Chapter 101: Valentine’s Mishap (Part 3)

A female detective in her thirties strode into the house, her voice preceding her arrival.

"What's the situation?"

Angela, seemingly familiar with her, turned and replied, "Detective Calderon, we just arrived—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence before being rudely interrupted.

"Why is he still here? This is a crime scene, and he's a suspect!"

Jack, who was examining the body, looked up at the detective. She had a similar complexion to Angela's, clearly Latina, and appeared to be around the same age, though she was shorter and not particularly striking.

Angela, her irritation evident, still responded respectfully, "Yes, ma'am, we were just about to—"

"No need. I'll handle this. You all go canvass the area." Detective Calderon cut her off again, then turned her back on the three and walked towards the grieving husband.

Angela's anger was visible; her neck was turning red, and her eyes were fierce. Jack quickly stood up and, with John, they maneuvered her out of the house before things escalated.

As patrol officers, they had to respect detectives, but conflicts between departments could be tricky. Angela's status as a trainee detective was still uncertain. Though she had passed the exams and often assisted in the detective squad, she was technically still a patrol officer. Any conflict with the detectives could jeopardize her future.

"What's the deal with that detective? Do you have history with her?" John asked Angela outside.

"I have no idea. We hardly interacted in the detective squad," Angela replied, rolling her eyes in frustration.

"Maybe it's because you and Wesley are always showing off your relationship. And today is Valentine's Day..." Jack joked, trying to lighten the mood.

An hour later, they regrouped to share their findings. They had a general direction on the case, but solving homicides wasn't their jurisdiction. They had to report their leads to the detective in charge.

Angela approached Detective Calderon again, "We've finished canvassing. Neighbors reported seeing a suspicious car driving slowly down the street around 11 a.m."

John added, "The house at the corner said it was a blue sedan, one they hadn't seen before."

"So?" Detective Calderon shrugged, looking unimpressed.

Angela hesitated, "This is a dead-end street. It's unusual for unfamiliar cars to be here without a reason."

Detective Calderon retorted, "That's useless information, Officer Lopez. We already have our prime suspect."

"The husband?" Jack glanced at the middle-aged man being escorted to a police car, blood still smeared on his face and neck from his earlier grief-stricken embrace with his wife.

"Police have been called to their home at least six times for domestic disputes over the past three years." Detective Calderon pulled out an evidence bag. "I found this withdrawal slip in the victim's wallet. Mrs. Cook withdrew $100,000 from their joint account this morning. I suspect she was planning to leave her abusive husband, and he found out and stopped her."

"And the money?" Angela asked.

"Not found yet. He might have hidden it, or she might have hidden it intending to return for her belongings. Either way, you're dismissed." Detective Calderon turned to leave, but Angela stopped her.

"I think we should still check out that car."

The detective's patience snapped, "I'm the one handling this case, Officer Lopez. If I need someone to clean up my mess, I'll let you know."

With that, she left, leaving the trio fuming.

"You guys will help me, right?" Angela turned to Jack and John.

Jack shrugged, "Just make sure Wesley brings a good bottle to the party tonight."

John, looking thoughtful, said, "But isn't it possible the husband did it? In cases like this, the husband is the perpetrator 60% of the time."

Jack opened the car door and reminded John, "Remember that domestic violence case you handled on your first day?"

"Point taken," John mimed zipping his lips and got into the passenger seat.

"Let's split up. We'll go to the bank to find out about Mrs. Cook's withdrawal, then meet back at the station to check for any similar burglaries in the area," Jack suggested to Angela.

"I'll look into that blue car and see if any cameras caught the license plate," Angela said as she drove off.

Jack couldn't be sure Angela's lead on the car was correct, but he was certain Detective Calderon's approach was flawed.

The husband's behavior didn't fit that of a killer. Ordinary people rarely had such convincing performances, especially in spontaneous, unguarded moments. The only visible injury on the victim was a fatal head wound; her exposed skin showed no other signs of abuse, contradicting the domestic violence narrative.

Moreover, the skin fragments under the victim's nails indicated she had scratched someone before dying. Jack had closely observed the husband; aside from fresh bloodstains, he had no scratch marks.

This case wasn't complex. With some resources and time, they could uncover the truth. Jack was more interested in Detective Calderon's odd reaction.

"John, did you find Detective Calderon's attitude towards Angela strange?" Jack mused.

"Huh?" John looked puzzled. "Isn't that just how girls are with each other? One minute they want to kill each other, the next they're best friends."

Damn, you have a point, Jack thought, momentarily speechless. Then he gathered his thoughts.

"I mean, didn't it seem like she looked at Angela as if she were a traitor?"

John slapped his forehead, nodding, "You noticed that too? She did seem very disappointed, like Angela had let her down."

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