Chapter Three - The Investigation Begins

  The Trelton Hotel, a lavish five-star hotel placed straight in the middle of Misult City. It seems almost incorrect that a murder has been committed in here, where the security is top-notch, and chances of escape are slim. Nonetheless, I was called here for a reason, and this officer has plenty of information to tell me.

  “Detective Vince! You showed up quite quick, thank you very much!” Exclaimed the poor officer, sweating bullets.

  “No worries, what is going on here, officer?”

  “There’s been a m-murder!”

  “Yeah, who could have guessed. Anything else?”

  “N-no, sir. That is all- “

  “Idiot! Give me the briefings, the situation!”

  It was evident that this scaredy cat would not be able to provide me with anything useful. Thankfully, a copper I recognize has made his way over to the commotion.

  “Officer White, at your service,” he introduced himself, full of authority.

  “Hello there, I’m here to investigate, as you may have guessed. Your fledgling cop over here is complicating the situation.”

  He looks over menacingly at the junior. “Remove yourself from here, go get some witnesses, or something.”

  The boy only squeals in response as he scuttles away to some other place, leaving only me and White to converse.

  “Vince, I’m glad they finally gave this case to someone proficient,” he greeted me with a professional smile.

  He is as pleased to see me here as I am him. Out of all the coppers, Officer White is probably the most adept at his job. Even though he looks as stereotypically as a cop can look, he lets on more than he shows. A true crime fighter, to say the least.

  “So, it is MC-13, then?”

  “Without a shadow of a doubt, you can go see it for yourself before the forensics arrive.”

  “Thank you, any witnesses, so far?”

  “I cannot say for certain, this hotel’s been in disarray ever since the crime was discovered. They are running around like headless chickens.”

  “When and where did the crime occur?”

  “We received a call at around 17:55 and arrived at the scene seven minutes later. In that span of time, the culprit is already nowhere to be seen.”

  “So, whoever it was, they managed to do a hit-and-run in less than ten minutes, you say?”

  “The hotel staff claimed the body was still fresh, and – I think it’s better if you see it for yourself.”

  “Got it, thank you. Which room is it?”

  “Heh, the penthouse. Good luck with that one.”

  Out of all possible replies I could have expected, that was not one of them. How is it possible that a crime was committed in the most luxurious place with the most security? Just as anticipated, this case is already full of mysteries.

  After getting in touch with the staff, they led me all the way to the top floor. During the journey, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. No stains, no damage, and no anything. Then, one of the staff wearing a nametag titled “Jeremy” started briefing me about the hotel – something I cannot pass up.

  “Then, Jeremy, how is it possible that someone broke in the hotel’s penthouse? Don’t make me scrutinize the hotel’s reputation in the report, you really don’t want that, I assure you.”

  “Sir, we are just as surprised as you are. The most well-equipped top floors are installed with special doors that can only be opened with keycard access – there is no way a person from outside the hotel managed to get their hands on one.”

  “We’ll see about that, please stand by the entrance to the room while I investigate. No distractions.”

  There I stood, in front of me a familiar sight. Police black-and-yellow tape barring access, and a few officers arduously scribbling away at their notepads. They give me a stern look, and then I quickly flash my badge and name to them, which makes them put that look away and let me in.

  And there it was. It felt like I reached the light at the end of the tunnel, but truth be told, this was only the beginning. And I was sure of that notion, because this sight was just as expected. Facing the entrance to the luxurious room, a middle-aged man fitted in a suit faced the door, presumably dead. His eyes looked somewhat fearful, as if they saw a ghost. His position is the same one as was described in the files, but seeing it like this, it is almost hard to believe that the person is dead. The room shows no signs of struggle or any resistance whatsoever, only the outcome of the attack. I knew exactly what I would see, but witnessing it in person is a whole another deal. Regardless, I am here to uncover this enigma, and I am certain that is well within my capabilities.

  From my back pocket, I grab my notepad and begin sketching out the details. Upon first glance, there is quite nothing noteworthy – a first time that has happened. The room is seemingly untouched, with the exception of the host, that is. Even the bellboy, Jeremy, only had the capacity to provide me with a dumbfounded look. With that said, nothing will be achieved if I only look at things from a distance, and so I began the thorough investigation.

  The rustic marble floor is immaculate. The black and white flow patterns embedded under the top layer give it a three-dimensional look, and the parts where the floor is less detailed, such as the corners, are decorated with a rich mosaic pattern. This is truly as expected from a world-class establishment that Trelton Hotel is. Unfortunately, if I were to book this penthouse for myself, the observant mind that I am would notice the slight hairs left behind on the floor.

  The first clue – a strand of blonde, long hair. Assumingly, it is about thirty centimeters long, and the shape of it exudes the possibility that the hair belongs to a person with well-kept and wavy flowing hair. Surely a murderer of this caliber would not leave behind such a significant trace. That would be too simple, too easy – a hotel assistant probably went in here, or maybe a previous host. The only information that could be extracted from this is the following. Hotel staff have access to the penthouse, and the hygiene requirements are probably not being met. In simpler terms, I need to look for more.

  The dead person. You would not even think that this guy is deceased. The position is so unnatural for a murder, no sane person is a killer, and no sane killer would be this intricate. Who would go through the troubles of mutilating one’s being, and then place them into the position of a sitting bystander? For what reason? The profile of this culprit is only getting more and more complex. As for the victim here, a glance into his orifice reveals the exact same method of killing. A thin slit was carved into the back of his throat, extending to the spine, presumably. From the outside, there is nothing hinting towards the fact that he was murdered. The hotel reported a dead person, but no word mentioned a murder until the cops became involved. Could this killing method be a ploy to deceive the common person? Does the killer only want the attention of the police? Regardless, I write the theories into my notepad.

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  A large, glass wall makes up two of the walls, opening the room to a large overhead viewing of the city. There is no building of the same height as this penthouse. The view is truly exemplary, and also remote. With the height of the building, the room at the very top would be hard to see into from the ground. Also, the fact that no building around reaches the same heights as the hotel gives me the impression that this culprit chose the Trelton penthouse because it is so distanced. On one hand, it is a powerful statement to kill a man of status, however, on the other hand, it is a show of skill to successfully get away with such a stunt. This person is capable, far more capable than any other criminal I have faced in the past.

  In addition, the identity of the victim further cements my assumption. The man sitting lifeless on the chair has been identified as Howard Ritter, a prominent figure in the sphere of politics. Killing a person like him is quite the undertaking, but nevertheless, the killer managed it. According to the case file, his previous victims were people of no status, or even any significance. They ranged from common people in dependent jobs, teachers, nurses, teenagers, and the like. In other words, this crime deviates from their status quo, their usual behavior, that is. The step-up from commoners to high-ranking politicians is most unusual – what was the motivation behind their actions?

  Howard Ritter was undoubtedly on a vacation trip, since he resides nowhere near here, nor does he own any property in Misult City. His staying at a hotel was cut short by an unanticipated murder, leaving his vacation on a sour note. The police will investigate this matter further, as I cannot do anything else but guess on his appearance here.

  With all the clues I have gathered so far, the most likely possibility is that the murderer acquired access and possession of the hotel’s personnel keycard. That would grant him unopposed access to the high-level penthouse, allowing him to commit the crime effortlessly. The lax security of the hotel’s employees would allow this to happen, without a shadow of a doubt. What this means for me, fortunately, is that there is a place to look into – the missing keycard. The possibility of a makeshift keycard is also there, but significantly less likely with how little time the culprit had.

  What else could be of use from this hotel? The security footage could reveal something interesting, assuming the killer entered the room around the time of killing. There are no cameras in the penthouse, as is expected. A quick glance to the outside hall shows that there is a camera, right above the entrance to the elevator. That angle would only show the back of the culprit’s head, but on his way back after the deed has been done, their face would be seen. I have high hopes for this, as it would give me a solid start in the investigation.

  Jeremy, who still stood by the entrance, looked like he wanted to help, seemingly looking around the room with an investigative eye. However, there is nothing else to be gained from the scene of crime. I highly doubt that they would leave behind any traces such as fingerprints or murder weapons. It is possible, but that job is up to the forensics team and Faust. My only leads right now are the possible camera footage, the whereabouts of Howard Ritter before his death, and the keycard, one much more arduous to find out than the other two. With a set goal in mind, I pose a question to the poor sod, Jeremy.

  “Could you lead me to the security room?”

  The boy suddenly jumped at my question, seemingly startled.

  “The security room? That would be in the maintenance area, sir.”

  “Good. Lead the way, we’ve got no time to waste.”

  My notepad was filling up, and its pages seemed more and more resulting. However, as I recount the facts I have written down, I realize that there is nothing more than speculation. The murderer could have had keycard access. The murderer could have arrived earlier. And the list continued, no conclusions could be made from mere theories. The security footage may very well be the first lead of factual evidence, however faint it may be. The hair is also something tangible, leaving room for more possibilities, don’t forget that.

  The way through the winding corridors of the hotel seemed almost endless, reminding me that we are working on a tight schedule here. There is no time to waste when chasing a maniac of this caliber. And after descending several stories, walking through tens of hallways and rooms, we made it to the maintenance area.

  The door leading to the room was obviously titled “Maintenance Area” and the air emanating from behind the door only confirmed that title. It was certainly no place for the guests of the hotel, leaving only room for employees working on the backend of the hotel. The walls were laden with pipes and other utilities, the color of the world-renowned hotel’s interiors also dissipated, turning into a shade of dull concrete grey. The floor is littered with cardboard boxes all around, various tools, and other things of no significance. It was strictly an area designated for maintenance.

  Jeremy carefully traversed the unfriendly corridors of the maintenance area, leading me further into the mess. At the end of it, however, was the security room – a place where I could find actual answers to my questions. The door was of slightly more quality compared to the rest of the area. A brief knock was performed, and a man dressed in a guard outfit whose face wore a serious expression opened the door for us.

  “What do you need?” The man asked Jeremy.

  “This is Detective Capleaf, he is here in order to investigate the murder of Howard Ritter.”

  He responds glancing at me. “Of course, come in.”

  I have entered the room tout seul, leaving behind Jeremy. As for the room itself, it is as ordinary as a surveillance room gets. A large console with several screens took up a majority of the space. On those screens, footage from security cameras was playing in real time. That is the real deal here – the crime might have not only been recorded, but also seen in real time. Does this mean that this security guard is a witness?

  “You – what is your name?” I questioned him hurriedly.

  “Don Castro, a security guard for the Trelton Hotel.”

  “Have you been watching the footage during the time of the crime?”

  “I cannot say I have. Nevertheless, the footage should still be available. I just have to pull up the data from the camera.”

  “How long will that take? Time is of the essence.”

  “Less than two minutes, Detective.”

  “Get to it.”

  Upon my command, the security guard immediately began hectically typing away at the keyboard, scouring through the various folders of footage. The brief background noise of click-clacking gave me a few moments to spare a thought. This footage could provide me with the identity of the wicked criminal. It would certainly hasten the process, to say the least. However, a harrowing option came up – the murderer could have been masked. That would deny all purpose to getting the footage. It is the one thing I am hoping that isn’t true.

  “There it is,” the guard announces his findings.

  The video is brought up to the biggest screen in the center. The quality is surprisingly high, and the camera is the exact same one I saw, the one above the elevator door. Both of us begin watching the footage in anticipation.

  The start is as ordinary as it gets, an empty hallway all the way to the penthouse door. It goes precisely like this for a handful of minutes, until the elevator opens. Someone did indeed go the penthouse – right around 17:40, according to the camera. A figure emerges from the bottom of the frame, and in a singular moment, my suspicions became reality. A person of small stature and build and medium-length silver-tinted hair, presumably female, ventured down the corridor. Their walking was poised, but also composed, not the behavior of a deranged killer. In most cases, the criminal is stressed, but here, this individual appears to be calm and relaxed. In their hands was a peculiar object – a lengthy metal rod in the shape of a nail, which I presumed to be the murder weapon. Without a doubt, this is not the behavior of a regular host. No one at Trelton Hotel would be carrying such a tool. Me and Don Castro watched the person traverse the corridor until their progress is impeded by the secured door of the luxurious penthouse. Or that is what we assumed. Neither of us could have predicted that the door would open on its own with no action from the culprit.

  What? Did the door malfunction? Or was there another figure in order to provide access? That one action just derailed the theory of one murderer. The hands of the lady were both visible, they could not have done anything to open that door. How is it possible, then? I look over to my comrade, who is wearing the exact same expression as I did just now, as if it was saying “How?” in amazement, or rather disbelief.

  Even more questions arose in my gut. This person seems to be very young from first glance. If, on their way back, it turns out to be a minor, the court process will be very awkward. In addition, what motive could a person like that have? No, that is not the right question, the killer of MC-13 has been determined to kill without reason. There were too many undetermined factors, and the footage playing in the background did not give me the necessary time to think.

  Several minutes have passed since the door opened. Only after a total of ten minutes have passed did the culprit come back from the room, presumably done with the killing. This was the moment I was hoping to see their face. But then, my worst fear became reality. This person was masked! The mask in particular is simplistic, depicting a cliff-faced expression of a typical theater mask. It was white in color, and the details were in black. It was almost humiliating to think that I was separated from my victory by a mere straight-faced smile. Even as the freshly-made murderer exited the room, I could swear I saw them glance at the camera in a mocking way.

  However, this is just the beginning. I will not let myself be defeated by a single act of defiance. There will be more opportunities, I was sure of that. It would also be false to say I came out of this empty-handed, as multiple clues of use arrived in my clutches. The outline of the killer’s identity has been outed, the murder weapon has been established in broad daylight, and there is still more to be discovered. As soon as Faust get her hands on the collected evidence, I will be able to determine the scenario that Howard Ritter was part of.

  MC-13 – to think that you were so facile to unfold, it is almost comical. In the span of one evening, I came farther than any other detective in my field. You will be conquered as any other case under my gaze was.