American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 78 Tracking
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Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France.

Charlie held up Michael's signed confession to the window and examined it line by line in the sunlight.

"So, in other words," he turned around, and Michael, lying on the hospital bed, was deathly pale from the second stitches to his back wound, "a few days before the security mission for the Indian businessman, you also took on a private commission? The client was an Englishman named Franklin?"

Without waiting for a reply, Charlie took several A4 sheets of paper from the file box his assistant was holding. They contained screenshots from CCTV cameras belonging to AAA Security Company and the front desk of a five-star hotel.

He held the photo up to Michael's eyes, lightly tapping a figure with his fingertip: "Confirm."

Michael squinted to examine it closely, his chapped lips trembling slightly, and the IV tube swaying gently as he leaned forward.

“That’s right.” His voice was hoarse. “It’s him.”

Charlie handed the photo back to his assistant, pulled up a chair, sat down, and crossed his legs.

"How many days have you spent together?" The pen cap tapped rhythmically on the notebook. "I need to know every detail about this person."

He made a "all" gesture: "Remember, all."

The agents around immediately adjusted their recording equipment, and the recorder opened his notebook.

"He's about 175 centimeters tall." Michael paused briefly due to the pain, cold sweat trickling down his temples. "Judging by his build, he weighs around 80 kilograms. But..."

He frowned and said, "If this is a disguised target, then this data is unreliable. We were in the same room all day, and he never changed his clothes in front of me or did anything that might reveal his true physique."

Michael recalled, "He moved around in the room and ate there, so he would definitely have left fingerprints or other biological traces."

Charlie nodded slightly: "The cleaning staff at the five-star hotel are indeed professional, cleaning every corner until it's spotless."

He paused for a moment: "Of course, this Mr. Franklin obviously did some 'extra cleaning' as well."

"You guys are very efficient," Michael exclaimed.

Charlie's gaze shot over the notebook: "Answer the question, don't comment."

Michael quickly continued, "He's been to our company twice."

Charlie's gaze returned to the notebook: "Did he drink water? Was it a glass or bottled water?"

“Yes, I drank it both times, both times it was bottled water,” Michael replied.

Charlie looked up: "Where are the empty bottles? Where are they thrown away? Which recycling company handles your company's waste?"

“Wait a minute.” Michael frowned in thought, “It seems like he always takes it with him. And he always only drinks half of it before taking it away.”

"It seems so?" Charlie's tone suddenly rose.

“He took it! I’m sure!” Michael added urgently, “Newly rich people like him usually don’t care about half-baked knowledge. This is so unusual, especially compared to their ‘old money’ clients.”

Charlie tapped his fingers lightly on the paper. "Looks like we've met an expert." He looked up at Michael. "You don't need to look for your car anymore. Mr. Franklin clearly knew he had ridden in your car, and now it's just a burnt-out frame."

Michael was stunned for a moment: "Then he must have taken my fingerprints! Otherwise, how could my fingerprints be on those bullets!"

Charlie turned to look at Amelia, who had been standing by the window the whole time: "Sit down."

His voice carried a businesslike indifference: "Although he has been temporarily cleared of suspicion, the investigation will continue, so please remain silent."

Amelia slowly sat down, her gaze towards Michael a mixture of worry and anger.

“Now, let me tell you something you didn’t know.” Charlie turned to a new page: “This Mr. Franklin not only stole your fingerprints, but also perfectly replicated your appearance. Surviving security personnel identified him.”

He paused deliberately: "It was you, Michael, who went on a killing spree on the entire floor with a CZ75 pistol and even used Molotov cocktails to block the security door passage."

The pen tip slammed heavily on the paper: "What's worse, someone hacked into both the fire protection system and the surveillance system at the same time. More than 50% of the entire first floor of the company was burned."

Charlie slowly rose and looked down at Michael on the hospital bed: "The fire destroyed a lot of crucial evidence and erased too many traces."

He slowly organized the documents in his hands and continued, "Of course, a lot of things happened afterward, but I can't tell you those."

Charlie gave a formulaic smile: "Thank you for your cooperation, even though it reopened your wound. You can file a complaint against me if anyone in the security department is willing to take it on."

As he finished speaking, Charlie's expression returned to its icy coldness. He left one last glance before turning away: "We'll see each other again soon. As the investigation progresses, I'll be 'visiting' you many times."

Charlie stopped at the door and added without turning around, "Also, due to the needs of the case, you will not be able to contact Amelia until the investigation is complete."

He pushed open the ward door, but then suddenly turned around: "There's another question. What's your relationship with Vicky Davis like?"

Michael said, “There’s no point in lying to you. Yes, we get along very well and have a great relationship.”

Charlie stated in a somber voice: "Vicki Davis died from a gunshot wound to the head."

He paused deliberately for a moment, emphasizing his words: "The fatal shot came from 'your' pistol. Of course, it was that imposter who fired the shot. But what's tragic is that she never realized, until her death, that the 'you' who pulled the trigger on her was a fake."

"Based on the preliminary investigation, we speculate that Davis may have noticed the killer's unusual behavior at the time of the incident and was therefore silenced. As I mentioned before, more than 50% of the entire first floor was burned."

"Davis's family confirmed her identity through the ring on her hand, and the two guards and several of your colleagues also needed to identify her by her belongings."

Charlie looked directly at Michael, his tone becoming solemn: "Michael, I must reiterate that I swear allegiance to France. For this noble cause, I have never hesitated to take any necessary measures. If these actions have caused you harm, I sincerely apologize."

“I believe we share the same goal. Davis and your colleagues all died at the hands of the same person, and we all want to bring the real culprit to justice as soon as possible.”

"Therefore, if you recall any leads that I haven't yet been informed of, you can report them at any time through the supervising officer."

As soon as he finished speaking, Charlie turned around and pushed open the door.

The agents left the ward one after another. Amelia glanced back at Michael one last time at the door before being led away as well.

With a muffled thud, the heavy door echoed long in the silent corridor.

(End of this chapter)