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Chapter 47. Theodore, on the side, looked strange
Keller, who was furiously taking notes, responded without lifting his eyes from his notebook. "The upper-class children maintain their own exclusive social circles."
"Anthony, Teddy Santos, Emily Grant, James Carter, Helen Bennett, and Paul Miller, these six have been inseparable childhood companions. They attended Boy Scout and Girl Scout summer camps together for years."
Theodore paused his analysis. "Who is Helen Bennett?"
"Senator Bennett's daughter."
Theodore nodded his understanding.
Bernie couldn't help but interject, "What about John Davis?"
Ricky clarified, "John Davis is Anthony Howard II's follower. Teddy Santos and the others each maintain their own retinues. The followers aren't considered part of the inner circle."
Bernie grimaced, finding the social hierarchies of influential families needlessly complicated. "But John Davis would also know the villa's layout, wouldn't he?"
All three men nodded in agreement.
On this point, Bernie was absolutely correct.
Theodore adjusted his profile, removing the specific reference to privileged class status.
He continued, "The killer remained calm and methodical, exploiting the chaotic environment to obscure their tracks."
"He manipulated the young partygoers into creating multiple footprints that would interfere with and completely contaminate the scene. Even if he had initially left incriminating evidence, it would have been destroyed by the curious onlookers."
"These young people became the killer's unwitting accomplices, free 'crime scene cleaners.'"
Compared to previous cases, Theodore had more limited profiling information to offer this time.
But he needed to present what he had.
After two days working in the East District, he'd essentially mapped the operational boundaries.
Ricky showed no inclination to lead this four-person team; instead, he genuinely delegated complete authority to Theodore, allowing him to direct the investigation entirely.
Now Theodore had to fulfill his role and steer the investigation toward the correct path, rather than continuing to waste time focusing on Little Howard.
Theodore asked the group to wait momentarily while forensic lab staff delivered what he'd requested.
Inside a paper evidence bag lay a hunting knife, 12 inches total length, with an inscription near the guard reading "To Anthony II, From Teddy S. 1960."
This was the birthday gift the deceased had given Little Howard, and ultimately the weapon that killed him.
Hunting knives in Texas served not only as practical tools but as symbols of cowboy spirit and independence, particularly favored by oil magnates and traditional families.
Theodore displayed the first forensic report.
"Little Howard's fingerprints were recovered from the handle near the pommel, a complete grip pattern."
"If these prints occurred during the violent act, the fingerprints should appear near the blade end of the handle."
Without further explanation needed, both Keller and Ricky immediately grasped the implications.
Keller had already risen from his seat with obvious excitement.
Ricky then asked, "What about prints beneath the bloodstains?"
His question addressed whether it was possible the stabbing occurred first, followed by extraction.
Theodore shook his head definitively. "The only fingerprints on this weapon are Little Howard's grip prints near the pommel."
He concluded, "This provides additional clear evidence that this murder was premeditated, not an impulsive act."
The absence of grip prints from the stabbing motion indicated the killer had wiped the handle clean.
In this era, individuals who hadn't planned ahead wouldn't even consider fingerprint evidence.
Theodore almost felt this was specifically targeted at him, since he was the only investigator in all of Felton known for solving cases through fingerprint analysis.
He then presented the second report.
This was the autopsy findings. The report documented a single fatal stab wound entering the anterior chest between the fourth ribs, penetrating vertically through the left lung's middle lobe, the pericardium, and the left ventricle.
The penetrating wound to the left ventricle resulted in approximately 450 milliliters of blood accumulating in the pericardial cavity, causing cardiac arrest.
The victim would have lost consciousness within 30 seconds due to hemorrhagic shock and cardiac tamponade, dying within 1-2 minutes.
The killer showed no hesitation, afforded the victim no opportunity to struggle, and killed with a single blow, steady, precise, and ruthless.
Theodore concluded, "The killer possesses experience related to medicine or anatomy."
This insight proved far more valuable than other profiling information.
First, Little Howard had absolutely no connection to medical or anatomical knowledge.
Second, criteria like medical or anatomy students could eliminate most guests from that evening. Even investigating the remaining individuals one by one would yield rapid results.
This was essentially equivalent to having the suspect directly before them.
After presenting the profile, Theodore addressed the room. "Mr. Cullinan, I require the East District Branch's full cooperation."
"I need a complete guest list. All personnel meeting the above qualifications must be thoroughly screened."
Drawing from the oil field case precedent, Theodore specifically cautioned, "Do not release this information publicly yet, as it may alert the perpetrator."
"Mr. Keller, tomorrow I need to interview the other members of Little Howard's social circle."
"Including the eyewitness who traveled to New York for surgery, assuming his procedure has been completed."
...
The brief meeting concluded, but Theodore and Bernie were first to depart.
Ricky remained in his office working overtime, while Keller waited for Little Howard's release.
With his suspicion cleared, the police naturally had no grounds for continued detention.
Theodore hoped Little Howard's release would secure Old Howard's complete support for the investigation.
Due to the extended meeting, the pair returned to the West District Branch slightly later than usual.
They didn't encounter Jacob, but several night-shift detectives remained in the office, chain-smoking while wrestling with paperwork.
Passing the Deputy Police Chief's office during departure, Theodore noticed the lights still burning inside.
The following day, they departed thirty minutes early and arrived punctually.
Ricky appeared exactly on schedule and approached Theodore immediately. "Councilor Santos has requested a meeting with you. The appointment is scheduled for noon today."
Theodore inquired, "Where should I meet him?"
"He'll be at the City Hall building."
Theodore considered this briefly and shook his head. "I'm afraid there won't be sufficient time."
Ricky suspected Theodore was being deliberately evasive, but recalling his attitude toward Old Howard, he wondered if he was reading too much into it.
Theodore, unaware of Ricky's thoughts, asked about the guest list progress.
Ricky reported that preliminary results were expected that afternoon, though comprehensive screening of all party attendees would require additional time.
After Ricky departed, Bernie couldn't contain his frustration. "He doesn't behave like a supervisor at all, more like a political broker for councilmen."
Keller arrived somewhat later but brought encouraging news.
The eyewitness who had traveled to New York for emergency surgery had completed the procedure successfully and would be flying back that morning, available for interview that afternoon.
Additionally, he had arranged for Theodore to meet Emily Grant that morning.
Regarding Helen Bennett, Keller hesitated slightly before explaining that he'd already communicated with Senator Bennett, who was willing to cooperate fully.
However, Helen Bennett was currently having family difficulties and had disappeared to parts unknown.
The East District Branch was presently assisting in locating her.
Bernie sighed, muttering that young people nowadays were genuinely troublesome. Theodore, standing nearby, displayed an peculiar expression.
Keller seemed to share Bernie's sentiment and even contributed additional gossip about the privileged children's various scandals.
Theodore observed that Keller appeared unusually talkative today.
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