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Nacho drove to the mouth of the alley. Seeing Dexter standing there, handgun in hand, he slammed on the brakes, genuinely shocked.
What the hell!
What is wrong with this world?
A lawyer who not only realizes he's being followed but also carries a gun? And a silenced gun at that?
Through his surprise, Nacho's mind raced. He was trying to figure out if Dexter was truly dangerous or just trying to scare him.
After a moment.
Nacho decided to get out of the car. He needed to test the waters properly.
Dexter saw him get out and wasn't surprised.
Given what he knew about Nacho, he would have been more surprised if the guy had just driven away.
Dexter didn't move. He just smiled and waited quietly.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Nacho pulled the gun from his waistband and stopped about fifteen feet in front of Dexter. With a fierce look on his face, he asked, "Are you actually gonna use that, or are you just posing?"
Dexter gave a faint smile. "As of today, I've killed over a hundred people. What do you think?"
Over a hundred?
For real?
Nacho's eyelid twitched involuntarily as he silently assessed the situation.
Dexter was way too relaxed. In Nacho's experience, this kind of composure meant one of two things...
Either Dexter was an Oscar-worthy actor, or he was telling the truth without exaggeration.
Thinking it over, combined with the fact that Dexter clearly knew a lot about him and had spotted the tail early on, Nacho leaned toward the latter.
A second later.
Nacho decisively tucked his gun back into his waistband and held up his empty hands to Dexter. "Let's talk."
Dexter put his gun away too—though he kept it in an easily accessible spot—and smiled. "Let's talk."
"What are you trying to do here?" Nacho asked.
"Lots of things. Getting rid of some people, controlling others... but mostly, making money," Dexter replied.
"Getting rid of who?" Nacho asked.
"Lots of people. Like some of the Salamancas, for instance," Dexter answered casually.
Hearing that name.
Nacho was now completely certain Dexter wasn't joking. At the same time, he was even more alarmed. "Do you have any idea how terrifying the Salamanca family is?"
Dexter thought for a moment. "Nacho, let me put it this way. I know every aspect of this city very clearly. Maybe even better than you do."
"I know what I want."
"What about you? Do you know what you want?"
"If you want money, if you want a good life, if you want to survive... then working for me will be the best decision you ever make."
"Otherwise, forgetting about that lunatic Tuco for a second, whether it's the Salamancas or... that guy who sells fried chicken... eventually, one of them isn't just going to kill you. They're going to kill your father too."
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Nacho understood. Slowly, the color drained from his face, leaving him speechless.
After a long while.
Nacho was tempted. He blinked, finally finding his voice. "How many people do you have?"
"Right now? Just me," Dexter smiled. "But I have a lot of money. And money can buy a lot of people."
Nacho: "..."
Just one person?
Is this a joke?
Nacho couldn't help but think Dexter was insane.
Dexter guessed what Nacho was thinking. "People aren't the key. Information is. And I have information on every player in this city."
"Think about it."
Dropping that line, Dexter turned around, got into his car, exposing his back to Nacho.
It was a risky move, even with the crow watching closely from a nearby roof, ready to warn him instantly.
But on one hand, he trusted that Nacho was smart enough not to shoot.
On the other hand—and this was the most important part—the risk was necessary.
Otherwise, what?
After that big speech, was he supposed to walk backward to his car?
That would be ridiculous.
Dexter got into his car, started the engine, and left.
Nacho stood there, silently watching Dexter's car disappear, before returning to his own vehicle with a heavy expression.
At this moment...
Nacho still hadn't decided whether to accept Dexter's offer, but deep down, he was definitely intrigued.
Nacho wanted to make money, he didn't want to die, and more than anything, he was terrified of dragging his dad down with him.
So, being intrigued was perfectly logical.
---
After grabbing dinner, returning to the hotel, walking Daijiu, and heading back to his room, Dexter took a shower, lay down on the bed, and called it a day.
The next day, he took the beat-up Corolla to the courthouse to show his face to Mike, checked in on the case of his three idiot clients, and then headed to Sandpiper Crossing to continue sweet-talking the elderly.
The third day was much the same.
Around noon on that third day.
Kim tried calling Jimmy several times again. Still no answer. Sensing something was wrong, she thought for a moment and drove over to the nail salon.
At the salon, she found Mrs. Nguyen, the owner.
"Do you know where Jimmy is? I can't reach him," Kim asked, worried.
Mrs. Nguyen shook her head decisively. "I haven't seen him for days. I was wondering where he went."
"He hasn't been back at all?" Kim asked again.
"I don't think so," Mrs. Nguyen wasn't entirely sure. "We're closed at night. If he came back late and left early, I wouldn't know."
Kim was familiar with the place. "Is his stuff still here?"
"Yes," Mrs. Nguyen nodded.
"Can I go check? I think something might have happened to him," Kim said, her worry growing.
"Okay, go ahead."
With Mrs. Nguyen's permission, Kim hurried to Jimmy's small back office.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Jimmy's clothes and his random junk were all there.
After looking around and finding nothing, Kim quickly walked out and asked Mrs. Nguyen, "When was the last time you saw him?"
Mrs. Nguyen thought for a moment. "Four days ago, in the morning."
"Thanks." Kim thanked her and hurried out of the nail salon. She got into her car and started making calls to people who knew Jimmy—mostly former colleagues at HHM.
Call after call.
The answers were all the same. No one had heard from Jimmy in a long time.
Then, Kim called Dexter.
Dexter was eating lunch. Hearing Kim's explanation, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I haven't heard from Jimmy in ages. Is something wrong?"
"I don't know. It's very possible something happened," Kim had a gut feeling.
"Huh?" Dexter feigned surprise, then proactively offered, "Where are you? I'm free right now. I'll help you look for him."
Kim was panic-stricken, so Dexter's offer was welcome. She agreed immediately. "Okay. I'm going to check Chuck's house. Meet me there."
"Okay. See you soon."
Hanging up, Dexter finished his lunch in two bites, got in his car, and drove toward Chuck's house, ready to act out a "return to the scene of the crime."
Since he was closer, Dexter arrived at Chuck's house first.
Seeing that Kim hadn't arrived yet, Dexter got out of his car, squatted by the curb, and lit a cigarette.
Surprisingly, the cigarette summoning ritual didn't just work for buses; it worked for Kim too.
Dexter had only taken two puffs when he saw Kim's car rushing toward him.
Moments later.
Kim parked, jumped out, greeted Dexter quickly, and walked toward the mailbox while talking. "His car isn't here. That's weird."
The mailbox was empty too.
Dexter pretended to inspect it. "Don't worry too much. Maybe he had to run off somewhere for a bit."
"..." Kim had considered that possibility on the way over. She nodded. "I hope so. Let's go ask Chuck."
They walked up to the front door.
Anxious, Kim knocked hard.
Bang, bang, bang!
No response from inside.
"Chuck! Chuck! Are you in there?" Kim shouted.
Still no response.
"Something's wrong! Chuck never leaves the house," Kim frowned deeply, momentarily at a loss.
"Maybe there's an open window we can use to get in. Let's look," Dexter suggested, playing along.
Kim thought about it and agreed.
Before long, they circled to the back of the house and found the window Dexter had opened that night.
They peered inside together.
" doesn't look like anyone's home," Dexter said. "Call the police?"
Kim nodded. "Yeah. There's no reason for Chuck not to be here."
She pulled out her phone and dialed 911.
The police arrived quickly, in less than five minutes.
Kim anxiously explained the situation to the officers and showed her bar card.
Given Chuck's health condition, something might have happened inside...
This was reasonable suspicion, giving the police grounds to break in.
About seven or eight minutes later.
Dexter and Kim followed the police into Chuck's house.
As soon as they entered.
Dexter subtly sniffed the air.
It smelled normal. No scent of bleach or blood.
He looked at the floor...
Also fine. Unless you looked very closely, you wouldn't notice traces of where a large amount of blood had been... though a close inspection would reveal it.
"Mr. McGill? Are you home?" The two officers didn't pay attention to the floor, just looking around and calling for Chuck.
The four of them walked into the living room and searched around.
The quilt in the corner naturally caught the officers' attention.
Seeing a quilt just sitting there, the two officers found it a little odd... but only a little. They didn't think much of it.
There were plenty of weird things in this house. A quilt was nothing.
The officers checked the quilt, found nothing wrong, and moved on, calling out as they searched.
After about twenty minutes.
They had searched everywhere. The fact that neither Chuck nor Jimmy was in the house was now staring them in the face.
"Could you help check with the hospitals to see if Chuck was admitted?" Kim asked urgently, though deep down she didn't think that was the case.
The officers agreed and radioed dispatch.
No hospital had a patient named Charles McGill.
Faced with this result, Kim's mind couldn't help but conjure up all sorts of terrible scenarios.
Because of these possibilities, Kim officially filed a missing persons report for both Chuck and Jimmy, then called Howard.
Howard arrived very quickly, in less than half an hour.
By then, several officers were thoroughly searching Chuck's house for clues... Normally, for a missing persons case, the police wouldn't go this far. But Chuck was a name partner at HHM, and Howard had called the Chief of Police immediately after speaking with Kim... The officers had no choice but to treat this seriously.
Howard was surprised to see Dexter there. "Dexter, good to see you again."
"Likewise," Dexter replied.
Howard didn't say much else and strode over to get the situation report from the police.
Since the police asked them not to enter the house for the time being, Dexter and Kim sat on the curb.
Dexter took out a cigarette, offered one to Kim, and lit one for himself. "What do you think happened to the brothers?"
Kim usually wouldn't smoke in public like this, but she was too frazzled to care. She lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. "Something bad... Jimmy getting into trouble isn't strange, but Chuck disappearing too? That is absolutely not normal."
"But what could happen to them?" Dexter asked, feigning confusion.
Kim shook her head. She really couldn't imagine.
"Is it possible Jimmy messed with the wrong people? Like criminals? And dragged Chuck into it, and they both got kidnapped?" Dexter suggested.
Kim turned to look at Dexter for a couple of seconds. "I hope not..."
As soon as the words left her mouth.
A commotion erupted from the house behind them.
Dexter and Kim both heard it and turned around.
They saw an officer pressing the radio on his shoulder, speaking urgently. "Send forensics to [Address]. We have a possible homicide scene!"
Dexter and Kim heard the words clearly.
Immediately, they both stood up and ran toward the house.
---
Chuck's house was buzzing with activity.
The police had pried up the floorboards in the area where Jimmy and Chuck had bled heavily that night.
Forensics had detected a significant amount of dried blood.
"There's blood in two locations. High probability that two individuals were injured here, and the perpetrator cleaned up the scene afterward..."
One officer stated.
Just like that.
The missing persons case was upgraded to a probable homicide.
Hearing this result and staring at the blood between the floorboards, Kim's expression crumbled. She became dazed, her body swaying as if she were about to faint...
Seeing this, Dexter reached out just in time, supporting her by the waist. "Don't jump to conclusions. Maybe it's not Jimmy and Chuck's blood."
Kim nodded in a trance.
Not long after.
Dexter, Kim, and Howard were asked to leave the house.
The police set up crime scene tape around the property and formally began their investigation.
Standing on the front lawn, cigarette in mouth, Dexter quietly watched the police work. He couldn't help but find it incredibly thrilling.
He, the killer, was standing right there, watching the police bustle about...
The feeling was extraordinary.
Time passed quickly.
Around two in the afternoon.
After collecting a bunch of evidence, the police left.
Only Dexter, Kim, and Howard remained in front of the house.
By this time, Kim had calmed down slightly.
Howard walked over. "Kim, there's no use standing here. Let's go back and think if there's any other way to find out what happened to Jimmy and Chuck."
Kim listened, stayed silent for a moment, and nodded. "Okay."
Then, she turned to Dexter. "Dexter, thank you. Sorry for taking up so much of your time."
Dexter didn't smile. He shook his head calmly. "Jimmy is my friend. It's the least I could do."
After a few brief words.
Kim and Howard got into their respective cars and returned to HHM.
Dexter got into his car to continue his life, heading to Sandpiper Crossing.
---
Honestly, the Albuquerque Police Department wasn't much use. They didn't even have a lab.
To match DNA, they had to send samples elsewhere, waiting over a week for results.
Plus, homicides happened in Albuquerque from time to time.
So, the investigation into the suspected murder of Chuck and Jimmy moved at a snail's pace.
Days passed.
Dexter's life didn't change much. Hotel, courthouse, Sandpiper Crossing—running the triangle.
If there was one change, it was this:
He contacted Kim much more frequently.
Kim's life didn't change much either, except... as time went on, she increasingly felt that Jimmy and Chuck were likely dead...
At HHM, Howard's life changed significantly.
Howard was extremely busy.
Chuck McGill, a name partner and founder of HHM, was missing and presumed dead. The impact was huge...
Howard was constantly busy mitigating the damage this caused to the firm.
On the other hand.
Because Chuck was quite famous in the New Mexico legal community, the incident attracted widespread attention... inevitably causing a stir among local lawyers.
It's worth mentioning that.
Aside from Kim, the police, some people at the nail salon, a few of Jimmy's former colleagues, and Jimmy's mom... no one really cared about a nobody like Jimmy.
---
In a flash, six days passed.
That morning.
Mike, having just returned home from his night shift, heard a knock on the door. He got up, looked out the window, and saw a police car parked on the street.
Mike pursed his lips, got up, and opened the door.
Standing outside were two officers, one old and one young.
Mike recognized the older officer but not the younger one. "Can I help you?"
The young officer spoke first, identifying himself.
Both officers were from the Philadelphia Police Department—where Mike had worked for thirty years.
Then, the young officer stated their purpose: investigating the shooting deaths of Officers Hoffman and Fensky three months ago.
Mike listened quietly without saying a word. Expressionless, he said, "I don't know anything about that. But if you want to talk, we can go to the station and do it formally. After that, I expect you to leave me alone."
The young officer smiled slightly. "Wouldn't it be more convenient to just talk here?"
Mike insisted on going to the station.
The young officer didn't argue and agreed.
Mike followed the two officers into the police car and headed to the Albuquerque Police Department.
Once at the station, they went into an interrogation room and sat down.
Mike spoke first. "I need to call my lawyer."
Mike hadn't been arrested; he was voluntarily cooperating with the investigation. He had the right to make a call, and the officers couldn't stop him.
The young officer smiled. "Mike, we're just talking. There's no need to bring a lawyer into this."
Mike didn't say anything. He just took out his phone and dialed Dexter.
Dexter was at the courthouse dealing with criminals as usual. Seeing Mike's call, he was amused and answered immediately. "Hello?"
"I'm at the Albuquerque PD. Come over. Bring a coffee," Mike said simply and directly.
"Sure. Be right there," Dexter replied crisply.
The call ended.
Dexter put away his phone, quickly wrapped things up with the idiot criminal in front of him, left the courthouse, and headed straight for the police station.
Of course, he knew what Mike needed him to do.
Thinking about it, he actually felt a bit sentimental...
His son died, Comrade Mike spiraled for a while, killed the two cops who murdered his son, left Philly, and came all the way to Albuquerque to take care of his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee, eventually walking step-by-step to the side of Gus Fring...
And in the end? Stacey was a moron with tons of baggage...
"Family."
Thinking about it, Dexter muttered the word.
The truth was, he never understood putting family first, to the point where one's own well-being didn't matter...
He found it ridiculous.
Lost in random thoughts, Dexter arrived at the station, coffee in hand. He walked into the interrogation room, shooed the two officers out, sat opposite Mike, and smiled. "What do you need me to do?"
Mike got up, checked behind the door to make sure the cops weren't eavesdropping, then walked up to Dexter and spoke with utmost seriousness. "That young cop you just saw has a notebook. When the interrogation is over, he's going to put it in his jacket pocket."
"When that happens, I need you to accidentally spill that coffee on him."
Dexter kept smiling. "That's it?"
Honestly, Mike still hadn't figured out what Dexter's deal was, but he knew the guy was bad news. He nodded. "That's it."
"Okay," Dexter agreed readily.
Mike's brow twitched. He wanted to ask why Dexter agreed so easily, but after a brief hesitation, he held back and sat down.
Dexter called the two officers back in.
The interrogation began.
"Officers, if you could explain why you've called my client in, I'd appreciate it," Dexter started.
The young officer was speechless. "You don't know?"
Dexter smiled. "I just got here. I know nothing."
The young officer frowned and had to briefly explain the murder of Mike's son nine months ago, and the murders of Hoffman and Fensky three months ago.
Dexter nodded. "Got it. Proceed, officers."
The interrogation was predictable.
Mike only answered what he could, which was, of course, all useless information.
After about ten minutes of back-and-forth.
The interrogation ended.
Dexter stood up, took two steps, pretended to stumble, and spilled the coffee all over the young officer.
Mike seized the opportunity, stepped forward to "help" wipe it off, and stole the notebook.
Everything went silky smooth.
Outside the station.
"Need a ride?" Dexter pulled out his cigarettes, lit one, and asked Mike.
Mike gave Dexter a complicated look. "Okay."
They got in the car.
After getting Mike's address, Dexter didn't chat. He drove quietly and dropped Mike off at his small house. "If you need anything, call me."
"Yeah," Mike replied calmly, getting out and walking toward his door.
Dexter didn't linger. He went back to the courthouse to earn the seven hundred bucks he'd been working for over the last two days.
Honestly speaking.
In America, the cost of living for a normal person wasn't that high.
A public defense case, if simple, took a day or two. If complex, four or five.
On average, a public defender in a high-crime city like Albuquerque could easily handle eight or nine cases a month. Converted to cash, that was five or six thousand dollars.
That monthly income wasn't bad. It was definitely enough to live on, with the occasional luxury.
In the original show, Comrade Jimmy despised it, thinking it was too little.
Of course, Jimmy had his reasons.
Slippin' Jimmy was used to running a quick scam and making a few hundred bucks fast money... So going straight and making only a few thousand a month? He hated it. It was logical.
From that perspective, Jimmy's eventual path—scamming this person and that person, ultimately getting Howard killed and ruining his reputation so badly that people thought he was a junkie—was actually inevitable.
Jimmy wouldn't change, and he didn't want to change. That was his nature.
As the old saying goes: A leopard can't change its spots.
He went to the courthouse and finished up his work.
Dexter returned to the hotel, grabbed all the documents he had prepared for the Sandpiper suit, ate lunch, and headed straight for the retirement home.
---
Sandpiper Crossing.
After cultivating this for so many days, it was time to harvest.
Without much effort, Dexter gathered a dozen or so elderly residents in a room. He collected their relevant documents and had them sign the class-action lawsuit agreement.
After that, he spent some time hanging out with them before taking the signed agreements straight to the courthouse. He found a judge he had become somewhat familiar with over the past few days.
After explaining the situation in detail, Dexter obtained a search warrant signed by the judge.
Then, accompanied by two court-summoned police officers, Dexter returned to Sandpiper Crossing to seize receipts, shipping manifests, and other relevant documents from the facility.
And with that.
The Sandpiper fraud case officially hit the stage.
Leaving the retirement home.
Dexter drove while calling Kim. "Kim, about that dinner we talked about. How about you treat me tonight?"
"?????" Kim was still worried sick about Jimmy. She really wasn't in the mood. She paused. "Can we do it another time? I have too much on my plate right now. Sorry."
Dexter understood.
Jimmy had disappeared without a trace. Kim needed time to mourn.
"Kim, this dinner won't be for nothing," Dexter smiled and said. "I just landed a huge case, and I want to partner with HHM... specifically with you."
"Maybe, with the help of this case, you can jump straight to partner."
Thump.
Kim was stunned.
A second later.
Worrying about Jimmy was one thing; her professional future was another.
Besides, at this stage, Kim and Jimmy were at best in the "more than friends, less than lovers" phase... Kim wasn't about to throw everything away for him.
Kim was both surprised and excited. "What case? Is it that big?"
"A class-action lawsuit. I already have fifteen clients who signed the retainer, and I've already gotten a judge to sign a search warrant and secured evidence of their crimes," Dexter said calmly.
If a judge signed a search warrant, then it had to be legit.
Kim immediately got excited. Although she had many questions, she put them aside for the moment. "Okay. [Restaurant Name]. See you in a bit?"
"See you in a bit."
About half an hour later.
At the restaurant.
They met, sat face-to-face, and ordered.
After ordering.
Kim couldn't help herself and asked in a low voice, "Tell me about the case."
Both were lawyers; they understood confidentiality.
Besides, Dexter had already secured the case. It was a done deal.
So, Dexter didn't waste time. He pulled a copy of the lawsuit from his briefcase and handed it to Kim.
Kim was a bit surprised and hesitated to take it. "Is this appropriate?"
Dexter grinned. "I trust you."
Kim paused slightly, sensing something a bit off in his tone, but she took the document and started reading eagerly.
After finishing.
Kim took a deep breath, her face full of disbelief. As she handed the document back to Dexter, she asked, "How did you find this case?"
"Aside from public defense work at the courthouse, I've been doing wills for the elderly lately," Dexter replied. "I did a lot of wills at that retirement home. While chatting with the residents, I noticed something wasn't right."
Kim understood. She was amazed and found herself respecting Dexter even more. "I couldn't tell before that you were interested in elder law."
"Want to hear the truth?" Dexter asked with a smile.
Kim nodded. "Yes."
"Old people's money is easier to earn. It's not much per person, but with volume, it's pretty good," Dexter said, feigning honesty. "That's the main reason I decided to do this. Secondly... the elderly are a vulnerable group in our society, and the law doesn't always serve the wealthy."
Dexter knew exactly what Kim liked to hear.
So he said it.
Talk was cheap.
Kim blinked, deeply touched.
Moved by his words, she fell silent.
After a moment of silence, Kim nodded in agreement. "That's true. You just reminded me of why I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place."
"Honestly, I've considered going into elder law myself."
Dexter smiled faintly. "Do whatever makes you happy."
In the original show.
Kim didn't actually have many happy moments...
In fact, in Dexter's view, Kim didn't really love Jimmy. She stayed with him purely because their friendship had reached a certain level, she knew he liked her, and she was attracted to his rule-breaking side... It wasn't about love. At least, for a long time, it wasn't.
So.
Dexter wanted to test something: If he could guide Kim to be happy, could he make her fall in love with him?
The reason was simple.
Love could unlock many... positions.
"Yeah," Kim sighed emotionally.
They chatted idly for a bit before returning to the main topic.
"Dexter, I have to ask. Why come to me?" Kim asked seriously. "With a case like this, you could go straight to Howard, or any other firm. Given the scale of this case, you could basically become a partner immediately."
Dexter smiled brilliantly. "Want to hear the truth?"
"Yes," Kim replied.
"I like you," Dexter said frankly.
Kim had guessed it, but hearing it with her own ears... she still didn't know how to respond.