"Guys with azoospermia can't have kids," Ethan said. "But Kurt's got two sons, so it must be Tony who died. Looks like Sophia got it wrong."
"But if Tony had azoospermia, then the baby Lyra was carrying had to be Kurt's. So why'd she get an abortion instead of using the baby to make Kurt divorce?" Robert shot back. "And when Tony found out Lyra was pregnant, he was over the moon. Didn't he know he had azoospermia?"
Ryan looked serious and said, "We've got a problem. The old DNA records for Tony and Kurt didn't include STR typing. So even if we figure out the STR types of the dead guy and the living one are different, we can't prove the dead one is Kurt."
"Can fingerprints tell twins apart?" Robert asked.
"Fingerprints can, but the dead guy's fingers are missing."
"But his prints are in the criminal database."
As soon as Robert said this, he realized the suspect's fingerprints were the only proof of his identity.
He urgently shouted, "Tell the officers tailing Kurt to keep a close watch on him. We're heading over right now."
If the suspect destroyed his fingerprints, it would be a disaster!
"Let's move out."
When Robert rushed down to the lobby, he could still feel the biting cold wind sneaking through the door cracks.
But Sophia hadn't left; she was standing in a corner with her back to him.
Robert walked past her, jumped into the police car, and sped towards Kurt's dad's house with a group of officers.
When they got there, the officers on watch said Kurt was still inside.
Robert stationed officers at all exits and led the others to Kurt's dad's door. Just as he was about to knock, they heard agonizing screams from inside.
When they broke in, they found a burning stove in the living room, and Kurt lay on the floor next to it, his arms convulsing in pain.
His ten fingers were smoking. His fingerprints were destroyed!
Destroying his fingerprints in such a panic meant he wasn't Kurt but Tony.
As the police car took the bandaged Tony back to the station, Robert saw Sophia standing at the entrance.
Tony, with his fingers wrapped, was dragged out of the car by the police.
Robert noticed Sophia's gaze lingering on Tony's fingers, her eyes filled with excitement.
Robert signaled the surrounding officers to stay close to Tony, not giving Sophia a chance to approach.
Tony was taken into the interrogation room, and Robert stood at the door, thinking about other options.
Without the fingerprints, they either had to get Tony to admit who he was or find a breakthrough from people who knew him well.
Robert thought for a moment and asked Ethan, "Has Kurt's wife woken up?"
"Yeah."
"Head to the hospital and ask her some questions. She's been with Kurt long enough; she should recognize him."
Robert then turned to another officer, "Get in touch with her parents and brother. See if you can dig up any useful info, like if she and Kurt had any beef."
The officer asked, "Do we still need to look into Sophia? I just got in touch with her high school teacher."
Robert instructed, "Put Sophia's investigation on ice for now. Focus on these folks first."
Robert continued, "Any leads on Kurt's cousin's husband? He's our prime suspect in Lyra's murder and could crack this case wide open."
Ethan sifted through a stack of documents and handed Robert the relevant info. "He's got a son studying abroad, and Kurt's footing the bill."
That explained why there was no record of Kurt hiring a hitman. These education expenses could be hush money for the murder.
Robert headed to the interrogation room where Kurt's cousin's husband was being held.
"We've got enough evidence to bring you in," Robert said. "It's confirmed you killed Lyra."
"Did you do it because of this?" Robert slid the azoospermia report towards him.
Kurt's cousin's husband looked panicked but still denied it. "I didn't kill anyone. It was the daughter of the woman Kurt tortured to death years ago. My wife said she was out for revenge. You should look into her."
"Are you sure?" Robert said. "Too bad she was with us when Lyra died."
As soon as Robert said this, Kurt's cousin's husband's face went pale.
"No one's gonna be paying for your son's expenses anymore." Robert pushed the azoospermia report in front of him again.
"Take a good look. The one with azoospermia is dead and can't keep any promises."
"What?" Kurt's cousin's husband's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Robert, confused, and asked, "If Kurt is dead, then who was the guy talking to me at my house?"
With that statement, the truth became clear. The deceased was indeed Kurt, and the man pretending to be Kurt was actually Tony.
When Robert mentioned the azoospermia, the cousin's husband instinctively said Kurt's name. This indicated that Kurt was the one with azoospermia.
In the end, Kurt's cousin's husband confessed. He did kill Lyra, and he swapped Wren's soy milk with milk containing a bit of dairy.
He did all this because Tony, pretending to be Kurt, promised to buy a house abroad for his son in the future.
"One last question. Were Tony and Kurt's ages deliberately reduced by a year 16 years ago?" Robert asked, staring into the cousin's husband's eyes.