In Love With A Murder Suspect

CHAPTER 1 JACK The night air was chilly to the point that it nipped at Jack's skin as he returned from the restroom. Jack was enjoying a rare moment of relaxation, a chance to unwind and bond with his crew, leaving behind the pressures of their daily work-life. If at all, only for a weekend. As he turned a corner, a blood-curdling scream shattered the calmness of the night. Jack's instincts kicked in as he sprinted towards the scream, his senses on high alert. He turned another corner, and found a crowd of guests and staff gathered around a door at the end of the hallway. Their faces all pale, and eyes wide with fear and confusion. What was going on? The murmurs and gasps filled the air, showing great signs of distress. Craning his neck from the back of the crowd Jack took a look at the figure before everyone. The sight that greeted him was horrifying. A man lay sprawled on the floor, his body a grotesque figure. His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, his face looked pained in agony while frozen in death. The scene was horrifying, additionally made worse by the eerie stillness that followed the chaos. Jack's sharp eyes took in every detail From the absence of visible blood, to the lack of obvious signs of struggle, the strange discoloration of the man's skin. Jack was intrigued despite there being a deadbody in front of him. While he still inspected the scene, trying to look around the crowd to see if the killer could be a part of the crowd, a voice cut through the silence. "Everyone, please step back," the voice commanded. Jack's boss, Captain Sarah McAllister, emerged from the crowd, her aura gave off authority but concern was etched in her face. She caught Jack's eye and motioned for him to come closer. "Jack, I need you on this," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "This is beyond what we can handle as officers on vacation. This needs your expertise." Jack nodded, despite being intrigued, he felt like a huge responsibility was placed upon him… He was just needed a break from work. Just for vacation. He stepped forward, his mind already shifting into the detective that he is, the crowd began to shift, giving him room to work. He crouched beside the body, examining it more closely. He took in the man's features. They were marred beyond recognition, his mouth open in a silent scream. There were also deep, bloodless bruises on his neck and his bulging eyes. There was something off, something that didn't fit with any ordinary cause of death he'd seen before. What could this man have done to deserve this? "Does anyone know this man?" Jack asked, standing up and addressing the crowd. A murmur moved through the crowd with negative responses. "Hotel staff?" he asked and looked around the crowd. A young woman stepped forward, visibly trembling. "H-he checked in yesterday," she stammered. "Alone. He didn't say much, just asked for his room key and went straight up." She said and ended. Jack nodded, filing away the information. "Thank you. What's your name?" He asked. "M-Maria," she replied, clutching her dress. "Thank you, Maria. Please stay nearby in case we need to ask more questions," Jack said gently. He turned to Captain McAllister and Whispered in a low tone. "We need to secure this area and start investigating the scene. Get the rest of the team. We need to handle this discreetly and we don't want to cause a panic among the rest oblivious guests." She nodded and began giving orders to the other officers who had accompanied them. Within minutes, the hallway was empty, and the team was in action, setting up a temporary command center in an empty conference room nearby. Jack returned to the room that contained the body, apparently the deceased hotel room. His eyes scanning for anything out of place. He noticed a glass on the bedside table, half-filled with water. He carefully lifted it, sniffing the contents. There was a faint, acrid smell that tickled his nose. Poison, perhaps? It was too soon to tell, but it was a lead worth chasing. "Jack," a voice called from the doorway. He turned around sharply to have a look. It was one of his closest colleagues and a skilled forensic specialist. "We've got the preliminary forensics kit ready. Do you want to start processing?" She asked whilst clutching a tablet in her hand. "Absolutely," Jack replied, stepping aside to let her and the team work. As they began dusting for prints and taking samples, he continued to survey the room, searching for anything that might shed light on the victim's identity or the circumstances of his death. A laptop on the desk caught his eye. It was closed but not locked. He opened it, the screen flickering to life. The desktop was scattered with files and folders, but one stood out a document titled 'Confidential.' Jack clicked it open, scanning the contents quickly. The document was filled with technicalities and thingsjack couldn't make meaning of, along with names and dates that meant nothing to him at the moment. But it was clear that whatever the victim was involved in, it was something serious. Something dangerous. Something that could cause his death. Jack's mind raced with possibilities. Was this a robbery gone wrong? A professional hit? Or something more insidious? He knew he would be restless until he had answers. As Jack turned around to get a way from the room, he caught a sight of a lady who seemed to have been looking into the room but slipped away immediately he turned around. Jack fastened his steps and walked out of the room, he caught a sight of the lady but she managed to slip through another corner. Jack, certain there was something about this lady now, increased his pace, catching up to her. She was about to slip away again when he grabbed her upper arm forcing her to stop in her tracks. She turned around and Jacks breath hitched. her blue eyes captivated his and her beauty knew no bounds, capturing his eyes and he couldn't stop himself from staring. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?" Her voice came out soft. But she looked suspicious. "What's your name?" Jack voiced out. Earning him a curious look from the blue eyed lady. "Olivia, why? And let go of me." She said as she yanked her arm from his grip. "What do you know about the murder earlier tonight?" He asked in a firm tone and could visibly see her faulter in her gaze. She was quick to regain composure but he knew better. Before Jack could say anything else, Olivia, turned on her heels and walked away from him. Leaving him staring in awe at her beauty and mystery. His thoughts reeling in all directions. Could Olivia be the cause of death? … Detective Jack Carter could not sleep properly that night, he couldnt wait till the day dawned. It was a cool Monday morning and Carter had prepared to get to work as soon as possible. Vacation ended quick and on a sad note seeing that someone had died. Jack Carter needed to get to the bottom of this. … Jack's strides were heavy with purpose, he walked down to his table, filled with photos of the deceased. The victim’s contorted face stared back at him from every angle, frozen in a grotesque look of pain. The sight was disturbing, but Jack had long since learned to get a hold of his emotions. His mind was already everywhere, trying to connect dots, and analyze clues. He picked up the autopsy report that had come in early that morning. Dr. Hastings, the medical examiner, had gone through with the autopsy and submitted the reports. The cause of death was asphyxiation—some kind of suffocation, likely from the severe bruising and trauma to the victim's neck. But there were traces of an unknown substance in the victim’s bloodstream that needed more analysis. Jack’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out then glanced at the screen. It was a message from Detective Lisa the forensics expert. The message read; "Need you in the lab. Found something interesting." Leaving the photos behind, Jack made his way to the forensics lab. The team had been working non-stop since the weekend. The air was thick with the scent of chemicals. Lisa was waiting for him, her eyes bright with excitement behind her thick rimmed glasses. Why was she so excited? "We managed to unlock more of the victim’s laptop," she said, while motioning him over to an area. "There’s a lot of encrypted data, but we found something that might interest you." She said and glanced up at his face, he just gave a low grunt signifying his interest. Jack leaned in as Lisa brought up a series of emails. The emails were filled with conversations between the victim and someone identified only as "C." The emails hinted at a deal gone wrong, it also looked like it concerned payments, deadlines, and a project code-named "Eclipse." "This could be big," Jack muttered, reading through the emails. "Any idea who ‘C’ is?" He asked as he looked up from the screen. "Not yet," Lisa said while shaking her head. "But we’re working to trace the IP addresses. We might get a hit soon." She ended and went on to type something on her tablet. Jack nodded, his mind already spinning with possibilities. "Okay, Good work, Lisa. Keep me posted." He said and made his way back to his desk deep in thought. Who could be this "C"? And what did he want? What is Eclipse? Back at his desk, Jack's thoughts were interrupted by another call. This time, it was Captain McAllister. "Jack, we've got a lead," Her voice said through the line. "A guest at the hotel claims to be a witness. They're willing to talk." She ended, this information got Jack on his toes. "On my way," Jack replied, grabbing his coat and making his way over to McAllister's office. … Jack got to the office, his heart skipped a beat as he stopped in his tracks when he took a look at the witness from the window. The witness, the lady suspicious he met that night. Olivia. She was seated opposite McAllister, the desk separating them. Her composure signified she was nervous but cooperative. Clearing his throat to signify his presence, Jack entered the office making his presence well noticed. He say down on the couch situated at the corner of McAllister's office. "Witness huh?" Was the first thing that left Jack's mouth. Olivia turned her gaze over to his relaxed person on the chair. "Yes. Eye-witness." She deadpanned and Jack just gave her an intense look. "Well go on miss Moore, tell us what you saw." McAllister proceeded to speak, breaking the tension between the male and other female in the room Olivia described seeing the victim in a heated argument with a tall, dark-haired man in the hotel bar. The argument had escalated, with the dark-haired man seemed like he was making threats just minutes before storming off. "Did you hear what they were arguing about?" Jack asked, sitting up.