Miles, so pumped he forgot to knock, came into the conference room holding the deceased's phone.
The so-called water damage and locked screen were no biggie for the tech forensics team. I mean, these days, they're not just about surveillance cameras. They've got skills in computer repair, phone repair, video restoration, you name it.
As Miles walked in, Lucas pointed to the external monitor on the desk, squinting curiously, "Here, Miles, mirror the phone to this screen and fill us in on the victim."
Miles stepped forward, trying to project the phone onto the screen while he started spilling the latest details. "The victim's name was Elizabeth Walker, 25 years old, a migrant worker from Mississippi who moved to Gotham."
"But her gig in Gotham wasn't your typical 9-to-5. She was into live streaming, a new kind of gig economy job."
"With just her looks and no real talent except for chit-chat, Elizabeth still managed to gather a decent following. She had about a hundred thousand followers on her streaming platform."
"Just went through her recent iMessages, and I've narrowed it down to two likely suspects."
Miles paused, finishing the setup, then opened the iMessage app and clicked on a chat labeled 'Sugar Daddy', revealing a contact photo and profile on the other half of the screen.
The guy was chubby, greasy-faced, clearly not young from his ID photo alone.
"First up, this guy labeled as 'Sugar Daddy', Joseph Taylor, 45, chairman of an international trade company. Met Elizabeth three months ago, and they had a financial arrangement."
"Or let's just say..."
"Elizabeth was his kept woman. Looking at the gifts on her streaming platform, Joseph was the top spender in her chat room."
"A few hours before the murder, Joseph had dinner with Elizabeth at La Belle Époque, a fancy spot in Gotham. No one knows where they went after that."
"That's our first suspect. Now for the second."
The screen showed another ID photo, this one of a much younger man with high cheekbones and a sinister look.
"This suspect, Andrew O'Brien, 27, works in a warehouse for a logistics company, has a record for assault five years back."
"He and Elizabeth were exes, broke up about two and a half months ago, right after she met Joseph."
"Elizabeth had blocked Andrew, but from the recovered texts, it's clear..."
"Andrew was still trying to win her back, sending flowers, gifts, even taking out loans to buy her designer bags, but she never budged, blocked him everywhere."
"Three days ago, Andrew found out about Joseph keeping Elizabeth, and that they'd been in an improper relationship for a while."
"He didn't call or try to get an explanation,just sent her a text."
"It read: 'I know you're with some rich guy now. I'll come by tomorrow at 8 PM to see you one last time, clear things up, and then I won't bother you anymore.'"
"Based on this message, I'd say..."
"There's a high chance Andrew killed her out of jealousy, probably even more likely than Joseph."
"But."
"To cover all bases, we've already tracked down both suspects."
"Joseph's at his company, and Andrew's at an internet cafe."
...
After Miles finished introducing the suspects.
Lucas turned to Ethan, who looked utterly unfazed, and whistled through his teeth, "Ethan, you're really something else."
"I'm curious..."
"Where did you pick up all these sleuthing skills? How did you figure out this not-so-simple case was going to involve two guys just from a tiny piece of leather?"
It wasn't just flattery.
Lucas was genuinely amazed, almost to the point of getting goosebumps.
Although, if it were him, spending a few hours meticulously combing through the case and relying on experience, he'd probably come to a similar conclusion.
But Ethan just glanced at the evidence and almost instantly made a nearly identical deduction. It was almost unbelievable.
Of course, Lucas could never guess...
That in his dreams, Ethan had simulated hundreds of thousands of crimes and had been caught by the police countless times over simple overlooked details like a piece of paper, a button, or a cigarette butt!
Making mistakes taught him how to spot others' errors—a real-life example of 'experience is the best teacher.'
As for Lucas's praise.
Ethan just chuckled nonchalantly and pointed at the screen, "Lucas, I think we're pretty close to the truth in this case."
"It's looking like Andrew is our guy. Given Joseph's wealth, he's unlikely to skimp with cheap faux leather."
"So now we just need to check..."
"If Andrew owns a low-priced car with a similar-sized flaw in the passenger seat, and his whereabouts the night before last."
"We could probably gather the physical evidence we need, plus nail down the perpetrator with some interrogation."
"As for Joseph."
"While we can't do much about the moral issues of affairs and keeping a mistress, and we can't even bring a public lawsuit..."
"We can still bring him in under the guise of assisting the investigation. That way, we can tarnish his reputation and teach him a lesson."
Lucas nodded in agreement, stood up, and clapped Miles on the shoulder, "Good report, Miles. You've considered all angles,you're really cut out for forensic tech."
"Alright, enough talk."
"Let's move out and arrest both suspects, now!"