1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 58 Read Less of the Star Report (Please Read On!)

In mid-August, Theodore and Bernie's files were returned.

At a FOP gathering, they learned that the recent review had come from FOP.

The two individuals who passed the review have been included in the list of key personnel for development.

After the party, the two went to the hospital to visit Carlos Mendoza.

This person attempted to escape from prison while receiving medical treatment, was caught, severely beaten, and nearly died on the spot.

His prison life was very fulfilling.

Not only did the prison guards take care of him, but the Mexican inmates in the prison also took good care of him.

His case won't go to trial for another six months.

the next day.

Deputy Superintendent Burton called Wenner and Carhol to his office.

Deputy Superintendent Burton appears to be the only one who did not make any substantial progress in the Teddy Santos case.

In fact, he contributed a great deal. He bore the brunt of the pressure from the police leadership.

However, both Santos and the police department gave him the cold shoulder afterwards.

The news quickly spread throughout the entire branch office, and everyone thought that the dispute that had been quelled for nearly two months was about to be reignited.

The serious expressions on Wenner and Kahor's faces as they left seemed to confirm this.

Upon returning to the homicide squad, Wenner immediately gathered everyone and announced some bombshell news—Samuel had gone missing!
He had previously taken a five-week leave of absence to attend a friend's wedding in Oregon and had not returned home yet.

At the end of the holiday, he called the branch office to communicate, saying that there was a case there that temporarily needed a forensic doctor, and he might have to be delayed for a while.

After confirming with the local police station in Astoria, the branch office extended his leave.

Two days ago should have been the last day of his vacation, and he should have been in the forensic room yesterday.

However, to this day, the lame drunkard has still not appeared.

The branch office contacted the Astoria police station to confirm the situation and learned that the assistance had ended a week earlier.

The Astoria police helped them inquire with their friend, who also replied that the friend had left a week prior.

Wenner assigned tasks, and the homicide squad, which had been listless from the August heat, immediately sprang into action.

Despite their optimistic banter, they joked that Samuel might have been distracted by beautiful women along the way, causing his journey to be delayed, or perhaps he had been captured by a mysterious matriarchal tribe to become their 'bandit'.

However, as a detective in the homicide unit, when he hears that someone has gone missing, he always subconsciously thinks of the worst-case scenario.

The detectives found the travel itinerary at Samuel's house.

The outbound journey crosses the Midwestern deserts and the Rocky Mountains, while the return journey follows the Pacific coastline.

Enjoy two completely different views from both sides.

The branch office reviewed the last few cases handled by Samuel and then reported the disappearance to the FBI.

On an exceptionally hot and humid morning, two FBI agents arrived at the West Precinct and retrieved Samuel's file.

Jacob seemed to know the two men, and he followed them from the archives to the parking lot, where the three of them even got into the car and chatted for a while longer.

Bernie was very unhappy with Jacob's behavior and told Theodore that he suspected Jacob had become a traitor and was secretly leaking police secrets to the FBI.

Theodore looked at him, puzzled.

What secrets does the police station have? How come he doesn't know?
Bernie ignored this and continued to smear Jacob.

“If we were FBI agents, we could go to Samuel ourselves,” Theodore whispered.

Bernie remained silent, his brows furrowed deeply.

Samuel's disappearance caught Theodore completely off guard.

He was one of the few people Theodore could find with whom he could discuss and exchange technical ideas.

Theodore simulated what he would do if he were an FBI agent.

In this era without traffic cameras, satellite photography, or even computer networks, finding someone is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Think big.

Even more troubling is the question of who will be in charge of the medical examiner's office after Samuel's disappearance. Given Theodore's experience with the East Precinct's medical examiner's office, he has reservations about the new head of medical examiner's office.

After the FBI agents left, everyone tacitly stopped mentioning Samuel's name; it seemed to have become a taboo.

…………

Bernie noticed that his wife was acting a little strange today.

After repeated questioning, she learned that her friend Cynthia's husband had died.

Bernie remembered the guy named David Moore, who had been paralyzed in bed for over a decade. The sudden news of his death left Bernie somewhat saddened.

First Sam disappeared, then Samuel, and today we learned of the neighbor's death.

Bernie felt that this summer had been very difficult.

Reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, he decided to discuss with his wife how to combat death with new life.

After a fierce battle, Bernie felt completely refreshed and fell into a deep sleep.

Over the weekend, Bernie attended his neighbor's funeral. Cynthia broke down in tears several times during the funeral, and even fainted from crying when the coffin was lowered into the ground.

This made him instinctively feel that something was wrong.

On Monday morning, Bernie shared the story with Theodore.

“David has been paralyzed for over ten years,” he said. “In recent years, I’ve often heard arguments breaking out in his family.”

“Especially in the last few months, the arguments have been particularly intense. Sometimes they start arguing in the middle of the night, and Gerty has been woken up several times.”

Bernie's youngest daughter is named Greta Sullivan, and Gerty is her nickname.

Bernie's meaning is obvious and logical.

When a wife dies, people suspect the husband; when a husband dies, they suspect the wife. This isn't just wild guessing; it's a result supported by statistical data.

According to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), family homicides account for approximately 15%-20% of all homicides.

Among them, spouse/partner homicides account for 50%-70% of family homicides.

According to statistics from the FBI, spouse/partner homicides account for approximately 11%-14% of all homicides.

Emotional conflicts such as breakups, infidelity, and property disputes account for more than 60% of these. The second most common cause is economic pressure such as unemployment, debt, and escalation of domestic violence.

The deceased was bedridden for a long time, which greatly increased the likelihood of marital discord, and the treatment and maintenance of his life would lead to financial strain on the family.

That covers all of them.

Bernie's suspicions are reasonable.

Theodore got up and walked straight to Wenner's office.

Cases where no one reports the crime, and are based solely on suspicion, intuition, feeling, or guesswork, especially when the deceased has already been buried, are very difficult to investigate.

We need to get Wenner's consent first.

Theodore didn't think it was a big problem.

But Bernie clearly doesn't think so.

He grabbed Theodore, looking hesitant; he lacked confidence in his judgment.

"How about I secretly take you to the cemetery?" he suggested in a low voice.

He wanted Theodore to communicate with David Moore's ghost first to confirm whether it was a natural death or murder. That would give them a better chance of finding out.

"What are you going to the cemetery for?" Theodore looked Bernie up and down, reminding him, "Grave robbing is illegal. It would be better to get a permit before opening the coffin."

Bernie's eyes widened, suspecting Theodore was doing it on purpose, but he had no proof.

Theodore shook off Bernie and, before leaving, earnestly advised him, "Read less of the Star; it's a third-rate tabloid that makes up stories every day."

"I will sue them someday."

The Star's serialized story "The Twin Detectives" includes a plot where the twin detectives, unable to gain police approval, are forced to sneak into a cemetery to steal corpses.

Bernie was taken aback at first, but he only realized what was happening after Theodore knocked on the door and entered Wenner's office.

"How did you know?!"

(End of this chapter)