1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 152: Starting with Stealing a Patrol Car...

After Rosen's assistant left, the office fell into a brief silence.

Billy Hawke propped the notebook up on the table, leaned over it, and stared intently at the stack of case briefings, his eyes peeking out from above the notebook.

He also participated in case investigations during his internship.

But things were completely different then than they are now.

The so-called participation during the internship mostly involved sitting in the office facing forms and applications, doing clerical work.

All FBI agents, including those in administrative roles, dislike administrative work and often delegate it to trainees or new recruits.

Now he has the opportunity to truly participate in the investigation, and there might even be a chase, a gunfight, and a thrilling car chase...

Billy Hawke has fallen into a fantasy.

He can't wait to show off his skills!

Instead of categorizing the cases, Theodore randomly picked up the top briefing, opened it, and began to read.

Categorization is completely meaningless.

Supervisor Rosen had already categorized these cases.

He sorted them before bringing them over.

On this point, Theodore had great confidence in Director Rosen.

Moreover, cases like kidnapping and extortion, which are time-sensitive, cannot be suddenly interrupted, put on hold for a day, and then handed over to another person to start the investigation.

This is no joke.

The first case briefing Theodore opened was not about any major case.

This is a case of a police car being stolen.

On the evening of April 1, two officers from the 4th Precinct of the DC Metropolitan Police Department parked their patrol car in front of the Wellcome Market at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and 14th Street NE to buy coffee.

The two listened to the radio in the store for a while longer, and when they came out, they found that the patrol car had been driven away.

The car was eventually found at the end of Rodney Road in the Brentwood neighborhood of Maryland.

It's only 1.5 miles from the state border.

In other words, the car thieves abandoned the car and left almost as soon as they drove it across the state border into Maryland.

This sounds like they're specifically looking for work for the FBI!
The original FBI agents had already completed half of the investigation into this case.

His investigation revealed that the two patrol officers who had their cars stolen did not report the situation to their superiors immediately out of fear of being punished.

It was only after other patrol officers noticed a patrol car from the neighboring patrol area appearing in their patrol area that they inquired about the situation over the radio.

The two patrol officers who had their cars stolen initially did not respond.

When their colleagues repeatedly inquired over the walkie-talkie, even sparking discussion among other colleagues, the two patrol officers who had lost their car hesitated for a while before deciding to ask their colleagues for help.

They used a 'casual chat channel' to ask colleagues for help in pinpointing the location of the patrol car.

However, because of their hesitation, they missed the best opportunity.

Police officers in the district bordering Maryland told them they had just seen a patrol car leave DC and enter Maryland.

The two patrol officers then realized that things had gotten out of hand.

Crossing state borders signifies a change of jurisdiction.

They are patrol officers in DC, with law enforcement authority, and can ask their colleagues to help chase cars without their superiors' knowledge.

In Maryland, they were just an ordinary group of civilians, like their colleagues.

They have no law enforcement authority in Maryland.

The patrol officer who reported the stolen car to his superiors, and the patrol officer on duty first called the patrol supervisor, and then notified the deputy commissioner.

After much trouble, the Fourth Precinct finally made contact with the Maryland State Police, by which time it was already dawn.

Maryland State Police quickly located the abandoned police car on Rodney Road in the Brentwood neighborhood.

The fourth precinct, looking disheveled, retrieved the car and reported it to the FBI.

Since the stolen vehicle crossed the state border, it was considered an interstate case, and jurisdiction automatically fell to the FBI.

The FBI didn't actually want to get involved in this case.

No one was injured, no one was killed, and there was not even any property damage in this solved case.

The items in the police car were intact.

The best way to handle this kind of case is to pretend it never happened.

The Fourth Precinct really wanted to handle it this way.

After all, it's very embarrassing for a patrol officer to lose his patrol car and have it driven all the way to Maryland.

Maryland State Police also didn't want to conduct a high-profile investigation.

After all, it's better to avoid trouble.

Their jurisdiction borders the Fourth Precinct, and criminals from both sides frequently travel back and forth. The two sides have a very close cooperative relationship.

The FBI, the DC Fourth Division, and the Maryland State Police all wanted to settle the matter amicably.

As it turned out, someone on the Maryland State Police made a mistake and submitted the case file, which should have been invalidated, as part of another case.

Thus, the case was established despite the unwillingness of all three parties.

The FBI agents in charge of the case were extremely indifferent to it. Ten days had passed, and there were still no suspects. The investigation was essentially at a standstill.

The physical evidence sent to the laboratory was completely ignored.

In ten days, there wasn't even a physical evidence report in the briefing.

Theodore did not immediately call for an investigation into the case.

This case is clearly not urgent. After all, ten days have passed, and the previous investigator's progress is basically zero, with no impact whatsoever.

After reviewing the case briefing, it was almost time to leave work.

Pennsylvania Avenue was as congested as ever.

Back at his Georgetown apartment, Bernie went to a convenience store to buy toilet paper.

Half an hour later, he returned, grumbling and cursing, carrying a bag of toilet paper.
"I really want to know what they're thinking!"

Bernie pulled out a roll of toilet paper and put it in the bathroom, while stuffing the rest of the toilet paper into the cabinet, complaining to Theodore:
"They emptied the convenience store downstairs!"

They're even hoarding toilet paper!

"If a war really breaks out and the Soviet Union drops a nuclear bomb here, who will have the time to care about whether they need toilet paper to take a dump!"

Bernie expressed his incomprehension of the looting behavior of these people.

When I called my wife that evening, I learned that the situation in Felton was even more serious than in DC.

Felton was not only ravaged by looting, but also by violent assaults.

The western district, in particular, was already a mixed bag, and now it's in complete chaos.

With all sorts of vandalism, looting, and arson, the police station's phone never stopped ringing.

Even Rose Street has become quite deserted.

Two large-scale gang shootouts even took place last night.

The West District Police Station had to have all its officers work overtime and patrol the streets.

After ending the call with his wife, Bernie asked Theodore:

"Are these people also mentally ill?"

Theodore, who was organizing psychology magazines, looked up at him blankly: "Who?"

Bernie explained the situation on Felton's side.

Theodore thought for a moment, then pulled two magazines from the pile of books on the table and tossed them over, telling Bernie that if he wanted to understand these people's thoughts, he could start by reading these two books.

Bernie opened the book, looked at it, and then returned it.

"No, I'm not interested in them at all."

Theodore watched him disappear into the bathroom, feeling a little regretful.

The next day.

Inside the new offices on the basement floor of the Department of Justice building.

Theodora was giving a briefing on the case within her team, over the whiteboard.

Bernie and Billy Hawke's expressions turned strange when they heard it was a police car theft.

Theodore, thinking they had some questions, stopped talking and asked them, "Is there a problem?"

Bernie and Billy Hawke exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison, like two penguins. After the case briefing, Theodore pushed aside the whiteboard and began assigning tasks: "First, go to the lab to get the evidence test report, then go to the fourth precinct."

Billy Hawke readily agreed, saying, "I'll go get the report; you guys wait for me in the parking lot."

As he spoke, he casually grabbed the car keys from the table and threw them at Theodore.

Bernie had just put on one arm when he saw this and his face changed.

He calmly put on his coat and asked Theodore with an air of composure, "There are three of us, and we may need to split into two groups for the investigation. I think we should request another vehicle."

After a pause, he said again:
"This car was a gift from Deputy Director Thorson; it's not a car from the bureau at all."

"The bureau should allocate a commuter vehicle to our group."

He grabbed Billy Hawke, who was about to leave, and pushed him towards Theodore:

"You two go first, I'll go upstairs to get the report and apply for a new car while I'm at it, I'll be there shortly."

Theodore shook his head at Bernie: "Things are very busy right now, your application can't be approved immediately."

He paused, then held up the car keys: "And applying for a vehicle requires the approval of the supervising agent."

Bernie's shoulders slumped.

Billy Hawke, unaware of what had happened, eagerly ran upstairs to retrieve the physical evidence report.

Bernie and Theodore headed to the parking lot, and on the way, Bernie was still trying to persuade Theodore to give up the car keys.

Theodore just shook his head repeatedly, then opened the driver's seat door and got in.

Bernie stood on the other side for a while, then decided to give the passenger seat to Billy Hawke and get into the back seat himself.

The previous FBI agent was perfunctory in his attitude toward the case, but he still did his basic work very well.

Fingerprints were collected from the steering wheel, windows, and door handles. An unopened glass bottle of Coca-Cola left in the car by the thief was also sent to the laboratory.

This is all the physical evidence in this case.

Billy Hawke quickly retrieved the evidence report, jogged to the car, saw Bernie offer him the passenger seat, and happily thanked him.

Theodore took the report, looked at it, and handed it to Billy Hawke and Bernie.

Bernie didn't even look at him; his whole body was tense, he leaned forward, and his hands gripped the back of the chair like pincers.

Billy Hawke, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the report and said, "This..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the car had already been sent flying.

Billy Hawke's face changed, and he quickly grabbed a chair, looking at Theodore in shock.

The car sped along and landed in front of the DC Fourth Precinct.

Theodore got out of the car with satisfaction.

Bernie followed closely behind, his face slightly pale, one hand on the car door and the other reaching out to Theodore for the car keys.

The two waited for a while before Billy Hawke got out of the car.

His expression was a little strange.

It seems both terrifying and exciting.

Bernie, sensing something was wrong, quickly stuffed the car keys into his pocket, patted them, and then announced to the two men with a wary expression:
"I'll drive from now on!"

"I'll do it all!"

Billy Hawke looked like he was still savoring the moment, as if he wanted to try again.

Bernie quickly changed the subject, pointing to the police station and reminding them that business was more important.

The appearance of the three men had already attracted the attention of detectives from the Fourth Precinct.

Bernie showed his identification to prove his identity.

The detectives from the fourth precinct were indifferent.

After Bernie explained his purpose, the detective's attitude softened somewhat, but only to a very limited extent.

The detective pointed Bernie in the direction of the deputy commissioner's office and then left.

Upon entering the police station, a bustling and noisy atmosphere immediately greeted me.

Visibility in the office has decreased by several levels.

At least ten detectives were smoking.

Several other detectives frowned, as if they had encountered a century-old problem.

Several loud-voiced people were also discussing the case.

It all felt like a return to Felton, giving Bernie a familiar sense of warmth.

The deputy superintendent of the fourth precinct continued the detectives' attitude, receiving them in a lukewarm manner.

Bernie recalled Agent Lombardi saying that each precinct of the DC Police Department has its own unique characteristics.

Now he deeply understands the meaning of those words.

The fourth precinct and the third precinct are completely opposite.

Theodore requested to see the two patrol officers whose patrol car had been lost.

This aroused the suspicion of the deputy commissioner.

He stared at Theodore with a serious expression, his voice rising slightly:

“We have already disciplined Constable Taylor and Constable Whitman!”

Robert Taylor and Peter Alan Whitman were the names of the two patrol officers whose patrol car was stolen.

They have been punished with a seven-day unpaid leave, a suspension from fieldwork, and a six-month reassignment to clerical positions.

Theodore stared at the deputy police commissioner with a puzzled look.

He felt that he and the deputy commissioner were discussing two different things.

The deputy commissioner seemed to realize he had overreacted and changed the subject, asking Theodore, "I remember the detectives who handled this case before weren't you?"

Theodore nodded and answered succinctly, "This case is now in our hands."

He didn't want to get bogged down in pointless questions and went straight to the point:
"We need the cooperation of Detective Taylor and Detective Whitman to understand what happened."

The deputy superintendent stared at him for a while, then called his assistant to notify two detectives to cooperate with the investigation.

In fact, the deputy commissioner did not believe that this case needed to be handled so formally.

The style of the previous FBI agent suited his taste perfectly.

But he will not stop the FBI from continuing its investigation.

As long as the FBI doesn't smear his officers.

Two detectives were quickly brought in.

They are typical middle-aged police officers.

He has a somewhat rugged and unkempt appearance, but is strong and burly.

They looked somewhat haggard.

Bernie, with his experience, could tell at a glance that this person was tormented by paperwork.

He was like this every day when he was doing the paperwork for the Earl family murder case.

The deputy superintendent gave a brief introduction to both parties.

Theodore questioned the two about the events of the night of the incident.

The two looked at the deputy police commissioner.

After the deputy police commissioner nodded, the two recounted the events of the incident.

It is very similar to what is recorded in the case briefing.

Theodore asked for the specific time.

Both of them shook their heads, only remembering that a suspenseful radio drama was playing on the radio in the store at the time.

At that time, the radio drama was playing out its most exciting part, so they listened to it for a while longer in the store.

When the results came out, they discovered that the patrol car parked on the side of the road was gone.

They didn't see the car thief at all.

Theodore used the deputy police commissioner's phone to contact the radio station.

Based on the accounts given by the two detectives, it was confirmed that the patrol car was driven away between 11:30 p.m. and 11:40 p.m.

(End of this chapter)