Volume 1: First Arrival Chapter 027 Hot Potato
Adrian felt a breath stuck in his chest, speechless and aggrieved. Looking at the smile flowing from Kirk's eyes, there was an unconcealable gloating.
"Shut up."
Adrian's response confirmed Kirk's guess, which made Kirk's mouth curl up slightly, but he still controlled the laughter deep in his throat.
Adrian could feel the subtlety of the atmosphere without words. He tried to suppress his emotions again and again, but he still couldn't help but mutter something in a low voice.
"Grass."
Kirk had no way of knowing that Adrian had previously noticed the hidden trick in the "homeless case", so naturally he didn't know the twists and turns behind how this case fell on Adrian's head. This could be regarded as a warning from Steve to Adrian, but it did not hinder Kirk's grasp of the situation.
Kirk could also sense Adrian's frustration and anxiety, and when he thought about his attitude at Macy's that morning, he was able to get a general idea.
So, Kirk just needs to give a little guidance.
"Detective, what is the real reason behind the NYPD's passive resistance?"
Adrian glanced at Kirk, and although he didn't say anything, the vigilance in his eyes was obvious. Matters within the police station are sensitive in themselves, not to mention discussing them with a private detective?
Adrian hadn't completely lost his mind yet.
Kirk also noticed it, but he stopped at the point and instead took the opportunity to grasp the core key.
"The problem is that now the storm of public opinion has already arrived and is getting more intense. The detectives can use delaying tactics. After all, there are more than one or two unsolved cases in New York."
“After the election, everything calmed down.”
"But there is still half a year before the election. If any unexpected or new circumstances occur during this process, and the delay or unresolved case triggers a new round of storms, the NYPD will definitely need to give the public an explanation. Who do the detectives think will be the one to take the blame?"
Adrian glared at Kirk with gritted teeth.
Kirk looked calm.
"The detective must be thinking that if the Times hadn't been involved, things wouldn't have developed to this point, but what I'm really curious about is who killed these homeless people, and why someone wants this case to disappear? Is it just related to personal grudges, or is it related to this year's election?"
"Without The Times, there is no truth. Does that mean New York could make a wrong choice and vote for a demon?"
Adrian was stunned——
Although he didn't want to admit it, Kirk's words reawakened his suspicions and concerns.
Without the New York Times, he could continue to pretend to be ignorant; but now, the truth has been revealed, and he is about to be the scapegoat. He has no way out and is now being roasted on the fire. The only solution is:
Find out the truth.
Apparently, Steve didn't think Adrian could get to the bottom of it.
Choose Adrian and Stephen to take charge of the case, and keep giving them more cases, consuming their time and energy bit by bit, delaying time quietly, and even using a war of attrition to wear down their will without even a single soldier...
Adrian shuddered at the thought, and his fingertips felt numb.
Although he knew this was a hot potato, his mind had been buzzing since he learned about it in the morning, and he didn't have enough time to sort it out completely. To some extent, it was also a kind of escapist mentality, and he didn't face it for the time being. Now, after Kirk's reminder, things became clear.
Oops!
It was just awful! A complete disaster!
but……
Adrian still maintained some rationality and kept reminding himself that his predicament was one thing, and choosing to cooperate with a private detective was another. These two things could not be confused. Even if Kirk's words were all correct, it did not mean that he had to cooperate with this guy.
Kirk seemed to be aware of Adrian's thoughts, and his slow and unhurried words came over the wind.
"Detective, we are just ants. We have no say in those conflicts of interest. But there is an old Chinese saying that water can carry a boat but can also capsize it. Public opinion is on the side of justice now. If you can make full use of it, you can get out of the predicament and even launch a counterattack to open up the situation."
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly, "'The Art of War'?"
"Haha." Kirk laughed heartily. "Detective, Chinese culture is broad and profound. It is not just about 'The Art of War'."
Adrien couldn't argue with that, but he took a deep breath and said, "Why should I believe you?"
Kirk didn't mind and said with a smile, "You don't have to believe me."
Adrian didn't understand.
Kirk, “You just have to trust the evidence.”
Adrian thought about it carefully and couldn't refute it.
Kirk continued, "Just now at Macy's, I have proven my ability. I hope to find the truth and the detective hopes to get justice. Our goals are the same, but we all have our limitations. Maybe we can help each other. The detective just needs to believe in the evidence."
There was a pause, Kirk waiting for the words to brew and ferment in Adrian's mind, then he spoke again.
"During my investigation discovered that the victims' movements might be closely related to the senator's soup kitchen activities."
Kirk then revealed all his findings and related speculations about the yellow ribbon.
Regarding the yellow ribbons, Kirk considered conducting his own investigation to see if it could be directly linked to the senator's activities.
But the problem is that the clues and evidence he found cannot be used as evidence in court. Instead, they may alert the suspects and cause the senator's team to destroy the evidence.
It would be different if an official investigation was conducted through Adrian.
The more such a situation is, the more it is necessary to make a big fanfare and ensure that every move of the investigation process is exposed to the media. Even if there is a danger of alerting the enemy, it can make the senators cautious. They also need to be vigilant against media surveillance at all times and be cautious in destroying evidence.
At the same time, the interference of political opponents may further disturb the muddy waters, not only to pin down senators, but also to reveal some unexpected clues.
Taking advantage of the situation, now that public opinion has taken shape, they need to make good use of it. Even if it's just a trivial matter, it can serve as a signal. At the current juncture, it would be more effective for the NYPD to launch an investigation. There is no need for Kirk to go into battle personally.
So, Kirk didn't hide it.
Then, one could clearly see Adrian's gloomy expression gradually stiffen.
"…Which senator? Schumer? Gillibrand?"
As for members of Congress , each state is represented by two senators, regardless of the state's population, and the total number of members in the House is 100.
Because there are fewer seats and longer terms, academic and partisan views are allowed, so the status and power of senators are naturally significant.
The two current senators from New York are Chuck Schumer, who has served since 1999, and Kristen Gillibrand, who has served since 2009. Both senators are highly regarded and hold high positions of power.
The key is that none of them is easy to mess with.
Adrian thought he was mentally prepared, but the extent of the disaster of this hot potato was beyond his imagination:
……Grass!
