Luke questioned, "Mr. Arthur, on September 15th, as soon as the police discovered Novina Jones's body, they initiated the investigation of the case.

"Why didn't you cooperate with the police, instead choosing to take the law into your own hands?"

Michael Arthur glanced at Jones, "I gave you guys a chance. The first time was at the apartment of Novina Jones; you let Petrov escape, right under your noses.

"For a police officer, what you did may not be wrong, you might even have done very well."

"But for me, it's far from enough."

"By the time I found Petrov, he was already packing his things to flee, which further fueled my suspicions.

"I had to stop him, with my own methods." Michael Arthur pointed to his chest and continued,

"After I got a hold of Petrov, he was quite dissatisfied, thinking I had taken him by surprise.

"Moreover, he wasn't afraid at that moment, acting like a tough guy from the Furry Bear Gang, even telling me I had no idea what kind of entity I was messing with.

"If I dared lay a finger on him, the entire Furry Bear Gang would tear me to pieces.

"I've been to the land of the Furry Bear, and while some people are interesting, others are real assholes. Petrov belongs to the latter category, reminding me of some not so pleasant memories.

"So, I also used some not so friendly interrogation methods, but unfortunately, he wasn't the killer."

Jones snorted, "You had your fun, but you also caused a lot of trouble for the police, hindering their investigation."

Michael Arthur spread his hands, "People always like to see things from their own perspective.

"Let's consider it from another angle.

"If I hadn't acted, Petrov would likely have fled by now.

"Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, or even to the land of the Furry Bear, would you be able to find him? Could you get any information out of him?

"Before you accuse me, I hope you'll think about why I didn't kill Petrov. I already got the information I wanted. If I had killed him, you would have no chance of finding me.

"But I left him alive, precisely to facilitate the police investigation.

"I thought you guys might be able to get him to talk, but you didn't. You can't blame me for that."

Jones laughed bitterly, "So what you're saying is, you were assisting the police investigation?"

"That's exactly it."

After some thought, Jones realized he really couldn't argue with that point, "We did our best, but we're police officers; there are lines we can't cross.

"We can only investigate cases according to California law, we can't use unrestrained methods to pressure Petrov.

"Moreover, he's a gang member who doesn't fear the law at all. Only by causing real pain to the Furry Bear Gang might he cooperate with us, which takes time.

"If we treated Petrov the way you did, Los Angeles would be in chaos. Our bottom line is the safety of Los Angeles."

Michael Arthur said, "You're right, that's why I don't blame you, but it also made clear your limitations."

"So, at this point, you decided to go solo, find Novina Jones's killer your own way."

Michael Arthur shook his head, "I know what I did was wrong, and I hesitated for a long time. I even gave you a second chance.

"When you went to investigate Eddie Ross's house, I had already found Eddie Ross. But I didn't rush in; I wanted to see if the police could trace it back to him.

"Overall, your investigative skills are not bad.

"It didn't take long for your people to arrive too, a Mexican officer and a female cop.

"But they just stood at the door asking questions and then left."

"That bastard returned to the house prepared to find connections to get off the hook.

"I don't know if his connections would have worked, but even if he had just found a lawyer, it would have delayed the police investigation.

"Too slow."

"I don't like that approach."

"I decided to interrogate him myself. He confessed quickly, even giving up the safe and bank account passwords."

Jones curiously asked, "When did you cut off his brother's part? Was it during the interrogation, or after?"

"Does that matter to the investigation?"

"Uh... you don't have to answer that."

"After the interrogation.

"It wasn't just for Novina Jones's revenge.

"It was also to prevent him from hurting more girls.

"I know these kinds of people too well; unless they are taught an unforgettable lesson, they will never stop."

"Wow..." Jones's mouth fell open, and for some reason, in that moment, he suddenly found himself liking this guy.

"Aren't you worried about being caught by the police?"

Michael Arthur smiled, "Do you think you can catch me?"

Jones felt embarrassed. If Luke hadn't been there that day, the chance of Michael Arthur escaping would have been huge.

Of course, it wasn't Jones's incompetence; other ordinary officers might not have done any better.

Jones changed the subject, "Who exactly are you?"

"A regular person."

Jones rolled his eyes, "Don't fob me off with that cliché; what did you do before?"

"I've had many jobs, and it should all be on my record, which I assume you've already checked."

"Forget the bullshit records, I want to hear the truth."

"What I say isn't important, reality is based on the records, don't you think?"

Jones shrugged, "I get your point, I'm not after your testimony, I'm personally just curious.

"If you truly are just a regular person, then I have to consider whether I'm cut out for this job."

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