Chapter 33: Conflict

While sifting through the evidence, Olivia couldn't help but think about the clues from Starlight Town. She figured she'd start with the leads from the Starlight Town Police Department to slowly piece together the mystery.

The missing person case kicked off with an abandoned car. A local found it behind their house, and when they checked it out, the car was drenched in blood, but no one was inside.

Olivia mused, "First off, we got this missing car. When it was found, it was soaked in blood, but there were no signs of a struggle. This means more than one person was involved, and the victim didn't get a chance to fight back. The autopsy report backs this up."

William nodded like a bobblehead. A bunch of colleagues were gathered around, listening to Olivia break down the case. Some were all ears, while others were a bit distracted by Olivia's looks. One of the distracted ones was Zephyr, who had just joined the Detective Unit.

People always said that men looked their best when they were working hard, and the same was true for women. Olivia was not only drop-dead gorgeous but also super sharp. She never wore makeup at the station and kept her hair simply tied back. Even in her uniform, she always stood out among the other women.

A colleague noticed Zephyr zoning out and gave him a nudge. "Zephyr, what are you daydreaming about? Focus on the case!"

Zephyr snapped back to reality and quickly looked down, pretending to read the case files. Olivia was oblivious to all this and kept analyzing the case.

Olivia explained, "According to the report, the blood was only inside the car, not around it, which means it wasn't the primary crime scene. The car was driven from somewhere else. So, who was in the victim's car? Only a taxi driver saw them!"

Based on the taxi driver's description, the Starlight Town Police Department had a sketch made. But the sketch didn't match any suspects, which stalled the case.

William asked, "Olivia, could it be that the killer was someone the victim knew, so they weren't on guard?"

Olivia frowned a bit and nodded. "That's possible. We should look into the victim's friends or anyone they had beef with. Even though the Starlight Town Police Department already did this, it's worth another shot. Plus, we can make a big show of the investigation. The more noise we make, the more likely the culprit will slip up."

William slapped the table excitedly. "That's a great idea, Olivia!"

But not everyone was thrilled with Olivia's plan. Mason, one of the more seasoned colleagues, voiced his doubts. "You love to show off every day. Do you really think you're that good? All you do is talk. Have you thought about how much work this would be? If we make a big fuss and don't catch the killer, it would be a waste of effort. And if we scare the killer off, wouldn't that be counterproductive?"

Their points were valid, so Olivia didn't argue, which made the two even more smug.

Ryan chimed in, "Since that's the case, you should just clean the office and organize files. Leave the case to us!" Mason and Ryan were long-time staff members, while William, Olivia, and Zephyr were all newcomers. So, they often didn't have much say in various situations.

Hearing them trash-talk Olivia, Zephyr couldn't hold back. "If you think so little of Olivia, why didn't you go down the well to retrieve the body during the dismemberment case? Why didn't you climb the balcony to find the first crime scene? Olivia's only been here six months and has already cracked two cases, but she didn't take any credit. She gave it all to you two, didn't she?"

Zephyr worked in administration, so he knew exactly who got the credit. He felt it was unfair to Olivia and admired her even more when he learned she had voluntarily given up the credit. That was why he immediately volunteered when the Detective Unit needed more hands.

Mason shot back, "We were involved in those cases too, so why shouldn't we get the credit?"

So, sometimes, good deeds went unrewarded.

Olivia was also pissed and regretted giving them the credit. But they were a team, and both difficulties and honors should be shared.

Henry, who had been standing not far away, watching the two-on-three situation, walked over.

Henry addressed the group, "Olivia, from now on, you'll stay in the office. William and Zephyr will handle fieldwork. Mason, Ryan, which one of you wants to take charge of this case?"

As the oldest in the group, Mason spoke up, "Mr. Phillips, I'll take charge of this case!"

Henry made a quick decision. "Then Mason will be the task force leader, and everyone must cooperate with him!"

William and Zephyr were very unhappy, but Olivia calmly accepted it.

Mason and Ryan walked away smugly, while William was fuming.

William protested, "Mr. Phillips, Mason and Ryan always hide during missions and are the first to claim credit. This is so unfair!"

Henry scolded, "William, don't forget, you're a police officer. If you want respect, you need to earn it. This is the Detective Unit, not a marketplace!"

After Henry left, the three in the conference room felt deflated.

William muttered, "What a mess! I became a cop to make a difference, not to deal with this kind of hassle!"

Olivia rubbed her head. Instead of complaining, she decided to focus on getting results.

Then she suggested, "Let's split up. You guys go talk to the victim's friends and family to gather information, make a big deal out of the case, and have the Starlight Town Police Department keep an eye on known troublemakers and anyone with a record. See if there's anything unusual!"

William and Zephyr nodded and headed to Starlight Town, while Mason and Ryan stayed in the office, not caring about the case's progress.

"Olivia, from now on, report your daily case progress to me every morning. And William and Zephyr must report their whereabouts to me!" Mason ordered and swaggered back to his desk to drink coffee.

Olivia said nothing and continued looking at the information on her computer.

However, the next morning, Mason didn't receive Olivia's case progress report, so he confronted her. "Olivia, what do you mean by this? I'm the task force leader. Why didn't you report to me?"