Chương 133: Chapter 133: Late-Stage AIDS Anxiety
[Chapter 134: Late-Stage AIDS Anxiety]
At the precinct, Hawke finished giving his statement and stepped out of the interrogation room.
A female officer waited by the door and quietly pointed to the left, saying, "The fifth room, the sheriff's office. She's waiting for you."
Hawke hurried over, knocked on the door, and upon hearing Erica's voice, he pushed the door open.
"Make yourself comfortable," Erica said.
Hawke sat on a single chair and asked, "That guy didn't die, right?"
"No, just a minor injury," Erica replied briefly. "He broke his nose and lost a lot of teeth; he's been temporarily taken to the hospital."
She continued, "You have a contract with your employer, and there's no issue in protecting their legal rights."
Hawke said, "I called Brian; he'll be my attorney."
Erica nodded and added, "Your client doesn't have to worry about Broderick anymore. He fired a gun with intent to kill, and considering his previous history of domestic violence, we have ample reason to deny bail."
The precinct had already figured out the situation. She added, "The actions of this bizarre couple almost got you in trouble."
Hawke replied, "I took the money to solve my client's problems. I couldn't just watch as my client got shot."
Erica came over, stood behind Hawke, and embraced his head: "Nothing is more important than personal safety."
Hawke slightly leaned back, his head sinking into soft comfort. "It was just an accident."
Erica tightened her hold, playfully pulling: "I'll make that jerk pay."
Hawke tugged back: "Today, I mainly listened to you and did as you said."
"What?" Erica asked at just the right moment.
Hawke elaborated, "If the other side has their gun out, absolutely don't let your guard down. Once they have a legal means to attack, and they strike, don't hesitate."
Erica remembered: "The rhythm of emptying the magazine."
She simply explained, "When LAPD faces a threat, it's less of a hassle to empty the magazine in one breath. If you choose to fire intermittently, determining whether the other side has lost the threat during the follow-up investigation can be really annoying."
A knock sounded at that moment.
Erica stepped back, tidied up her shirt, and said, "Come in."
A female officer entered: "Deputy Chief, it's time for the meeting."
"I know." Erica picked up her jacket. "Let's go."
Hawke got up to leave. After the officer went out, he whispered, "Going to Silver Lake tonight?"
Erica turned and glanced at him: "Sure."
...
In the lobby, Hawke saw Sarah Jessica Parker and her father, Stephen Parker.
A few witnesses from the Hilton Hotel had already finished their statements and left.
Stephen glanced at Hawke, his expression earnest. "Thank you. Without your quick action, Sarah would've been shot by that jerk."
Hawke put on a professional demeanor: "Just doing my job."
Stephen continued, "I've already reached out to some friends in the media. We're going to fully expose Broderick's misdeeds. He tried to shoot his own wife; he has to pay the price!"
Sarah added, "Caroline has already contacted the media; this afternoon, I'll join the FMF for a press conference."
"That's good," Hawke nodded slightly. "It'll show society what Broderick has done. Sarah is his wife; he committed domestic violence, then shot her..."
Having immersed herself in the role for so long, Sarah spoke as if it were all real: "He beat me to a pulp and even tried to take my life. He's so ruthless!"
In that moment, she thought of the support from her father and grabbed Stephen's arm: "Dad... Daddy, you have to help me. You're my only family left."
Stephen opened his arms and hugged his daughter tightly. "I have some reputation in the Jewish community; I may not be able to help you much, but at least I won't let the media or public opinion support that jerk."
Hawke felt moved by the bond between father and daughter. "If you two are reconciled, what problems can't be solved?"
Stephen reached out, patted Hawke's shoulder: "You're a good man."
...
After finishing up there, Stephen accompanied Sarah out of the precinct where too many reporters had gathered, eager to interview Sarah.
Caroline approached the reporters, telling them, "This afternoon, there'll be a press conference at the Hilton about this case. Sarah is traumatized, so please let her leave."
...
Hawke followed a few detectives out the front door and found Edward's Audi. He got in.
Edward asked, "Boss?"
"Head to Century City." Hawke took out his phone and called Campos: "Make sure your team gets their bonuses."
Campos replied, "I won't have any problems on this end."
Hawke called Caroline: "Let's grab lunch together."
"You're being so nice?" Caroline sounded skeptical. "Are you plotting against me again?"
Hawke said, "Do you want your commission?"
Caroline's tone changed instantly: "I'll treat you to lunch; give me a chance to buy!"
"Okay," Hawke felt bad refusing. "Let's head to Casaro."
With their plans set, Edward drove to Century City.
...
Upon arrival at Casaro, Caroline was already waiting outside. Hawke and Edward got out of the car, and she came over to greet Hawke, then widened her eyes at Edward, turning her head slightly.
Edward, not dense, realized Miss Caroline clearly didn't welcome him, saying, "I have some things to handle; I'll take off now."
Hawke pretended not to see and entered the restaurant first.
Caroline quickly followed.
The two found a quiet booth, each ordered some food, and talked as they ate.
Hawke directly said, "I'll transfer the first commission of $120,000 to you today."
Caroline smiled brighter than a flower: "I did a great job, right?"
Hawke guided her, "Very good. You helped Sarah obtain almost all marital assets."
"Uh-huh!" Caroline nodded eagerly, asking, "Now that we're getting Sarah all her assets, shouldn't she give a little extra in return?"
Hawke replied curtly, "You can ask for it."
Caroline waved it off grandly: "Forget it, forget it; we've already gotten quite a bit from Sarah."
She calculated, "$800,000 for crisis management, $800,000 for the Golden Globe win; I can still get another $160,000."
At this point, Miss Caroline was almost laughing herself silly.
Hawke said, "We're collaborating; money is not an issue."
Caroline agreed: "These last few months, my quality of life has clearly improved."
"Let's not talk about money now; there's more work to get done." Hawke emphasized, "You're still in charge of media communication. The key focus of the coverage should be on Sarah and Broderick's marital dispute. Broderick shooting pregnant Sarah in public will draw widespread sympathy."
Caroline asked, "Don't you want to be famous? You saved Sarah?"
Hawke shook his head: "No need; people like us aren't fit to be stars."
"Right!" Caroline strongly agreed. "Hollywood stars are all psychos; Broderick and Sarah are just two of them."
Hawke added, "At the press conference, if someone asks, you can mention the West Coast studio's name."
"I got it," Caroline said.
After lunch, Hawke called his accountant, and the $120,000 commission was transferred to Caroline's account.
When the bank called, Caroline laughed until her eyes squinted.
...
There was another press conference in the afternoon.
The situation was clear-cut. Although Hawke purposefully chose a spot where the cameras wouldn't catch him, most reporters had already left, but enough eyewitnesses remained.
Broderick had no way to turn the tables.
Hawke met Brian, who had rushed over.
"Everything is looking good. All the issues are resolved," Brian said, having checked the latest news online. "The difficulty of this divorce lawsuit has been reduced by at least tenfold."
Hawke replied, "Just yesterday, we were worried about how to send Broderick to prison, and now he's just falling apart."
Brian was in a good mood: "I'll treat tonight. Want to catch a show?"
He made a point to say, "Just like the tape of Sarah and Broderick."
Hawke scanned him from head to toe, jokingly saying, "Didn't expect you to be a weirdo!"
Brian shrugged it off: "Just watching others perform; sometimes you might run into a Hollywood star."
"I'm meeting Erica tonight," Hawke stated firmly, showing no interest. "You should go by yourself."
Brian shook his head: "You need to adjust to our circle; besides a formal girlfriend or fiancee, you should also develop some peripheral activities."
Hawke replied cheekily: "Dude, are you really going to take someone home after the show? Have you forgotten? AIDS!"
Brian's enthusiasm plummeted at the mention of it; his anxiety about AIDS flared up, killing any plans of going out.
He angrily paced back and forth, almost pointing his finger at Hawke: "You did that on purpose, didn't you? You're doing it intentionally!"
Hawke spoke earnestly: "Brother, I'm doing this for your good; consider it, AIDS -- no cure."
Brian slumped down in a chair, defeated: "You're such a jerk; does Erica know?"
Hawke chuckled, "You say Erica and I are two disasters."
This remark gave Brian a point to strike back: "I wish you both get stuck in a tourist trap with twenty armed robbers next time you go!"
...
After the press conference wrapped up, Brian found Sarah to discuss the next steps for the divorce.
Sarah had clear goals: take all the assets and send Broderick to prison for over five years.
"Given the current situation, it doesn't seem too hard," Hawke remarked, glancing at Stephen Parker. "Broderick has connections."
Stephen replied, "I'm not close with Ackerman Films, but I have friends who know some high-level executives there. This is Sarah and Broderick's private matter, and I've directed a few friends to convey that."
Brian noted, "If that's the case, our odds are significantly higher."
Sarah wanted more than that: "What about the Golden Globes?"
Hawke nodded: "I'll handle that."
...
After leaving the Hilton, Brian grabbed his bag and walked alongside Hawke.
Hawke asked, "Where to next?"
Brian replied irately, "Heading home to sleep. In the future, you bastard, don't ever bring up AIDS in front of me again."
"Fine, no more mentions." Hawke replied seriously: "By the way, I just read a medical magazine with statistics on the infectious diseases reported last quarter in California."
He didn't mention AIDS again: "Syphilis was in the top three for infections."
Brian turned on his heels and approached his car, saying, "I don't know you."
Hawke said, "Dude, I'll subscribe to that medical magazine for you; it'll come to your house every month."
As the engine roared, Brian sped off without looking back.
...
Hawke returned to East Hollywood but didn't go to Fountain Street. Instead, he entered through the other side of the Ranch Park, crossed the park to the parking lot, and knocked on Frank's RV.
Frank's head popped out, asking, "What are you sneaking around for? Trying to steal my stuff?"
Hawke flipped him the bird as a greeting, saying, "Any changes at the studio?"
"Did you do something dumb again?" Frank shook his head: "Every time you do something stupid, you come to me to clean up. You're hopeless."
Hawke got in the car, took out binoculars, and checked on the studio from a distance.
Frank said, "Everything looks normal."
Hawke put down the binoculars: "Keep an eye on that place for a few days. I'll be busy working and may not return. Don't go in; the security's all active. If any strangers try to break in, remember to notify me."
"Got it." Frank was straightforward: "Take me grocery shopping this weekend. Salma is coming over in the afternoon, and I plan to make her a barbecue feast."
Hawke agreed, then added, "Can't figure it out, how does Salma Hayek like you? Is it that you don't bathe? Is it the body odor? Or is it your dry, dead lawn?"
Frank stood tall, saying, "Because I gave her advice that saved her three years of wrong turns."
Hawke's phone rang, and he stepped out to answer.
It was Erica calling: "I just spoke with the district attorney's office; you've been recognized for stopping serious violent crime, so there's nothing to worry about legally."
"Thanks, darling," Hawke knew that with such efficiency, Erica must have been a significant part of it.
"If you want to thank me properly, don't just leave it at words," Erica said generously. "Make sure you do well tonight."
Hawke replied equally as boldly: "What time do you finish? I'll wait for you at the villa."
Erica responded, "By six-thirty at the latest, I can make it over."
After hanging up, Hawke glanced at his watch, nodded to Frank, crossed Ranch Park, and drove to a nearby supermarket.
Erica was tall and fit from years of working out; he needed to replenish his energy.
...
After buying some food, Hawke drove to the Silver Lake neighborhood and went straight to Erica's villa.
The kitchen was fully equipped; he quickly prepared a simple dinner.
As he brought the meal to the dining room, Erica walked in from outside.
When Hawke saw Erica in the morning, she was dressed casually.
Now, however, she wore a fitted police uniform, complete with a utility belt on her waist.
Hawke set down the platter, leaned against the dining table, and scrutinized her from head to toe.
Erica began again: "When I was on patrol, I noticed you often sneaked looks at me. What do you think of this uniform? Handsome, right?"
"Absolutely beautiful." Hawke strode over to her.
That uniform boosted her attractiveness by five hundred percent.
Erica asked, "Did you really sneak peeks?"
Hawke hadn't expected this trap to come up, so he said, "You're so gorgeous; if I didn't sneak a look, that'd be disrespectful."
Erica clasped the utility belt with both hands, teasingly inviting: "Come on, show me respect..."
Before she could finish, Hawke had pulled her in, the fierce female LAPD officer falling into the hands of an assailant concealed with weapons.
The two trained together every week at the Artel Mountain Shooting Range; Hawke was an expert with firearms, and Erica had substantial knowledge in handling guns as well.
But due to some natural disadvantages women face, Erica soon found herself at a disadvantage.
After the first round of the contest, Erica's uniform turned into a tattered rag.
...
After showering and changing, they returned to the dining table for dinner.
Hawke asked, "Christmas is around the corner; are you guys getting a break?"
"We are, but can't go out," Erica replied while serving, "The family has to gather for Christmas dinner."
She brought out a packet and handed Hawke an invitation: "There's a ceremony next week at Parker Center; are you coming?"
With the invitation handed over, Hawke nodded, "Of course."
He curiously asked, "You've been promoted to sheriff; what kind of award is it?"
Erica said, "The Brave Medal, awarded specifically to officers like me who exhibit courage while on duty."
Though saying it herself had a certain air of boasting, Hawke had fought alongside Erica enough times to know she deserved that title of bravery.
When she acted, she was extremely decisive and never half-hearted in her duty.
The two chatted as they ate.
Hawke casually inquired, "Have you cracked that serial killer case on your end?"
"No, it's a pretty complicated case," Erica responded curtly. "In recent months, we've found several girls who were tortured to death; our investigation has revealed there may even be missing persons behind it."
Hawke's mind sparked: "Actors or models?"
Erica shook her head: "People from all walks of life; they're all out-of-town folks. No one had reported them missing while they were alive, and some couldn't even prove their identities. The only way we could identify them, we issued a notification to their parents, but their parents had since divorced and formed new families, showing no concern for them, not even accepting our offer to cover their travel expenses to come to Los Angeles."
Hawke contemplated whether or not he should mention Campos' discovery.
Erica added, "Someone from the higher-ups has suppressed this case, telling us to hang tight, not to waste resources on the out-of-town people."
Hearing this, Hawke held back from speaking, asking, "Is the precinct just giving up?"
Erica shrugged: "We're not miracle workers; without personnel and funding, it's impossible to solve cases."
Some things she couldn't speak clearly to Hawke about, so she could only leave it vague: "Who knows, it might get activated again one day; this involves higher-level disputes."
After dinner, they walked to the yard, and once they relaxed enough, they returned inside.
With Erica assisting Hawke in practice,
...
The night fell, and many people in Los Angeles were stirring.
Stephen Parker left his temporary residence in Los Angeles, heading to an old town where he entered a bar called Echo. He found his old friend Sterling.
After small talk, he pulled out a photo of Broderick and handed it to Sterling. "This is the target."
Sterling replied, "I know him; taking him out would be too risky and bring LAPD down on us."
Stephen said, "No need to take him out; I want you to find someone to humiliate him."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực