The Superintendent's voice thundered through the corridor, laced with fury.
"What the hell are you all doing!" he roared, his face flushed crimson with anger. Papers trembled on nearby desks from the sheer force of his shout. "The culprit is dead! Do you understand what that means? When the media gets hold of this, we'll be crucified. Find the killer—now! And for heaven's sake, not a word of this leaves the station."
Leif approached Eldric with a low voice, urgency glinting in his eyes. "Sir, you might want to see this."
They stepped into the sterile quiet of the meeting room. A package lay on the table—plain, unassuming, and ominous.
"Who sent this?" Eldric asked, his brow furrowed.
"There's no sender. The courier dropped it off. Said it was brought at their office with your name on it."
Eldric studied the package, the quiet tension in the room sharpening as he carefully slit it open.
"What…?" he breathed. Inside was a small seasoning bottle. He didn't need to say more. He exchanged a look with Leif, then snapped, "Send this to Paul immediately."
Paul adjusted his glasses, the overhead light glinting off the lenses as he rolled the bottle between his fingers.
"Hmm… interesting," he muttered. "No sender? That means either our culprit… or a witness. I'll run a test on it. This might be our break."
Down the hall, Alina entered, her expression composed but curious. Eldric greeted her with a nod.
"Ms. Alina, we're testing the bottle now," he said.
She extended a hand. "Detective Alina Reyes."
"Eldric Rowe. This is Leif."
"Nice to meet you both."
"You're the one who received it?" she asked, turning to Leif.
"Yes, ma'am. Unfortunately, no sender's info."
"Did you check the courier office?"
"Yes. I sent Detective Russel to follow up. He'll report back."
"Good."
Paul looked up from the lab. "This will take a while. You should rest in the lounge."
"Not a bad idea," Alina admitted. "I'll order some coffee."
"Latte for me," Paul added with a grin.
The three officers sat in the station lounge, sipping hot drinks, the weight of the case momentarily eased by the comfort of caffeine and soft cushions. The air, however, was still thick with unease.
Paul entered soon after, holding a clipboard.
"You got a sharp eye, Leif," he said. "The contents test positive for thallium. Let's hope no one else was exposed."
Eldric frowned. "Who would send this to us? Could be a witness… or an accomplice."
"We'll recheck the Koong Food kitchen," Alina said, her voice steely. "Something might've slipped by."
The kitchen of Koong Food buzzed with midday orders, but the staff gave the investigators their full attention. Eldric held out the bottle.
"You really didn't know the contents were altered?"
The head chef looked visibly shaken. "We always use the same brand. But now that you mention it… one of our cooks did say the bottle was unusually low halfway through the day. I let it pass. We had a ton of orders."
"Anyone suspicious come to mind?" Alina asked.
"No, not really. But maybe the cook in charge of that dish would know. He's the one who used it."
Eldric exhaled slowly. "CCTV showed nothing unusual when we checked. No one conspicuous."
Leif escorted a man into the interrogation room—a neat, middle-aged man with soft hands and downcast eyes.
"You're the cook who prepares this dish?" Alina asked, showing him a photograph.
"Yes, that's mine."
She placed the bottle in front of him.
"Oh… yes, that's what we used. I remember mentioning it to the chef. It looked half-empty so soon. He tossed it out after shift."
"Did anyone else touch it?"
"Only Gavin, my co-worker. I cut my hand that day, so he helped me out. No one else that I know of."
"Anything strange about his behavior?"
"He seemed… relentless. But his wife just gave birth. I figured he was just stressed."
"Do you have his address?"
"I do. Need it?"
Alina nodded firmly.
Russel found them in the hall.
"The sender's a ghost," he said grimly. "Wore a mask, showed a fake ID. Knew the cameras. Slipped in and out like a pro."
"Keep digging," Leif ordered. "Let us know the second you find anything."
Alina and Eldric drove to a quiet neighborhood tucked behind a local park. They knocked. The door creaked open to reveal a young woman with tired eyes and a soft smile.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Is this Gavin's home?" Alina's tone was gentle.
"Yes… why?"
"We need to speak with him. We're with the police, but there's no trouble. We just need his help."
The woman hesitated. A baby cried in the background.
"Come in. My baby's fussy."
The house was small but cozy. A toddler played with dolls on the carpet. Laundry was strewn over a nearby chair. The air smelled faintly of warm milk and detergent.
"We haven't introduced ourselves first. I'm Alina and this here is.."
"Eldric. Nice meeting you Mam" Eldric responded.
"I'm Vanessa," she said, gently rocking the baby in her arms. "My husband should've been home by now."
They sat on a modest couch, their backs straight, trying not to disturb the homeliness of the room.
"He's been under a lot of pressure," Vanessa said, offering a sad smile. "A new baby, work… it's been tough."
"You have a beautiful child," Alina said kindly.
Just then, a key turned in the lock.
"Do we have visitors?" a man's voice called.
Gavin stepped inside, setting down a grocery bag. He blinked, surprised.
"These officers wanted to talk," Vanessa explained.
"Oh. Uh, okay…" He smiled faintly. "I'll just get settled. Honey, I bought vegetables."
She took them with a grateful nod and disappeared into the kitchen.
Gavin faced them, clearly nervous.
"I heard about the poisoning," he said quickly. "But I don't know anything. I swear."
"We're not accusing you," Eldric said. "We just thought you might have seen something—anything—that could help."
"I'm sorry… I really can't help. I wish I could."
Vanessa returned with coffee. The smell was oddly sweet, masking the rising tension. "I hope this helps a bit."
"Thank you very much," Alina said, accepting hers with a warm nod.
"Sorry we can't offer more."
"This is more than enough," Alina replied sincerely.
Vanessa left them again, the sound of her humming mingling with her children's chatter.
"Your wife is very sweet," Alina said.
"I'm lucky. I don't know what I'd do without her." Gavin sipped his coffee, hands trembling slightly.
"You've got a lovely home," Eldric said, watching Gavin carefully. "Must be a handful with the kids."
"Yeah. Our eldest might start preschool soon." Gavin looks at his daughter softly.
"How long have you worked at the restaurant?"
"Five years now."
"Cooking's your passion?"
"Oh, absolutely. I met Vanessa at a cooking competition. She was fierce—and sweet. I fell for her immediately."
Eldric smiled faintly. "You seem like a man who cherishes what he has."
"I do. I want to give people good food… and give my family a good life."
Alina stood. "We won't keep you. Here's my card. If anything comes to mind—anything at all—don't hesitate."
Gavin nodded slowly. "I doubt I'll be much help… but thank you."