Harten held a glass of wine, leaning on the couch as he watched Jimmy. He took a sip of his drink and set the glass down.
Harten, "Jimmy, who is this person?"
Jimmy, "A very good friend of mine. He helped me a lot in the past and, in a sense, he saved my fate. So, I'm asking you, please help me."
Harten, "Jimmy, I admire you, whether it's your record at the police department or our last case together, you've always been a reliable partner.
But that's no reason for you to come to me and ask me to bend the rules. The reason I'm choosing to help you instead of just walking away is that I admire your attitude of being willing to make personal sacrifices for friends. There are not many people like you left.
Now, give me the number, and where she was last seen, and then go back and wait for the news."
Jimmy took out a card he had prepared earlier, which had his phone number and Mary's name on it, as well as Memphis, Tennessee.
Harten picked up the card and put it in his briefcase, lifted his glass to finish the wine in one gulp, and got up to leave. "This one is on you."
Jimmy didn't get up; instead, he leaned back on the couch. He had anticipated Harten's possible reactions. The best outcome was what was happening right now; the worst would be that he could never contact Harten again, or that Harten might even start digging for dirt on him from behind.
It looked like his luck was returning now, and he was very satisfied with the outcome.
After sitting for a while, Jimmy took the two glasses and left the private room, returning to the bar.
Jimmy, "Justin, this one's on me."
Justin, "Want another?"
Jimmy, "No thanks, I've got things to do, heading back now."
Jimmy took out money and placed it on the bar, then turned and left the bar.
The next day, when Jimmy woke up, he checked his phone and saw no missed calls, but there was a text message.
It turned out that Harten had already found the location for Jimmy the night before and sent it over via text.
With the address in hand, Jimmy felt at ease. He quickly got up, got ready, and with several Gold Coins on him, he drove to the police station.
He went to the station to request leave; Jimmy planned to make a trip to Memphis to see if he could find any clues. If anything went wrong, or if he couldn't find anything, he might need Justin and the others then.
The request for leave didn't go smoothly. Chief James was caught off guard by Jimmy's sudden need to take immediate leave, but in the end, James still granted Jimmy a week's leave. Jimmy's reason was the same as the one he had given Harten, that this was a very important friend, only there was no need to talk about owing a favor at James's end, because Jimmy already owed James too much.
Once outside, Jimmy called Jerry and told him that he was going to Memphis to see if he could find any clues, then he directly set off from the police station.
Jimmy's firearms permit was always with him, and Tennessee recognized Arkansas's CCW, so there was no problem for Jimmy to carry his revolver with him, whether for emergencies or personal protection, it was an excellent choice.
It was very convenient to drive from Little Rock to Memphis, getting on Interstate 40, which leads straight to Memphis. The distance was just over 200 kilometers; no big deal. Jimmy had looked over the map beforehand and would search for the specific address once he reached Memphis.
For Jimmy, who had been a Patrol Officer for nearly a year, driving at the speed limit on the freeway had become a professional Skill. He encountered several ASP highway patrol vehicles along the way, but was not stopped, proving himself to be a seasoned driver.
Memphis is the largest city in Tennessee and also has the highest population in the state, with about 680,000 people in 2006. However, it is not the state capital, which is Nashville. Memphis has a great geographical location at the junction of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, making it an important port city on the Mississippi River. It is also a key international freight hub, with Memphis International Airport not having a large passenger flow, but a huge freight volume, only second to Hong Kong as the world's second-largest freight airport.
Jimmy got off Interstate 40 around noon, found a restaurant by the road for lunch and a little rest, then continued on his way to Oakville, southeast of Memphis.
Following the address from Harten, Jimmy arrived at a small street, Wendy Street, in Oakville and found the specific house number. However, the place was already cordoned off by the police.
Jimmy parked his car on the side of the road and walked toward the police tape, where a police officer was on guard.
Jimmy, "Hi, officer, what happened here?"
Police, "It's none of your business, please step back."
Jimmy: "I'm here to find Mary, she lives here, and I've come from Little Rock. I tried calling her, but her cell phone is turned off."
Jimmy took his badge out of his pocket, "My name is Jimmy, Jimmy Yang. Since we're both cops, just tell me a little bit, that's all I ask."
The police officer took the badge, glanced at it, and then handed it back to Jimmy.
Police Officer: "There has been a homicide here. The Mary you mentioned does indeed live here, but she's not inside. Her mother was shot dead, and we can't get in touch with Mary or her father, Kevin Hogan, at the moment."
Jimmy: "Oh my God, I hope nothing's happened to Mary. I came all the way from Little Rock to see her."
Police Officer: "We're not sure yet, we're still looking. What about you? What will you do now?"
Jimmy: "I guess I'll wait for your news. Can you let me know if there's any update? Here's my card, I'll be in Memphis for the next few days."
Jimmy gave his police department business card to the officer, who took it and nodded.
Jimmy turned and went back to his car, leaving Wendy Street and eventually checked into a hotel.
During the conversation just now, Jimmy incidentally got the names of Mary and her stepfather, Mary Hogan and Kevin Hogan. There was nothing he could do now; a murder had taken place. Judging by the fact that the police were still on the scene, this case was definitely a focal point for the detectives at the station.
His identity was not an issue, and he had just come from Little Rock. The police could verify his information, so there should be no misunderstanding.
The critical issues had now changed. Before, Jimmy had planned to inspect the scene for clues, but since the police had already done so, there was no need for him to check again. He knew the police procedure; the scene would have been thoroughly investigated by numerous officers, certainly turning it over in the process, and even if relevant clues were found, they wouldn't be passed on to Jimmy.
Jimmys biggest concern now was why someone would kidnap Mary, a minor.
Kidnapping usually has a specific purpose, and theoretically, there shouldn't be any grand conspiracies behind a young person like Mary. It seemed likely that she was caught up in something unintentionally. Mary's mother had been killed, so the largest suspicion fell on her stepfather, Kevin Hogan.
Jimmy walked out of the hotel to an open space and pulled out his prepaid mobile phone, which served a single purpose, to contact Justin.
It was now the afternoon, and Justin should have been getting ready for the bar's evening opening. The phone rang twice before being picked up.
Jimmy: "Justin, I need to investigate someone in Memphis Oakville. Do you have any way to help?"
Justin: "Of course I can, but I'll need to get in touch with other collaborators to handle it. I don't have the necessary information here."
Jimmy: "OK, give me a contact."
Jimmy wrote down the address and phone number Justin provided, then went back to his hotel to rest. The address given by Justin was inside Memphis, while Jimmy had found a hotel in Oakville. There was no rush to find Mary that night, and after driving for half the day, Jimmy could use some rest to recharge for the next day's efforts.
The next morning, Jimmy checked out of the hotel and drove to a bar near Memphis International Airport. This bar was the contact address given by Justin.
Why do people from the Dark World like to use bars as bases? Was there a tradition? Jimmy didn't understand at all. Bars typically open at night, but he didn't want to deal with crowds during evening hours; he wasn't familiar with the place, so daytime was better, just as long as he could find the contact person.
Jimmy arrived at the bar's entrance and dialed the number Justin had left.
A woman's voice: "Hello, who is this?"
Jimmy: "I'm here on a referral from Justin in Little Rock. I'm at the bar's entrance."
"Please hold."
Jimmy waited about 5 minutes at the door, patiently watching as someone approached the entrance of the bar. The door opened, revealing a woman behind it.
"Please come in."
Jimmy followed her into the bar, and the woman closed the door behind them.