Veronica spent the rest of the night at the crime scene, searching for any clues that could lead her to the killer. She found a few scraps of paper near the victim's body, with names and dates scrawled in a hurried hand. She pocketed them, knowing they could be useful.
The next morning, she started her investigation by visiting the local brothels. She knew that the victim was likely a prostitute, and she hoped to find someone who had seen her before she died. It was a risky move, but Veronica had learned to take risks in her line of work.
At the first brothel she visited, Veronica was met with suspicion and hostility. The madam, Felicia, refused to speak to her, claiming she didn't know anything about the victim. But Veronica was persistent, and after some gentle prodding, she managed to get a few scraps of information.
It wasn't much, but it was a start. The victim had been a regular at the brothel, and had been seen leaving with a man a few nights before she was killed. Felicia didn't know his name, but she described him as handsome and charming.
Veronica knew she had a new suspect. She spent the next few days visiting other brothels in the area, gathering more information about the victim and her potential killer. It wasn't an easy job, and she had to endure more than a few lewd comments and suggestive glances from the men she questioned.
But despite the setbacks, Veronica was making progress. She had a list of potential suspects, and she was determined to find the killer.
Veronica made her way to a local restaurant to grab a bite to eat. She sat down at a table and ordered her food, but her thoughts kept returning to the victim. She couldn't get the image of the dead girl out of her head. She wondered who Bella was, and who had wanted her dead.
As Veronica was about to leave the restaurant, Felicia, the madam from the brothel, called out to her. "Miss Veronica, I believe I know who the victim is," she said, approaching Veronica's table.
Veronica's heart raced as Felicia revealed the dead prostitute's name: Bella. "She was one of my girls. A sweet thing, she was. She had a good heart, even if she had a rough life," Felicia said, her voice shaking.
Veronica knew that she had to find Bella's killer, for Felicia's sake and for Bella's memory. She thanked Felicia and made her way out of the restaurant, her eyes fixed on the man who had caught her attention earlier. She would find out everything she could about him, no matter the cost.
