Jimmy and the others chatted casually for a while before heading back to Jones's place. After Peter and his crew had stayed for a short time, they all went back, and Jimmy began to organize with Jones. Then he gradually moved the cutlery and kitchenware he'd bought back to his own apartment. Thus, Jimmy's second home was officially set up.
When the workday arrived, Peter's team started dealing with a new case. They had many cases in hand, but the majority had unclear leads or dead ends, making it necessary to prioritize those that could be pursued further.
They were now handling a broker fraud case. At the morning case briefing, Peter projected the relevant information.
Peter said, "This is the case we are investigating today, Chris Spencer, 48 years old, unmarried, hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, former stockbroker. He lured the elderly into opening stock accounts under the guise of investing, but in reality, he opened the accounts himself and transferred over 2 million US Dollars. He fled after the incident and there has been no news of him for the last 2 years."
Peter continued by showing a photo.
Peter said, "This is Raymond Spencer, Chris's younger brother, his only relative, 32 years old, unemployed. Previously, he worked at a security company and left the job two years ago, around the same time that Chris ran away.
According to credit card records, Raymond recently came to New York and it's confirmed that he's currently staying at a Venice Hotel on Pell Street.
Our mission today is to surveil Raymond to see if we can find any trace of Chris. Jones, this task is yours. Jimmy, you'll go with Jones."
Jones, Jimmy said, "Got it."
Jones and Jimmy picked up the files and left the conference room. Whatever tasks Diana had arranged didn't involve them; they only needed to focus on their own assignments.
Chinatown is not just one street, but an area that encompasses multiple streets, centered around Mott Street and including Kenmare, Bayard, Pell, Lafayette, Pell Street, and East Broadway.
Driving the surveillance vehicle, Jones, accompanied by Jimmy, came to Pell Street and found the Venice Hotel. They parked the van, which was camouflaged as a common delivery truck, on the roadside—such vehicles were normal to spot anywhere and didn't attract undue attention.
Jones said, "I'm going to check if Raymond is in the hotel. Wait in the car for me a moment."
Jones had changed into casual attire before heading out today. With many African Americans around Pell Street, Jones in a T-shirt and jeans didn't stand out, looking no different from the other black men.
As for Jimmy, he was dressed directly in a suit because Chinese people in Manhattan dressing in suits is quite normal. Many Chinese work in the financial industry or are doctors, lawyers, and the like. A young Chinese man in a suit doesn't catch the eye on the streets at all.
Jimmy sat in the van, watching the situation outside on the monitor. Pell Street wasn't safe; Jones had briefed him on the background before they arrived. This area had many cheap apartments and hotels, many of which were hidden, and the public security couldn't compare to the lower Manhattan financial district. One had to be very cautious about safety here.
The Venice Hotel was just a roadside inn, unworthy of a star rating, situated in an apartment building. The area was chaotic, with many gang members in hiding. As an African American, Jones could enter the hotel alone without issues, but if Jimmy went by himself, he would have to be careful.
After a while, Jones returned, worked on the computer for a bit, and a camera view of a room appeared on the monitor; however, it was currently empty.
Jimmy asked, "Is Raymond still there?"
Jones replied, "He is, but he left early in the morning and hasn't checked out. I installed a camera and bugging device when I went in."
Jimmy asked, "Went in? How did you get in?"
Jones glanced at Jimmy and then turned back to the computer, "You'll be able to get lock-picking tools after some time, along with the training."
Jimmy asked, "The FBI teaches that too? What kind of locks can it open?"
Jones said, "Most regular door locks are no problem, but leave safes or especially complex locks alone; they require a professional."
Jimmy said, "Oh, that's great, I want to learn that. How long does it take?"
Jones said, "Wait until you finish your probationary period as a special agent."
Jimmy replied, "Ah, that's a long time. I'll just have to wait."
With nothing else to do, Jones and Jimmy sat idly in the van; surveillance could be that monotonous.
Suddenly, Jones announced, "Someone's coming."
Jimmy immediately put on the headphones and looked at the screen; a Caucasian man appeared within the range of the camera. After he entered the room and closed the door behind him, he threw himself onto the bed.
Jones's camera was installed above the room door, covering almost the whole room except for a section behind the headboard, blocked by the bathroom wall. Installing the camera there was unavoidable, the listening device was small with long-lasting battery life, but the camera needed an external power source for prolonged operation, making it impractical to position it anywhere else due to the need for a power connection.
Due to the angle, the camera hadn't captured a full facial image at the doorway, and now that the man was sprawled on the bed, his face was also hidden from view. Jimmy and Jones had to continue watching the monitor, waiting.
After a while, the man sat up, turned around to sit on the bed, and began pulling out his wallet from the pocket. That's when they got a clear front view, and it was indeed their target, Raymond Spencer.
Jones said, "OK, what's left is to monitor him and see if he will make contact with Chris. After all, being his brother, he's the most likely person in New York to get in touch with Chris."
Jimmy said, "Right, but we don't know what he was doing when he went out this morning. What if they've already made contact?"
Jones said, "That's unlikely. Chris defrauded a lot of money. If they really had made contact, Raymond probably wouldn't be staying in such a rundown place."
Jimmy said, "Yeah, that makes sense. If I had money, I wouldn't stay here either; it's too unsettled even to sleep."
Jones and Jimmy continued their surveillance as Raymond sorted his belongings and then turned on the TV, lying in bed with his back against the wall watching a show.
This boring surveillance continued until the evening. Jimmy was able to leave the van to buy something to eat, but Jones stayed inside watching the monitor, rarely removing the headphones.
In the evening, Raymond finally prepared to leave, probably for dinner.
Raymond disappeared from view, and Jimmy began adjusting the van's hidden cameras toward the hotel's main entrance. Soon, Raymond came out, stepped onto the sidewalk, and had only walked a few steps when a van parked nearby slid open its side door. Someone pulled Raymond inside, and then the van drove off.
Jones got excited, took off his headphones and rushed to the driver's seat, "Chase them, something's definitely happening. Jimmy, hold on tight."