Kevin

Pittsburgh Precinct, Internal Detention Area.

The interrogation room at the end of the corridor had its door tightly shut.

Kevin stood at the end of the corridor, pressed tightly against the wall, trying to make himself invisible.

But he knew it was impossible.

There are too many people here.

On one side were a dozen or so FBI agents wearing trench coats.

They wore sunglasses, had earphones in their ears, and crossed their arms, exuding an air of aloof arrogance. On the other side were more than twenty local Pittsburgh police officers in blue uniforms.

Just then, Kevin's phone vibrated in his pocket.

He glanced at the federal agents who were focused on the standoff, quietly reached into his pocket, unlocked it, and looked down.

Kevin's fingers flew across the screen, typing "Received," before deleting the message.

He raised his head, looked at the tightly closed interrogation room door, and then at the two sides arguing fiercely at the entrance.

"I'll say it again, Chief Carter!"

The FBI senior officer in charge, named Jason, practically poked a document in the nose of Pittsburgh Police Chief Everett Carter.

"This is an arrest warrant issued by the Department of Justice! Luigi Randall is suspected of assassinating a corporate executive and is involved in domestic terrorism! He falls under our jurisdiction!"

"Hand him over! Now!"

Jason's voice sounded quite angry.

Chief Everett Carter stood in the doorway of the interrogation room, like a wall.

The new director, personally promoted by Leo Wallace, is a typical Pittsburgh native.

He was short and slightly overweight, and looked like a kind neighborhood police officer.

But his gaze was hard at that moment, like a stone.

"Manager Jason, I'll say it again."

Carter's voice wasn't loud, but it was very steady.

"This is Pittsburgh, not Washington."

"The suspect was arrested in my jurisdiction while in possession of an unregistered handgun, which is a crime."

"Before our district attorney completes the prosecution process and before the court issues a verdict."

Carter extended a finger and gently pushed aside the federal arrest warrant.

"No one can take him away from here."

"That's our rule."

"Rules?" Jason laughed angrily. "You're talking to me about rules? Federal law is above local law, that's common sense! Are you trying to obstruct justice, Chief Carter!"

"I was just doing my job."

Carter answered without expression.

Kevin stood at a distance, watching this scene, his palms sweating profusely.

He knew that Chief Carter was playing with fire and was stalling for time.

But how long can it be delayed?

Just then, Kevin's gaze passed over Chief Carter's shoulder and landed on the person standing behind him.

Leo Wallace.

The interrogation room door opened, and the mayor was standing right outside.

Standing beside him was a woman in an expensive suit; Kevin recognized her—she was a lawyer who had been frequently seen at the precinct in recent days. Leo completely ignored the FBI agents' shouts outside.

He just kept his head down, talking quickly with the female lawyer.

"...Staying in Pittsburgh is no longer an option."

Kevin vaguely heard Leo's voice.

"The FBI has the counterterrorism provisions in their hands, which are federal felonies. What can we prosecute him for in Pittsburgh? Illegal possession of a firearm? Disturbing public order? In the eyes of a federal judge, these charges are as ridiculous as not paying parking fees."

The female lawyer spoke rapidly: "Using a minor offense to fight a major offense, we are bound to lose in the jurisdictional battle. Once the federal government takes over, they will immediately take the person to Washington."

"We need to go somewhere else," Leo said, "somewhere we can get the upper hand."

Philadelphia.

The female lawyer provided the answer.

Leo didn't reply, but he knew in his heart that this was almost the only solution at the moment.

The federal courts are too complex. If Luigi were to be tried in federal court, he would face the crushing force of the entire state apparatus, leaving Leo with absolutely no room to maneuver.

Philadelphia is still Democratic territory, so if something goes wrong, he can still call Montoya.

"I've already spoken with the Philadelphia District Attorney's office," the lawyer added. "They've agreed in principle to our previous request."

"The Philadelphia District Attorney is Eric Hart, a staunch abolitionist who despises the Department of Justice's abuse of the domestic terrorism label to suppress dissent."

"Once someone gets into his territory, it becomes very difficult for the Department of Justice to regain jurisdiction."

"This is a case of sacrificing the pawn to save the king," the female lawyer summarized. "We gave up the home-court advantage of the Pittsburgh trial, but avoided the federal court with the highest probability of the death penalty."

"Mr. Mayor, we must face reality. Continuing to detain Luigi in Pittsburgh will only escalate the conflict. Sooner or later, U.S. Marshals will storm in, and once bloodshed occurs, we will have completely lost our moral high ground, which would be a huge loss."

"it is good."

After a moment of silence, Leo made his decision.

"Let's do it this way."

"Go contact the state attorney general's office and tell them that, in order to show our respect for judicial cooperation, we are willing to transfer the suspect. But on the condition that he is escorted by state police throughout the process and that the trial takes place in Philadelphia."

"I'm going to talk to the FBI right now."

Leo turned around and stepped out of the shadows.

He walked straight toward Supervisor Jason, who was still confronting Chief Carter.

"Manager Jensen."

Leo spoke.

The two people who were arguing stopped at the same time.

"Mayor Wallace." Jason's eyes hardened as he saw Leo. "You've finally come. I hope you can give your men the right orders."

"certainly."

Leo nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"We are all law enforcement officers, and we all respect the law."

"To avoid unnecessary jurisdictional disputes, and to demonstrate our cooperation with the federal judicial system."

"I have decided to transfer custody of suspect Luigi Randall to the Pennsylvania State Police."

“State Troopers?” Jason frowned. “No, Mr. Wallace. According to federal law, he should be taken to Washington by the FBI.” “That’s between you and the state government, sir.”

Leo shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"I'm just a local mayor, and my authority is limited to Allegheny County. Since the case involves cross-regional jurisdiction, transferring it to the state level is the most procedurally appropriate course of action."

"As for who has the final say between the federal government and the state, I think you can hold a coordination meeting in Harrisburg or Washington to discuss that slowly." "But for now, the person will be taken away by the state police."

After Leo finished speaking, he ignored Jason, whose face had turned ashen.

He turned and walked toward Kevin at the other end of the corridor.

All the police officers were watching him.

"Kevin."

Leo called out the young policeman's name.

Kevin suddenly stood up straight.

"Mr. Mayor."

Leo walked up to him and straightened his collar.

"You did a good job," Leo said in a low voice. "The message was delivered at just the right time."

Kevin's face immediately turned red.

"Now, I need you to do something else."

Leo's tone turned serious.

"Go to the police station entrance right now."

"There were many media reporters there, as well as many citizens and students who came spontaneously."

"Your task is to maintain order at the scene."

"Tell the citizens to stay calm and trust the government."

"Most importantly..."

Leo patted Kevin on the shoulder.

"Tell them that justice is being served."

"We want the whole world to see how we handled this complex case within the framework of the rule of law."

Kevin looked into Leo's eyes.

He saw the weariness in those eyes, but also a kind of confidence that indicated control over everything.

"But... there are a lot of people at the entrance, and they're very agitated," Kevin said with some worry. "What if a conflict breaks out..."

There will be no conflict.

Leo interrupted him.

"Things in Pittsburgh are never done secretly."

"We put everything in the open."

"Go, child."

"Get the cameras ready."

Kevin nodded heavily, turned around, and strode quickly toward the precinct gate.

Pushing open the door, a huge commotion hit me.

The crowd outside the cordon was like a boiling ocean.

Thousands of workers, students, and community residents squeezed the fragile yellow tape.

They saw Kevin come out, and the cheers instantly rose an octave.

"Release them!"

"Hand over Luigi!"

Louis, in the front row, was leading the workers hand in hand, forming a human wall, struggling to maintain the cordon from being overwhelmed by the excited citizens and students behind them.

When he saw Kevin, he immediately cast an inquiring glance his way.

Kevin didn't speak, but made a very subtle gesture towards Louis.

He pressed his palm down and then pointed to the open space in front of the gate.

Louis understood.

That was a signal to "clear the area and make way".

Louis immediately turned around and yelled at his coworkers behind him, "Brothers! Back up! Make way for the mayor! Don't let those federal lackeys say we don't know the rules!"

The workers began to retreat in an orderly fashion, carving out a passage to the prison van through the crowded throng.

Kevin strode quickly to the media area.

The area was already packed with cameras and microphones; CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, and even several live-streaming influencers were scrambling to get a good spot.

"Officer! What happened inside?"

"Is the mayor negotiating with the FBI?"

"I heard they're going to forcibly transfer it?"

Countless microphones were shoved in front of Kevin.

Kevin did not answer any questions.

With a cold expression, he took out a high-powered flashlight used for duty and drew a line of light on the ground.

"All media, step back behind this line."

"You have three minutes to adjust your camera positions. If anyone's camera blocks the passageway after three minutes, I will confiscate their equipment."

"Listen up, folks. Something big is going to happen today, so you'd better make sure your cameras are capturing every single detail. I don't want anyone missing a shot because of their positioning and then making up stories in the newspapers tomorrow."

The reporters were intimidated by the young policeman's imposing presence and quickly adjusted their tripods, clearing a path leading directly to the entrance steps. At the forefront of the media area, Emily Chan was adjusting the settings on her old Nikon camera.

She was a retired journalist in her sixties, with a full head of silver hair and a petite figure, who was inconspicuous among the strong young photographers around her who were carrying long lenses and cameras.

She was one of the first people in the city to pay attention to Leo Wallace.

Her recommendation article can be said to have directly made Leo's Heart of Pittsburgh a hit.

Emily squinted one eye, observing the light through the viewfinder.

The weather was overcast, with thick clouds obscuring the sun. Only a few rays of light occasionally pierced through the gaps in the clouds, casting shadows on the gray concrete. This lighting was terrible; for news photography, the low contrast made the images appear flat.

But Emily had a gut feeling.

Today is a day that will make big news.