The Murder Of Rosetta Shaw

Chapter 4

And old man, about the age of sixty opened the door.

"Yes ma'am, how can I help you?"

"I'm Jessica Bianchi and I'm here to meet Claudia Grey."

"She's not at home ma'am, but you could come in and wait for her. "

"Umm, would you know as to where she could be right now?" Jessica asked.

"Ma'am, she was here with a couple of friends here before. Not that I meant to eavesdrop, but I heard they were going over to Hawn's which is a cafeteria nearby and also their regular hangout place."

"Do you know the names of the friends she was with?"

"Uh, Xiang and this boy, Christopher."

"Thank you for your assistance" Jessica turned away as the door shut behind her.
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"Mm, looks like Xiang and Claudia are at a Cafe together. What was it- ah Hawn's. Look it up James, will you."

"Ma'am, it's just down the street." Replied James.

"Okay, Rudolfo, kindly drive us there."

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"Looks like we're here."

A large sign on top of the gate read Hawn's. Jessica walked inside with James while Rudolfo found a good place to park the car.

The cafe was loaded with people.

"James, do you recognise any of these faces?"
James scanned the entire place.

"That's Claudia..... and Xiang. Sitting with a boy." James pointed towards a table at the end of the long room.

Jessica made her way to the trio.

"Xiang Wu and Claudia Grey?" Interrogated Jessica.

"Woah woman, get out of here. We're super busy right now." The brunette guy replied with annoyance clearly visible in his tone.

"You must be Christopher. Nice to meet you." Jessica extended her hand with a smile.

"Woman, look I really don't know you and I don't care to know but please go away." Christopher rudely replied.

"Please don't mind him. He is not usually like this. His girlfriend has gone missing. He is shit dead worried about her." The little Asian girl spoke up this time.

"That's exactly why I'm here", Jessica smiled and took the empty seat beside Christopher. "I'm Jessica Bianchi, head detective of crime department, Italy. I'm here to investigate Rosetta Shaw's case." Jessica dug into a pocket in her coat and took out her card.

"Holy shit. I'm so sorry, Jessica." Christopher apologised.

"It's fine. Now, will you three kindly give me elaborate descriptions of what happened before the party and after 11 PM the same night." Jessica asked looking at all of them.

"Well, Xiang and I accompanied Rosetta back from school. We went up to her room and chilled for a bit till it was time to go for the party at the pool house. By chilling I mean getting ready for the party and stuff." Replied Claudia.

"Was Miss Shaw's behaviour normal? Has she been acting weird lately?"

"No, she seemed pretty excited about the party. It was her birthday after all." Xiang nodded nonchalantly.

"Did she receive any sort of threatening messages or did she have any haters?"

"Threatening messages, not that she has told us of it but yes, quiet a lot of people did hate her but that shit happens in every school so I don't think that is any issue." Christopher replied this time.

"Did you three leave the party together?"

"I left before 2 AM actually with Jonathan and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, while Claudia and Xiang were still at the party with." Christopher said pointing at the two girls.

"Are these two your close friends, Jonathan and Elizabeth?"

"Yeah, we always hangout together. Though, the three of us are closer to Rosetta." Xiang's answer came quick.

"Okay, I'll catch up with you three later on." Jessica got up, smiling and left as she had a meeting with the housekeeper."
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"Miss Bianchi, I'm Dian. Mr. Shaw said you wanted to meet me?" The housekeeper with a very kind face and greying hair opened the door as Jessica arrived at Shaw Mansion.

"Yes, is Signore Shaw here? I wanted to have a word with him as well."

"Sorry but Signore Shaw is not at home. He left a few hours back saying he had some urgent business."

"Oh, that's fine. I want you to come up with me to Rosetta's room."

"Yes ma'am."

The four walked up the winding staircase to Rosetta's room.

Jessica noticed the room to be undisturbed. The clothes still on the bed and makeup still placed on the dressing table. But the red mark beside the dressing table, it was gone.
Jessica moved the dressing table to see if there were any signs of it but none! The red mess had been cleaned.

Jessica tried to calm herself even though she knew that there was something related to the red spot, the red spot being cleaned, the clothes still lying on the bed, Rosetta's disappearance had something to do with all this.

A calm and composed Jessica walked to the clueless housekeeper and asked her in a very stern voice, "If you're the housekeeper, why are things is Rosetta's room still a mess? Were you not supposed to clean all of this?"

Dian, taken aback replies in a shaky voice, "Mr. Shaw told me not to enter this room. He said that you would probably like to come here and investigate more so he told me to stay out of here."

"Are you sure you didn't enter the room?" This time Jessica had a threatening look about herself. An expressionless yet in some way a stern face that no one would have dared to lie to.

"Yes Miss Bianchi, I did not enter into this room. "

"James, check for any new finger prints on the wall surrounding the now cleaned up red spot."

An obidient James did as instructed.

Just then, Jessica's phone rang up.

Noah: Jessica, I don't have time to talk. I have been called to go to Mr. Grey's house immediately. His daughter just called me and said it's an emergency. I suggest you come as quickly as possible.

Jessica: Will be th-

Noah had already hung up by then.

"James, keep looking for new evidences while Rudolfo and I go to the Grey's."