Chapter 539

Charlie chose a table in the motel restaurant that faced the main entrance and had the small kitchen door behind him.

After being a cop for decades, many things were deeply ingrained in his bones.

No matter who came in through the main entrance, he would see them immediately.

But at the same time, no matter who came in, it would take them about fifteen meters to reach his table.

The briefcase he had placed on the table was plated with steel on both sides. It had no combination lock and could be opened in an instant to form a temporary shield.

This way, whether he drew the weapon from the holster in his coat to return fire or turned around and rushed out through the small kitchen door to leave, he would have enough time to react.

There were a few people in the restaurant. Spring had arrived, and people who had been cooped up at home all winter were starting to think about getting out and about.

Golden Port City was one of the best choices. It had some of the best beaches on the east coast, as well as casinos and the Starlight District. It was one of the best choices for a vacation.

Many people were driving towards Golden Port City.

Between the two lanes of the Federation’s interstate highways, there were no insurmountable barriers. People could drive however they wanted.

Although the survival rate of car accidents on the state highways was very low, at least it was very free.

So whether they were going to Golden Port City or leaving it, when they needed to rest or eat, they would choose the nearest motel, regardless of whether they were coming or going.

Charlie ate while observing the people here. He actually knew an old judge.

That old judge used to be a judge of the Likalai State Court of Appeals. He had a certain network and reputation in the state’s judicial field, but after careful consideration, he gave up this idea.

Let’s not even talk about how much it would cost to ask the old judge to help him solve this problem. Whether he could solve it was another question.

Charlie’s thoughts were roughly the same as those of the gentlemen of the Bay Area. They didn’t think Lance could push this matter forward. In the back of their minds, which they were unwilling to admit but had to consider, there was a big hand controlling all of this.

The Williams family.

It must be him.

Charlie thought his guess was very reasonable. Even if he solved the current problem, what would he do after Councilman Williams took office and became mayor?

Lance was his man, and Bruce was Lance’s man. Once he lost the police, his base of power, Charlie would be completely worthless in the eyes of the gentlemen of the Bay Area.

A municipal councilman?

That was something they could create at will. Anyone could be a councilman, but this person had to be able to provide them with many services, especially services involving law enforcement agencies.

Once he had no value, he would most likely end up like those worthless people he had dealt with before.

On some moonless night, he would be shot in the back of the head, or hit with a hammer, and finally stuffed into a gasoline barrel and thrown into Angel Lake.

After figuring this out, Charlie decided to leave immediately, with absolutely no delay.

Just like that year when he was in his thirties and entered the basement of a deceased gentleman, and saw the mangled body that had been tortured. He decisively walked over, cut her up, put her in a travel bag, and took her away.

He didn’t hesitate at all. He took all his money, got in the car, and drove straight out of the city.

In order to hide the fact that he was running away, he even specifically arranged the next few days’ work for his municipal councilman’s office before he left.

Once he left, there was a high probability that he would not be able to come back, and he had also lost a large sum of money.

Although he was a little unwilling, at least he was alive.

The money he had earned over the years, apart from what was on the surface in Golden Port City, had all been transferred out through some relatively reasonable means—bearer bonds and bearer stocks.

These things could be cashed in anytime, anywhere, which was very convenient.

In fact, he had considered many years ago that there would be such a day. No one is a winner forever. It’s just that when this day really came, it still made him feel uncomfortable.

He shouldn’t have left the stage so bleakly.

Swallowing the hamburger in his mouth, his expression changed slightly. He had thought this hamburger would be terrible. After all, how good could the food at a motel be?

But unexpectedly, the beef patty was very delicious. The taste was very similar to the taste of hamburger patties in high-end restaurants.

He had ordered a combo meal: a hamburger, some fries, and a glass of sweetened lemonade.

He looked at the simple dinner, thinking that he still had a long way to go. Then he raised his hand. “Excuse me…”

The girl who was talking to a young man by the counter proactively came over, holding the restaurant’s order pad. “Sir, is there anything I can do for you?”

The girl slurred her words a little. It took Charlie a bit of reading comprehension to understand. “I noticed you have steak here…” he glanced at the menu on the counter.

The girl looked back and nodded. “Yes, steak. Would you like some?”

“One order, I’ll eat it here. Also, prepare two of these combo meals and two orders of steak, and some water. I’m taking them to go.”

The girl quickly jotted down his request on the order pad. “So that’s a total of three steaks, one for here, two to go, and then two basic combos to go, right?”

Charlie nodded and said, “That seems right. How much do I owe you for these?”

The girl did some simple calculations. Steak was sixty-nine cents a serving, and a combo was only thirty cents. In total, it was… she scribbled for a while before coming up with a number. “Two dollars and sixty-seven cents, sir.”

“Check or cash?”

Check?

He didn’t know if those accounts had been discovered, but in any case, he wouldn’t casually use the checks under those account names now.

Even if he had to use them, it would be a few years later. He might not even use them himself, but would hand them over to a money laundering group to have them cleaned before using them.

He had cash on him. Cash was the most difficult type of transaction to trace right now.

He took out his wallet, took out three dollars from it, and handed it over. “The rest is your tip.”

The girl was stunned for a moment. “You’re very generous, sir,” she said, taking a few more steps towards the table and slightly lifting her skirt to reveal her thigh. “Maybe you’d like to rest for a while after you finish eating?”

This was actually quite normal. In this period, it was a common phenomenon for waitresses at restaurants along the interstate highways to work as prostitutes after hours.

She had seen the thick wad of bills in Charlie’s wallet. What she wanted was not a tip of thirty-odd cents, but more money.

Ten, or even twenty dollars.

Charlie was taken aback for a moment. He was in his early sixties, and someone was actually propositioning him. But he quickly took out another two dollars and handed it over. “Sorry, I don’t need it, but thank you for your kindness.”

The girl looked at the two dollars for a few seconds before taking it. The flirtatious expression on her face faded, and she also lowered her skirt. “Sorry to bother you, sir.”

She returned to the counter, handed the menu with Charlie’s order to the young cook in the restaurant kitchen, and then went back to serving other customers.

It was dinnertime, so there were many people in the restaurant. Charlie soon got his steak. It was indeed very delicious.

There should be a small ranch behind the motel. These were either raised by them, or there was a ranch nearby that could deliver fresh beef every day.

As long as the ingredients were fresh and healthy, they would be delicious.

He had been to a slaughterhouse. After the butchers had killed the cows, they would cut off strips of meat and place them on the table.

Even without any processing, you could smell the rich meaty aroma from the meat.

He was very satisfied with his meal. It would have been even better if there was some wine, but he wouldn’t do anything out of the ordinary at this time. It would make some people subconsciously remember him.

After finishing his meal, he needed to rest for a while, so he got a room in the motel.

The girl had been watching him from the window. It wasn’t until she saw him enter a room on the first floor that she looked away.

“What’s wrong?” the cook in the kitchen asked.

They were in a relationship. Of course, he also knew that the girl was working as a prostitute, but this was their way of life.

The satisfaction brought by money was enough to compensate for the occasional sense of loss when someone else entered his garden. Sometimes he would even feel excited because of it.

He also looked out the greasy window, but didn’t see anything unusual.

The girl looked away. “That old man, his wallet is full of money, a wad this thick!”

She gestured with her hands, obviously exaggerating a little.

Her boyfriend didn’t believe her at all. “That old man looks very ordinary. How could he have so much money? I’m not falling for it!”

But the girl said very seriously, “I swear on my grandmother, it’s true.”

“And a lot of it is in twenty-dollar bills. He also has a briefcase with him…”

The cook’s expression changed subtly. He swallowed. “You’re saying, the briefcase is also full of money?”

For some reason, his heart began to beat faster.

Working at this damn place might seem pretty good, but in reality, their income was extremely limited. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have his girlfriend working as a temporary prostitute.

Those truck drivers were not gentle white-collar workers. They were all the kind who would jump up and stomp. Sometimes, when they met a particularly rough one, she couldn’t even close her legs for two or three days.

Now, she was telling him that the old man’s wallet was full of money, and it was possible that his briefcase was also full of money. How could he not be tempted?

He clutched his chest to keep his heart from jumping out. “What… are you planning to do?”

The girl was a little annoyed. “He rejected me!”

The cook took a deep breath. “Damn it, this old bastard!” His eyes gradually became a little sinister.

So much money. If he missed this opportunity, he might never have one again in his life.

(End of a Chapter)