, and Lip were trying to help Debbie cover it up. They didn't participate in the kidnapping, they're just accessories..."
"That's good news."
Ian's mind was blank. "How so?"
Dexter smiled. "I'll find you a good lawyer. Let the lawyer talk to the four of them. Fiona, Steve, and Lip have to lie their asses off. Distance themselves from the act. No matter what the police ask, just say they didn't know."
"What about Debbie?" Ian asked urgently.
"Debbie is young. spend a year in juvie, and this will pass," Dexter said.
"Ah!" Ian panicked. "That won't work! Debbie can't go to juvie. That place will scare her to death..."
"She kidnapped a child!!" Dexter interrupted him directly. "The police found the kid in your house. At least one of the four has to go to jail. That's inevitable. Even the best lawyer can't change that. Understand?"
Ian sniffled, crying, unable to speak.
Just then.
Mickey and Carl ran into the house.
Seeing Ian, Mickey's steps faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered.
Soon.
Carl and Mickey were in the living room, sitting in front of Dexter .
"Dexter , what happened?" Carl asked.
Dexter smiled faintly. "Ian, you tell him. I'll check which lawyer in Chicago is the best."
Leaving that sentence, Dexter got up and went to his computer to search.
Ian looked at Mickey with complicated eyes, sniffled hard, and started explaining through tears.
After listening.
"Holy shit!" Carl, with his limited IQ, exclaimed. "Debbie, that bitch is amazing. She actually stole a kid."
Mickey shook his head helplessly. He genuinely thought this Carl kid had brain damage.
"You Gallaghers are really something," Mickey thought for a moment and said to Ian. "Even Debbie is kidnapping people now."
Ian glared at Mickey with mournful, submissive eyes but didn't speak.
The three fell silent.
Dexter ignored them. After a few minutes of searching, he found one. He took out his phone and called directly.
Lawyers want money.
Dexter had money. What problem could there be?
Soon.
A big-shot lawyer named William agreed to take the case. "Alright, Mr. Dexter . I'll head to the South Side precinct now. Meet you there."
"Okay, see you soon," Dexter replied.
Call ended.
Dexter put away his phone and stood up, saying to Carl, "Carl, let's go. To the police station."
A few minutes later, Dexter drove his Mercedes G-Wagon, carrying the four of them to the precinct.
The station wasn't far.
About half an hour later.
Accompanied by William the lawyer, Dexter and the group successfully saw the four soul-less Gallaghers locked in the temporary holding cell.
Seeing Carl, Ian, and Liam, the dazed Fiona blinked repeatedly. Then she rushed to the bars, crying, "Ian, Carl, Liam..."
Lip and Debbie also came to the bars.
The six Gallaghers reunited through the iron bars, crying and talking.
Such a 'heartwarming' and 'touching' scene.
Heh.
Family. What a wonderful thing.
Dexter felt a bit nauseous watching it. Too lazy to look anymore, he moved aside and smiled at the dejected Steve. "Steve, long time no see. Didn't expect our next meeting to be here."
Steve gave a bitter laugh, the word 'misery' written clearly on his face. "I didn't expect it either."
After a weak reply, Steve turned to look at the middle-aged man standing not far behind Dexter , wearing a suit worth over ten thousand dollars—clearly not from the South Side. His eyes lit up slightly as he asked Dexter , "Is that a lawyer?"
Dexter nodded. "Yeah."
"Thank you," Steve wasn't stupid. Ian, Carl, or Mickey wouldn't have the money to hire a lawyer wearing a ten-grand suit. It had to be Dexter . He thanked him hurriedly.
Dexter shook his head. "Don't thank me. I did it for Carl."
Compared to the other Gallaghers (besides Carl), Steve was much more sensible. Hearing this, he had no objections and thanked him again. "I still have to thank you."
Dexter actually had a decent impression of Steve. He smiled. "Don't celebrate yet. This situation is serious. It might not be easy to fix."
Steve knew that in his heart and smiled bitterly again.
After a while.
The six Gallaghers had reunited enough.
Dexter signaled Lawyer William to get to work.
Lawyer William, a shark who charged two thousand dollars an hour, worked efficiently. He quickly dealt with the police, getting Fiona and the others moved from the holding cell to interrogation rooms.
"Carl, Mickey, Ian, you guys take Liam and wait in the lobby. I'll talk to the lawyer," Dexter said to the three of them.
They complied.
Moments later.
Dexter and Lawyer William went to a corner to talk.
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