Chapter 17

After all, he had harbored a criminal and got himself tangled up in the crime.

Living this long was already a blessing. What more could he hope for?

Benjamin picked up the syringe needle beside him and drew a tube of air.

Closing his eyes, he trembled as he injected the air into his bloodstream.

By the time the doctor came for the routine check, it was too late.

Benjamin's eyes were wide open, his vital signs completely gone.

The news was immediately relayed to the detective squad.

Kian was dumbfounded when he heard the news.

What? He was fine yesterday; how did he die today?

How was he going to explain this to Travis?

Just as Kian was trying to find the right words, Travis walked in from outside.

Kian nervously approached Travis's office, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Captain Smith... Benjamin is dead."

The angry reaction Kian had imagined from Travis didn't come.

Instead, Travis responded with a simple, "Hmm."

Kian was stunned and repeated, "Captain Smith, I said Benjamin is dead, the Benjamin in the hospital."

Travis looked up, "I said I know!"

"Captain Smith, aren't you even a little surprised?"

Travis rolled his eyes, "I just came from there."

"Notify his family and have them cover his medical expenses from his hospital stay."

Kian nodded, still bewildered, and left the office.

Was this still the Travis he knew?

Usually, he would get scolded for not organizing cases properly, but now a key witness was dead, and Travis was so calm.

"By the way!"

Travis's voice came from the office, "Tell Ethan about this."

Kian nodded.

In the holding cell.

When Ethan heard the news about Benjamin's death, he let out a bitter smile.

He could already imagine that Benjamin had told Travis everything before he died.

Did Ethan hate him? Yes, he did! Why didn't that explosion kill him?

Looking dejectedly at Kian, he said, "Officer, can I request to visit Mason?"

Kian glanced at Ethan, "I'll report it."

When Travis heard the request, he sighed, "Take him."

At Mason's grave, Ethan's tears wouldn't stop.

His own brother lay there.

How could he feel nothing?

"Why did you have to be so stubborn?"

Ethan sat in his wheelchair, staring at Mason's name.

"Why did you have to discover those things? I didn't want to kill you!"

Kian was stunned. What key information had he missed in this case?

Ethan killed his own brother?

How could anyone do such a thing?

They stayed there for half an hour.

Ethan gently wiped his tears, "Officer, let's go."

Back in the car, Kian put Ethan in the back seat and sat in the driver's seat.

They hadn't driven far when...

Kian quickly hit the brakes and turned around.

Ethan was struggling to get up from the ground, sitting back in his wheelchair, and hurriedly leaving.

When Kian tried to get back in the car to chase him, he found his tire had somehow blown out.

By the time he tried to chase on foot, Ethan was nowhere to be seen.

"Fuck! He's in a damn wheelchair and still managed to run so fast."

He picked up the phone and called Charles, "Track Ethan's location."

"Ethan? Isn't that guy with you?" Charles was first stunned, then burst into laughter, "No way! No way! You didn't let Ethan escape, did you?"

"Hahaha... A cripple escaped from you, hahaha..."

Listening to the unabashed laughter, Kian's face turned dark, "Enough with the nonsense, just do what I asked."

Soon, Kian received a location from Charles.

Kian reported the situation to Travis.

Upon hearing the news, Travis immediately set out with his team. He wanted to see what Ethan was up to.

They arrived at an abandoned factory where Ethan was located.

Travis took a megaphone and looked around, "Ethan, come out. At this point, do you really think you can escape?"

"Bang—"

A gunshot rang out.

Travis immediately took cover. The others quickly drew their weapons and found hiding spots.

Travis's face darkened. When did Ethan get a gun?

"Captain Smith, leave some room for maneuver. There's no need to push me to the brink," Ethan's voice came from the shadows.

"Ethan, you know what you've done. Premeditated murder, embezzlement, child abuse, drug trafficking. You're the one who brought this on yourself."

Ethan's laughter echoed from the darkness, "I killed because he deserved it! I was his brother, I took him to make money! But what did he do?"

"He wanted me dead! He was going to report me, so don't blame me! I made sure he died comfortably, I used a gold brick to smash him."

"Everything I worked hard for! Mason wanted to destroy it all!"

Travis said solemnly, "You couldn't bear it, so you had Benjamin do it."

"How did you know?" Ethan's surprised voice came.

"Because Mason's skull had two depressions, the fatal injury was the second depression."

There was a long silence from the darkness.

Travis cautiously approached Ethan's hiding spot. "Ethan, I advise you to give up resistance and come back with us."

"Go back, go back to die?" Ethan's self-mocking voice sounded, "Don't I know what crimes I've committed? Go back? Impossible!"

"Bang!"

Another gunshot, and everything fell silent.

Ethan's eyes widened as he fell to the ground. Blood slowly flowed from beneath his head.

Travis sighed, if only Ethan had known it would come to this.

He waved to the people outside, "Take him back, send the body to Jerry and the team."

"Yes!"

Seeing Elaine standing worriedly nearby, Travis comforted her, "First time seeing this, how do you feel?"

"Terrible," Elaine said bluntly, "I know he's a criminal and deserved it, but I just feel something indescribable. They could have lived well."

"This is human greed. When people have more, they only think about how to get even more."

"Especially with drugs, which can make people rich overnight. Once they taste the sweetness of drug trafficking, their fate is sealed. There's no turning back."