As I arrived at the venue of the meeting, a small café on the outskirts of town, I spotted Jordan and Phillips Thompson sitting at a corner table. They stood up as I approached, and we shared a brief handshake and greetings.
"Thanks for meeting with me, gentlemen," I said, taking a seat across from them. The café was quiet, with only a few patrons scattered about, and I was grateful for the privacy.
Jordan, the older of the two brothers, nodded solemnly. "Of course, detective. We appreciate your efforts in investigating Max's death." His eyes were red-rimmed, and I could tell he was still grieving.
Phillips, the younger brother, spoke up, his voice filled with emotion. "We want to see justice served for Max. He was a good man, detective. He didn't deserve to die like that."
I nodded, my expression sympathetic. "I'm sorry again for your loss. We're still working tirelessly to uncover the truth behind Max's murder." I took out my notebook and pen, preparing to take notes.
Jordan leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine. "We think we might know who's behind Max's death," he said, his voice low. "We've been thinking about it a lot, and we've come to a conclusion."
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "Who?" I asked, my pen poised over my notebook.
Phillips hesitated, glancing at his brother before speaking up. "It's Sarah, our sister-in-law. She's been acting strange lately, and we suspect she might be involved in Max's death." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "We never thought much of it at first, but now that Max is dead, we're starting to connect the dots."
I felt a surge of surprise. Sarah, the wife of Gabriel Thompson, the brother who had died under mysterious circumstances. We had been investigating Gabriel's death, but I had never thought to interview his wife. I made a mental note to look into her alibi and investigate her further.
"Gabriel's wife?" I repeated, my mind racing with possibilities. I remembered the case file on Gabriel's death, and how we had been unable to determine the cause of death. Could Sarah be the key to unlocking that mystery as well?
Jordan nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, that's right. We never thought much of it at first, but now that Max is dead, we're starting to think that Sarah might have had a hand in both deaths."
I scribbled some notes in my book, my mind whirling with questions. "Tell me more about Sarah. What makes you think she's involved?" I asked, my eyes locked on theirs.
Phillips leaned forward, his voice filled with conviction. "She's been acting strange for months, detective. Ever since Gabriel died, she's been...different. Distant. And then Max started acting strange too, and now he's dead." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "We've seen her arguing with Max on several occasions, and we've heard rumors that she's been embezzling money from the company."
I raised an eyebrow, my interest piqued. Embezzlement? That was a new angle. I made a note to look into the company's finances and see if there was any evidence of wrongdoing.
I nodded, my eyes locked on theirs. "I see. And you think Sarah might have had a motive to kill Max?"
Jordan nodded, his expression resolute. "We do, detective. We think she might have seen Max as a threat to her freedom, or maybe even her life. She's been acting so strangely, we don't know what she's capable of."
I felt a chill run down my spine as I processed the new information. Sarah, the quiet, unassuming wife of Gabriel Thompson. I had never even thought to interview her, and now it seemed she might be a key suspect in not one, but two murders.
"Where can I find Sarah?" I asked, my voice firm.
Phillips hesitated, glancing at his brother before speaking up. "She's been staying at the family's summer home, out in the countryside. But be careful, detective. If she is involved, she might be desperate."
I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. I had a new lead, a new area to search. And I was determined to get to the bottom of this case, no matter what it took.
"Thank you, gentlemen," I said, standing up. "I'll make sure to look into Sarah's alibi and investigate her further." I paused, thinking. "And I'll also look into the company's finances, see if there's any evidence of embezzlement."
Jordan and Phillips nodded, their expressions somber. "Be careful, detective," Jordan repeated. "We don't know what we're dealing with here."
As I walked through the front door of my home, I was greeted by the warm smile of my wife, Mary. She was sitting on the couch, reading a book, and looked up as I entered. The soft glow of the table lamp beside her cast a warm light on her face, and her eyes sparkled with a hint of curiosity.
"Hey, hon," she said, setting her book aside. "How was your day?" Her voice was gentle and soothing, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me as I heard it.
I let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of the day's events bearing down on me. "It was a long day," I said, rubbing my temples. I had a pounding headache, and my eyes felt heavy with fatigue. The fluorescent lights at the police station seemed to have sucked the life out of me, and I was grateful to be home.
Mary's expression turned sympathetic. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, getting up from the couch and coming over to me. She stood on her tiptoes and gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek, and I felt a sense of comfort wash over me.
I shook my head, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Not right now," I said. "I just need to relax and unwind." I didn't want to burden Mary with the details of the case just yet. I needed some time to process everything myself.
Mary nodded understandingly. "Okay, dear. Why don't you go take a hot bath and I'll make you some dinner?" She smiled and took my hand, leading me towards the bathroom.
I nodded gratefully, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. A hot bath sounded like just what I needed to ease my tension and soothe my headache. I followed Mary to the bathroom, where she had already drawn the water and added some calming essential oils. The aroma of lavender and chamomile filled the air, and I felt my muscles begin to relax.
As I sank into the warm water, I let out a contented sigh. The heat enveloped me, and I felt my worries begin to melt away. I closed my eyes and let the water work its magic, feeling my headache begin to dissipate.
After a while, Mary came into the bathroom with a tray carrying a steaming bowl of soup and a slice of bread. "I thought you might be getting hungry," she said, setting the tray down on the edge of the bathtub.
I smiled gratefully, feeling a sense of appreciation for my wife's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, hon," I said, taking a spoonful of the soup. It was delicious, and I felt my hunger begin to dissipate. The soup was creamy and flavorful, and I savored each bite.
As I ate, Mary sat down on the edge of the bathtub and began to massage my shoulders. "You're really tense," she said, her fingers working out the knots in my muscles.
I closed my eyes, feeling a sense of relaxation wash over me. "I know," I said. "This case is really getting to me." I felt a sense of frustration and anxiety, but Mary's gentle touch was helping to calm me down.
Mary's hands paused, and she looked at me with concern. "Do you want to talk about it now?" she asked. Her eyes were filled with empathy, and I knew she was genuinely interested in listening.
I hesitated, unsure if I was ready to share my thoughts with her. But something about Mary's gentle touch and caring expression put me at ease. "I don't know," I said. "It's just...I feel like I'm missing something. Like there's a piece of the puzzle that I'm not seeing."
Mary nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you just need to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective," she suggested. Her voice was calm and reassuring, and I felt a sense of gratitude towards her.
I nodded, feeling a sense of clarity wash over me. Maybe Mary was right. Maybe I did need to take a step back and look at the case from a different angle. I felt a sense of determination rise up in me, and I knew that I would tackle the case with renewed energy and focus.
As I finished my soup and got out of the bathtub, I felt a sense of renewal. My headache was still there, but it was no longer pounding. And I felt more capable of tackling the case, of finding the missing piece of the puzzle.
"Thanks, hon," I said, giving Mary a hug. "You always know how to make me feel better." I felt a sense of gratitude towards her, and I knew that I was lucky to have her as my partner in life.
Mary smiled and hugged me back. "That's what wives are for," she said. Her voice was filled with love and affection, and I felt my heart swell with emotion.