Chapter 27

Around 11, Benjamin called and said we could head to the police station.

I drove with Zoey, and in less than half an hour, we pulled up at the city police station. Two police cars were parked out front, ready to roll. Benjamin was already there, chatting and laughing with a young officer who looked fresh out of the academy.

"Over here, Nancy!" Benjamin called out, giving the young officer a friendly pat. "Meet my apprentice, Ruben Adams."

Ruben was a bit taller than Benjamin, probably over 6 feet. He had a youthful face and looked about the same age as Zoey.

He wasn't shy at all and grinned as he introduced himself, "Hey, Mrs. Smith, just call me Ruben. I've heard a lot about you from Mr. and Mrs. Wright. You're amazing-a genius from Silverlight University Law School, an expert at the District Attorney's office, and the editor-in-chief of the Silverlight City Legal Journal. That's incredible! Can you share some of your secrets with me?"

Even though he was talking to me, his eyes kept darting over to Zoey.

Yep, the saying "like master, like apprentice" was spot on. This guy was a spitting image of Benjamin back in his college days when he was chasing Cindy.

"You're too kind. I'm not as great as he says. But if Benjamin is mentoring you, you must have been an outstanding student at the police academy. Let's exchange ideas more often." I smiled and glanced at Benjamin.

"Ruben, you rascal, don't embarrass me out here! Nancy, and this young lady, I apologize. He's been here for less than a year and doesn't know the manners. I'll deal with him later."

Benjamin blushed, looking embarrassed, knowing I was hinting at something. He patted Ruben's head and smiled apologetically at Zoey, "We detectives are a rough bunch. Please don't mind. But let's get to know each other. I'm Benjamin Wright, a... college mate of Nancy's."

On the way here, I had introduced Benjamin to Zoey and mentioned his college days chasing Cindy. Zoey widened her eyes and gave a thumbs up, saying, "That kind of perseverance can indeed achieve great things."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Wright. I'm Zoey Taylor, a senior intern at the Silverlight City Legal Journal. Mrs. Smith brought me along to cover this drug trafficking case. I'll be writing a feature article, so I'll need your help with the information."

Zoey stepped forward confidently and shook hands with Benjamin. Ruben, being smart, also extended his hand, but Zoey naturally returned to my side, leaving his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

"Sure, let's exchange ideas and learn from each other." Benjamin glared at Ruben, then kicked him lightly, saying, "Learn from Zoey! You always embarrass me. You've ruined my dignity!"

Ruben chuckled awkwardly, checked the time, and changed the subject, "You're right, you're right. Let's get going. We can discuss the case details on the way."

I left my car at the police station, and Zoey and I, with our Silverlight City Legal Journal badges, got into the back seat of the police car. Ruben drove, and Benjamin sat in the front passenger seat.

Once in the car, Zoey took out her iPad and started preparing to take notes. She said, "Mr. Wright, this is my first time covering a drug trafficking case. Since we're all on the same team, I'll get straight to the point. I'd like to understand the situation in advance to prepare and hopefully write the draft tonight to make it for this week's issue. I'll make it the front-page story."

She glanced at me and smiled, "Mrs. Smith also told me to let you review the article before it goes out, just to avoid any misunderstandings."

This was something I had set up beforehand. Reports on police investigation cases like this were rarely shown to the police system before publication. After all, the Silverlight City Legal Journal was not a government agency and didn't have the need for prior approval. However, since Benjamin had helped, and this drug-related case aligned with the recent anti-drug campaign, it wouldn't have hurt to let him take a look to ensure there were no mistakes.

Benjamin, sitting up front, clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you. I trust you 100%! Efficient, diligent, and having an intern write the front-page story-this is exactly what I'd expect from someone trained by Nancy! As for the case details, Ruben handled it himself. I didn't intervene much."

Zoey looked a bit surprised and glanced at Ruben, who was driving. I smiled to myself, knowing Benjamin was proud of his apprentice and was starting to brag a bit.

But Benjamin had a good eye for talent. For someone to handle cases independently within a year at the police station was not typical for a regular police academy graduate.

"Actually, I'm not that impressive..." Ruben began, but then noticed Benjamin's stern look and quickly got serious. "The case itself isn't huge, but it might be connected to the Silverlight City underground drug trafficking network. Over the years, we've only managed to catch small fry, never the big fish. And strangely, these small fry were all caught based on informant tips, with evidence found at their homes. We've never caught anyone in the act."

"We don't know the transaction locations, methods, stock quantities, or key members. This drug network always seems to be in our blind spot," he added.

Ruben kept his eyes on the road, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel as he thought deeply.

Benjamin nodded in satisfaction, "Go on."

"There's no such thing as a blind spot, only gaps in our thinking," Ruben said seriously. "If drug trafficking were happening elsewhere, they'd go to great lengths to cover it up. But True Love Entertainment Club was quick to expose this incident. Of course, you could say they have nothing to hide, but running a business is about making money. Shutting down for ten days or more costs a lot. The owner isn't stupid, especially for the city's largest entertainment club."

He continued, "I suspect True Love Entertainment Club is not only the crime scene but also one of the bases for this drug network. Of course, this doesn't need to be in the report. Focus on the case itself. Sorry, I got a bit carried away."

As Ruben spoke, Benjamin turned and grinned at me, as if to say, "How about my apprentice?" He also glanced at Zoey.

"Not bad. You have the same flair as Benjamin. 'Like master, like apprentice' indeed," I said with a smile.

This young man was indeed impressive. He seemed carefree, but his case analysis was broad and sharp-a promising detective.

"Your reasoning is brilliant, but let's focus on the current case. Now, please provide detailed information related to this report. Our time is valuable, isn't it? Rest assured, I'll do my best to write a great article." Zoey responded politely with a smile.