Sha Qing

Chapter 101: The Crocodile & The Leopard (2)

"Leo!" Rob called in a loud voice, hitting a little stutter out of joy, "Aren't you o-on vacation, I thought you woul......"

"You think this is the right time to continue my vacation?" Leo strode in, wearing a long dark gray tweed trench coat over his black suit, and the hem of the beautifully tailored garment flicked neatly along with his footsteps.

"You've come back to life! That's great!" Rob wrapped his arms around Leo, his palm patting the latter's back in relief.

Leo returned the gesture and replied, "I'm not Jesus. I just need enough sleep."

"Looks like you slept well last night." Rob took a step back and narrowed his eyes at him, "The effects of whiskey? Should I buy a box and send it to your apartment next time?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders without answering and changed the subject, "What were you talking about, the private lawyer ...... his?"

Rob knew exactly who this "his" was. He nodded and handed over a page of information, "Channing Gonzalez, the lawyer he hired ten minutes before his first court appearance. Take a look at this guy's resume: trade secret theft, patrol bribery, supermarket robbery ...... He handles a wide range of cases, from criminal cases to trivial ones, plus his wins were more than his losses.

Did you know that last month, he helped a husband in an extramarital affair split only 80% of his property because his wife in question accidentally let the child's head hit the edge of the tub while helping their son take a bath, which he twisted into 'abusive behavior', and the poor woman voluntarily gave up 30% of her entitlement in order not to be deprived of custody ...Oh, this guy's a crocodile! He's full of self-interest, is cold-blooded, scheming, and has an insatiable appetite."

"But the New York State Bar Association hasn't revoked his license, suggesting that he may be less than honorable, but not in violation of the law." An assistant agent on the sidelines interjected.

Rob didn't pay him any mind and asked Leo seriously "Someone who always stands on the edge of the cliff, lurks through the gray area, and keeps on walking through the tightrope between law and morality for personal purposes ...... Who does that description remind you of?"

The dark-haired, blue-eyed agent frowned subconsciously.

"Now I know why Sha Qing appointed him-minus the career, he's like a weaker version of him." Rob capped off.

Leo stared at the information in his hands and said in a subdued voice, "I think he's(CG)more like his(SQ)gun, or his tri-edged dagger. Sha Qing always carries a weapon with him, and even if he is stripped naked and thrown in jail, he can use all the resources around him to find himself another one to call his own."

"Channing knew that he's going to be used as a weapon, but he was still willing, which means there was some kind of agreement, some ...... dangerous agreement between them." Rob blinked his green eyes thoughtfully, "Leo, do you think we should ...... get the word out now and let the public know that we caught him, the serial killer and that the case is under further trial? To be honest, we wouldn't be able to hide it for too long. The media is pervasive these days."

"I know." Leo said, "But we still need to collect more evidence in court and call witnesses, and if we announce the news too early, we are bound to be subjected to public opinion and certain groups in society. Did you know that the relatives of the victims who died under the knife of those serial killers are so grateful to him that they have even formed a fan group on the Internet, called something like 'The Dark Angel Inqusitor'?"

"Oh, that's a lame name." Rob sighed, holding his forehead, "Why don't they call it 'The Avenger'?"

Leo helplessly tapped Rob's head with the page, "Agent, pay attention to your professional behavior!!"

"Okay, I take it back."

"We need a little more time - or more precisely Prosecutor Matrini- so that she can perform brilliantly and impressively in court."

" -For the chance of promotion at the end of her term - yes, I understand."

"Then try to keep that news down, and block it." The senior agent said to his partner, "And go investigate the lawyer and see what he knows, but don't let him find out."

The latter gave a knowing whack on his palm, "In order to succeed in his defense, Sha Qing may have said things to his lawyer that we don't know but... based on attorney-client privilege agreement, lawyers cannot divulge information about their clients, even if they're a criminal..... Leave this to me. Federal agents are the best at this. I'll make sure it's done without a trace." Rob said in a lighthearted manner.

He fix his collar, and began to walk, full of fighting spirit. But upon reaching the door, he turned his head again and asked, "What about you, Leo, what's on your schedule today?"

Leo thought for a moment, "I'm going to talk to the prosecutor so she doesn't have to put too much thought into picking out a court appearance outfit?"

Rob shook his head, chuckled upon hearing his partner's quip, then said "Other than that?"

Leo pondered.

"I'll give you a suggestion ...... maybe you should go to MCC and meet with him."

Leo looked at Rob with deeply furrowed brows, "It's just going to be a wasted effort. He won't say anything."

"Not for the case, but for you. Anyway, before you go to court as defendant and witness, you must put an end between you two. A calm, rational, unattached closure would be good for everyone."

Leo fell silent, and Rob continued with a meaningful expression, "I don't want you to rely on alcohol just to fall asleep every night -that just when you're finally able to quit your medication, you'll have to start on another journey of healing- quitting alcohol and getting sober."

The muscles on Leo's face were tense as he replied coldly and stiffly, "I don't want to beat him up in front of a bunch of prison guards and prisoners."

"Then don't beat him up. Just speak well."

"Impossible! I want to draw my gun just thinking about his face."

Rob sighed softly, "If you hate him so much, all the more reason to go see him. It would give you some consolation. Do you know what happens to a beautiful lad who is seriously injured, immobile, and has a severely diminished ability to defend himself, once he goes to prison? Don't say he can fight a hundred to one- life is not a martial arts movie."

""

"He deserves it. People have to pay for what they do." Leo said coldly.

"Yes, that price can be imprisonment or going to the injection table, but it shouldn't be being subjected to physical and psychological humiliation," Rob said as he stared at the dark-haired agent's face, trying to probe for certain micro-expressions, but to no avail. He shrugged his shoulders regretfully, "Whatever. Have a good night's sleep." With that, he walked out of the office.

Leo stared at the door that closed automatically, lost in thought, as if his feet had fallen into a quagmire of difficulty. He wanted to shake it off and go ashore, but because of the soft, sticky mud swamp wrapped around his feet, creating a warm, tight, seductive suction ...... he struggled to pull out one leg, only to have his other leg sink deeper ......

He shook his head violently, forcefully rubbing his face with his palms. It wasn't until his face became numb and sore that he was able to break free from those dangerous figments.

Sorry, I will not accept your suggestion, Leo replied silently to Rob who had already left, through his mind.

From the moment he tore off that false mask with his own hands, my love died together with Li Biqing, only leaving behind a pair of irreconcilable adversaries...