Chapter 80

Henry gave a slight nod, showing he was on board with Sophia's plan.

After filling him in on the case, Sophia scanned the chaotic banquet hall and quickly spotted the host who was supposed to be running the show.

She walked up to him, her tone firm but polite. "Hey, can I borrow your mic for a sec?"

The host looked surprised but handed over the microphone without a second thought.

Sophia took the mic, cleared her throat, and spoke loudly, "Everyone, please stay where you are and cooperate with us for a search. We need to get to the bottom of this quickly and avoid any misunderstandings. Thanks for your cooperation."

She then gave a deep bow to the crowd.

As she straightened up, she noticed the hall was equipped with surveillance cameras.

This was a crucial clue! Feeling a surge of excitement, she turned to the trembling host beside her and said, "Call the hotel manager and ask them to cooperate by providing the surveillance footage."

"Alright, officer," the host replied, his voice shaky and his hands trembling slightly without him realizing it.

His obvious anxiety instantly raised Sophia's suspicion.

Sophia thought, 'Why is he so nervous? Does he know something he shouldn't? Could he be involved in this case?'

Countless questions flashed through her mind, but now wasn't the time to dig deeper. She needed to stabilize the situation first.

Just as Sophia was contemplating, her colleagues from the police department arrived on the scene.

Frank ran in, panting heavily, sweat rolling down his determined face. He gasped, "Captain, weren't you here for the banquet? It's like a crime drama with you—wherever you go, a murder follows!"

"Frank, cut the chatter and get to work. Do you want that promotion or not?" Sophia glared at him, using the prospect of a promotion to motivate him.

Frank immediately shut his mouth, feeling a bit disgruntled but not daring to say more. He quickly directed his colleagues to start collecting evidence and conducting searches.

However, the sheer number of people at the scene made the task daunting. The crowded hall was filled with people whispering and discussing the recent murder, creating a noisy and chaotic environment.

Searching and investigating each person would take a considerable amount of time, requiring patience.

At this, Sophia felt a headache coming on. She rubbed her temples and walked around the scene, trying to find more clues amidst the chaos.

With each step, she carefully observed the surroundings and the crowd, not missing any details.

Meanwhile, Henry approached the body, crouched down, and began a thorough examination.Henry's eyes were locked in focus as he gently examined the body, carefully checking every possible spot for hidden clues.

After about ten minutes, his careful and professional approach led him to find three potential pieces of evidence on the body.

First, a strand of golden hair, shimmering under the light.

Next, Henry found a phone in the inner pocket of the deceased's shirt. The screen lit up, revealing a threatening message: [Meet me on the rooftop. If you don't return the evidence, I'll expose your scandal.]

Lastly, he discovered a ZIPP lighter, its surface worn from frequent use.

Looking at the items in Henry's hands, Sophia stepped forward and asked, "What do you think?"

"At least three people had close contact with the deceased before he died. We should find these three people first, ask them about their interactions with the deceased, and investigate any grudges they might have." Henry spoke calmly, his eyes showing a sharp glint.

Frank, overhearing their conversation, couldn't help but roll his eyes and interject, "Three people? How can you be sure? You can't just rely on these three pieces of evidence to determine the number of people, Mr. Martin. As official police, we need to be logical. And with so many people here, how do you plan to find these three? You can't just go by intuition."

"Of course, we'll rely on evidence. Let's start with the golden hair," Henry said, bringing the strand of golden hair close to his nose and sniffing it lightly. He then turned to Frank and said, "Gather everyone with golden hair here."

Though he was skeptical of Henry's judgment, Frank went ahead and followed his instructions.

Soon, several women with golden hair were brought before Henry. He stood in front of them, scrutinizing each one with a focused and piercing gaze.

After a moment, he seemed to confirm something and suddenly pointed at one of them. "Sir, your relationship with Chris is quite unusual. Could you tell me what you discussed the last time you were together?"

"What? Sir?" Frank's mouth hung open in surprise, his eyes wide as if he had heard something unbelievable.

Sophia glanced at him with disdain and explained, "Close your mouth. Don't be so clueless."

Frank was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say.

He was taken aback because he had assumed the owner of the golden hair would be a woman, but it turned out to be a man.

After regaining his composure, he couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Martin, how did you know?"

Henry replied, "It's the scent. The hair's fragrance matches this gentleman's."

He explained calmly, "And I know Chris had a cleanliness obsession and a strong aversion to women. So, the only person who could leave such an item on him would be a man."