Chapter Text
"Alright guys, what do we have?"
Lia walked into the open office, the clacking of her heels loud against the silent room. The other people turned around to look at the two detectives walking through the door.
The older one took off her maroon coat, throwing it at a chair standing around. Behind her was the younger one. Brown hair finally fixed and both hands holding onto a small tray with different coffee to-go cups. They placed them on a table next to a giant blackboard.
One of the other people, a lanky young man with striking green eyes walked around the newbie and inspected the different cups.
"Did you remember to ask for almond milk?"
He picked up a cup and looked at the label, as if it would bite him.
"Ohhh. Getting coffee? How nice."
The woman, who had just been writing something on the board with bright red marker, turned around and held out her hand, waiting for someone to place the coffee there. Sky quickly rushed to pick the right one and give it to her.
Lia clapped her hands, making everyone look at her.
"The case. What can you tell us?"
"Oh yeah right...sorry."
The tall man took a swing from his coffee and gestured towards the board.
"So our victim Eric van Deron, is one of two children of the van Derons. The couple has an estimated net-worth of 20 million and the exact ways they acquired their wealth is...according to some online article... unclear."
Sky nodded along.
"Sounds a lot like the stuff Sophie said..."
The woman raised her eyebrows.
"Did you get the communist speech? Once she starts no one can stop her."
"Where is Twig?"
Lia looked around the room for the missing detective.
The tall one nodded towards the main hall.
"Getting the last witnesses settled in. We wanted to wait for you to start the questioning. Did you find anything special?"
Lia let out a deep sigh.
"Not really. Just that he ate or drank the poison, so maybe try to find out if he consumed something no one else did."
The woman leaned against the board, her arms crossed.
"So, are we assuming it was targeted towards him? Or was he just unlucky?"
The team leader shrugged.
"Well since there has been no one else who has shown any signs of poison damage I would assume that he was the actual target and we need to find out why. So ask who has probable reason to want him dead. Fin you take Sky, so she can watch you."
The lanky detective nodded and wrapped an arm around Sky, pulling her out of the office and towards the interrogation rooms.
"You just observe, alright? Do not speak."
He looked at them intently, his hand hovering over the door knob.
Sky saluted him and straightened their body.
"Sir, yes sir!"
The man looked like he wanted to leave.
"Don´t make me regret this."
His voice was flat, yet he still opened the door, shoving the younger one in first and following them.
"Hello. I´m Detective Decker and this is Detective Landry."
He pointed at himself and then at the young woman next to him.
"And you are?"
He smiled warmly at the woman in the bright red dress sitting at the table. She was wrapped in an expensive looking coat, in front of her stood a plastic cup, filled with water.
Sky dropped themselves on a chair opposite of her, pulling out a small notebook and a pen.
"I´m Lena Schmitts. I am a friend - I was a friend of Eric."
The friendly smile she had shown just seconds ago vanished quickly. She looked broken and small in that chair. Out of place with that expensive dress and dramatic make up.
Fin sat down and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, handing it to the woman.
"We are so sorry for your loss. I understand it might be difficult for you. You might can help us find the person who did this. Do you remember anything unsusual at the party? Someone new being there, someone being not there. Maybe someone acting weird or suspicious?."
The woman took the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. She thought for a minute, before pursing her lips.
"I mean...it is hard to say who was new there...I mean there are new people there every time..."
The woman smiled, caught up in her own memories.
"Eric was like that. Always smiling, always wanting to meet new people. His parties....it was like a giant slumber party. Good food- like actual good food, not the usual party stuff. He had a strict rule about no business talk during this time. It was just supposed to be fun."
Her hands toyed with the handkerchief, her eyes unfocused.
"I really like hi- it. And then he would play piano. He was amazing. It was like he didn´t even play the piano, but was telling a story. It was like falling into a different world."
Fin nodded along, looking over Sky´s shoulder to see what they had written down.
"Did Eric have any enemies?"
Lena avoided eye-contact, her hands clutched tightly around the fabric.
"Everyone has enemies. Especially when you are like him. He was like a bright light, attracting moths. There were many jealous people, who didn´t like what he had. But enough to kill him? No. I don't think anyone would stoop that low."
She looked up, her gaze filled with anger, yet still unshed tears made her eyes glitter. Fin nodded again, his face emphatic.
"I understand. Now do you remember if anyone brought something to eat or to drink just for him? If he had something that no one else had?"
The woman looked momentarily stunned then her face morphed into confusion.
"No. He always shared. There was like a big buffet and an open wine cabinet. Everyone could take and eat what they wanted. There was noting that was especially for someone. Not even for him."
Her brows were knitted together, as if she was trying to solve some riddle. He pulled a calling card from his pocket and handed it to her.
"If you do remember anything else, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, please call us."
The woman nodded and wrapped herself tighter in her coat.
She looked horrible.
Like a small frightened child. She shivered in the chair, the coat doing little work against the unyielding force of the AC.
Fin stood up and strode towards the door. He opened it and held it for the woman.
"Thank you again for your help. You can go home now. Maybe get some rest."
He smiled, his face a perfect picture of polite empathy.
Celine watched Lena stand up and walk out the door. She gave Fin a short nod.
The sound of her heels against the linoleum was the only thing filling the silence.
The younger detective followed the older one out and looked towards the ugly teal door, behind which the woman had just disappeared.
"I´m going to be honest with you. I have no idea how any of what she said could help us..."
Fins mask slipped and he showed a mischievous grin.
"Trust me newbie, this is not my first rodeo."
He walked over to the door of the audience room and knocked before stepping in.
Inside stood the other two, Liza still with their coffee in hand.
"Not bad Finny, forgot you tend to start with the soft boy approach."
Lia smiled proudly, while Liza tried to choke silently on her coffee. She earned a sympathetic look from Sky, while Fin looked like he was considering how much he really cared about his job or if he might just commit a murder right now.
Liza coughed loudly and took a couple deep breaths.
"Anyways... we have checked what she said and so far it sounds truthful. The two were seen together many times and all that. Twig is talking with the phone company to get access to his calls and messages and we are still waiting to hear from the bank to view his transactions."
Lia nodded.
"Fin you and Liza will work through the other witnesses. Try to find anything that was off or noteworthy. Sky you will help Twig call around and then sort through the information. I will go and check to see if Sophie has found anything yet.."
The others nodded curtly and then all left the room, following the instructions.