The Starling Saviour

Chapter 29

In response to my theory about another shooter being involved in James Holder's attack, Lance reevaluated the scene and came to his senses.

'There seems to be another shooter involved after all,' Lance told me after his trip back to the crime scene.

'Do you know who could've done this?' I asked Lance hopefully, but he shook his head in dismay.

'All I do know is that they're a hell of good shot,' Lance remarked with admiration. 'And at a long distance too.'

'Do you want me to run any more tests?' I asked Lance, trying to act helpful.

'You've done enough, Aria,' Lance shook his head again. 'I doubted my best scientist. Never again will I make that mistake.'

Finally I felt appreciated in this department again.

'Can I interrupt?' A familiar voice cane from behind me.

'Marcus?' I asked in a surprised tone as I turned round to find that the speaker was in fact my boyfriend. 'What are you doing here?'

Marcus never 'popped by' or 'nipped in' to my workplace. Ever. Unless there was an emergency, or that he was worried something bad had happened to me. Or that something bad was going to happen.

'There was another shooting,' Marcus explained rather too carefully. 'I wanted to... check if you were okay.'

'How has this got anything to do with me, Marcus?' I asked him. 'You know I don't get involved in any of that stuff!'

Marcus just bowed his head, as if he was trying to hide something. As if he was... Embarrassed.

'What's really going on?' I asked him cautiously, worried I would unearth something that would be best left buried.

'I was paid a visit by... An old friend,' Marcus tried to smile. 'He reminded me of what mattered most. You. And I wanted to check if you were okay. You don't exactly have a safe job here.'

'At least I'm not an officer, or you would be extremely worried,' I tried to lighten the mood.

Marcus left with a kiss, but I could tell something was still playing on his mind. And I couldn't understand what exactly it could be.

But I had no time to ponder, as duty called as soon as Marcus left the precinct.

'We just got a call from some woman called Wendy Rasmussen,' Hilton called through the room to Lance. 'She said she found her husband, shot dead in their home.'

'Did she leave an address?' Lance asked sarcastically. 'Aria, you're coming too.'

I guess they needed a forensic scientist to aid them in their investigation.

---

The case was far less interesting than I had hoped, but I sure learned a thing or too from the murder of Carl Rasmussen. Our victim was, like James Holder, bidding for the ownership of the research and technology company Unidac Industries, and he was soon taken out in the same fashion as Holder; a clean shot from a long distance.

Someone was taking the competition out like flies, one by one. But who was responsible?

I asked Lance this question, and he sure had a controversial answer for me. He blamed the murders on the Queen family, although the only person from that family who was actually bidding being Mr Walter Steele.