Chapter 56: The Laptop (Please keep reading! Please recommend!)
As mentioned before, tomorrow is the weekend, and it’s also payday.
Just now, when he lowered his head, Roan quickly calculated his earnings for the month: his basic salary was two thousand dollars, the reward for catching the murderer who killed the journalist in the park was fifty thousand dollars, with the actual payout being twenty-five thousand. The killer’s bounty was five thousand dollars, and he received two thousand five hundred. The murderer Conrad led to the congressman’s assassination case, with a reward of five hundred thousand and a payout of thirty thousand.
Capturing the culprit in the serial dismemberment murders brought him a hundred thousand dollars, actually fifty thousand. The bonus of fifteen hundred doubled to three thousand. Mrs. Yolande, the congressman’s wife, gave Roan fifty thousand in gratitude, and another hundred thousand for his silence.
Altogether, it amounted to roughly two hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars.
In addition, there was the promised hundred thousand dollars from the Darrens, of which Roan would get at least thirty thousand.
With all these added up, Roan’s earnings reached five hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars, enough to purchase that apartment.
Of course, there was the matter of taxes—‘in America, only death and taxes are unavoidable.’
But Roan was unconcerned; he’d find a suitable accountant later, and they would handle the tax issues for him.
——
The next day, Saturday.
Roan woke on the sofa in the living room of the Verinis Apartments, took care of his personal hygiene, then took a taxi to the Jacob Federal Building.
Normally, the FBI didn’t work weekends, but with the Darrens promising to deliver their gratitude today, everyone from Investigation Team Five had every reason to show up.
Lacey, of course, didn’t come; she was still at Verinis’s home guarding Lydia until the marshals arrived to take her away.
Verinis herself also didn’t come to the federal building; she drove straight to Washington that morning. Roan suspected the people backing her had summoned her for a conversation.
“Good morning, Roan!”
“Good morning!”
Entering Team Five, Roan found that August hadn’t arrived yet. The agents greeted him warmly, stuffing his arms with breakfast and drinks.
Seated at his desk, Roan wore a broad smile.
Indeed, sharing the soup had not been in vain.
“You’re early today, Roan.”
After Roan finished a packet of breakfast, Mona arrived at Team Five.
She sat at her desk, then immediately turned to Roan, her expression serious:
“Roan, where’s my laptop?”
“?”
Roan blinked at her words, momentarily failing to react.
After some thought, he recalled Mona referring to the laptop that Mr. Darren had smashed in a fit of anger.
“Let’s put the laptop aside for now, Mona.”
Swallowing his coffee, Roan pulled Mona into the team leader’s office, locking the door behind them under the curious stares of the other agents.
For a moment, the office area of Team Five buzzed with whispers.
Inside the office, Mona frowned, staring intently at Roan and speaking in a grave tone:
“Roan, what are you up to?”
“I received some news yesterday about your father.”
Ignoring Mona’s defensive posture, Roan pulled a chair over and sat opposite her, recounting in full detail the information about her father, Jawari Evans, being investigated by the CIA, the NSA finding no leads and thus focusing on Mona herself.
When Roan finished, Mona’s eyes were tinged red. She was silent for a long time before whispering:
“I understand, Roan. Thank you very much.”
Noticing her voice was somewhat off, Roan didn’t pry into her personal matters with her father, but spoke solemnly:
“An FBI agent being surveilled is something I’m required to report to Team Leader August by regulation.
But before that, I wanted to hear your opinion. If you refuse, I can...”
“No, report it, Roan. I’m fine.”
Mona took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, and looked up at Roan:
“I’m fine, trust me. I’ll explain everything to August myself.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Seeing Mona’s resolute attitude, Roan nodded and refrained from persuading further. As he prepared to leave, Mona suddenly stepped forward and hugged him, murmuring:
“Thank you.”
Without waiting for Roan to respond, Mona released him, took another deep breath, and opened the office door to go out.
Roan’s eyelids twitched, and he followed her out.
Back at their desks, Mona abruptly turned and looked at him with a serious expression:
“Roan, where’s my laptop?”
Roan’s lips twitched—was this stuck on repeat?
Seeing Roan’s odd expression, Mona snorted and declared:
“I know about Darren smashing my laptop, and I know he promised to replace it with ten new ones. But yesterday you diverted the topic and tricked me, so when the laptops arrive in a few days, your assigned laptop will be mine.”
Roan was stunned: “...I just told you…”
“These are two separate things, Roan.”
Mona waved her hand emphatically: “Yesterday you avoided the subject and hid the fact my laptop was smashed, so your laptop is mine.
I am grateful for today’s news, so tonight I’ll treat you to dinner. Restaurant or my place? I just learned a new recipe.”
After a moment’s silence, Roan asked cautiously, “And after dinner?”
Mona’s expression grew stern, arms crossed over her chest: “No, I’m not feeling well these days.”
“......”
Roan was about to ask Mona when she ever felt well, when August strode in through the Team Five door, belly protruding, his broad face beaming.
Waving two checks in his hand, August grinned wide enough to show his molars and announced loudly:
“Mr. Darren and Ms. Sabina’s gratitude payments have arrived—everyone will get their bonuses soon!”
After a brief silence, the whole Team Five erupted in celebration, offering Roan the warmest applause.
“Well done, Roan!”
August approached Roan, gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder, praised him, and then pulled him into the team leader’s office.
Seated, August took out one of the checks and handed it to Roan, whose eyes lit up at the sight of half a million dollars.
“Five hundred thousand is yours, the other half goes to the team—Mr. Darren made that clear to me.”
August was very pleased with Roan, feeling the young man had a touch of his own former brilliance. He then drew a set of car keys and a business card from his pocket, handing them to Roan:
“This is a Chevrolet from Ms. Sabina, and her card.
She asked me to invite you to her banquet tonight—if you don’t want to go, that’s fine. But if you do, there will be a surprise.”
Roan: “......”
Recalling the scene where Sabina wept in Darren’s arms while her fingers hooked onto him, Roan’s lips twitched and he decisively declined the invitation.
He feared he’d collapse from exhaustion at the banquet.
Seeing Roan shake his head, August said no more.
Roan intended to brief August about last night’s events, but August said Verinis had already informed him, and from now on the incident would be considered nonexistent. Roan promptly changed the subject to Mona being targeted by the NSA.
Before Roan left the office, August spoke gravely:
“Roan, take this weekend to rest. Starting Monday, you must focus on cracking the ‘Lake Female Corpse Serial Murder Case.’ If you find yourself unable to solve it, inform me immediately, okay? You’ve drawn a lot of attention—someone is watching you…”
Roan’s eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head, replying to August:
“I understand, sir. You can count on me.”
August relaxed, nodded, and said finally:
“By the way, call Mona in for me when you leave.”
Roan paused, his brow furrowing, about to say something. August read his expression and declared:
“Don’t worry, Roan. Mona is FBI, she’s part of Team Five. The NSA has no business meddling. I just need to know some details so I can help her.”
At these words, Roan breathed easier: “Thank you, sir.”
Without another word, Roan left the office. August lowered his head, studying Mona’s personnel file, his eyes glinting as he muttered:
“CIA, NSA…”
Returning to his desk, Roan signaled Mona to go to the team leader’s office, then took the material on the ‘Lake Female Corpse Serial Murder Case’ from Ryder’s desk and began to examine it carefully.