The deputy chief thought for a moment, "That's an interesting idea, a 'Wives' Revenge Alliance'?"

Luke continued, "We're most familiar with Badman Pole's situation; he had an improper relationship with the first victim, Layli Harry. Needless to say, the consequences would be dire if his wife found out.

Then there's the third victim, Santos Mending, a very hardworking and diligent person, difficult not to like, but his wife left him anyway.

The fourth victim, Benjamin Nasi, is currently separated, his wife took the children and left, and no one has reported them missing to this day.

In this respect, the three of them have very similar situations."

The deputy chief nodded, "Your analysis is rational, but you've overlooked one issue."

"What issue?"

"Once people reach middle age, most couples in economically challenged households don't have very good relationships.

Badman Pole, Santos Mending, Benjamin Nasi - they're essentially poor at the end of the day.

If Benjamin Nasi were rich, he wouldn't be in such a wretched state.

If Santos Mending had money, he wouldn't neglect his wife's feelings for work. Women are emotional beings, and sometimes they need to be coaxed.

If Badman Pole had money, he might not be willing to play poker with a woman over a decade older than him.

Looking at it this way, the three of them seem more like they came together over money.

If they did have a connection, I'd be more inclined to believe that Badman Pole staged the poker blackmail video himself, with Santos Mending and Benjamin Nasi as his accomplices.

The three could extort a large sum of money; that's what they desperately need."

Raymond nodded, "As a married man, I agree with the deputy chief's view."

Luke was surprised; 'Dummy' actually took the initiative to speak.

Susan summarized, "I think your deductions are all valid, but the key still lies in the evidence.

Three victims, one dead, two missing, but their wives are still here.

Deputy chief, you get in touch with Benjamin Nasi's immediate family, and it would be best to have a chat with his wife.

Luke, find Santos Mending's wife and ask her why she left such a good man.

Marcus, you talk to Laura Pohl.

A wife is definitely one of the people who know her husband best."

…

The police had not been able to find Santos Mending, and his mobile number was no longer in use.

Luke and David could only use the most foolish method, conducting a field investigation near Santos Mending's home.

People of Mexican descent have a higher population ratio in California and have always had good relations with the local Chinese community. Many Chinese people like to call them 'Old Mo,' a term much more affectionate than nicknames for other ethnic groups.

The two arrived at the house on Oli Street where Santos Mending lived.

The house was somewhat dilapidated, and the surrounding environment was similar to Benjamin Nasi's home, but the yard was neatly arranged, with a dedicated vegetable garden planted with some hot peppers and bean plants.

Luke looking at the fiery red peppers said, "They look good; this is a household that knows how to live."

Upon entering the house to inspect, they did not smell any blood or decay, just some unwashed plates on the dining table giving off a musty smell.

The house was not large, with only two bedrooms; one for living, the other for storing miscellaneous items.

Luke and his partner checked the house thoroughly and found nothing unusual; everything seemed very normal.

As if the owner had gone about his day normally.

The only thing missing was a lot of women's stuff, which indicated that Santos Mending's wife had been gone for some time.

The two left the house and went to the surrounding neighbors to inquire.

The neighbors said Santos Mending and his wife weren't very talkative and rarely interacted with the other neighbors. Half a month ago, Santos Mending had a big fight with his wife and since then the neighbors had not seen her.

Words are spoken carelessly, but the listener may have taken note.

Santos Mending was already dead; could his wife have had an accident too?

At this point, there were no better options.

Luke could only use the traditional method of investigation, going from door to door.

From the east end of the community to the west end, they learned that someone in the adjacent community seemed to have a good relationship with Santos Mending's wife.

Luke and his colleague then went to the neighboring community to ask around.

After running around until two in the afternoon, they finally learned of Santos Mending's wife's whereabouts.

Thankfully, nothing bad had happened to her.

...

Half an hour later, Luke and his colleague arrived at the workplace of Santos Mending's wife.

A high-end community not far from the Maca neighborhood.

Nada Mending, Santos Mending's wife, was tending to plants and flowers under the blazing sun.

She was a gardener.

Luke and David didn't go over to her immediately but sat back and observed while drinking cold colas.

She worked efficiently.

Though the observation period wasn't long, they could tell she was hardworking and capable of enduring hardship.

After a while, Nada Mending wiped the sweat from her forehead and stopped to rest.

Luke walked over, offering her a bottle of mineral water.

"Thank you, sir. I'm not thirsty."

"You're Nada Mending?"

"How do you know? Are you looking to have your garden trimmed? I don't handle the business side; I just do the work."

"I would like to hire you for garden work indeed, but I don't have the means to buy a garden right now," Luke showed his badge, "LAPD. Can we talk?"

"What do you want from me?"

"Haven't been in touch with your husband recently?"

"There's nothing much to talk about with him anymore. If it's about him, please go find him instead."

"He's dead."

Nada Mending fell silent for a moment, "Are you scammers? If so, please leave. I have no money."

"Your husband has been missing for many days now. The owner of Boel's repair shop filed the report, but we haven't been able to contact you. We really are from the LAPD."

Nada Mending's knees gave out, and she sat on the ground, her eyes red, "What happened? How could he suddenly die?"

"The police are investigating. We're here to understand the situation. What conflict occurred between you two? Are you deliberately avoiding him?"

"Yeah, I was planning on divorcing him."

"Why? We've looked into his situation. He works at the repair shop during the day and takes a part-time job at a bar at night. Hardworking, diligent, a nice guy. Why do you want to divorce him?"

"He indeed was a nice man, but we had different values and often argued over things."

"Is there someone else?"

"I wish. But we're both so busy. Look at me, I'm a gardener by day, and when I go home at night, I cook and do housework. I don't even have time to think about those things. I just want to make my life a bit better."

"Do you have debts? Given your work ethic, your income shouldn't be too low."

"That's the crux of our conflict. He worked hard, and so did I. Our monthly income was nearly ten thousand US dollars, an amount I never dared to dream of before.

I was satisfied with this income. I wanted to use it to improve our life. You must have been to our home. Isn't it run-down? I wanted to move to a better neighborhood, to a better house... but Santos didn't agree."

Luke countered, "Isn't making money for a better life the point? Why didn't he agree?"

"He has many relatives still in Mexico—brothers, sisters, cousins—who aren't living well. He felt it was his duty as an older brother to improve their lives.

At first, it was just sending money, which I wasn't happy with, but I didn't stop him.

However, there is no end to human desires.

His siblings also wanted to immigrate to Los Angeles, but things are different now. The policies are getting stricter, requiring professional immigration lawyers and a significant sum of money for the process...

We simply couldn't afford it, but he insisted on doing it... I understand, but I couldn't accept it." Nada Mending wiped her tears and choked up,

"I came to Los Angeles for a better life. I have always worked hard and earned money.

Why can't I improve my own life? Why should I live in a rundown house? Why must I spend my money on them?

Will they be grateful?

No.

They are nothing but leeches.

What I hate more is Santos's attitude. He never considered my feelings, always thinking only about his relatives.

I see no hope, no meaning in continuing like this.

Tell me, shouldn't I leave?"