Mrs. Morrison was somewhat displeased, "Why does it feel like you're interrogating me?
I'm the one who reported the case!
If I were the killer, why would I call the police?"
Luke said, "Mrs. Morrison, there's no one else here, and our conversation will remain confidential.
I want to know what exactly is your relationship with the deceased, Kilo Jones?"
"I already said, we're very good friends, like close girlfriends."
Luke followed up, "Since you're close like girlfriends, you probably talked about everything and should know a lot about his situation, right."
"What exactly are you trying to ask?"
"We checked the details on the deceased, Kilo Jones. He's been living in New York and only moved to Los Angeles this year. He's not married, and his other relatives don't live in Los Angeles.
From what we know, you'd be the person most familiar with his recent life.
Did he ever mention offending anyone?
Or do you think his murder is related to someone?"
"It has nothing to do with my husband. I know him.
He wouldn't kill anyone, so stop wasting your time on him.
Focus more effort on finding the real killer."
"Then who do you think might be involved?
As a 'girlfriend,' I trust you also hope to catch the killer soon."
Mrs. Morrison was silent for a moment, "There was someone who was quite close to Kilo Jones. Though he never mentioned this person, I could sense their relationship wasn't ordinary."
"Have you seen this person?"
"What's the name of the person you mentioned?"
"They often talked on the phone, and Kilo Jones addressed her as Mrs. Gray."
"What was their relationship?"
"Kilo Jones was a pianist, and he said he was Mrs. Gray's piano teacher, but I could feel their relationship was 'very close.'
The night Kilo Jones went missing, he likely went to see her."
Luke asked in return, "How do you know that?"
"A woman's intuition."
"OK." Luke pursed his lips and noted down the name 'Mrs. Gray.'
After taking Mrs. Morrison's statement, Luke communicated with Captain Rey.
Captain Rey still believed the Morrison couple were more suspicious. They were deeply entangled with the victim, the wife likely had an improper relationship with the victim, and she also reported the case.
Husband Darwin Morrison had a motive and was the last to contact the deceased, plus he had been near the crime scene, making him a prime suspect.
After their discussion, they decided to divide the investigation. Captain Rey would continue to focus on the Morrison couple, seeking any possible evidence of their wrongdoing.
Luke would be responsible for investigating new leads.
In the office of Squad One at the Robbery and Murder Department, Luke gathered everyone for a meeting.
Luke briefly introduced the case progress and asked everyone, "What are your thoughts?"
"The deceased, Kilo Jones, wasn't married, had no family around, first found Mrs. Morrison as a confidante, then got involved with another Mrs. Gray; he's a typical bad boy, a playboy," the deputy sneered,
"I'm not at all surprised someone like him got killed."
Blackie laughed, "So, not only is Mr. Morrison suspicious, but Mr. Gray also has a motive for murder.
Of course, it's also possible this guy messed around with other wives, too.
Many 'gentlemen' might be cheering now that Kilo Jones is dead."
Luke sipped his coffee, "Let's drop the nonsense.
Captain Rey is handling the Morrison couple.
We're responsible for investigating 'Mrs. Gray,' and the next step is to identify Mrs. Gray and her relationship with the deceased."
Matthew volunteered, "Leave it to me.
You guys continue the meeting."
Luke and the others continued discussing the case.
The deputy commented, "Actually, I also think the Morrison couple is very suspicious, Darwin Morrison has the motive and opportunity.
His wife's behavior is also suspicious and matches the description of the suspect in the officer murder case—a Black woman.
But what I can't figure out is if Mrs. Morrison is indeed the culprit of the officer murder.
Then what would be her motive?"
Luke speculated, "Could there be some kind of connection between the two deceased?"
The deputy snapped his fingers, "I was thinking the same.
We should investigate any other connections between the two deceased.
If we find their common link, we might uncover clues pointing to the murderer."
"Good idea, deputy, you take this lead to investigate." Luke considered for a moment before continuing, "Additionally, I carefully studied the shoe print found at the crime scene.
I've privately learned some footprint analysis skills and think there's something off about that shoe print—it's likely a small foot in large shoes.
The person actually wearing those shoes may have been a woman."
Keenly aware of Luke's initiative and learning ability, everyone understood why he could be a captain at such a young age.
The deputy asked, "Can you be sure?"
The deputy frowned, "So, it means a woman was at Kilo Jones's body disposal site. Could it be the Black woman who killed the officer?"
Blackie widened his eyes, reminding them, "Mrs. Morrison is Black. Is it possible she's the real murderer in both cases?"
The deputy spread his hands, "But we're back to the starting point: If Mrs. Morrison is the killer, why would she report it?"