100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 143: The Reunion

2:45 PM, Saturday, 7 Eastbourne Rd

Levi sat at his desk, elbows propped on top of his desk, fingers intertwined and pressed against his lips. His sharp eyes trained on the letter on the table, an invitation for a reunion from his University. He wondered if Marco received his.

Sam walked out from his kitchen wearing a white tee-shirt and a pair of faded jeans and sneakers. Two spoons and an 8oz cup of ice cream in each hand. She placed one in front of the slicked blond, noticing his stern expression. "What’s the craic?" she asked, leaning in from behind him reading the paper. She placed the spoon in her mouth after dipping it in a pint of vanilla ice cream.

Sam raised her brow in intrigue, "You should go, you’ve been cooped up here for days. Could be fun?" she suggested, almost choking at her own words. She had noticed the changes in him for the past days; he had been antsy lately with the lack of mental stimulation; something she couldn’t provide since she had been consulting on some cases with Anna overseas. Some agent had been found dead yet again abroad, that needed thorough investigation.

Levi scoffed at her suggestion, "It’s a social gathering of eejits--a complete waste of time." He dismissed as he took the ice cream cup and took off its lid. He pondered on taking the case Davies had given him 2 hours ago; about two socialites that had been found dead in their home from a drug overdose a few days apart.

The Irishman inserted the letter back to its envelope and dropped it in the bin beside his desk, and he then leaned back on his chair as he ate the ice cream and continued to ponder on the possible case. He grabbed the file on his coffee table that Davies left for him to read, hoping he’d consider consulting again. But the slicked blond was not in the mood to ’parallel play’ with the Bobbies.

He sighed after hours of deliberation; he decided to take it finally. It was the best he could do, considering his Agency cases had been receiving nothing but boring Infidelity cases that the boys were more than capable of handling by themselves.

It was almost dinner time when the Irishman realized that so much time had passed while he was studying the case, he looked around searching for the redhead, but he realized that he was now alone in his flat. Levi stood up from his spot, making his way to the centre table where a piece of paper was lying on the table.

’Went out to get Chinese, BRB

x Sam’, it said.

Levi raised a brow; she really did get him, he thought. He appreciated that she didn’t bother him when he worked and that she didn’t get annoyed at him when he ignored her for hours, days even when he was ’in the zone’.

As he waited for her return, he folded his sleeves and got to work. He pulled the whiteboard from the corner of the room and started pinning photos from the file on the board, creating a diagram on the on-going case. He needed more information; the pieces of the puzzle were still incomplete.

.....

Monday, Jackson Detectives Agency

Levi stood in his office, looking at the whiteboard with hands inside his pockets. Davies was kind enough to provide him with more information, enthused that he took the case.

Marco entered the room, two cups of coffee in hand. He handed the slicked blond his cup, made just the way he liked it, black. Levi muttered a thank you, sipping the hot cup of Joe as Marco stood beside him, looking at the board. "What do we have?" he asked.

The slicked blond pointed at the two victims on the board, "Evelyn Wallace and Olivia-rose Miles are socialites living off old money. They both own a moderately successful business of overpriced clothing lines." he started to explain, earning an intrigued look from the bearded man.

"Evelyn and Olivia shared the same circle of friends. Alcohol, drugs, parties every night. Both single and living alone. Each of them was found dead from a drug overdose in their homes just a few days apart." Levi shared, then pointed at Evelyn’s photo.

"She was found first in the tub by the maid two days after the estimated time of death; gruesome sight the skin had started to slough off. There are photos in the file if you wanna see." Levi said gesturing to the file on his desk.

Marco shot him an appalled look, "I’ll pass, thanks." he said. Levi shrugged, amused at the bearded man and continued to explain the case.

"Olivia, on the other hand, was found on her bed, her body tried to expel the drug by vomiting, but unfortunately she was unconscious when it happened, so she choked on her vomit and died."

Marco frowned looking at the images of the two women, and he reckons the both of them grew up getting what they wanted in life. And unlike ordinary folks like himself, they probably never had to stress over paying their monthly bills. So he wondered why waste their Life using dangerous illegal drugs? What’s the point of it? The rush? The thrill?

He couldn’t comprehend; however, he knew he shouldn’t judge. Anyone, whatever status they were in life, they have their battles. Still, the bearded man couldn’t help but feel dismayed.

Levi glanced at Marco, seeing as he was still paying attention he continued.

"CID’s Forensic Toxicologist examined the victim’s blood and found that the two of them died using the same drug. A new type of crystal methamphetamine called ’white wave’, notoriously potent and claimed to be 95 % chemically pure." he explained, taking another sip from his cup.

"It also happens to be really difficult to come by and costs 3x the amount of regular Meth, and from my sources in the streets there is only one supplier in Central London", he added, earning a nod from the GP.

"Who?" Marco asked. Levi tore his eyes away from the GP, "Still working on that," he said, disappointed in his voice.

Marco gestured back to the board, "Anyway, Suicide?" the bearded man proposed, the slicked blond shook his head. "Considered it, but there was no suicide letter present in both scene, nor did they have any signs of depression based on interviews from family and friends. Also, the two of them made plans to attend a charity ball for next week. Thus, it is highly unlikely." he elaborated.

"They have too many things in common." Marco thought out loud. "Too many to be a coincidence, this is a pattern." Levi agreed. Both victims were female under the age of 35, socialites, and found dead alone in their homes from an overdose from the same drug.

Marco hummed, thinking, he got nothing, so he turned immediately to his friend. "So, any ideas?" he asked.

"A few," Levi answered, then gestured to the photo of their leading suspect David Fletcher. "I had Alex tail this guy. He’s our lead suspect, he is both acquainted with the two victims and had been seen with them weeks before the death. Unfortunately his fiancee corroborated his alibi that he was with her at home during the time of death" he said.

"I also had Joe do a background check, and it states that he is involved with some shady people and that he happened to also be in 52 Mil debt and under the NCA watchlist. My gut tells me he supplies illegal drugs to our local socialites for fast cash." the Irishman said, and as if on cue, they heard a knock on the slightly ajar door. The duo turned towards the source, and there stood their young Private investigator Alex. "Boss, I got what you asked," he said, Levi nodded, and he entered the room handing the blond his camera’s memory card.

"Order dinner, it’s on me," Levi said, and the younger man smiled widely. He was starving.

"Italian good, boss?" he asked, "You boys decide," he replied, making his way to his table and inserting the memory card to a USB Card reader and plugging it to his computer. And printed all of it.

Half an hour later, the group ate dinner in the office; the boys were chatting amongst each other.

It was after dinner that Levi started examining the photos from Alex, and he realized something. His eyes widened, looking at the image of a woman with medium length brown hair walking beside David Fletcher. He’d seen that woman before--he can’t recall where. He racked his brain glaring at the photo. "Alex, who’s this?" he asked, showing the man the picture.

"Carol Corden, Boss. She’s Fletcher’s fiance." Alex informed the blond. A memory of the woman popped in his mind, and his eyes widened in realization. He had met her before in his Uni! "OOOh! Awful good!" the slicked blond exclaimed, grinning widely. He then ran out of the agency and climbed up the stairs to his flat.

Marco and the boys exchanged bewildered looks, but they brushed it off just as fast. Levi Jackson acting weird is quite familiar to them now.