Chapter 120: The IRS Gets Involved
"Is that so?"
Reid could only smile wryly at Chuck's bluntness.
He was also an FBI agent.
The other FBI agents were speechless when faced with the FBI's New Haven agent caught red-handed, and the Red John case, which had previously tangled up the East and West Coasts and extended its reach into the FBI's fold.
Especially the BAU members.
Since meeting Chuck, they've worked on three cases together. The first involved a criminal committed by a US Department of Energy security officer. The other two were either FBI-related or FBI-involved. All involved law enforcement personnel knowingly breaking the law. This was truly not something to be proud of.
If this continued, there would be no need to catch serial killers in society. The BAU might as well just become the FBI's Internal Affairs Division, specializing in catching corrupt agents.
"Now that Trixie's been rescued, there's still one threat left," said Agent Hotchner, changing the subject.
"It's probably gone," Chuck shook his head.
"You mean to say that he was the first one to call and threaten Mrs. Davenport with poisoning?" Unit Chief Hotchner was stunned.
"It's very likely," Gideon nodded. "They were all using voice modulators, and the call came in quite coincidentally, right after we'd set up the wiretaps. Furthermore, they actually disapproved of Mrs. Davenport's suggestion and threatened Mr. Davenport into compromise by kidnapping Trixie and Cheryl. That's incredibly suspicious. A controlled prosecutor is far more useful than a dead one."
"Indeed," Reid nodded. "Using family members to threaten prosecutors and judges, and then corrupting them, is a very common practice. Few people can sit idly by while their families are murdered and continue to uphold the law and justice. This is one of the reasons why many cases with clear evidence result in acquittals."
"Agent Scheier's target was Trixie and Cheryl, and he wanted to use this to distort our perspective." Agent Hotchner also reacted. "He wanted us to ignore his true goal. He succeeded, but he didn't want Mr. Davenport to truly believe that those people had kidnapped Trixie. Otherwise, if Mr. Davenport chose to compromise, his identity, combined with the manipulation of those powerful figures, would allow him to quickly leave here and return to New York. By then, he would have no way of contacting Trixie and Cheryl."
"He's in charge of security, so it's easy for him to monitor the surveillance showing Mrs. Davenport's infidelity," Chuck said. "Threaten Mrs. Davenport to poison Mr. Davenport. Once he's dead, the so-called witness protection program will be over, and the marshals and bodyguards won't be around Trixie and Cheryl anymore, making it easier to abduct them. Plus, Cheryl will be back for the funeral, so he could take them both in one fell swoop."
"..." JJ listened in silence for a moment, then sighed, "Knowingly breaking the law while wearing a badge deserves the harshest sentence. Otherwise, it's truly terrifying."
People instinctively trust law enforcement, their guard is lowest. If officers exploit their position of power and experience to commit crimes, it would be impossible to prevent them.
Everyone was silent.
Agent Hotchner left to question Agent Scheier, who confessed. Meanwhile, Morgan and Elle, who had just arrived at the address, also reported back, confirming the truth.
Everyone returned to the Davenport residence.
Mr. Davenport was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing his two daughters return. Upon learning that it was Chuck who rescued them, he exclaimed with immense gratitude, "Dr. Wolfe, words cannot express my gratitude to you. If you need anything in the future, give me a call."
"I will," Chuck nodded.
A well-known New York prosecutor is incredibly valuable; otherwise, those dangerous figures wouldn't try to eliminate him so desperately.
With his connections, if Chuck were ever framed in New York, even if the NYPD arrested him, if the New York prosecutor simply chose not to prosecute, the arrest would be meaningless.
This was one of the added benefits of Chuck's collaboration with law enforcement agencies to combat crime.
As he handled more cases, it was likely that he would have strong connections with the police, FBI, prosecutors, and judges wherever he was located.
Even if Chuck didn't try to imitate some politician's arrogant rhetoric, saying, "The system works for me, how dare you fight me?" it would still give the impression that the police and the FBI didn't arrest him, the prosecutors didn't prosecute him, the judges acquitted him, and his sentences were like vacations. Those who targeted Chuck would cry foul, calling the system completely rigged.
It was already four in the morning.
"Chuck, I heard you were targeted for assassination," Reid asked with concern.
"Yeah," Chuck nodded. "The investigation led to a transnational criminal organization, and their leader hates consultants."
"Is there anything we can do for you?" Unit Chief Hotchner asked sincerely.
"Not yet." Chuck shook his head. "They won't be targeting me anytime soon."
Otherwise, the sniper bullet would have been aimed at Chuck, and they didn't know Chuck could dodge bullets.
"Call us if you need anything," Gideon said.
"Any news from Red John?" Chuck nodded and asked about the previous case.
"He hasn't said a word," Gideon shook his head.
"That's normal," Chuck said calmly. "If you speak up, you're dead. If you don't, you can survive. After a few years, when the attention dies down, he'll probably make a deal."
Everyone was silent.
They were just responsible for arresting criminals.
"Aren't you worried?" JJ looked at him curiously.
The reason Red John was arrested was because of Chuck.
"He should be the one who's worried." Chuck said honestly.
If the other party gets out and secretly comes to seek revenge on him, then he won't have to worry, because he actually doesn't like the American justice system with all its plea bargaining. If possible, he prefers clean resolutions.
Morgan and Elle also came back. After the interrogation, they announced that the case was closed and packed up to leave.
They were very busy and didn't need to deal with the subsequent cleanup.
"Dr. Wolfe, who was your favorite comedian you mentioned before?" Elle couldn't help but ask.
"Comedian?" BAU Unit Chief Hotchner looked over when he heard this: "Dr. Wolfe also likes Chaplin?"
In his eyes, only Chaplin was the real comedy master!
"You like Chaplin?" Chuck looked at him.
"Yes," said Agent Hotchner with a smile. "I have a lot of his rare collection."
"Could it be something the FBI confiscated?" Chuck asked bluntly. "By the way, can you FBI agents even admit to liking Chaplin now?"
"..." Agent Hotchner's lips twitched, speechless.
"Director Hoover's era is over," sighed Gideon, who had lived through that turbulent era.
Young JJ and Elle didn't quite understand what Chuck was talking about. It wasn't until Reid, the walking encyclopedia, explained it to them that they finally understood the context.
Chaplin was undoubtedly a master of comedy, but his comedy approach centered on the working class, opposing the dehumanization of capitalism.
His era coincided with the rise of a powerful figure: J. Edgar Hoover, the founder of the modern FBI. He transformed the FBI from one of the nation's intelligence organizations into its largest. He remained undefeated through eight presidents, holding leverage over countless influential figures, including successive presidents. Known as the Shadow President, he was a true powerhouse.
He was also a staunch defender of capitalism. After watching Charlie Chaplin's comedies, he immediately recognized their subversive nature and, believing Chaplin to be a communist sympathizer, initiated an FBI investigation, ultimately leading to his exile from the United States.
Hoover had been dead for less than thirty years, yet with his supposedly supreme power, having held power for nearly half a century, even after his death, there would still be plenty of loyalists within the FBI.
Agent Hotchner, the face of the BAU, was surprisingly fond of Chaplin and even publicly collected rare Chaplin films.
"I like Chaplin, too."
"Me too!"
"Hotchner, I think you should bring out your collection when we get back so we can watch together."
The rest of the BAU team echoed this sentiment, clearly demonstrating that true art transcends politics.
Chuck simply observed their discussion, not mentioning that his favorite comedian was Robin Williams. Comedy often doesn't translate across cultural boundaries, and many references get lost.
The BAU team boarded their flight.
Chuck was about to leave when he got a call from Director McGrath. "Chuck, Christmas is coming up in a few days. Let's celebrate it together in Washington, D.C. Why don't you come to D.C.? Haley's been looking forward to it for a long time."
"I don't celebrate holidays," Chuck shook his head. "Actually, Jesus' birthday isn't exactly December 25th. It's likely in the spring. It's just ecclesiastical convenience."
"Okay." The director on the other end of the line gave a helpless smile. "I have an interesting case I need you to follow up on. Can you come over?"
"Okay," Chuck agreed.
"..." The director on the other end of the line grinned, secretly deciding not to tell his daughter Haley about this stark contrast, or else she'd probably cause trouble again.
After hanging up the phone, he smiled at the female subordinate who knocked on the door and said, "Susan, come in."
"Director." The woman who walked in was an attractive woman in her twenties, with a beautiful face and long, slightly curly dark hair. When her hazel eyes looked at him, she had the poise of a seasoned professional with a hint of youthful determination. Her every move was full of confidence.
"Don't worry about the case. I've found an excellent consultant to help you." The IRS Criminal Investigation director smiled.
"Director, I can handle this case. I don't need a consultant." The IRS agent named Susan frowned.
"Don't refuse yet." The director smiled. "You need to learn to cooperate. This case must be handled flawlessly. This will help consolidate our deterrent power over organized crime and let everyone know that even those involved in racketeering must pay taxes. You're both young professionals, you should be able to work well together."
(End of Chapter)
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