The Crimson Pen
.png)
In the heart of a bustling city, Detective Amelia "Mia" Carter was acknowledged for her sharp mind and unyielding dedication. She had visible it all, from petty thefts to grotesque homicides, but nothing intrigued her more than the case that started out on a apparently normal Tuesday morning.
The solar turned into just rising as Mia sipped her espresso and stared at the crime scene photographs. A wealthy businessman, James Hargrove, had been observed useless in his penthouse apartment, his frame surrounded through scattered papers. The cause of loss of life changed into clean: a unmarried stab wound to the chest. The weapon, a swish, high-priced fountain pen, lay beside him, its red ink seeping into the luxurious carpet.
What confused Mia become the dearth of compelled entry and the fact that Hargrove’s protection gadget have been disabled, suggesting the killer was a person he knew. The initial suspect list blanketed his young and beautiful wife, Claire, his enterprise accomplice, Richard Moore, and his estranged son, Jason.
Mia determined first of all Claire. She was a lovely female, visibly distraught
however composed. "I loved James," she said, her voice
wavering. "We had our problems, however I might never damage him."
Mia cited the absence of any emotion past surprise and a touch of annoyance. "Where were you remaining night?"
"I was at a charity gala," Claire responded, showing Mia a dozen photos on social media to returned her alibi. Each confirmed her smiling, surrounded by way of pals and friends.
Next, Mia became her attention to Richard Moore, a smart man in his late forties. Moore and Hargrove were business partners for over a decade, however rumors of a current falling out were rampant. "James was cussed," Moore admitted. "We argued, sure. But killing him? That’s absurd."
Mia found Moore's calm demeanor suspicious. "Did you know he turned into planning to promote the company?" she asked.
Moore’s eyes flickered with surprise. "No, he by no means cited that."
Mia left Moore’s workplace feeling unsettled. She had found out that the corporation were
suffering financially, and a sale could have made experience. But there was one
ultimate character to interview: Jason, Hargrove's son from his first marriage,
who had a famous resentment towards his father.
Jason become a suffering artist, living in a small, cluttered studio. His art, dark and brooding, blanketed the walls. "I didn’t kill him," Jason stated flatly while Mia puzzled him. "I didn’t even recognize he changed into lifeless until you referred to as."
"Your father turned into planning to cut you off, wasn’t he?" Mia pressed.
Jason laughed bitterly. "He reduce me off years ago. I don’t care about his cash."
As Mia left, she pondered the clues. Each suspect had a purpose, however none had a solid connection to the crime scene, besides perhaps for Claire. The loss of protection footage became particularly frustrating, as Hargrove's constructing was ready with state-of-the-art surveillance.
Back on the
precinct, Mia acquired a call from the lab. The pen discovered at the scene
become certainly the murder weapon, however some thing unusual had come up: the
ink was now not best crimson however laced with an extraordinary and robust
poison. The lab also confirmed fingerprints on the pen, however they had been
smudged, making identification difficult.
Mia decided to revisit the crime scene. As she cautiously tested Hargrove’s take a look at, she observed a small, ornate box on the desk. Inside turned into a group of fountain pens, same to the murder weapon, except for one lacking pen. It clicked into region: the killer had used one of Hargrove’s own pens to murder him.
Returning to the precinct, Mia reviewed the economic statistics. She found an surprising clue: a current switch of a big amount of money from Hargrove’s account to an offshore account. The account became connected to none other than Richard Moore. Confronting Moore, Mia offered the evidence.
"Fine," Moore admitted, sweating. "James discovered out about the embezzlement. He was going to sell the employer and reveal me. I panicked."
"So you killed him?"
"No!" Moore exclaimed. "I confronted him, sure, but I left him alive. Someone else ought to have finished him off."
With Moore in custody, Mia lower back to Claire, confronting her with the new proof. At first, Claire denied the whole thing, however under pressure, she cracked. "I knew about the embezzlement," she confessed. "James was making plans to divorce me, leave me with nothing. I desired to scare him into staying, but... I didn’t suggest for it to go to this point."
"You disabled the safety machine," Mia pressed, "and taken the pen."
Claire nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I didn’t suppose he might die from only a stab wound. I didn’t recognise approximately the poison."
The very last piece of the puzzle fell into area. Claire had used the pen, no longer understanding it was laced with poison. The poison changed into supposed to be slow-acting, but in a stroke of merciless irony, the stab have been flawlessly placed to make sure a short loss of life.
As Mia walked Claire to the patrol car, she couldn’t assist but replicate on the tragic stop. A man pushed by way of greed, a lady pushed with the aid of desperation, and a son left with not anything however bitterness. Another case closed, however the taste of justice become bittersweet. Mia sighed, knowing that in her line of labor, there had been not often any real winners.
The city continued to buzz around her as she returned to her
office, ready to face whatever the next case would bring.