North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 39 Eddie Jackson and the Ice Lake Cabin

At the South Side Bar, Kevin serves Titus a strange drink.

The recipe was provided by Titus, and Kevin prepared it on the spot:

A glass of old-fashioned tequila, with some beer and chili.

Kevin smacked his lips as he looked at the newly mixed drink. Beer, joey, and then red chili peppers—it was simply... a genius invention!

Kevin exclaimed excitedly:

"Tell everyone about your heroic deeds in Florence!"

Drunken patrons at the bar started making a ruckus:

"Let me tell you all about it!"

Titus gave a bitter smile:

"There's not much to say, I'm too tired today, let's do it another day."

The drunkards murmured their dissatisfaction, for good stories are like perfect accompaniments to drinks, and since the time of the bards in the distant Middle Ages, stories and taverns have been inseparable.

Titus knew these bastards were determined to get something out of him, and he didn't want to be a spoilsport, but he just happened to lack the interest to confide in them.

He raised his glass and said loudly:

"Alright, the drinks are on me tonight, everyone have a blast!"

The drinkers erupted in cheers, raising their glasses in celebration:

"Wow! Hooray for the great Detective Gallagher!"

They stopped questioning him and poured all their enthusiasm into the alcohol.

For the drinkers here, stories are important, but nothing is more important than simply drinking!

Besides, where in the South District is there a lack of stories? For example, a student at a university in the South District was bullied by a classmate, and in a fit of anger, slept with the bully's mother, subsequently sending her to prison under the Juvenile Protection Act; a man was accused of strangling his wife, and in court, he insisted that it was his "high-class" behavior that caused sexual asphyxiation, then immediately took off his pants, and then something even more outrageous happened: after a long silence, the judge acquitted him...

At this moment, Kevin noticed that Titus was not very interested, and he asked:

"Hey, why are you looking so gloomy? What happened?"

Titus took a sip of strong liquor and whispered:

"I've been suspended with pay."

Kevin said:

"FUCK! What did you do? Don't tell me you arranged a marriage between you and the chief's wife?"

"No, what are you thinking? Never mind, things are complicated and hard to explain... but I think this might not be a bad thing."

"Kevin, don't worry, I'm not here to drown my sorrows, it's just... I haven't had a drink in a long time."

Kevin nodded and said:

"Okay, there might be a chance if you're suspended with pay. Doesn't that sound like a good chance of getting back in?"

As he spoke, he suddenly leaned closer to Titus and whispered in his ear:

"It's fine if you give it to the bureau chief; I have some money here, you can..."

"FUCK! Kevin, is that what you really think of me?"

Titus couldn't help but chuckle and pushed back the banknotes Kevin had secretly handed him.

"Of course not, I was just thinking in case you need it."

"Alright, Kevin, I appreciate your kind gesture. Let's drink."

Kevin nodded, then mixed himself the same drink as Titus, took a deep breath to prepare himself, and swallowed it in one gulp.

As the magma-like liquid poured into his intestines, Kevin felt his brain cells dancing with style!

"Fuck my mother! What kind of wine is this, Xiao Tai? Can I buy the recipe?"

"Didn't I already give you the recipe? Use it as you like, but remember its name is... 'I will transform my broken body into raging flames'."

"Cool! Titus, you're a genius!"

Titus nodded, downing the liquor in one gulp. He thought to himself, "I can investigate cases without the judicial system. What Batman can do, I can't? At worst, I'll just burn my broken body to ashes!"

"I need to use your restroom to take care of something!"

Titus casually got up and headed to the toilet after saying that.

"No problem, wait a minute!"

Kevin, who was still somewhat drowsy from drinking, regained some of his senses and shouted:

"I know you have a bad temper, but don't hit the tiles I just laid!"

Three or four hours later, Titus pushed open the bathroom door and came out feeling refreshed! After the Lariman organ transplant, he could doze off with his eyes open, which was simply a super magic trick for slacking off at work! It's unimaginable how great an invention the Lariman organ would be in the eyes of a workaholic who wants to doze off but is too embarrassed to do so, and who considers closing his eyes a luxury!

At this moment, Titus noticed a sign at the entrance of the toilet that read "Toilet under maintenance".

Kevin's voice came through:

"Don't worry, I won't post the photos of you drunk and passed out in the toilet everywhere."

"I was doing my business in the restroom; it's something I can't explain to you."

Kevin waved his hand and said:

"It's okay, I just wanted to say... young people need to know how to exercise restraint."

Titus opened his mouth to argue, just then the bar door was pushed open, and a burly man in a security guard uniform walked in. The man had just sat down at the bar counter, intending to order a drink to ease his mood, which was even worse than "navigating to the toilet destination only to find that there is no such place," when he turned around and saw Titus.

Titus also saw him, Eddie Jackson, the father of Lip's girlfriend Karen.

"Fuck you, Gallagher! Don't eat pickled radishes!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Eddie made a completely instinctive choice, punching Titus in the face.

Titus caught the punch steadily and remained seated in his chair without even getting up. Eddie felt as if the punch had hit a damn concrete wall!

"Eddie, calm down! I understand you. I also feel deeply guilty about what happened between Lip and Karen, and I've already given Lip a serious talking-to..."

"Damn it! That's not what I meant!"

"So you're saying—"

Eddie winced and pulled his hand back, glaring fiercely at Titus, his face flushed red, and roared:

"Where's Frank? Tell me! Where is Frank?"

Titus asked in confusion:

"I don't know, I just got back from Florence, and I don't think anyone knows where he is."

Perhaps he figured he was no match for Titus, or perhaps he was a damned Christian who strangely believed in the Eastern concept of "every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor."

Eddie glared at Titus, a wave of sorrow washing over him. He lost all interest in drinking, muttering, "I'm going to kill Frank, he's dead!" He pushed open the bar door and walked into the night, looking dejected.

After Eddie left, Kevin leaned over and whispered to Titus:

"You're innocent, but Frank is in trouble. He slept with Lip's girlfriend, Eddie's darling daughter, Karen."

"What's even more amazing is that Karen posted the video online."

Father and son working together...

Titus's mind went blank for a moment, his lips trembled, he wanted to laugh but felt he shouldn't, torn between laughing and not laughing, his expression almost identical to that of Flame Fist Agni.

He remembered what kind of person Eddie was.

He was a deviant Christian who treated his daughter Karen like a precious princess, but his excessive control only made Karen more rebellious.

He wanted Karen to become a good girl again, so he meticulously planned a chastity party (where a group of men would make his daughter confess her past mistakes), but he couldn't stop Karen from letting loose and confessing: "I started giving blowjobs to people in the community when I was thirteen. I had my first time in eighth grade. At first, it was uncomfortable, but by the sixth time, I felt both pleasure and guilt..."

Karen wasn't going to be outdone. After the party, she paired Frank with a video, posted it online, and even sent a copy to Eddie privately.

Ultimately, Eddie, unable to bear the humiliation, drowned himself in the lake from the igloo…

After a thoroughly enjoyable recollection, Titus felt his brain overloaded, like Homelander hearing the thunderous speech of the awakened Soldier Boy.

After hesitating for a moment, he left the bar and headed towards the igloo.