The Urban Abyss

A Crime of Passion? Or Revenge?

The "Ariadne Dismemberment Case" and the "Maximilian Lake Plunge Case" were both closely tied to Max's real estate ventures, prompting Chief Christopher to bring these two investigations together for discussion during the police department's case analysis meeting.

Officer Alex reported on the progress of the Maximilian Lake Plunge Case: As of now, based on the crime scene and autopsy report, there's no concrete evidence to prove deliberate murder over an accidental death. However, given the complex situation surrounding Max's real estate firm, the department is treating it as a murder investigation with priority on thorough investigation and inquiries. 

Alex reviewed the phone records of Maximilian in the 24 hours before his death, checked each call based on the caller IDs but found nothing suspicious. The calls were mostly from his employees, relatives, and business contacts. A person named Ryan made the most calls, totaling six. It turns out Ryan is a land tender official in Wellington's land resources department. Maximilian's trip to Wellington was not only to inspect his construction sites but also to learn about a land auction and bidding process. 

On the night before his death, he had even hosted a dinner for Ryan and other officials. The next day, Ryan briefed Maximilian on the land details and tender progress, which led to the multiple calls. This information was confirmed by Liam's statement.

Liam mentioned that Maximilian had been under considerable stress lately due to a series of macro-control policies on real estate development and sales introduced by the government, leading to a tight real estate market with soaring land auction prices. Maximilian's bank loans amounted to a billion, with the interest payments alone being astronomical. 

More than once, Maximilian publicly sighed, "The real estate business is really tough these days! No wonder some real estate tycoons are committing suicide. If this continues, I might not last long either!" Besides this, Liam noted that his father-in-law didn't exhibit any abnormal behaviors.

When Alex inquired Rebecca about any potential enemies or grudges Maximilian might have had, she mentioned that as a businessman, Maximilian knew the value of amicability in wealth accumulation and was adept at avoiding conflicts. After some thought, Rebecca added that recently, there was a plot of land in the suburbs of North Shore that Maximilian was keen on developing commercially. 

However, the city's plan was to turn it into a leisure green space and a welfare center. He had tried negotiating with city leaders several times about this matter, albeit with pessimistic outcomes, yet he hadn't given up, even telling his daughter that he was willing to risk everything to secure that land.

This situation was confirmed by middle management at Max's real estate company and the city planning department. However, it was regarded as a normal business operation. Given Max's real estate firm's stature, no other company dared to compete with him for the land, suggesting that it was unlikely to be a motive for murder due to vicious competition.

Chief Christopher tapped the table, "Alex, based on the current investigation data, do you have any conclusive direction?" Alex, blushing, replied, "Well, according to the current data, Maximilian's death seems like an accidental incident. We haven't found any suspects with a motive for committing the crime in his social circle."

Chief Christopher nodded, "Alex, expand the scope of your investigation. This case is complex; don't rush to conclusions."

Then, Nathan analyzed the Ariadne Dismemberment Case. He played several recordings sent by Vivienne to the task force and listed the evidence collected in this case, highlighting a few key points for the team's attention: 

1. Ariadne's affair with Liam; 

2. Rebecca's awareness of her husband's infidelity and her confrontation with the mistress; 

3. suggestive conversations between Rebecca and Jennifer; 

4. Rebecca's enormous wealth.

Nathan deduced that the suspect clearly pointed towards Rebecca, classifying the case as a crime of passion: Rebecca, resenting her marriage, directed her anger towards her husband's mistress. 

With her immense wealth, it was easy for her to hire someone to commit the murder. After the killing, in a fit of rage, she dismembered the body, attempting to dispose of the parts in what she thought was a hidden spot: the water tank. 

Nathan reasoned that only someone unfamiliar with property maintenance would consider a water tank for hiding a body, mistaking the sturdy iron cover for sufficient concealment. Moreover, the case likely involved another participant, Jennifer, since it would be challenging for a single woman to dismember a body and then hide the parts in separate locations quickly. Jennifer likely helped her move the head elsewhere.

A police officer asked, "Why would such intelligent women bury the victim's head at their own construction site?"

Nathan replied, "This reflects the gender characteristics of the perpetrator: women in panic often resort to familiar places. Men, however, tend to be more rational in their actions."

Chief Christopher nodded in agreement, appreciating Nathan's analysis.

To protect Vivienne's undercover identity, she couldn't participate in the police's case analysis meeting. However, Nathan briefed her over the phone afterward, sharing the meeting's details and his deductions. He urged Vivienne to secure definitive evidence of Rebecca murdering Ariadne in the coming days.

After hanging up, Vivienne found herself restless, feeling as if the case analysis and conclusions were like a pot not fully covered, with doubts and uncertainties seeping out, clouding her vision.

Unable to sleep, Vivienne turned on the TV, watching a replay of the evening news while sipping on a glass of milk on her couch. 

Suddenly, a news segment about the city's green space and welfare facility construction caught her attention. The report highlighted the contributions of city leaders over the years, shifting to an interview with Deputy Mayor Nicholas, who passionately spoke about prioritizing the residents' interests and the city's green projects. He mentioned the imminent commencement of the city's largest green project in a specific district—the very land Maximilian had fought to develop.

A thought struck Vivienne: she had overlooked the connection between Maximilian and Nicholas. Maximilian's accident in Wellington might relate to the dispute over the development rights of this land. 

From her initial case briefings, she knew Maximilian and Deputy Mayor Nicholas shared a close relationship, with Maximilian's ventures heavily relying on Nicholas's support. Thus, the difficulty Maximilian faced over this land likely involved Nicholas. Maximilian's determination, even mentioning risking his life for the land, suggested a high stake not merely expressed in frustration but possibly hinting at deeper issues.

Vivienne hypothesized a chain of events: Maximilian seeking Nicholas's assistance, Nicholas's refusal, Maximilian's threats leveraging their long-standing relationship possibly holding secrets detrimental to Nicholas, leading Nicholas to eliminate Maximilian for self-preservation—organizing the execution after ensuring Maximilian's movement to Wellington, possibly with a trusted secretary tailing him to stage an accident.

This hypothesis was logically coherent, explaining Maximilian's untimely demise. However, the challenge remained for Vivienne to gather concrete evidence to support her bold theory. She paced around her room, contemplating.

Her thoughts turned to Theodore, Nicholas's loyal secretary of over two decades. If Nicholas was implicated in the case, Theodore couldn't be exempt from involvement.