Veronica was looking through her notes when she heard the door to her room open. It was Victor with a coffee mug in one hand and a stack of documents in the other.

Victor set the files down. Veronica sighed, a long exhale that carried the weight of three sleepless nights.

"Thanks for the coffee". Veronica rubbed her eyes, the steam from the coffee fogging her glasses for a second before she pushed them higher on her nose. Victor nodded and sat in the chair.

"Have you collected the statements from the neighbours?"

"Yes," he replied, pointing at the stack of documents.

"The footage?"

He grabbed a pen drive from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

"And?" she enquired.

"Well, nothing substantial. I checked the two cameras at the entrance. Mostly passersby. The camera in the lobby on the floor has been broken for a while, so nothing from them."

"Any reports from neighbours?"

"No. They described them as a peaceful couple without any problems. No fights, no strange behaviour. Even on the day of murder. Nothing odd. Not even an odd sound."

She just hummed in reply as she took a sip from the coffee.

"Oh, and I want you to visit Jane Park and collect her statement as well," Veronica pointed her pen at him.

"Noted."

Victor Wan was the detective assisting Veronica on the case. He was a newbie and had a lot to learn. But he was hardworking and did his work diligently.

"Go through the footage again. Pin down every face. Even the harmless ones and check their alibis," he nodded, noting it down in his notebook. 

Veronica did not say a word for a while and just stared at the board in front of her.

"What's on your mind?" Victor asked when she looked lost in thought.

"Just thinking about the possible cases," she replied, leaning back in her chair.

"Tell me what you're thinking. Maybe I can help," he said, glancing at the documents.

"Cause of death was blood loss. Stab wound," Veronica said, thinking aloud.

"Yes."

"So whoever did it must have either done it in an impulse, or gone through with it, but couldn't fully see through."

"So he could have been saved if someone had spotted the body earlier?"

"Yes"

"Could it have been a burglary gone wrong?" Victor asked, curious.

"Rule out robbery—no missing items," Veronica continued, dismissing the fact.

"But if there's no robbery, then... does that mean it was personal?"

"Yes, and if so, it has been well planned. The victim must have known the perpetrator very well. They must have known the house and the layout of the building very well."

"But what if it had been on impulse?" Victor pondered.

"No signs of struggle or scuffle. We're not looking for a ghost. Someone bled him out in his own home. That takes intent."

Victor leaned forward. "So whoever did it... must have been someone he trusted."

"Precisely so. And someone who knew about the broken camera. That wasn't luck," she added, noting it down on the board.

Veronica flipped through the statements, her pen tapping against the file. "Neighbours call them quiet. Peaceful couple. No arguments, no strange behaviour. Not even an odd sound."

"Yes," Victor confirmed, but it made him think.

"But... if no one heard anything, maybe it wasn't just one person but a group. That would explain the silence." Victor asked, his pen hovering over the page as if waiting for permission to write it down.

Veronica didn't look up from her notes. After a pause, she replied. "Wouldn't surprise me. But one liar is easier to catch than two."

Victor frowned, still flipping through the documents. "Who's at the top of our list right now?"

Veronica finally looked up from her notes. She threw two files in front of Victor. 

"Ina and River," Veronica stated.

Victor raised a brow. "The girlfriend and the best friend?"

"The partner and the business partner," Veronica corrected, her voice clipped.

Victor picked up the first file. River's details and his statement were attached.

"Mutual friend of Sehuj and Ina. Very close acquaintances. Have been working on a business together. An idea from college. He was the first person to identify and report the body," Veronica narrated as Victor skimmed the file.

"Motive?" Victor questioned.

"Could be anything. Conflict of interest, Financial issues. Not very rare in partnerships." Victor hummed in agreement.

Veronica leaned close, her voice low.

"For me, the most striking factor is how calm he has been through this ordeal. They were close friends and business partners who had known each other for a long time. He was the first person to find the body, yet he remained rational and calm throughout, both during the statement and at the funeral. Too calm, too collected. That's not grief, that's control. Behaviour, almost rehearsed. Every word measured..." Veronica paused as she contemplated that last sentence.

Victor also took a minute to process the words as he picked the next file.

"Ina. She wasn't just his girlfriend—she was also his business partner. Haven't tied the knot yet, but close enough to make things messy," Veronica summarized, tapping the desk.

"Partners in life and business? That never ends well," Victor added, sighing.

"Out of everyone, she had the best opportunity," Veronica concluded, looking at Victor.

"So we are going in this direction?" Victor asked as he closed the files.

Veronica nodded. "Both had an opportunity. Both had motive. If we dig deep enough, we will find everything. And if they worked together..." She let the sentence hang.

Silence stretched before she added, "You take Ina. I'll take River." Victor understood and nodded.

"One of them is lying..." Veronica continued, looking directly at Victor, "...and we are going to find out," Veronica finished, slamming the file close.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁