Chapter 583 - A Good Place Full of Simple and Honest People
Luke chuckled and winked at him. “Boss, you really think nobody in our division knows that you invited that beautiful lawyer to a candlelight dinner at a three-star Michelin restaurant?”
Dustin opened his mouth but couldn’t refute it. He could only grit his teeth and ask, “Who told?”
Looking at his face, Luke put the BBQ into the box and shook his head. “Boss, it is with regret that I tell you that it was the street patrol who spread the news, but exactly who started it, nobody knows.”
Looking at Luke’s expression, Dustin could only sigh. “Fine. If you don’t want to say anything, forget it.”
Clearly, Luke didn’t want to tell on his colleagues over such a small thing.
Snitches were despised everywhere, but especially in the police department. When all was said and done, it was only human nature to find a girlfriend. Dustin had done nothing wrong. But Dustin felt a bigger headache come on when he thought of that woman. He was going to New York. Could he persuade her to abandon her career in Los Angeles and go with him?
Why would she do that for him?
Dustin, this tough-as-nails man, couldn’t help feeling melancholy.
Luke had a strange expression, but didn’t make things worse and just said, “Boss, it’s all packed up.” Dustin accepted the box and stepped away. “Thank you. Huh. What’s this?”
He had been distracted by Luke’s unexpected revelation and hadn’t noticed what Luke had cooked.
Now that he smelled the fragrance of the food from the grill, he couldn’t help but ask the question.
Luke: “The first Chile king crabs of the year.”
Dustin: “…”
Lost for words, his optimism about Luke agreeing to the New York transfer dropped another 10%.
He had been 50% confident of convincing Luke to come to New York with him at the beginning, but he was now only 20% confident.
Going over to his car, he took out a file and gave it to Luke. “Since we’re not busy at the moment, you can get this over with in your free time.”
Luke opened the file, and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Police school training? Boss… is this alright?”
Dustin snorted. “Don’t get careless. Not everybody is that smart. Sooner or later, some brainless person will be incited into attacking you with this. Now that you have the time, get this sorted out sooner. In any case, it’s just a formality.” Luke thought about it and realized it made sense.
It was indeed a problem that he had never been trained at a police school.
Dustin had good intentions – while he and Brad were still in L.A., he was giving Luke the green light to make up for this gap in his qualifications.
Seeing that Luke wasn’t saying anything, Dustin said again, “After this, you and Selina need to take the detective test as a matter or procedure. I’ll arrange everything, it won’t be too troublesome.”
What else could Luke say? He said sincerely, “Thanks, boss.”
Driving off, Dustin’s feelings were complicated as he watched Luke wave goodbye in the rearview mirror.
Luke lived such a comfortable life here, and could enjoy king crabs before they were even on the market. He also had Selina, and a spa in his backyard. Would he really choose to go to New York and suffer with Dustin?
He just hoped that his one last effort at the end there increased his chances of success from 20% to 30%… Hm, maybe 25%.
Feeling very uncertain, Dustin disappeared from Luke’s sight.
Returning to the backyard, Luke brought two plates of roasted king crabs to the two women who were already in the spa.
Squatting next to the pool, he gave them the plates and said, “Boss, that thing about the candlelight dinner which you mentioned in our group, I’ve already blamed it on the street patrol. Don’t accidentally expose yourself.”
“Thanks.” Elsa was genuinely grateful. She then said angrily, “It’s all because of that gossip, Billy Wang. He just spreads whatever he hears.”
Luke had nothing to say.
He didn’t want to get involved, but Elsa had accidentally let slip that Dustin had a candlelight dinner with a certain beautiful lawyer when she was speaking to Luke.
He was partly to blame, so he could only help wrap things up.
It wasn’t a big deal, but it wouldn’t be good if Dustin thought that Elsa was telling everybody about his private life.
After that, Luke finally talked business. “Boss, you’ve decided to go?”
Elsa nodded without hesitation. “I’m all alone here without any relatives or friends. Going to New York wouldn’t be bad at all.”
Luke shook his head. “But New York is much more dangerous.”
Elsa became solemn. “I know, but it’s dangerous to be a police officer anywhere.”
Luke: “Don’t forget Bullseye. There are plenty of people like him in New York.”
Pondering for a moment, Elsa shook her head. “We ran into people like that in Los Angeles too, didn’t we? In the end, it’s up to God whether I survive or not.”
When he realized what her stance was, Luke didn’t say any more.
An unlucky person could be hit on the head by a falling flower pot while out walking.
Being a police officer was a dangerous job. There really was nothing you could do except pray for God’s protection and do your best to avoid danger.
Looking at Luke, Elsa said, “Don’t worry about me. You’re actually doing very well here. There’s no need for you to go.”
Luke smiled. “Thanks.”
He knew she was afraid he would agree to go to New York because of her.
Dustin naturally wasn’t as close to Luke as Elsa was.
After all, they were partners before she became his superior. It was kind of like Dustin and Roger.
In Elsa’s opinion, Luke definitely wouldn’t go to New York just for Dustin’s sake.
And things turned out the way she had expected.
Luke would only give a reply after he considered the pros and cons clearly; Dustin and Elsa weren’t the deciding factors.
It wasn’t that he was cold and unfriendly, but New York really was a “good place” full of “simple and honest folk.”
If he barged his way in without a plan, running into a wall and bleeding from the head would be getting off lightly.
That afternoon, everybody in Elsa’s squad slacked off.
Selina even called Elizabeth and Billy over, and Simmons was invited as well
However, neither Billy nor Simmons stayed long. They ate a bit and Luke gave them a big bag of BBQ before they went back to work at the police department.
Simmons was a young white man and Elsa’s new partner. He was still a rookie and had to build up his experience by working more cases.
Billy and Elizabeth were partners and were already quite experienced, but they were both still a little meek in front of Elsa.
It was like Billy Wang, that old fellow. He hardly spoke with Elsa one-on-one, and would only trade a few words with her in the lounge before beating a hasty retreat.
Weak men were always this pathetic in front of powerful women.
Old Wang, who was a henpecked husband, was even more pitiful.
The truth was that most people in the Major Crimes Division were a little uncomfortable around Elsa, except for the veterans who were on the same level.
