After returning to the base, Aric sat down in the discussion room, taking the seat beside Darian out of habit. For a brief moment, he thought Darian would stay. But Darian stood up without a word and moved across the table, choosing to sit beside Alex instead.
The movement was small, but it hit hard.
Aric's expression didn't change, but his hands clenched tightly under the table. His fingers curled inward as disappointment settled deep in his chest. He looked away, fixing his gaze on the blank board ahead of him, forcing himself to remain composed.
Moments later, the door opened again.
A newly transferred officer entered the room, carrying several sealed evidence packets. He placed them neatly on the table and then lifted his head, his eyes briefly pausing on Aric.
"You must be Chief Aric," he said with a polite smile. "I'm Naten, from CMI Team 201."
He gave a slight nod and immediately began laying out the evidence, his voice steady and professional. Meanwhile, Aric showed no reaction. He sat still, silent, his attention unreadable, as if Naten's words were passing through him without leaving a mark.
Naten turned toward the board and pinned several photographs onto it—crime scene images, close-ups, and lab results.
"Williams did have a connection with the orphanage," Naten explained, pointing to one image, "but he was not involved in the recent murder related to it. Our investigation shows he was deeply involved in drug export operations. We've already confiscated the goods."
He moved to the next photograph and tapped it lightly."According to the lab report, there is a compass-shaped mark below his chin, just above the collarbone."
Darian leaned forward. "That indicates the murderer has knowledge of medicine, doesn't it?"
Naten nodded. "Yes. And there's more. We also found traces of a chemical—Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA. It degrades biological material. Because of that, the forensic lab couldn't retrieve any usable DNA or fingerprints."
Aric finally spoke. "Do we have any suspects?"
Naten nodded. "Yes, Chief. They're currently being held in Interrogation Holding Room B. The suspects are Williams' assistant, Jasmine; his driver, Wilsent; and his stepdaughter—Carrie."
He stopped abruptly.
Darian straightened. "Carrie? Stepdaughter? How come we've never heard about her?"
Aric answered before Naten could. "Carrie is the daughter of Williams' mistress. They had a major conflict over the child after Williams found out she wasn't biologically his. When the mistress ran away, Williams adopted the girl and raised her as his own."
He paused, then added, "What is Carrie studying?"
"She's currently pursuing Arts at Wargo University," Naten replied. "But here's what concerns us—Williams and Carrie haven't met for the past fifteen years. She was sent abroad when she was five. She returned when she was eight and has been studying here since. She's twenty years old now."
Alex frowned. "What's so worrying about that?"
Darian replied calmly, "If they never met, how did you assume she could be involved?"
Aric's gaze lifted to the board. "The compass," he said. "And the stationery pouch. Those are commonly used by art students."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But the chemical—EDTA—suggests something else. Someone planned this carefully."
"Are two people involved?" Ezra asked.
"These suspects are driving me crazy," Alex muttered.
Just then, the door swung open.
Jacob rushed in, holding a sealed evidence bag. "I found something," he announced. "There were nail fragments at the crime scene. The lab confirmed—they belong to Carrie."
Aric turned sharply. "Why didn't you inform us about this earlier?"
Jacob looked away. "I was busy. I didn't have time to report it."
The room fell silent.
Aric's eyes slowly returned to the board.
The case had just taken a darker turn.
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