#4 : The Deadly Game

 Detective Valluce and The Deadly Game

The sound of sirens filled the air as I pulled up to the opulent mansion on the outskirts of the city. The night was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos inside. Another murder, another puzzle to solve.

"Detective Valluce, over here," a uniformed officer waved me over. The victim, Charles Montgomery, a wealthy businessman, lay lifeless in his office. The room was in disarray, hinting at a struggle.

I surveyed the scene, noting the broken glass and scattered papers. Montgomery was well-known in the business world, but his wealth had earned him as many enemies as friends. The initial list of suspects included his business partner, Richard Hale, his estranged wife, Veronica, his ambitious nephew, Henry, and a disgruntled employee, Sarah.

I started with the office, looking for any clues that might point to the killer. Among the papers, I found a threatening letter addressed to Montgomery. It was unsigned, but the tone was clear: someone wanted him dead.

Next, I interviewed the suspects. Montgomery's business partner, Richard Hale, seemed genuinely shocked by the murder. "We had our disagreements, but I never wanted him dead," he insisted.

His estranged wife, Veronica, was less convincing. "Charles had many enemies," she said, her voice cold. "But I wasn't one of them."

The ambitious nephew, Henry, was nervous and jittery. "I was with friends all night," he stammered, unable to meet my eyes.

The disgruntled employee, Sarah, had a solid alibi but her resentment towards Montgomery was palpable. "He ruined my career," she hissed. "But I didn't kill him."

As I left the mansion, I nearly tripped over the family dog. A lighthearted moment in an otherwise grim day, it served as a reminder that even in the darkest times, life goes on.

As the investigation progressed, I discovered that Montgomery had been involved in shady dealings. His business partner, Richard, had been kept in the dark about a major deal that went sour, costing them millions. Veronica, his wife, stood to gain a substantial inheritance from his death.

Henry, the nephew, was deeply in debt and stood to inherit a fortune. Sarah, the disgruntled employee, had recently been fired after threatening to expose Montgomery’s corrupt practices.

Each suspect had a motive, but no one had a solid alibi. The case took a turn when I found a hidden safe in Montgomery's office. Inside, I discovered documents that linked Montgomery to the criminal organization I had been investigating in my previous cases.

The breakthrough came when I analyzed the threatening letter. The handwriting matched Sarah’s, but the content suggested insider knowledge of Montgomery's illegal activities. I revisited Sarah, armed with this new evidence. She broke down under pressure, revealing that she had written the letter out of anger but had no intention of killing Montgomery.

However, she also revealed a crucial detail: she had seen Henry arguing with Montgomery the night of the murder. Confronting Henry, I noticed a scratch on his arm. Under intense questioning, he admitted to the fight but maintained his innocence regarding the murder.

Digging deeper, I reviewed the security footage from the mansion. I noticed that both Richard and Veronica were conspicuously absent during the time of the murder. A closer examination of their financial records revealed frequent, large transfers between their accounts—a sign of a shared secret.

Confronting Veronica, I found her facade cracking. "Charles and I were no longer close," she admitted, her voice shaking. "But I didn't kill him."

Richard, however, was less composed. He initially tried to deflect the blame but eventually broke down under the weight of the evidence. "It was Veronica's idea," he confessed. "She said we could be together and inherit everything."

Veronica had lured Charles into the office with the pretense of discussing their separation. Richard had entered later, and together, they overpowered and killed him. They had planned to make it look like a robbery gone wrong, but their plan unraveled under scrutiny.

Veronica and Richard were arrested, and their plot was exposed. The documents in the safe further implicated the criminal organization, revealing a network of corruption and deceit that stretched far beyond Montgomery’s dealings.

As I drove back to my office, the weight of the ongoing investigation pressed heavily on my mind. The city was rife with corruption and secrets, and it was up to me to bring them to light.

Back at my desk, I reviewed the documents from the safe. The night was far from over, and neither was the fight. Detective Valluce was ready for the next challenge, whatever it might be.