Chapter 5:

Frank was peacefully resting in a comfortable armchair at the police station. The background noise and dim lights in the room didn't seem to disturb his slumber. He was in that state between sleep and wakefulness when he was awakened by a hand on his shoulder. It was Commissioner Douglas.

"Frank, wake up. We need to talk," Douglas announced with a calm but firm tone.

Frank yawned and rubbed his eyes before getting up, displaying the determination that had been his trademark throughout the investigation.

"What's going on, Commissioner?" Frank asked.

Douglas looked at him intently before speaking.

"Rachel Sullivan and Max Turner have confessed. They've admitted their involvement in the murders of Emily and Mike."

Frank nodded calmly, as if he had been expecting this news.

"I suspected as much. But... Commissioner, I want to reinterrogate Daniel Harrington."

Commissioner Douglas raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request.

"Why? Rachel and Max have already confessed; it doesn't seem necessary."

Frank gave a half-smile and replied.

"I'm not doing it out of necessity; I'm doing it to obtain more information. Sometimes people tend to be more forthcoming in a second interview, especially when they know their initial confession isn't enough to solve the entire puzzle."

Douglas nodded, impressed by Frank's insight.

"You're right, Frank. Go ahead; I'll arrange the interrogation."

While Frank closed his eyes again and settled back into the armchair, Douglas set up the interrogation with Daniel Harrington. Several minutes passed before Douglas returned to where Frank was, waking him up once more.

"Frank, the interrogation with Daniel is ready. It'll be in Interrogation Room 2."

Frank got up from the armchair lazily, stretching once more before following the Commissioner to the interrogation room.

On the way, Douglas asked him, "Frank, what do you expect to gain from this second interrogation with Daniel? Rachel and Max have already confessed; what more can we find?"

Frank, with his ever-active mind, responded calmly, "I have some theories I want to confirm."

Commissioner Douglas nodded, recognizing the logic behind Frank's words. Interrogation Room 2 awaited them.

Frank and Commissioner Douglas entered the interrogation room. The Commissioner sat across from Daniel Harrington, who was nervously waiting. Frank, on the other hand, grabbed a chair and moved it next to Daniel, greeting him with confidence.

"Hello, Daniel. As you'll remember, I was here not long ago, and today we just need to clarify some details. I hope you can fully cooperate," Frank said with his calm smile.

Daniel nodded cautiously.

"Of course, I'll do whatever is necessary."

Commissioner Douglas observed the interaction as Frank began the interrogation.

"All right, Daniel, can you tell us where you were on the night of the beach party?" Frank asked.

Daniel furrowed his brow, trying to remember.

"I think I was at my apartment. I... was watching a movie, I think."

Frank nodded, maintaining a calm expression.

"We've spoken to Rachel and Max, and they've confessed that the four of you met at a private beach that night. But according to them, you weren't there. Can you confirm that?"

Daniel nodded again.

"It's true; I didn't go to that party. I had no knowledge of it."

Frank seemed satisfied with Daniel's answer, but he knew there was still a missing piece in the puzzle. He got up from his chair and left the interrogation room.

Commissioner Douglas, who had been watching the conversation, followed him, and Frank walked calmly to the police station's kitchen. While preparing a cup of tea, he spoke to Douglas.

"Commissioner, here's what I think happened. During the beach party, a security guard noticed that Emily, Mike, Max, and Rachel had entered the property illegally. He confronted them, and the situation turned violent. At some point, Emily must have wanted to confess or talk about what was going on, and that's why Mike, Max, and Rachel killed her to keep her quiet. Then something similar probably happened with Mike. What we don't know yet is the motive behind this beach gathering and what the four of them were trying to conceal."

Commissioner Douglas nodded, impressed by Frank's deduction.

"That could make sense. But we need more evidence to confirm this theory."

Frank nodded as he took a sip of his tea.

"Of course. Let's go to the beach."

1

Frank and Commissioner Douglas headed to the beach after getting information about the gathering of Emily, Mike, Max, and Rachel at the location. When they arrived, they encountered a scene that was already being investigated by the police. Law enforcement officers combed the area, taking soil samples and examining the site for evidence.

Commissioner Douglas approached one of the officers in charge of the investigation and began asking questions. Frank observed the scene with keen eyes, trying to identify any details that might have been overlooked.

After a while, the Commissioner returned to where Frank was and briefed him on the situation.

"The police are already investigating the site, Frank. They've found some evidence suggesting there was a confrontation here, but we still don't have a complete picture of what happened."

Frank nodded and, eager to continue, approached the Commissioner.

"Surely there's something we can find. Any passing detail could be vital in solving this case."

Frank meticulously examined the beach scene, undeterred by the officer who had told him there was nothing to find. He was determined to discover any clues that might shed light on the case. The scene appeared simple: a small extinguished campfire, some logs for seating, and a few traces of beer cans. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

However, as Frank scrutinized every detail, a police officer approached him, appearing frustrated with the detective's insistence on searching the scene.

"There's nothing to find here, Mr. Hughes. Rachel and Max have confirmed that they dissolved the body in acid. There's nothing left to discover."

Frank remained composed and pointed to the ground, where there were some tiny, imperceptible droplets.

"That's what Max and Rachel said, but they're lying. Look at these droplets. They're small and barely visible, but they're there. If they dissolved a body in acid, these droplets shouldn't be here. And pay close attention to the direction and the indentation in the sand; it suggests that something was dragged right here."

The officer furrowed his brow, observing the drops in the sand.

"What are you suggesting?"

Frank continued his explanation calmly.

"This wasn't a premeditated murder. It was impulsive. The murder weapon, probably a random object, must have been discarded out of fear by those involved. And because in all three houses we found acid and unused gloves, which means they haven't disposed of the body yet, it's not far away. They must have brought it to this beach and tried to get rid of it here."

Commissioner Douglas, who had been listening to the conversation, nodded. He instructed the officers to conduct a search in the area. However, Frank decided to separate from the group. He knew he was close to discovering the location where they had hidden the body.

Following the faint marks in the sand and the imperceptible droplets, Frank calculated the direction in which Emily, Mike, Max, and Rachel had taken the body. His steps were precise, and his mind worked quickly as he ventured further down the beach.

Frank walked for less than a minute following the clues he had identified until he arrived at a small pit on the beach. He peered inside and there, before his eyes, lay the body of a man. The body was pale and emitted a putrid odor. Frank immediately recognized the man as Austin Norris, the third victim in the case.

Next to Austin's body, he discovered a bloodied wooden board, likely used as the murder weapon. Frank carefully examined the scene, making mental notes of all the details. He knew that this discovery was crucial for solving the case.

After taking some photographs and preserving the crime scene, Frank hurried back to where Commissioner Douglas was to share the news. Case closed.