Unknown killer

An eye opening

(ABK Hotel)

(Maxwell’s Room)

“Based on what you’ve told me, it seems this ex-boyfriend is now our prime suspect,” Jane said, her tone serious.

“Hopefully,” I replied, shifting in my seat. “Do you know where he is yet?”

“I have his location already,” I said, raising my phone.

Few Weeks Later

[GERMANY]

Kings and Queens High School

(Principal's Office)

(Jane, the principal, and I sat around a table.)

“Welcome to this school,” the principal said, his gaze moving from Jane to me.

“I hope you received our message,” I said, looking him in the eye.

“Yes, I got it from the receptionist. Here it is,” he said, placing a book on the table.

“Did you know anything about her or her so-called boyfriend?” Jane asked, her voice filled with urgency.

“No, I don’t. I just assumed my position not long ago,” he replied.

“Are we free to take the yearbook?” Jane asked.

“Of course! I’d like to contribute to this investigation and help in any way I can,” he offered.

(Inside the Car)

“This is going to be helpful,” I said, raising the book.

“I hope we’re not chasing a dead end,” Jane remarked, her eyes scanning the pages.

[GERMANY]

Outside a Restaurant

After conducting a brief investigation, we found ourselves at one of Juliet’s friend’s places. We reached out, and she asked us to meet her at her restaurant. As we walked in, the air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

“Good morning, ma’am,” I said, addressing the receptionist. She looked up from her keyboard, her expression shifting from routine focus to curiosity.

“Good morning, sir and ma’am. How can I assist you today?”

“Is Mrs. Bowel around?” Jane inquired.

“Yes. Do you have an appointment? Or are you Mr. Maxwell and Miss Jane?”

“Yes, we are,” I confirmed.

“Oh, she’s expecting you. Let me notify her,” she said, tapping away at her keyboard. “You can go in; her office is on the left.” She pointed in that direction.

“Thank you,” we replied, making our way toward the office. I knocked gently on the door.

“Come in,” a voice called from inside. I opened the door, and Mrs. Bowel stood up to greet us. We exchanged pleasantries.

“Welcome,” she said, extending her hand to me.

“Maxwell,” I introduced myself, pride evident in my voice.

“Okay, detective,” she responded with a smile. Jane introduced herself as well, and they embraced. “I’m Mrs. Bowel,” she said, leading us to the guest section of her office.

“Thanks for the coffee,” I said, picking up one of the cups on the table.

“The pleasure is mine,” she replied, her warmth evident. “Now, let’s dive straight into the questions.” Jane placed the yearbook on the table.

“Damn, that’s our yearbook!” she exclaimed, excitement lighting up her face.

“Yes! Do you remember the name of Juliet's boyfriend back then?” I asked.

“Of course! His name is Dickson, but we used to call him d**k,” she smiled, nostalgia creeping into her voice.

“Could you point him out for us?” I requested, taking another sip of my coffee.

“Of course.” She opened the yearbook and flipped through the pages. “Yes, this is him,” she said, pointing at a photo.

“Thank you. Do you know if they had a rough time?” Jane asked.

“Yes, Juliet confided in me about their breakup,” she replied softly.

“Did she tell you why?” I pressed, intrigued.

“Yes, she mentioned that he was unfaithful; basically, he cheated on her.”

“Yeah, I ran into her a few years ago at a music festival. We talked, and she mentioned dating a guy— I think it was Mark,” I added.

“Right, Mark. That’s his name,” she confirmed.

“Did she share anything else with you?” Jane asked, sipping her coffee.

“She mentioned that Dickson was still pursuing her, something like that. Honestly, I was surprised they broke up; they seemed to love each other,” she added.

“That’s deep,” I said, studying her expression. “Did anything happen to her? Is she okay?”

“I even forgot to ask about that,” she said, adjusting her posture, her concern evident.

“She’s no longer with us,” Jane said gently.

“What? What do you mean she’s no longer with us?”

“Oh no!” Mrs. Bowel burst into tears, her grief palpable.

After our meeting with Mrs. Bowel, we returned to the hotel where we were staying. My room became our temporary headquarters as we prepared to discuss our next steps.

“It’s time we visited Dickson’s house for questioning. We should look for him tomorrow, and fortunately, tomorrow is Saturday,” I suggested.

“Hmmm, something still feels off,” Jane said, regarding me thoughtfully.

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“The killer isn’t here, and I don’t think he or she is interested in Juliet at all. It feels like a distraction,” Jane replied.

“Your instincts have saved us a lot of trouble before,” I said, nodding in appreciation.

Dickson's Place

Very early the next day, we made our way to Dickson's house. I parked the car and we stepped out.

I knocked at the door.

“Who are you?” a voice asked. I turned and noticed a tiny speaker mounted on the wall beside the door.

“I’m from the state department,” I replied. The door automatically unlocked, and Dickson peeked through the small opening he had created.

“What can I do for you?”

“We’re here for questioning. We’re detectives. I’m Maxwell Cromwell, and this is Jane Blake,” I stated firmly.

“Oh, come in,” he grinned, reluctantly opening the door wide enough for us to enter. He led us into his sitting room.

“Please, have a seat,” he gestured, but then added, “About what exactly? Is this regarding my car? I resolved that yesterday.”

“We’re here for something different, Mr. Dickson,” I said, maintaining eye contact.

“Oh, that’s a relief,” he said, visibly relaxing as he adjusted his posture. “Would you like some coffee before we begin?” he asked, glancing around.

“We're fine,” I said, gesturing towards Jane, who nodded in agreement.

“Let’s get to the questions then. First question: where were you on the 3rd of June this year?” I asked, carefully observing his body language.

“I attended a conference meeting for the company. It lasted from June 1st to June 7th,” he replied calmly.

“Really?” I asked, trying to gauge his sincerity.

“Yes, feel free to call my office to confirm,” he said, meeting my gaze.

“What’s your position in the company? You seem quite modest,” I noted.

“Oh my God, I’m flattered,” he said, smiling. “I’m the marketing admin.”

“And you attended the conference alone or with a group?” Jane asked.

“With a group. My assistant, sales consultant, customer success manager, and technical representative were with me.”

“I see. Hmmm, do you know Juliet?” I pressed.

“Yes! Did she send you?” he said, excitement creeping into his voice.

“Yes, she did,” I confirmed.

“Tell her I’m a changed man! I really want to get back with her. Please! She thought I was stalking her, but I wasn’t. I still love her. Convey my message to her.” I could sense his emotions bubbling to the surface.

“She’s dead,” Jane said coldly.

“What the f**k are you talking about?” His expression shifted from eager to shocked in an instant.

“That’s why we are here,” I added, my tone serious.