The briefing room was hushed, a tangible tension hanging in the air as the officers awaited the lieutenant’s update. Ru sat at his usual spot, cross-legged on the desk, his expression solemn.
‘As you may know, another body has been found,’ Haworth began. ‘This time, the housemaid of billionaire Jerry Bowman. Now that this case has, sadly, grown even more complicated, Detective Bouchier from the Manhattan South Homicide Squad has joined us, too.’ She gestured to a petite, poised detective Ru had worked with before. The Manhattan South Homicide Squad would often be called upon when the complexities of a crime scene hinted at a puzzle that stretched far beyond the ordinary, like this one. Alex Bouchier was a woman in her thirties who’d quickly risen through the ranks and carried herself with a quiet confidence and intuition that had been honed through years of working New York City’s criminal landscape.
‘Ru, if you can brief us on the latest?’ Haworth asked.
He nodded. ‘As in the previous two cases, a piece of jewellery incorporating a rare insect was found at the scene – this time, a man’s bracelet. There was a new detail to help us with our investigation, too. A gift box and note, suggesting the item was sent as a Valentine’s Day gift.’
‘The captain needs to do a press conference about this,’ Ramos said. ‘More gifts like this could be going round.’
Officers around the room, including Bouchier, nodded.
‘Agreed,’ Haworth said. ‘The captain wasn’t in when I arrived, but I have briefed the precinct’s press office. Now, let’s get all our heads clear about where we’re up to before the media start sniffing around even more than they have already. Let’s continue.’
Ru used the remote control to turn on the screen.
‘Jesus,’ Harris said. ‘It works.’
‘You haven’t used it yet?’ Ru asked.
‘Tried but it kept crashing,’ Harris replied.
‘Plus, the captain’s threats to take any damage to it from our wages kinda put us off,’ Ramos added.
Ru clicked for the screen to load, showing smiling photos of the three victims. Ru found photos like this helped humanise the deceased for the team, adding to their determination to track down the killer. Cordelia’s photo was the one she’d had on her bedside table, with her mother. A reminder that she wasn’t just an actress, but a daughter, too. A sister. A friend. He clicked on it and the details he’d prepared came up on the screen:
Name: Cordelia Montgomery
Job: Actress
Age: 25
Last contact: 2 p.m., Tuesday 14 February (phone call confirmed by agent, selfie taken shortly after. Nothing else of note)
Date of discovery: 10 a.m., Tuesday 21 February
Suspected cause of death: Pulmonary oedema caused by exposure to lethal toxins (pending toxicology)
Jewellery item: Hair clip
Mechanism: Miniature injector
Illegal insect: Queen Alexandra’s birdwing (also ironclad beetle, not illegal)
‘So. Updates on Cordelia, please,’ Haworth said, turning to the room.
‘I’ve gone through her receipts,’ Ramos said. Ru had placed her in charge of Cordelia’s case. ‘They confirm Cordelia had multiple stays at the Seraphim Garden Hotel, the last one being on 13 February, the night before she’s believed to have died. There are no receipts to suggest she paid for a suite, but there are receipts for things like room service. I questioned the staff who confirmed Cordelia was seen with Nils Thorsen on several occasions in the past three months … including the evening of 13 February.’
Murmurs filled the room as the officers absorbed the new information.
‘So that scumbag Nils was lying when he said he didn’t know Cordelia that well?’ Harris said.
‘Seems like it,’ Ru said.
‘That’s enough to haul him in for questioning, surely?’ Harris asked.
‘Let’s not rush into things,’ Haworth said. ‘In fact, while we’re on the topic of the Thorsens, did you turn anything up on Jacqueline Thorsen, Harris?’ she asked. When Ru told the team what his old friend Souta had said about her being the real person in charge, Harris had offered to look into her.
‘Not much to say, really,’ Harris said. ‘She’s a photographer. Bit of a socialite. If she does tangle herself in the crime side, like your contact seems to suggest, then she hides it well.’
‘I see,’ Haworth replied.
‘Anything else found at Cordelia’s apartment?’ Bouchier asked, tilting her head, her blonde ponytail swinging. ‘Any sign of a gift box like the one found today?’
Ramos shook her head. ‘Nope. Officers just finished checking her trash, too. Nothing. Talked to family and friends again as well.’ She shook her head. ‘Man, that was hard. Real nice family, you know?’ She frowned. ‘Something about her brother, though.’
‘Yes?’ Haworth asked.
‘Can’t put my finger on it,’ Ramos replied. ‘Maybe it’s just my dislike of white men in suits. But he seems a bit uncanny valley.’
‘Uncanny what?’ Harris asked.
‘Jeez, you really are a Luddite, Harris,’ Ramos said. ‘It’s when someone has human characteristics but doesn’t look quite human.’
‘You’ve been watching too much X-Files, Ramos,’ Harris said.
‘More like reading too much alien romance,’ another officer piped up.
Ramos rolled her eyes. ‘Fuck you all. I’m just saying,’ she continued. ‘Mommas have gut instincts and I got a biiig gut.’
Everyone laughed.
‘Then follow those instincts,’ Ru said.
‘I agree,’ Haworth said. ‘Do some digging into Levi Montgomery. Anything else come up?’
‘Nope. People really seemed to love her.’ Again, Ramos shook her head. ‘Such a damn waste.’
‘This digital detox, though,’ Ru said. ‘Strange thing to do, don’t you think?’
Ramos shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Selena Gomez announces she’s coming off social media like, once a week before she’s back on again. It’s kinda trendy with celebrities.’
‘Did you get more details about this detox?’ Haworth asked.
‘Sure. Her mom said she just needed some time away from all the craziness, you know?’
Haworth nodded. ‘I’d like you to keep on it, though, do some more digging. Right. Let’s move on to Maximilian.’
Ru clicked on a photo of Maximilian. It had been difficult to find one that didn’t involve him being surrounded by beautiful models. But there was one photo from his apartment of him with his cat, who was now in the care of his vapid friend, Laife. Maximilian’s details came up:
Name: Maximilian Rossi
Job: Fashion designer
Age: 28
Last contact: Tuesday 21 February
Date of discovery: Tuesday 21 February
Suspected cause of death: Poisoning (pending autopsy and toxicology)
Jewellery item: Watch
Mechanism: Pressure pad with release system
Illegal insect: Lotis blue butterfly
Haworth turned to Adiche, who she’d asked to look into Maximilian’s life. ‘Updates?’
‘I can confirm we still haven’t found a gift box,’ she replied. ‘But officers did find some photos with close-ups of models’ breasts and crotch areas from his photo shoots.’
The officers around the room shook their heads.
‘I know, gross,’ Adiche said with a lip curl. ‘It corresponds with rumours online about him overstepping the mark with women over the years. I got in touch with a model who I’d heard rumblings about but she clammed up.’
‘She denied the rumours?’ Ru asked.
‘Officially, yes,’ Adiche replied. ‘But the look in her eyes when I mentioned his name suggested otherwise.’
‘Any luck with other women?’ Harris asked.
Adiche sighed. ‘I’ve been doing my best. Hopefully, with more time, I’ll come up with something.’
‘Good,’ Haworth said.
‘In light of this,’ Ru murmured, ‘the ripped-up invite at Cordelia’s apartment is … interesting.’
‘Maybe he was handsy with her?’ Ramos suggested.
‘Maybe,’ Ru agreed.
‘But it doesn’t explain why they were both targeted,’ Bouchier added.
‘Unless we’re talking about a jealous lover,’ Harris said. ‘They mistake Rossi’s touchy-feelies with Cordelia as consensual, so the jealous lover sends them both these gifts on Valentine’s Day in revenge?’
‘But how is Jerry Bowman’s maid connected?’ Ramos asked.
‘You mean Jerry Bowman,’ Ru stated. ‘The bracelet was intended for him, judging from the note.’
‘Another scenario is that Cordelia was seeing Maximilian and Jerry,’ Harris said, ‘and the jealous lover is her ex.’
‘Like Nils Thorsen?’ Ramos suggested.
‘Let’s not get carried away,’ Haworth advised. ‘It’s definitely worth considering, though. Let’s move onto Rhoda and Jerry.’ Ru clicked on a picture featuring two photos side by side of Rhoda and Jerry. In Rhoda’s photo, she was smiling, her short brown hair lifting in the wind, her two grown-up children either side of her, grandchildren at her feet. Jerry’s photo showed a moustachioed man with a brilliant tan, pictured with his wife and two daughters on a yacht.
Suspected Target Name: Jerry Bowman
Job: Owner of Vezo Media, publishers of news sites including the Chislington Post
Age: 64
Actual Victim Name: Rhoda Matheson
Job: Housemaid
Age: 54
Last contact: Tuesday 14 February (via phone call with eldest daughter)
Date of discovery: Thursday 23 February
Suspected cause of death: Poisoning (pending autopsy and toxicology)
Jewellery item: Bracelet
Mechanism: Pending investigation
Illegal insect: Violet click beetle (Chrysina resplendens also used)
‘Hey, it’s a rich man version of Harris!’ Ramos declared as she looked at Jerry’s photo.
‘Minus the money and the hair,’ Harris said. ‘But same beautiful wife and daughters, though, am I right?’
‘Hell, yeah,’ Ramos said. ‘I always tell your wife when I see her that you’re punching.’
‘Ramos, she tells me that every day, too,’ Harris said.
Haworth smiled and turned to the screen. ‘Now, as Rhoda was not the intended victim, our main focus should actually be Jerry Bowman. What do we know about him?’
‘I did some research while you were driving back,’ Adiche said. ‘Turns out Mr Bowman enjoys the company of young ladies.’
‘Why can’t these men keep their peckers in their pants?’ Ramos said, groaning.
‘I know, right?’ Adiche concurred. ‘Anyway, a few years back, the Chislington Post – for those of you who don’t know, think Huffington Post but with more celebrity goss – exposed an affair he was having with a young actress. He denied it, but there are rumours online he paid her off. Then, conveniently, he buys shares in the very news company that outed him.’
‘Interesting,’ Ru said. ‘So he enjoys the company of young actresses.’
‘Did you find any connection with Cordelia?’ Haworth asked, catching onto what Ru was implying.
‘Nothing, apart from the articles written about her in the Chislington Post.’
‘What kind of articles?’ Bouchier asked.
‘The usual,’ Adiche replied. ‘Some good, some outright bitchy.’
‘Hmmm.’ Ru looked at the screen. ‘So we have three illegal insect items. These aren’t the kinds of animals you can buy in PetSmart. But Dr Marwood and I did track down a dark web forum potentially related to these items.’ He updated the team on what they’d discovered at the funeral – the man with the business card and the dark web forum it led to. ‘We think there might be a potential witness in the form of a professor called Alan Regan, who I was planning to visit until I got news of another murder,’ Ru said after. ‘Interestingly, he is a fan of Chrysina resplendens beetles, like the one found in the bracelet Rhoda Matheson was wearing. He looked at Harris. ‘The officer you speak to have any luck tracking him down?’
Harris shook his head. ‘Just had a call. The prof’s on a flight back from Australia as we speak, but he’ll be in tomorrow.’
Ru nodded. ‘We’ll pay him a visit then.’
Just then, the captain walked in, the room going instantly quiet. He stopped before the screen, arms crossed as he read what was on there. ‘Amelia in the press office just informed me about the latest developments with the gift box,’ he said eventually. ‘I’m not convinced.’
The whole room seemed to bristle with tension, all eyes turning to Haworth.
‘I don’t understand,’ Haworth said calmly, ‘how the presence of a gift box containing jewellery modified to administer a lethal dose of poison – similar to the jewellery we found on the other two victims – isn’t convincing enough for you?’
‘Until we get toxicology reports through,’ the captain said, ‘I still believe drugs are involved, and have briefed the narcotics team accordingly.’
‘Brief the narcotics team, by all means,’ Ru interjected. ‘But you should also be holding a press conference to alert people. If similar gifts are circulating, this is now a public safety issue.’
‘Have you found any other gift boxes like the one found at the Bowman estate?’ the captain asked.
Ru shook his head. ‘No, but—’
‘Then there’s simply not enough evidence.’
‘But—’
‘I will not turn this investigation into some sensational headline about an outlandish, insect-obsessed serial murderer on the loose,’ the captain snapped, interrupting Ru. ‘I want more evidence. And what’s this I just overheard about Nils Thorsen being implicated again?’ His eyes scoured the room, finally landing on Ru again. ‘You know more than most how carefully we have to tread when it comes to the Thorsens. I urge caution. In fact, any more developments related to the Thorsens, I need to know, right?’
Ru gave a slight nod of the head. Satisfied, the captain strolled back out.
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Haworth muttered under her breath. ‘OK, so if we’re going with the theory that Nils Thorsen—’
‘Wait, didn’t the captain just say not to go down the Thorsen route without checking with him?’ Adiche asked.
‘This isn’t his investigation,’ Ru said.
‘Agreed,’ Haworth added. ‘As I was saying, if we’re going with the theory that Nils Thorsen did this out of jealousy, he could certainly get access to all the things needed to make such gifts.’
‘But surely he’d know we’d eventually link it to the illegal insect enterprise the Thorsens are rumoured to run?’ Ru asked. ‘There are only so many outfits in this city one could link to the illegal insect trade. Why would he want to risk the business?’
‘Come on, Hoshino,’ Harris said. ‘Surely the fact Nils was seen with Cordelia the night before her death is enough to cast doubt?’
Haworth nodded. ‘You’re right. Let’s bring him in for questioning.’