Chapter 51
Chapter 51
The door swung open and Micheal stepped in. Ariel was already inside with Dr. Howard, the pathologist in charge of autopsies.
“Hey, Micheal,” Ariel called, walking toward him.
He tucked his hands into his pockets, chin raised slightly. “Were you able to find anything?”
Ariel sighed. “After the results came out, we confirmed the blood belonged to Mr. Gideon.”
“So it was dropped there intentionally?”
She shrugged. “Can’t say yet.”
“Hey, Tina! Can I get a cup of coffee?” Ariel called to the pathologist’s assistant. Tina nodded and disappeared into the break area.
“But the ring we found… we should ask Mrs. Cole what she knows about it first,” Ariel continued. “It’s suspicious. Two murders in one night, and a fire outbreak too. I feel all of it is connected.”
Tina handed her the cup. “Thank you,” Ariel muttered, taking a large sip.
“Careful. You wouldn’t want to choke on that,” Micheal warned as they stepped out of the lab.
Ariel took another sip. “Believe me, I haven’t eaten anything since morning. My stomach has been growling nonstop.”
She wiped her lips and nodded back at an officer who greeted her in passing.
“Mrs. Cole will be here soon. She was invited,” Micheal said, checking his watch. “Let’s go.”
The interrogation room was dim, the overhead light focused sharply on the metal table. Behind the soundproof glass, detectives stood with headsets on, watching and listening.
Ariel entered with Micheal. Mrs. Cole was already seated, hands clasped together tightly.
She greeted them softly. Micheal took the chair opposite her.
“This is wrong,” she whispered as he settled in. Her fingers trembled, her breath unstable.
“It’s just a short interrogation,” Micheal said calmly. “You’ll be free to go if you’re not found guilty.”
Mrs. Cole stared at him, tapping her finger nervously against the table. Then she leaned back slightly.
Micheal pulled out a plastic evidence bag. “This ring was found at Mr. Gideon’s residence. I’m certain you have the exact same one.”
She was silent for a moment. She glanced at Ariel standing in the corner, then nodded.
“Probably just a coincidence that he has it,” she said softly. Her eyes were red and puffy, strained from crying.
“Can I see yours?” Micheal asked.
She removed her ring slowly. “Detective… it’s my wedding ring.” Her voice cracked. “Anything could’ve happened to it before you found it in his home. Besides…”
She paused, tears thickening her words.
Ariel handed her a handkerchief. Mrs. Cole took it with a weak smile and wiped her cheeks.
“My husband wasn’t wearing his ring when we found him dead,” she whispered. “He never forgets to wear it.”
Micheal waited until she regained composure before continuing.
“We’ll verify if both rings match and if they belong to your husband.”
She nodded.
“I’ll get in touch with you if I have more questions.”
A uniformed officer entered and escorted her out.
Ariel uncrossed her arms and walked toward Micheal.
“If the ring actually belonged to Mr. Cole, then he was at Gideon’s place that night. Maybe there was an argument, something went wrong, and the fire—”
She hesitated.
“Do you think Mr. Cole could’ve done it?”
Micheal sat on the table’s edge.
“Not likely. Even the craziest murderer has a motive. Mr. Gideon had no money, no power compared to Mr. Cole. Why would Mr. Cole kill him?”
He paused, thinking.
“What if he was there,” Ariel continued, “and someone else came in—the real killer? Maybe the ring fell off during the struggle. Mrs. Cole said he never took it off.”
Micheal flicked her forehead lightly. “Stop with the murder fantasies. You’re a detective. Work with evidence.”
Ariel rubbed her forehead, embarrassed. “Right…”
“You go through Mr. Gideon’s mobile phone—pick it up from evidence. I’ll check the envelope Mrs. Cole gave us last time,” Micheal said.
Ariel nodded, and he left first.
Ariel returned home that evening with Gideon’s phone. She dropped her bag on the couch, pulled off her clothes as she entered the bedroom, and collapsed onto the bed with a long exhale.
Her phone rang. She grabbed it without looking.
“Want me to come over?” Micheal asked, his tone playfully flirty.
Ariel scoffed. “Focus on the case.”
“That would mean I would have to return back,” he teased.
“That’s fine.”
“I’d rather stall the case to spend more time with you.”
Ariel laughed as she walked to the fridge. “Don’t flirt with me. I saw you after you left the interrogation room.”
“What? I didn’t do anything.”
“Oh please. You and Tina returned from the restroom together. Don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy whatever that was. I’m not surprised—just expected better from you.”
She sat at the dining table, pouring milk into a bowl and adding cereal while holding Gideon’s phone. The tech team had unlocked it and restored the data.
“That was me helping her with her zipper,” Micheal said.
Ariel paused with a smirk. “Wow. You’re a zip man now? Inspector Micheal.”
He laughed.
“Don’t think I’m jealous,” she added quickly.
He laughed even harder.
Ariel scrolled through Gideon’s phone—bank transfers, messages. A pattern appeared:
Large sums of money transferred from Mrs. Cole to Gideon.
Then she opened the gallery.
A picture froze her hand in place.
Gideon in his bedroom… smiling… holding someone.
A woman.
Her face hidden. Only her back visible.
Ariel swiped again. More pictures. Different places. Same woman. Always hiding her face.
Then one photo stopped her cold.
The woman’s hand— with a ring.
The exact same ring as Mrs. Cole’s wedding ring.
“So what you’re saying—” Micheal began.
“Micheal,” Ariel interrupted sharply.
“Was it mentioned anywhere that Mr. Gideon had a wife?”
“No.”
Ariel’s brows knitted as she stared at the screen.
“I think Mrs. Cole was having an affair with Mr. Gideon.”
Micheal shrugged. “Well, I just opened the file on my end. Nothing suspicious. Just company documents.”
Paper rustled through the phone. “Wait—something fell out. A note.”
A pause.
“It says, ‘We can’t keep doing this.’”
Ariel went silent.
So did Micheal.
“I don’t know if my instincts are right,” Ariel said finally, voice low, “but Mrs. Cole is definitely hiding something.”