1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 46 is over? This is just the beginning.

It was dark when Theodore and Bernie returned to the West Precinct.

They met Jacob at the station.

Jacob greeted Theodore as usual and asked him what he was doing in the East End.

Bernie quickly replied that it was just a case, but when Jacob asked about the details, Bernie brushed it off by saying it was still under investigation.

During this time, Jacob would come to see them for various reasons, and after a while, Bernie's sympathy turned back into annoyance.

This close contact led Theodore to seriously suspect that he had been secretly recruited by the FBI and was an informant sent from DC. His daily job was to monitor him…

Jacob looked at Theodore, who shrugged and pointed to Bernie to indicate that what he said was true.

Bernie, beaming with smugness, punched Jacob and muttered to himself as Jacob walked away, "Why don't you go ask Charlie Burton what he's up to!"

This scene was already commonplace for everyone.

Theodore was convinced the two men had a personal grudge, and that Bernie had likely been wronged. He had questioned them separately about the matter, but neither would say anything.

He also asked his colleagues in the homicide squad, and they had the same guess as him, but no one knew exactly what had happened.

…………

The following day, Theodore received terrible news as soon as he arrived.

Ricky told him that progress at the forensic lab was slow, and the trace evidence analysis originally scheduled for this afternoon would be postponed to tomorrow.

Theodore couldn't understand why a simple trace analysis would take three days.

He asked for the autopsy report, and Ricky told him that it was expected to be available in five days.

At this moment, Theodore's longing for Samuel reached its peak.

Theodore obviously couldn't just wait three days for a trace evidence test result.

Just as he was about to go to the forensic lab to help, someone came to his door.

The person who came was Paul Miller, one of the eyewitnesses.

Bernie quietly told Theodore that Paul Miller's father was preparing to run for mayor and was actively courting old Howard.

Paul Miller wears glasses, has a well-proportioned build, and is half a head taller than Dwight Howard and about the same height as Theodore.

He came down accompanied by one of Congressman Miller's aides.

The staff member knew Keller and was stopped by Keller to chat in the waiting room. Paul Miller, on the other hand, was taken into the interrogation room.

He showed a strong resistance to unfamiliar environments and seemed to be a very introverted person.

The only useful information Theodore got from him was:
He saw Howard Jr. and James Carter go up to the attic one after the other. When he went up, he saw Howard Jr. holding a knife and covered in blood.

He didn't see Howard Jr. make a move.

Aside from that, he just kept drinking water; the tension and fear almost overwhelmed the entire interrogation room.

Before leaving, the shy young man kept apologizing to them for not being able to help.

Theodore was already satisfied to have met this eyewitness. The other eyewitness had already gone to New York overnight for an important surgery.

Howard Sr. could ensure that no one obstructed the investigation, but he couldn't ensure that everyone would cooperate fully.

After dismissing the nervous and introverted young man, Theodore went to the medical examiner's office.

He was very dissatisfied with the efficiency of the forensic team in the East District and decided to take matters into his own hands.

As the end of the workday approached, Keller's efforts to coordinate were still fruitless, but the forensic department had already produced results.

………………

Ricky, who was busy getting off work, walked into the conference room and 'graciously' worked overtime for a few minutes.

Keller took out his notebook and sat up straight.

Bernie was much more casual, sitting half-on the table and constantly rubbing his shoulders and arms.

He was stabbed by Theodora all afternoon, and he almost lost feeling in both arms.

Theodore tapped the whiteboard and began by explaining the principles of trace evidence identification.

They inserted the murder weapon into a simulated material that resembled the victim's body size to recreate the stabbing action.

The insertion angle and depth were recorded at different heights of the subjects. Finally, the experimental data were compared with the wounds on the corpses to determine if they matched.

To be honest, Theodore didn't understand why the East District forensic pathologist would take three days to complete such a small task.

Despite Theodore's afternoon of urging, a report has not yet been finalized, but the results are in.

"Based on the angle of the vertical stab wound into the victim's chest and the depth of the wound, combined with the human model experiment, it is speculated that the perpetrator's height is between 5 feet (152cm) and 6 feet (183cm), and that he held the knife in his right hand."

"The killer was standing face-to-face with the victim when he thrust the knife in, with the blade inserted vertically."

The meeting room fell silent.

Howard Jr. is 5.7 feet tall.

Keller put away his pen and paper, checked with Theodore again, and got up to leave after receiving an affirmative answer.

Now that there's a result, he needs to immediately inform old Howard and work on a response strategy as soon as possible.

It's not the same thing for my son to kill your son versus for someone to help you investigate the real killer of your son.

Ricky asked Theodore, "Is this the end?"

If this is the outcome, he needs to inform his old friend.

Theodore stopped the two impatient men and banged on the table.

He answered Ricky's question first, "No, this is just the beginning."

Ricky and Keller looked at him, puzzled.

Theodore paced back and forth with some interest, then said with certainty, "I don't think Howard Jr. is the murderer."

"He lacks motivation."

Ricky looked at Theodore with an expression that said, "Are you kidding me?"

Keller was also taken aback, secretly suspecting that his boss had secretly bribed Detective Felton.

Bernie pulled out a chair, sat down, took out his notebook, and placed it on the table, saying, "Theresa has convinced the deceased to give up pursuing Emily Grant."

Based on his past experience, Theodore would soon be 'saying something surprising'.

Theodore nodded. "That's right. The deceased gave up pursuing Emily Grant, and there was no longer any conflict between him and Howard Jr. There's no reason for Howard Jr. to kill Teddy Santos."

Ricky shrugged. "But now everything points to Anthony Howard II."

"The forensic examination results you requested further prove that he is the murderer."

Theodore said, "That only means the killer was between 5 and 6 feet tall."

Refuting Ricky's doubts, Theodore picked up a pen and drew a question mark on the whiteboard, his tone filled with excitement.

"This was a premeditated murder."

Bernie perked up, took out his pen, and began to take notes.

Seeing that Ricky was still looking, he kindly nudged him. Ricky then looked to the other side, where Keller, who was obviously very experienced in this area, had already taken out his notebook and was writing.

Ricky didn't take out his notebook; in fact, he didn't carry one at all. His mind was exceptionally sharp, and he had an almost photographic memory.

"The killer was familiar with the details of the conflict between Howard Jr. and the victim, and it appears that he used the conflict between the two to set up the scheme."

"Looks like?" Bernie asked, puzzled.

Ricky glanced at him, seemingly annoyed by his interruption.

Theodore nodded. "If we only look at the evidence and witness testimonies, Howard Jr. would definitely be considered the murderer."

With witnesses and physical evidence present, this already meets the standard conditions for solving a case.

"If we know about the conflict between the deceased and Howard Jr. a month ago, Howard Jr. would have had a motive to commit the crime."

Witness testimony, physical evidence, and motive—these are the essential elements of an ironclad case.

"Even knowing that the conflict between Howard Jr. and the deceased no longer exists, based on the evidence and witness testimonies, Howard Jr. is still the prime suspect."

Having explained this point, Theodore continued, "The killer belongs to the privileged class. He knows the layout of the party villa and must have been there more than once."

(End of this chapter)