Jimmy drove to the hospital and bought a bouquet of lilies from the adjacent flower shop before entering. At the information desk, he found the location of James's ward and walked towards it, holding the flowers.

James's room was located in the VIP section on the fifth floor. Naturally, as the Chief of Police, enjoying such amenities wasn't an issue—after all, it wasn't his own money being spent. Jimmy observed the hospital ward environment and felt it seemed secure enough, with most people either lying down or sitting in the surrounding rooms.

As Jimmy walked along, he rounded a corner and saw a police officer in a county police uniform sitting outside a room. Luckily, it was someone he knew.

Jimmy, "Hi, Jack, is James in this room?"

Jack turned to look at Jimmy and then stood up to embrace him, "Jimmy, long time no see. You got here quickly."

Jimmy, "Yeah, I flew over as soon as I heard the news. How is it inside?"

Jack, "He had surgery yesterday and was in the ICU overnight. He was moved here today; there's no life-threatening danger."

Jimmy, "How did James get shot? How many shots?"

Jack, "Three shots—one in the side of the face, from the right cheek through to the left corner of the mouth, one in the right arm, and one in the right chest. Luckily, he was brought to the hospital in time for surgery, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Jimmy nodded, "Is anyone else inside? I'll go in and see James."

Jack, "Mrs. Baldwin is in there; everyone else has left, but James is probably still asleep. Go ahead."

Jack patted Jimmy's arm, turned to knock on the door, opened it, and Jimmy walked in.

James lay on the bed, his head wrapped in bandages, leaving only his mouth exposed. His right arm was immobilized to his side, and a blanket covered him, so his chest was not visible.

An elderly lady emerged from an adjoining door, Mrs. Baldwin, James's wife.

Jimmy, "Mrs. Baldwin, I came to visit James." Jimmy stepped forward and handed her the bouquet of flowers.

Mrs. Baldwin accepted the flowers and said, "Thank you, Jimmy. Thank you for coming to see him. Unfortunately, he just fell asleep."

Jimmy, "Hmm, I just wanted to see him. How is he now? What did the doctors say?"

Mrs. Baldwin turned to look at the sleeping James, "He was lucky. It looks serious, but it missed his heart—a miraculous stroke of luck, all things considered. However, he'll have scars on his face from now on; hopefully, he won't mind."

Both Jimmy and Mrs. Baldwin silently gazed at James, absorbed in reflection. After a while, Mrs. Baldwin turned back to Jimmy, but he was still lost in thought, staring at James, his previously rehearsed facial expressions somewhat distorted now.

Mrs. Baldwin, "Jimmy."

Jimmy snapped back to attention and looked at Mrs. Baldwin, "Ah, sorry, I was just spacing out."

Mrs. Baldwin shook her head, "Don't overthink it. I've been prepared emotionally. Ever since he became a police officer, I've been wondering when he could retire, always worrying about him getting hurt. Now he's been shot, but at least he's still alive. Perhaps it's just the fate of a police officer.

Jim told me you've gone to the FBI in New York. I'm glad you could come back so quickly to see him. He's okay now, don't worry. You should head back soon; don't let this hold up your own matters."

Jimmy shook his head, "I'm actually on vacation, was just in Texas, so I could come here quickly. Don't worry, Mrs. Baldwin, I'm fine. I'm heading back now; there are still many things that must be done to catch that damned gunman."

Mrs. Baldwin continued shaking her head, "No need to worry, the police will investigate. You should go back and rest properly; you look quite tired, a bit rough."

Jimmy nodded, "Alright, Mrs. Baldwin, I'll head back now." Jimmy embraced Mrs. Baldwin, said goodbye, and left the room.

Jimmy, "Jack, make sure to keep a close watch here; it's uncertain if there's still danger. Be careful, and get some rest if someone else can take over the shift. Let me know if anything happens."

Jack said, "I understand, Jimmy, don't worry."

Jimmy nodded and walked toward the elevator.

After leaving the hospital, Jimmy first went back to the county police headquarters, wandering around until noon, and he was still hungry since he hadn't eaten anything in the morning.

Having had lunch at a nearby diner, Jimmy returned to the county police headquarters. He was familiar with the place, and there was plenty of space for him to rest. Although he was no longer with the county police, people at the headquarters clearly didn't consider him an outsider; he greeted them and went straight into the rest room.

Not long after he lay down, Jimmy's phone rang. He took out his cellphone, glanced at it, and answered, "Manager Lambert, is there something you need?"

Lambert said, "Jimmy, the bank robbery case has been wrapped up. You can come back to work tomorrow."

Jimmy paused for a moment and responded, "Manager Lambert, I'd like to ask for a few more days of leave. I'm not in Dallas right now."

Lambert asked, "A leave? Why? Where are you?"

Jimmy replied, "My former supervisor was shot yesterday. I just arrived in Little Rock today to see him, and I'd like to stay here for a few more days before returning."

Lambert didn't speak, but the sound of typing could be heard, probably checking some data. Jimmy didn't say anything further, just waiting while Lambert checked the information.

Lambert asked, "How many days do you need?"

Jimmy responded, "A week should be sufficient."

Lambert replied, "Alright, a week then. Stay safe, and if you need anything, contact our office in Little Rock. I will talk to Pete about this."

Jimmy said, "Thank you, Lambert. I'll be careful."

Jimmy was awoken by the phone and checked the time; he had only slept for half an hour. Now that he had things to do, he needed to rest well while he could. He lay down again to rest to ensure he was energized to start investigating clues.

Jimmy slept for another two hours before getting up. Perhaps because he had slept too much, he felt somewhat groggy. He checked his Little Rock phone and, seeing no missed calls, directly dialed Cage's number.

Cage anticipated Jimmy's questions and answered the call, immediately saying, "Jimmy, don't worry, there's no news yet."

Jimmy said, "Oh, alright. Let me know if there are any clues. I know quite a few people here."

After hanging up, Jimmy thought for a moment and also called Harten to verify the information to avoid a wasted trip.

Jimmy said, "Harten, has the surveillance team found anything?"

Harten replied, "Yes, we've located the car's tracks and are currently examining other traffic footage to determine its origin and destination."

Jimmy asked, "How much longer will it take?"

Harten answered, "It's uncertain. There's a lot of traffic footage, and they are processing it as quickly as they can."

Jimmy replied, "Alright, I'll wait for your message at the county police headquarters."

Harten asked, "Is it convenient there? If not, come to the FBI office. We also have plenty of space here."

Jimmy responded, "It's fine here. I've worked here for two years and am a bit more familiar with it. Let me know as soon as you have any information."

Jimmy hung up the phone. Just waiting around here wasn't ideal. He went out and found a map, began marking on it the route James took from headquarters to his home, as well as the location he was shot. Since fake license plates were used, it indicated that the target was specific, not just a random act of shooting, so the perpetrator had definitely surveyed the area beforehand.

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