The Truth Behind Larou's Murder

Chapter 4 - Unraveling Deception

Carmela, the caretaker, had always been observant by nature. She started noticing Ace's increased restlessness. Last night, she had seen Ace wandering the halls late at night, claiming he couldn't sleep. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it and chose not to mention it, trusting Ace since he was leading the investigation. However, his eyes, usually sharp and focused, now darted around nervously, as if he were constantly calculating and recalculating something. This unusual behavior began to gnaw at her, adding to her growing sense of unease.

She mentioned her observations to Maro, who had also started to notice Ace's unusual behavior. "Have you seen how Ace is acting?" she asked quietly. "He's been pacing a lot, and he seems on edge."

Maro nodded, his brows furrowed in thought. "Yes, I've noticed. It's strange. He's supposed to be a professional, yet he's more jittery than anyone else here."

As they exchanged glances, Callun approached them, his expression tense with concern. "I've been thinking about Sir Ace," he admitted, his voice tinged with suspicion. "The way he's handled all of this doesn't quite add up. It's suspicious that as a criminal profiler, he easily agreed not to call the police immediately, and now he's behaving as if he's concealing something."

Ris, overhearing their conversation, joined in, her voice barely a whisper. "We can't jump to conclusions, but we also can't ignore what's right in front of us. We need to watch him closely."

Rob, standing nearby, overheard the conversation and interjected. "If Ace is involved, we need to be very careful. He's trained in this sort of thing. We should keep an eye on him but not let on that we're suspicious."

The group silently agreed, their unease growing. As they waited for the authorities to arrive, each of them kept a watchful eye on Ace, their suspicions simmering just beneath the surface.

Callun, who was sitting in Ace's favorite chair and fidgeting nervously, suddenly found a bloodstained handkerchief tucked beneath the cushion. His heart skipped a beat as he recalled seeing Ace use that very handkerchief the morning Larou's body was discovered. The sight of the bloodstain triggered a wave of suspicion, making him question everything he thought he knew about Ace's involvement. The discovery added a chilling layer of doubt, forcing Callun to reconsider the trust he had placed in Ace.

He approached Ris cautiously. "Miss Ris, look at this," he said, holding out the handkerchief. "I think it belongs to Sir Ace."

Ris examined it, her mind racing. "We need to keep this quiet for now," she whispered. "Let's see if there are other things we've missed."

Callun, who had always admired Ace, now found himself questioning the man he once looked up to. During one of their group discussions a few hours ago, Ace had made a slip. He mentioned a detail about Larou's final moments that hadn't been disclosed to anyone else. Callun's sharp mind caught the inconsistency immediately.

"Sir Ace, how did you know about the specific pattern of bruises on Miss Larou's arm?" Callun asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

Ace hesitated for a split second before covering up with a nonchalant answer. "I must have read it in the journal entries we found."

But Callun wasn't convinced. He made a mental note to discuss it with Maro and Rob.

Later, when the opportunity arose, Callun pulled Maro and Rob aside. "We need to talk," he said in a low voice. "There are things about Sir Ace that aren't adding up. He knew details about Miss Larou's bruises that he shouldn't have known unless he was there."

Maro and Rob exchanged concerned glances. "What do you suggest we do?" Maro asked, his voice tense.

"We need to keep an eye on him and gather more evidence," Callun replied. "We can't let him know we're onto him just yet. Let's see what else we can uncover."