CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Ava and the officers arrived at the crowded gambling site, scanning the area for any sign of the suspect. Ava showed the officers the picture of the man and instructed them to spread out and search.

As Ava navigated through the crowd, her eyes locked onto the man standing at the corner, watching the game with an air of detachment. She approached him calmly, but the man's demeanor changed instantly.

"Who are you?" he growled, eyeing Ava suspiciously.

Ava flashed her ID card. "I'm Detective Ava from the station."

The man's eyes widened, and he took off in a sprint. Ava chased after him, weaving through the crowd. "Hey, stop there! Stop!"

People scrambled to clear a path as Ava pursued the suspect. They burst out of the building, and Ava continued the chase, her feet pounding the pavement.

The suspect ran down a hill, and Ava followed, sliding down the slope. She regained her footing and continued the pursuit.

Finally, the suspect attempted to cross a busy road, but Ava was hot on his heels. She drew her gun and aimed for his leg, firing a warning shot. The suspect crumpled to the ground.

Ava quickly pulled out her phone and called the junior officers and requested backup. "I need assistance at my location. Suspect is apprehended."

As she waited for reinforcements to arrive, Ava kept her gun trained on the suspect, her eyes locked on his. "It's over," she said firmly. "You're not going anywhere."

After the suspect had been taken away by the backup team. Ava dialed a familiar number, and after a few rings, Ethan picked up.

"Hey, how's it going?" Ava asked, trying to sound casual despite the long day she'd had.

"Ah, I'm at the hospital," Ethan replied, his voice serious. "The suspect is injured. But don't worry, we've got him surrounded. The police are all over the hospital, and we're not going to let him get away."

Ava breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great news. I was worried he might try to escape."

Ethan reassured her, "We've got everything under control. He's not going anywhere."

Ava smiled, feeling grateful for Ethan's calm and capable demeanor. "Thanks for keeping me updated.

Ethan asked, "What are you doing?"

Ava replied, "Hmm, I was just working on a case that Chief Michaels assigned to me, but don't worry, I've handled it."

Ethan responded, "Hmm, can we go for lunch later on, maybe when I'm back?"

Ava's tone brightened, "Oh, I think that's a great idea."

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At the hospital, the hitman lay in his bed, his body battered and bruised. His eyes and wounds were bandaged, and he looked like he had been through hell.

The police officers stood in his room, trying to get him to talk. But the hitman remained silent, refusing to cooperate.

Frustrated, the officers decided to take a break, stepping outside the room but still keeping a close eye on the door.

Just then, a doctor strolled in, wearing a white coat and carrying a medical bag. "Excuse me, officers," he said, "I need to administer an injection to the patient."

The police officers nodded, allowing the doctor to enter the room. The doctor quickly got to work, injecting the hitman with a mysterious substance.

A few minutes later, the hitman started convulsing, his body shaking violently. The police officers rushed back into the room, alarmed.

But it was too late. The hitman's body went limp, and he stopped breathing. The officers quickly called for backup, realizing that the doctor was an imposter.

"Someone was here, pretending to be a doctor," one of the officers exclaimed.

The hospital staff rushed into the room, trying to revive the hitman. But it was too late. He was dead.

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As the police officers returned to the station, they couldn't shake off the feeling of frustration and defeat. They submitted their report to Chief Michaels, who was less than impressed.

"You were careless," Chief Michaels scolded. "You let a fake doctor into the hospital room."

The officers tried to defend themselves. "We thought he was a real doctor, sir. We couldn't just obstruct him from doing his job."

Chief Michaels shook his head. "You should have been more vigilant."

Meanwhile, Ava and Ethan decided to pay a visit to the man who had been maltreating his daughter, Lina Handa,ava had already hinted him about it,they arrived at the holding cell, where the man was shouting and demanding to be released.he was taken to the interrogation room.

"I want to leave this place!" he yelled. "How dare you lock me up? I'll call my lawyer!"

Ava smiled coldly. "You're free to call your lawyer. You have the right to legal representation."

The man sneered. "And I'll make sure my lawyer tears you apart."

Ava leaned forward, her eyes blazing. "Do you think any lawyer would want to defend you after hearing what you put your innocent daughter through?"

Just as Ava was about to continue, Ethan tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at him, and he nodded for her to let him take over.

Ava nodded, choking back her anger. "Okay."

She stood up, allowing Ethan to take her place.

"Let me handle this," Ethan said calmly, his eyes fixed on the man.

As Ethan sat down, the man couldn't shake off the feeling that Ethan was somebody he shouldn't mess with. Ethan's piercing gaze seemed to bore into his soul.

"Why did you maltreat her?" Ethan asked, his voice firm but controlled. "What was your reason?"

The man remained silent, his eyes darting around the room. Ethan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

"If you don't talk, we'll have to take more... persuasive measures," Ethan warned. "We'll bring your neighbors in for questioning, and we'll review security footage. It's better for you to confess now and cooperate."

Ethan's voice took on a slightly menacing tone. "Trust me, you don't want to make us dig deeper. If we find evidence that confirms your guilt, your sentence will be much harsher. You'll regret not speaking up now."

The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes fixed on Ethan. Ava watched from the sidelines, impressed by Ethan's interrogation technique.

Wow, his voice is so scary, she thought. But at the same time, it's kind of... mesmerizing.

Ava had always been the one handling interrogations, but now Ethan had taken over. She had to admit, he was doing a great job.

"Okay, if you'd rather not cooperate, that's your choice," Ethan said finally. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

The man still said nothing, his eyes sullen and defiant. Ethan leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the man's face.

Ava could almost see the wheels turning in Ethan's mind. She knew he was thinking of his next move, his next question. She was eager to see what he would do next.