The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 268: The Real Purpose]

Not only did he charm the girl, but he also managed to bring business to her company; Andy Carroll could be seen as a model lover.

Juan had asked many questions but found this connection the most puzzling. They had certainly been quietly investigating the Ackerman Charity Foundation, which had a history of claiming to be charitable without behaving that way.

At Venice Beach Club, the vanished women, and the suicides of Guerrero and Broderick all pointed back to the Ackerman Charity Foundation.

With this in mind, Juan realized that the focus needed to remain on the relationship between the Hallasan Company and the Ackerman Charity Foundation.

He pondered for a moment, asking, "Since this year, has Veronica had any other engagements with the Ackerman Charity Foundation outside of her business dealings and Carroll?"

"Other engagements?" Dominic thought very hard, and after a while said slowly, "There was one... Let me consider."

Juan didn't push, allowing him to recollect.

Dominic finally recalled, "A few months ago, I can't remember the exact date, but the Hallasan Company was doing well, had no hardships, and hadn't interacted with the Ackerman Charity Foundation at all. Veronica organized a health checkup for all employees, including two family members. I was there, and the medical facility was affiliated with the Ackerman Charity Foundation."

Suddenly, he remembered, "Not long after the company received the health check results, the business began to decline, and some poor-performing older employees were laid off."

Juan deduced: "Did Veronica know Carroll at that time?"

"No, I'm sure she didn't; Veronica was very anxious," Dominic continued recalling more: "Eventually, she met Carroll, but I'm not sure how they met. When I went back to the company to retrieve a watch I left behind, I overheard a former colleague mention that Veronica had only been dating Carroll for about a week before they received an order from the Ackerman Charity Foundation, which saved the company from dire straits."

Juan noted all of this down.

After asking a few more questions that provided no useful additional information, Juan handed Dominic $300: "Thanks for the lead. You can keep this."

Dominic gladly accepted the money, beaming.

For someone living in dire poverty, words were unnecessary; cash spoke volumes.

Juan added, "Just a reminder, the news carries risks. We will strictly adhere to the News Act; we won't disclose anything regarding your information. You also need to be careful and don't mention this to anyone."

In a city like Los Angeles, filled with news sources, Dominic was aware of reporters who had faced violence for similar circumstances and nodded earnestly: "I get it. I won't mention it to anyone."

Juan said no more and quickly exited the apartment, getting back into his car and leaving Koreatown.

...

Returning to the office, he pulled out the voice recorder from his pocket and handed it over to Campos.

After reviewing the recording, Campos felt something was off but couldn't quite pinpoint it. He decided to call Edward, using Twitter's encrypted email to send over the audio file.

...

Minutes later, Edward came into Hawke's office with a USB drive containing the copied material.

He handed the USB to Hawke: "Boss, this is what Juan found out about a recently fired employee of the Hallasan Company just an hour ago."

Hawke inserted the USB into his laptop and pressed play.

The clear inquest-style dialogue between the two men filled the office, and as Hawke listened to how all employees and their families of the Hallasan Company had once visited a medical institution under the Ackerman Charity Foundation for checkups, he instantly connected it to Andy Carroll's past misdeeds.

This person had a criminal history, often preying on young women, and in Guerrero's materials, Carroll could be considered one of the direct offenders.

The Ackerman Charity Foundation certainly had blood sampling options for their health checks, causing Hawke to speculate on the blood types of Veronica and Rachel.

Was there an issue there?

Hawke picked up the phone and dialed Campos's number: "Find a way to check the blood types of Veronica and Rachel."

Campos replied, "I'll look into it right away."

He hung up and called Juan, instructing him to keep digging.

...

Meanwhile, Hawke played the recording again, increasingly convinced that something was amiss between Andy Carroll and Veronica's supposed relationship.

Edward, having heard Hawke mention the charity organization's health checks before, remarked, "Are we suggesting Veronica's blood type, or even her organs, could match with someone important?"

"That's a possibility," Hawke replied simply. "Before the health checks, the Hallasan Company was doing well, and Veronica organized a welfare checkup before she met Carroll. Soon after that, the company drastically declined and laid off many employees."

As he spoke, he became increasingly uneasy: "Then Carroll shows up, seemingly a savior, with the order from the Ackerman Charity Foundation, winning Veronica's heart."

Edward added, "That's not typical behavior for the Ackerman Charity Foundation; the missing girls from the Super Star Training School were all taken directly."

Hawke extrapolated along those lines, saying, "Things are different now; last time, Venice Beach Club was burnt down, and the suicides of Guerrero and Broderick certainly put the Ackerman Charity Foundation under scrutiny. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of that."

He thought about Veronica's identity: "That mother-daughter duo isn't just any pair; they have a million-dollar fortune, many employees and clients -- disappearing without reason would create a storm."

"And what does Andy Carroll intend to do? Stage an accident?" Edward's imagination ran wild. "A honeymoon trip where the wife and daughter 'accidentally' fall into the sea? Or the three of them traveling in Latin America, ambushed by robbers, losing possessions and lives?"

Hawke lightly tapped his fingers on the desk: "If Veronica or Rachel's blood types do have issues, it suggests Carroll's real target is them. The Rachel theft case should be looming; if we keep an eye on this mother-daughter pair, we should eventually uncover Carroll's true ambitions."

Edward asked, "Should we send additional support to Campos?"

Hawke nodded, "Absolutely."

Edward went to make the call.

...

Hawke played that audio once more, and, perhaps due to his preconceived notion, he felt more and more convinced of the problems at hand.

With the Ackerman family's wealth, attempting to scheme Veronica out of her million-dollar assets was unlikely. Would a ruthless man like Andy Carroll really fall for a Korean woman with a child? And voluntarily assist with the Ackerman Charity Foundation's business?

Hawke couldn't shake the suspicion surrounding the recent theft case involving Rachel. Was it simply about Rachel and the others stealing items?

As things stood, it appeared that was the case.

Nicholas and three other girls pointed toward Rachel, claiming she led the proposal for the theft.

Rachel denied this, asserting she had been misled by Nicholas.

Since the suspect was underage, while LAPD interrogated, parents, lawyers, and school representatives accompanied them, making it hard to discern the validity of what was said.

With the Board of Brooklynn School applying pressure, LAPD was reluctant to dig any deeper, and even the celebrity victims weren't willing to discuss the case.

Ultimately, the matter seemed procedural.

Previously, Hawke considered it a minor case, but now, with his investigation alongside Juan's, he sensed something was off.

He grabbed his phone and shot a text to Erica.

...

Confirming Erica was available, Hawke called her directly: "I need the details of Nicholas and the other three girls -- their names and home addresses."

Without hesitation, Erica said, "Give me a moment; I'll send that over."

In just a few minutes, Hawke received several MMS photos that included detailed information about Nicholas and the others.

From names and contact information to family addresses, it was all there.

...

Hawke instructed Edward to print the information: "You have a knack for dealing with divorced women with kids; reach out and see who masterminded the theft."

Edward reviewed the data and identified a girl from a single-parent household.

Her name was Eleanor, whose parents had divorced, and she currently lived with her mother.

Edward felt he was perfectly suited for this line of questioning.

"Boss, I can't handle Nicholas; he's from a happy family, both parents in the picture. But I can guarantee I'll get the scoop from this Eleanor girl."

Hawke responded, "You see why I'm assigning this to you?"

Edward grinned, revealing his bright white teeth. "I'll get you the good news."

Hawke added, "Don't draw attention; put on some makeup."

Edward nodded: "That old bastard Frank introduced me to a fantastic makeup artist. I'll head to their studio now."

...

With that, it was only Hawke left in the office.

He contemplated whether to involve Paris Hilton in this situation.

At this moment, his phone rang again, with Campos providing new updates: Nicholas and a girl named Amanda went looking for Rachel today, prompting Veronica's fury. She called the parents of both kids.

Fiona, impersonating a media reporter, interviewed them. Both claimed they were just there to check on Rachel, but Nicholas was notably vigilant, more mature than typical 14-year-olds, speaking very coherently.

A person like that returning repeatedly to provoke suspicion likely had ulterior motives.

Hawke weighed the various details and became increasingly convinced something was amiss.

Before the end of the workday, word arrived from Juan: the former Hallasan employee recalled overhearing two female assistants discussing Veronica on a phone call with her ex-husband, lamenting that Rachel had inherited a rare blood type from her, which could present issues for surgeries in the future.

On receiving this news, Hawke immediately directed Campos: "Keep an eye on these individuals; Andy Carroll can be set aside for now, but Veronica and Rachel must not lose our sight."

*****

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