Aaron Maher had finally achieved his lifelong dream: he was promoted to detective. Since he was a child, Aaron had aspired to become a detective, and after starting his career as a junior police officer, his dedication and hard work had finally paid off.
Throughout his career, Aaron had consistently helped his superiors solve some of the most challenging cases. Their strong recommendations played a crucial role in securing his promotion.
"I always knew you'd become a detective eventually. I'm glad you can finally join the team," said his superior, James Warren, warmly applauding his achievement. James had been one of Aaron's key advocates for the detective position.
"Thank you, sir. Without your recommendation, I wouldn't be here today," Aaron replied gratefully.
James smiled in return, while other colleagues offered their heartfelt congratulations. They were genuinely happy for Aaron, many of whom had watched him rise from a junior officer to a detective through sheer perseverance.
His former colleagues expressed how much they would miss him now that he was moving to a new office.
"Just because we won't be in the same office doesn't mean we'll stop setting you up on blind dates, Aaron," Diana Reed teased with a mischievous grin.
Aaron chuckled at her comment. This was one of the reasons he wouldn't miss his old office so much. His colleagues—Diana Reed, Theodore Moore, Mandy Stefan, and Downey Rounders—had all insisted on introducing him to their 'friends' or arranging blind dates.
Why, you ask?
Because Aaron had confided in them about his inexperience in the romance department.
Technically, Aaron wasn't really interested in anything related to romance. His mind was completely focused on one thing: becoming a detective—a goal he had just achieved. He still saw no reason to pursue romance; all he wanted was to advance his career as a detective.
"I advise you not to waste your time," Aaron said with a smirk. "Now that I'm a detective, I doubt I'll have time to go on blind dates."
Before any of his colleagues could respond, Lieutenant Harry John walked in. His presence commanded both grace and authority.
At first, his face was serious, but the moment he spotted Aaron, his expression softened into a warm smile. He immediately approached Aaron and congratulated him on his promotion.
Having Lieutenant Harry personally congratulate someone at the station was a significant honor—it meant the person had demonstrated exceptional dedication to their work. Aaron had done just that.
Moments later, Aaron stepped into his new office. It was noticeably more spacious than his previous one, and now he had a new team—one he was proud to lead.
As soon as his subordinates noticed him, they immediately stood and saluted. Aaron returned their salute with a confident nod.
There were five team members—three women and two men. They all knew Aaron well, and he was equally familiar with them, so there was no need for formal introductions.
Fiona Clarke one of his teammates showed him to his seat "I'm glad you are part of the team Aaron, now our work will be so much easier"
Benson Kent another member of his team turned to Aaron " Me too, especially now we have this case we are trying to hard to crack, the entire case is a mystery " his frustration was evident as he spoke.
Aaron knew this case was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. He had even heard about it from one of his superiors prior to it being assigned to his team. The complexity and mystery surrounding the case made it clear that solving it would require all hands on deck
"Pass me the files about this case" he was already working hard on his very first day as a detective .
Kate Leslie—another member of his team handed the files to him "The files of the suspects may seem confusing at first due to several lack of evidence of a particular one but we are sure that man IS the suspect"
Aaron didn't respond to Fiona's comment. Instead, he focused intently on the files in front of him, carefully studying the details of the suspect. The case was a first-degree homicide .
The suspect in question insisted he was not guilty and another person had committed the act—his friend. Some of the evidence seemed to support his statement, but it was suspiciously obvious, almost as if he was trying to frame his friend. This made the previous detective in charge of the case rule him as a suspect in the case.
He had been detained earlier but was released the same day. However, the main suspect—his friend—remained in police custody.
The difficulty of the case lay in the fact that while the evidence pointed to a certain person, that individual didn't seem to be the true culprit. Instead, suspicion fell on someone else—someone who appeared suspiciously clean.
Aaron reviewed the file once more before turning to his team.
"I also believe the main suspect isn't guilty. But I don't think our person of interest is guilty either," he said
His colleagues were surprised by his deduction, but they trusted his judgment—his insights had always been reliable. They decided to listen closely to what he had to say.
He continued, "The time of the murder was 8 p.m. The main suspect was the only person at the crime scene with the weapon—a flower vase—that was used to strike the victim on the head." He paused, clearing his throat.
"The autopsy confirmed that the victim was indeed struck on the head with the vase. Our second suspect was at his house at the time, and his alibi checks out. But he became a suspect because, despite being close friends with the main suspect, he immediately told the police that his friend was guilty," Aaron explained, pausing again.
"Also, the victim turned out to be the ex-wife of our second suspect," Liam Bennett added before Aaron could continue.
"That definitely changes things. What would his ex-wife be doing at his friend's house?" Aaron muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"Also I have another suspect in mind but let's not take action until we have a lot of evidence to show" Aaron announced.
Murmurs rippled through the team, their voices echoing softly within the walls of the office as they absorbed Aaron's words. Then, silence fell—a quiet anticipation settling over the room as they waited for Aaron to reveal the suspect he had in mind.
Aaron noticed this and proceeded to say the suspect he had in mind.
" I believe the wife of our second suspect is our new suspect"