I was in the middle of interrogating the two witnesses when Rodriguez burst into the room, a look of urgency on his face. "Jones, I need you to come pick up a call," he said, his voice firm. "It's urgent."
I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Who is it?" I asked, standing up from my seat. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum with anticipation, as if they too were eager to know who was on the other end of the line.
Rodriguez hesitated, his eyes scanning the room. "It's Jordan Thompson," he said, his voice low. "He wants to speak with you."
I felt a surge of interest. Jordan Thompson, the first Thompson we had interrogated, wanted to speak with me? This could be important. I wondered what he could want to discuss with me, and whether it was related to the case.
I followed Rodriguez out of the interrogation room, my mind racing with possibilities. What could Jordan Thompson want to discuss with me? Was it something new, something that could shed light on the case?
As we walked to the phone, I couldn't help but think about the Thompson family. They were a complex web of individuals, each with their own secrets and motivations. And now, Jordan Thompson was reaching out to me, requesting a meeting.
I picked up the phone, my heart pounding with anticipation. "Detective Jones speaking," I said, my voice firm.
"Detective Jones, it's Jordan Thompson," a smooth voice replied. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "Not at all, Jordan. What can I do for you?"
Jordan Thompson paused, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "I want to meet with you, detective. Tonight, around evening time. I'll be bringing my brother, Phillips Thompson, with me."
I felt a surge of excitement. This could be the break we needed in the case. "What's this about, Jordan?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
Jordan Thompson hesitated, his voice taking on a more cautious tone. "Let's just say that we have some information that might be relevant to your investigation. We'll discuss it with you tonight."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Alright, Jordan. I'll be there. Where do you want to meet?"
Jordan Thompson gave me an address, a small café on the outskirts of town. "We'll be there at 7 pm," he said, his voice firm.
I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. What could Jordan and Phillips Thompson have to tell me? And why were they reaching out to me now?
As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. This meeting could be the key to unlocking the secrets of the Thompson family.
But until then, I had to wait for Peter, Paul, and Mike to return from Emma's resident. They had been processing the scene, looking for any new evidence that might shed light on the case.
I turned to Rodriguez, my eyes locked on his. "Have you heard from Peter and the others?" I asked, my voice firm.
Rodriguez shook his head, his eyes scanning the room. "Not yet, Jones. But I'm sure they'll be back soon."
I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. I had to wait for them to return, to see if they had found anything new at the scene. But my mind was already on the meeting with Jordan and Phillips Thompson. What would they reveal to me tonight? And how would it fit into the larger picture of the case?
As I waited, I couldn't help but feel a sense of restlessness. The case was unfolding, and I was eager to see what would happen next.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Peter, Paul, and Mike walked into the station, their faces tired but triumphant.
"Hey, Jones," Peter said, his voice firm. "We found something at Emma's resident."
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "What is it?" I asked, my voice firm.
Peter hesitated, his eyes scanning the room. "It looks like Emma might have been involved in Max's murder," he said, his voice low. "We found a suspicious letter opener at her resident, with her fingerprints on it."
I felt a surge of excitement. This was new evidence, and it could be the break we needed in the case.
"But that's not all," Paul added, his voice filled with excitement. "We also found a hidden safe in her room, with a cryptic message inside."
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "What did the message say?" I asked, my voice firm.
Paul hesitated, his eyes scanning the room. "It said, 'The truth is hidden in plain sight,'" he said, his voice low. "We're not sure what it means."
As I processed the new information, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Emma was not the killer. The timeline didn't add up - Emma was already dead before Max, which meant that the same person who killed Emma could have also killed Max. I thought about the events that had unfolded, trying to piece together the puzzle.
I turned to Peter, Paul, and Mike, my eyes locked on theirs. "Guys, I think we're looking at this the wrong way," I said, my voice firm. "Emma's death and Max's death are connected, but not in the way we think."
Peter raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean, Jones?" he asked, his voice firm.
I took a deep breath, my mind racing with possibilities. "I think Emma's killer is also Max's killer. And that person is still out there, unknown to us." I paused, letting the words sink in. "Think about it - Emma was killed first, and then Max. It's possible that the killer was trying to cover their tracks, make it look like Emma was the one who killed Max."
Paul's eyes widened, his face pale. "But that's not all, is it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's something more to this, something we're missing."
I nodded, my eyes locked on his. "Yes, there is. And I think it's connected to Mr. X, our ghost in question." I paused, letting the words sink in. "We've been assuming it's a man all along, but what if it's a woman? What if Mr. X is actually Ms. X?"
Mike's eyes narrowed, his face thoughtful. "That's a good point, Jones. We've been misled by the 'Mr.' title. It could be a woman, just as easily as a man." He paused, thinking. "And what if Mr. X is not just a random killer? What if they're connected to the Thompson family somehow?"
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "What makes you think that, Mike?" I asked, my voice firm.
Mike hesitated, his eyes scanning the room. "I don't know, Jones. It's just a feeling I have. But think about it - the Thompson family is rich and powerful. They have a lot to lose. And what if Mr. X is someone who's been wronged by them in some way?"
I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. "That's a good point, Mike. We need to keep an open mind, consider all possibilities. Because right now, we have nothing concrete to go on."
Peter's face was set in determination. "Alright, Jones. We'll keep digging. But what's our next move?"
I thought for a moment, my eyes scanning the room. "We need to go back to the beginning, re-examine the evidence. Look for any connections between Emma's death and Max's death. And we need to find out more about Mr. X - or Ms. X, as the case may be."
Paul nodded, his eyes locked on mine. "I'll start going through the evidence again, see if I can find any connections. Mike, can you start digging into Emma's background, see if you can find any leads on her killer?"
Mike nodded, his face set in determination. "Already on it, Paul."
I turned to Peter. "And Peter, can you start canvassing the area around Max's office, see if anyone saw anything suspicious on the day of his murder?"
Peter nodded, his eyes locked on mine. "Already on it, Jones."
As we began to disperse, I couldn't help but feel a sense of determination. We were going to catch Mr. X, no matter what it took. And I was convinced that the key to solving the case lay in the connection between Emma's death and Max's death.
"Hey, Jones?" Peter called out, as I was about to leave.
I turned back to him, my eyes locked on his. "Yeah?"
Peter's face was thoughtful. "Do you think Jordan and Phillips Thompson are involved in this somehow? I mean, they did ask to meet with you tonight..."
I hesitated, my mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know, Peter. But I do know that I'm going to find out. Tonight, at 7 pm, I'll be meeting with them. And I'll get to the bottom of this, one way or another."
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding with anticipation. What would Jordan and Phillips Thompson reveal to me tonight? And how would it fit into the larger picture of the case? I was determined to find out.