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Chapter 46. The end? This is just the beginning
It was already dark when Theodore and Bernie returned to the West District Branch.
They encountered Jacob at the station entrance.
Jacob greeted Theodore with his usual casual familiarity, asking what had taken them to the East District.
Bernie quickly deflected, saying it was just routine case work. When Jacob pressed for details, Bernie brushed him off with the standard "still under investigation" response.
Lately, Jacob seemed to find endless reasons to seek them out. As the frequency increased, Bernie's initial sympathy had curdled back into irritation.
This clingy behavior made Theodore increasingly suspicious that Jacob had been secretly recruited by the FBI as an informant dispatched from D.C., his daily assignment being to monitor Theodore's activities.
Jacob looked expectantly at Theodore, who simply spread his hands and gestured toward Bernie, indicating his partner had spoken accurately.
Bernie threw a mock punch at the air in Jacob's direction and grumbled at his retreating form, "Why don't you go ask Charlie Burton what he's up to!"
Everyone at the station had grown accustomed to these exchanges.
Theodore was convinced the two men nursed some personal grudge, with Bernie likely having suffered some significant humiliation. He'd questioned both men separately about the matter, but neither would elaborate.
He'd also consulted colleagues in the Homicide division. They shared his suspicions but remained equally clueless about the actual incident.
......
The next morning brought Theodore unwelcome news as soon as he arrived at the East District.
Ricky informed him that progress at the forensic lab had stalled, and the trace evidence analysis originally scheduled for that afternoon would be delayed until the following day.
Theodore couldn't fathom why simple trace evidence identification required three full days.
He requested the autopsy report, only to learn from Ricky that it wouldn't be ready for five days.
At that moment, Theodore's longing for Samuel reached its absolute peak.
Theodore obviously couldn't afford to wait three days for trace evidence results.
Just as he was preparing to visit the forensic lab personally to expedite matters, someone arrived seeking his attention.
The visitor was Paul Miller, one of the eyewitnesses to the alleged crime.
Bernie quietly informed Theodore that Paul Miller's father was preparing a mayoral campaign and actively courting Old Howard's political support.
Paul Miller wore wire-rimmed glasses and had a well-proportioned build, half a head taller than Little Howard and roughly Theodore's own height.
He was accompanied by an aide to Councilor Miller.
The aide recognized Keller and was detained by him for conversation in the waiting area, while Paul Miller was escorted to the interrogation room.
He displayed obvious discomfort with the unfamiliar environment and struck Theodore as deeply introverted.
The only useful information Theodore extracted from him was:
He had observed Little Howard and James Carter ascending to the attic in sequence. When he followed them up, he discovered Little Howard holding a knife and covered in blood.
He had not witnessed Little Howard committing the actual stabbing.
Beyond that testimony, the young man spent the interview nervously sipping water, his anxiety and fear practically saturating the interrogation room's atmosphere.
Before departing, the shy witness repeatedly apologized for his inability to provide more assistance.
Theodore felt satisfied simply having met this eyewitness in person. The other witness had departed overnight for New York to undergo emergency surgery.
Old Howard could guarantee that no one would actively obstruct the investigation, but he couldn't ensure everyone would cooperate enthusiastically.
After dismissing the nervous and withdrawn young man, Theodore headed directly to the forensic laboratory.
He was thoroughly dissatisfied with the East District's forensic efficiency and resolved to handle the analysis personally.
As closing time approached, Keller's coordination efforts remained fruitless, but the forensic lab had finally produced results.
.........
Ricky, busy preparing to leave for the day, stepped into the conference room to 'honor' them with a few minutes of overtime.
Keller extracted his notebook and assumed an attentive posture.
Bernie appeared considerably more relaxed, half-perched on the table while constantly massaging his shoulders and arms.
Theodore had conscripted him to stab practice dummies all afternoon, leaving both arms nearly numb.
Theodore tapped the whiteboard and began by explaining the principles of trace evidence identification.
They had inserted the murder weapon into simulated material matching the victim's body composition, recreating the stabbing motion repeatedly.
By adjusting the experimenter's height, they recorded insertion angles and penetration depths at various elevations.
Finally, they compared the experimental data with the actual wound characteristics to determine compatibility.
Frankly, Theodore couldn't comprehend why such a straightforward analysis would require the East District's forensic team three full days.
Under Theodore's persistent supervision throughout the afternoon, no formal report had been completed, but the results were conclusive.
"Based on the vertical insertion angle into the victim's chest cavity and the depth of the wound channel, combined with human body model experiments, we estimate the perpetrator's height range as between 5 feet (152 cm) and 6 feet (183 cm), wielding the knife with their right hand."
"The killer's stance during force application was face-to-face with the victim, with the blade inserted perpendicularly."
The conference room fell into complete silence.
Little Howard stood 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Keller packed away his writing materials, seeking confirmation from Theodore. After receiving affirmative acknowledgment, he rose to leave.
With these results in hand, he needed to inform Old Howard immediately so the family could devise appropriate countermeasures.
There was a significant difference between saying "my son killed your son" versus "my contact is helping investigate who really murdered your son."
Ricky asked Theodore directly, "So this concludes the investigation?"
If these were the final results, he needed to notify his old friend immediately.
Theodore stopped both eager individuals and rapped the table firmly.
He first addressed Ricky's question: "No, this is merely the beginning."
Both Ricky and Keller stared at him with obvious confusion.
Theodore paced with evident excitement, stating with absolute certainty, "I don't believe Little Howard is the killer."
"He lacks sufficient motive."
Ricky regarded Theodore with an expression that clearly conveyed, "Are you completely serious?"
Keller also appeared shocked, secretly wondering whether the Boss had somehow secretly compensated this Felton detective.
Bernie pulled out a chair and settled in, placing his notebook on the table. "Teresa had already convinced the victim to abandon pursuing Emily Grant."
Based on past experience, Theodore was about to deliver something 'remarkable.'
Theodore nodded approvingly. "Exactly. The victim had abandoned his pursuit of Emily Grant. The conflict between him and Little Howard no longer existed. Little Howard had no remaining reason to kill Teddy Santos."
Ricky spread his hands in exasperation. "But all the evidence currently points directly to Anthony Howard II."
"The trace evidence analysis you personally requested further confirms he's the perpetrator."
Theodore countered, "That only demonstrates the killer's height falls between 5 and 6 feet."
Having addressed Ricky's objection, Theodore picked up a marker and drew a prominent question mark on the whiteboard, his tone carrying unmistakable excitement.
"This was a premeditated murder."
Bernie's interest peaked, and he retrieved his pen to begin detailed note-taking.
Noticing Ricky still observing passively, Bernie kindly nudged him. Glancing to his other side, he saw that Keller obviously possessed experience in such matters and had already extracted his notebook to record everything.
Ricky didn't produce a notebook, in fact, he never carried one. His memory was exceptionally capable, approaching photographic recall.
"The killer possessed intimate knowledge of the conflict details between Little Howard and the victim. It appears he exploited their animosity to construct this elaborate setup."
"It appears?" Bernie interjected, seeking clarification.
Ricky shot him a disapproving glance, seemingly irritated by the interruption.
Theodore nodded thoughtfully. "If you examine only the physical evidence and eyewitness testimony, Little Howard would definitively be considered the perpetrator."
With both human testimony and physical evidence present, these constituted the standard requirements for case resolution.
"If you understand the month-old conflict between the victim and Little Howard, he possesses a clear motive for the crime."
Eyewitness testimony + Physical Evidence + Motive these formed the essential components of an airtight case.
"Even understanding that the conflict between Little Howard and the victim had been resolved, based purely on evidence and witness accounts, Little Howard remains the primary suspect."
After establishing this foundation, Theodore continued, "The killer belongs to the privileged social class. They're familiar with the party villa's layout and should have visited there multiple times previously."
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