Portland Police Bureau, the inspector's office.
"Nick, I heard about your aunt. I'm deeply sorry."
Inspector Raynard looked solemn. "I can approve some time off for you. I'll also find a way to postpone your training at Gunsite Academy."
"That won't be necessary. Thank you, Captain." Nick nodded gratefully at him. "Three days will be enough to take care of my aunt's funeral arrangements. After that, I'll report to Arizona on schedule."
"And the injury to your hand won't be a problem either?" Inspector Raynard lifted his chin slightly, indicating the gauze wrapped around Nick's right palm.
"I was lucky. The doctor said none of the tendons or major blood vessels were damaged. It'll heal soon."
In fact, the wound had already healed after a night's sleep, leaving only a faint scar that would probably disappear soon as well. That was just how badass a man with cheats could be.
"As for those two assassins, we've identified the man who posed as a priest. He was a local professional hitman. We're still investigating who hired him.
"As for the fake nurse, the hospital's security cameras didn't capture her face, so identifying her may prove difficult. There's also the syringe. The lab said it contained some kind of spider venom. The reports are all here."
Inspector Raynard placed a folder on the desk. "Technically, you should recuse yourself from this case, but given the current situation... what I mean is, if you uncover anything privately, you can let me know right away."
His captain was so accommodating that he practically had no principles. After taking the file, Nick didn't rush to read it. Instead, he first put on a show of being "moved to tears" and declared his loyalty.
"Don't worry, Inspector. I know what to do. I won't do anything