Paint the town blue

Chapter XL

Alex's POV

Since Liam and I started working on the case together, it's like the case has moved forward. We met every day, sometimes in my office, sometimes in his, and discussed our theories and suspicions. He still insisted that Esteban was far from the last figure in the case of both Max's escape and Charles's abduction. At first I didn't want to agree with him, but still, you can't go against the obvious facts.

We were sitting in his office, drinking coffee and trying to figure out what motives Ocon might have to take such actions. We went through one motive after another, but we couldn't choose at least one to create a working version. Passion? Not right away. Interest? It depends on which one: love – definitely not, sexual – not right away, professional – it's unlikely. Envy? But why? The infamous fame of Charles as a detective who caught a serial killer, but lost both friends and love, or Max and the fact that he is the serial killer who was talked about on every corner?

"Or maybe... it's really just an interest?"

"No, Liam. It would be too easy for him."

"Maybe that's the point? The simpler it is, the less suspicions it causes?"

"Let's say it's an interest. Which one? Professional?"

"Do you just remember how he spoke about Max and his crimes?"

"Well, he admired how neatly and precisely they were done. "Perfect crimes", as he said."

Liam nodded, agreeing with my words. There is something in this. Esteban really seemed to admire what Verstappen had done, but even so, why help him escape? Why help him kidnap Charles after that? Although, the answer to the second question is already obvious: Max is obsessed with Charles. But then why did Esteban involve Webber? And why did he agree to help him?

I suggested Liam to bring Esteban in for questioning, but he immediately dismissed the idea, because we have nothing on him, except that he studied at the same university as the suspect Webber. By the way, we wanted to find and bring him in for questioning, but all the searches turned out to be in vain – and where did all the information about him go?

"We can try to get Ocon to talk."

"To talk? I tried, but we just had a fight."

"That's why, Liam, I should talk to him, not you."

"You can hardly get anything out of him.""

"But you can, yeah?"

Liam looked both upset and defeated, and muttered softly to himself, "Okay, you got it." I smiled triumphantly and gulped down the cooled coffee from the cup, then threw it into the trash and walked confidently to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"What do you mean? To Esteban. I don't wanna beat around the bush."

"Well, that's kinda...admirable."

I looked at Liam and laughed softly, then left his office and went straight to the medical examiner. Esteban must be there, where else would he be? Maybe today will be my lucky day and I will be able to learn something from him without arousing suspicion.

As I thought, Esteban was in his office, but not exactly in his office, but in the autopsy room. It's a good thing I don't see how filigreed he is with a scalpel, butchering another poor guy. Do you know how many films show a working examiner, with dark classical music playing in the background? So, this is not about Esteban. No matter how strange it may sound, his radio was working, and on the news wave.

I wanted to knock on the door and get his attention, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed a strange cell phone lying on his desk. Why would Esteban need another phone, and with a buttons? I actually thought that such gadgets no longer existed.