Luke's statement was somewhat exaggerated, but robbing a bank indeed fell under FBI jurisdiction.

Bart spread his hands, "You respect me, I respect you. So, what do you want to talk about?"

Luke suggested, "I propose letting your four friends leave first. I don't want them involved in this case either, as it benefits no one."

Bart said to several Caucasian strongmen, "Guys, there's beer upstairs. Why don't you all have a drink and discuss robbing a bank together?"

"Haha…" The four white men laughed and proceeded upstairs, fully armed.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. He had been silent since he entered and even felt somewhat out of place. "Luckily they left quickly, otherwise, I can't guarantee I wouldn't kick their asses."

Bart laughed, "Hehe, I almost peed myself."

Luke was stern, "I'm serious."

Luke interrupted the two, "OK, let's get to the matter at hand."

"I'm curious why you guys are looking for me? I've made plenty of mistakes before, but I've turned over a new leaf, and I hope you don't keep troubling me."

"We're here to prove your innocence, if that's the case," Luke pointed to his body camera. "You can choose not to answer, but it's best not to lie.

"Where were you between nine last night and two this morning?"

"What's the case about?"

"Answer me first."

"I was at home."

"Who can confirm this?"

Bart shook his head and sighed, "I'm single now. Where else could I be from nine in the evening to two in the morning but home? Where can I find a witness?"

"Are you sure you didn't leave the house?"

"Yes."

"What about your truck?"

"Are you talking about the pickup outside?"

"Yes, the pickup with the license plate 5CFB382."

"It's just been sitting there; I haven't gone out today."

"Are you sure the truck was there from nine thirty last night until two this morning?"

"Yes, I'm sure. No one dares touch my truck, and without my permission, my gun doesn't either."

Luke intervened, "Hey, I don't like your tone."

Bart shrugged, "I didn't invite you in."

Luke responded, "That attitude of yours can easily get you beaten up."

Bart stood his ground, "You're right, but usually, I'm the one doing the beating."

"Stop!" Luke waved his hand to interrupt them and pulled out a photo of a female victim, "Recognize her?"

Bart glanced at it and shook his head, "No, what does she have to do with me?"

Luke explained, "This woman was killed around early this morning and thrown into the sea by a vehicle."

"That has nothing to do with me."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Luke pulled out another photo, "Is this your truck?"

Bart looked at a screenshot from the surveillance video, "Why are you surveilling my truck?"

Luke reminded, "Look at the timestamp on the surveillance."

Bart squinted and furrowed his brow, "This morning after one… Impossible, my truck never went out."

Luke tapped the photo with his right index finger, "Then explain this, what's with the truck in the surveillance video?"

Bart picked up the photo and examined it, "I don't know, it's the same model and license plate... but I really didn't drive out."

Luke chimed in, "Could you have lent it to someone else? Like those four big guys upstairs.

Murder and disposing of the body is no small matter, you can't cover for them."

"No, I wouldn't lend my truck to anyone! And no one dares steal my truck; I'm sure, that's not my truck."

Luke asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Bart nodded.

Luke said seriously, "Good, I'll believe you this time."

Luke raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. Luke wasn't one to easily trust people; perhaps… he had softened?

Luke hadn't softened; he just relied on evidence.

Before entering the house, he had inspected the truck outside. The truck had no scratches on the exterior, was covered with a layer of dust, and none of the tires had sand on them.

The truck in the video had a scratch on the right side. Although it wasn't conspicuous, Luke's observation skills were far above average.

Moreover, according to the description of a homeless man named Jamie, the vehicle had driven onto the beach, so the tires should have had sand on them, but Bart's tires were clean, and there were no signs of a recent wash on the vehicle.

Thus, Luke surmised it wasn't the same vehicle; it was very likely a case of cloning vehicle plates.

In the past, Luke had encountered cloned vehicles during investigations back home, where some criminals favored using cloned plates during crimes so that even if surveillance captured the vehicle and plate, the owner's information couldn't be traced.

However, those clones were usually sloppy, and a simple system check on the model and color would reveal the mismatch, making it clear the plates were cloned.

But this time was different; it was the same make and color of vehicle, but with different plates.

Upon checking the system, it was easy to pin down the original car owner as the suspect.

If it hadn't been for Luke's keen observation skills and sense of responsibility, another regular policeman might have arrested Bart a long time ago.

Of course, it was also possible that Bart, driven by rage, would have killed someone.

"Bart, I believe you, but others might not," Luke said, "You've seen the photos yourself, what do you think happened?"

Bart's expression turned angry, "It must be some bastard trying to get back at me by using my license plate on purpose."

"Do you have any suspects?"

Bart thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Luke countered, "Not even one?"

Bart sighed, "There are too many, I don't know which one to name."

Luke was silent.

Jamie laughed, "You know you're not exactly popular."

Luke stood up and paced, "Among the people you know, does anyone own the same model of car?"

"Yes, but different color."

Luke instructed, "List all your suspects, Marcus, take note."

Jamie joked, "Should I buy a large notebook then?"

Bart said, "You really should, and put your own name on the top of the list."

Jamie was silent.

"Don't make me focus too much on you guys. Just do as I say, OK?" Luke walked to the window and peered outside.

From his deductions, since the suspect chose a similar model and color of the vehicle to plant the plates, it suggested that the person might have seen Bart's car or even knew Bart personally.

There could be three possible motives.

The first, to escape police pursuit.

The second, the person had a grudge against Bart and took the opportunity to frame him.

The third, a warning.

If Bart got caught because of the pickup truck, the individual would know the police were investigating them and could destroy evidence or flee beforehand.

If it was the third scenario, it meant the person might have been keeping an eye on Bart from nearby, potentially being a friend or neighbor.

Luke surveyed the neighbors around; some were standing in their yards, others walking by, as he observed their expressions and behaviors from the window.

Suddenly, Luke's eyes were dazzled by a glint.

The reflection came from the third house on the east side of the street opposite, where a black Mustang was parked.

Sniper rifle?

Binoculars?

Luke moved away from the window, thinking it was likely the second possibility.

Someone was using binoculars to secretly watch Bart's house?

If you say that's not suspicious, no one would believe it.

Luke asked, "Do you know the neighbor on the east side with the Mustang?"

"Yeah, Dempsey. We used to get along, even hung out for drinks occasionally, but gradually we saw less of each other."

"Did you have a falling out?"

Bart glanced at Jamie, "Not really, we just didn't hang out much anymore. What's up with him?"

"He's spying on you with binoculars."

"Wow…" Jamie looked enlightened.

"Is he the one messing with me?"

"What do you think?"

Bart gritted his teeth, "If it's him, I'll blow his head off."

...

Ten minutes later.

Raymond and Jenny also arrived to support the community.

Bart was escorted into a car and taken away.

The pickup truck was also driven off by Jamie.

"Vroom vroom…"

Jamie pressed the gas hard, as if he wanted everyone in the neighborhood to hear it.

Shortly after the three cars left, the door of the house with the Mustang opened.

A white man in his thirties wearing a cross around his neck came out and drove the Mustang away from the neighborhood.

About ten minutes later, the Mustang stopped at the front of a warehouse.

The white man wearing the cross opened the warehouse door and entered. Inside, there was a black pickup truck exactly like Bart's, even down to the license plate.

The man removed the license plate with tools, then prepared to leave the warehouse.

However, as he opened the warehouse door, he was completely shocked.

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