Half an hour later, Miami Beach, private zone.
A group of people arrived at the beach, specifically at an area that had recently been privatized, where all the residents belonged to a wealthy elite.
The place was developed in four phases, and the residential areas are interconnected, forming an infrastructure as luxurious as it is impressive.
All the apartments have a direct sea view and are located on the front line of the coast. Thanks to its elevated position, they are not affected by the marine humidity, making them even more sought after. For this reason, each unit is almost immediately sold after hitting the market.
Since this area boasts the best location and the most spectacular views in the southeast, it's said that the lowest price reached $325,000, while the highest topped $3.6 million.
Sergeant Doakes was already waiting at the entrance of the community. As the patrol car approached, he briefly conversed with the security guard in charge of access.
Soon after, several vehicles entered the residential zone.
The community is decorated with carefully selected trees scattered throughout the grounds, while the non-slip stones of the pedestrian paths are impeccably clean.
Angel stepped out of his car and whistled as his gaze wandered over the landscape.
Beside him, Masuka squinted as he approached, also observing the surroundings.
"How long would we have to work to afford a house here?" Masuka asked with a mix of irony and desire.
Max nodded, caught up in the atmosphere. "It feels different... the view is amazing."
"This is literally the most exclusive area on the entire coast. The environment looks like something straight out of a luxury resort. Definitely, if we lived here, our lives would be full of... sexual adventures." Masuka allowed himself a moment of fantasy, imagining what daily life in that dream beach would be like.
Max recoiled, visibly uncomfortable with Masuka's expression.
"I don't have that kind of money, not by a long shot!"
"That's true... If I ever get married, I'll probably still have to live with my parents. A house of my own, without a loan, is unthinkable." Max said with resignation. He still lived with his family, which is why he had insisted on becoming Larry's apprentice when he found out he was in Miami.
Prices in Miami were absurd. For someone who wasn't a local, sustaining a life here, especially one full of luxuries and parties, was practically impossible. With a forensic salary, aspiring to live like the residents of those apartments was just that: an aspiration.
That's why many ended up leaving. The sacrifice didn't justify the scarce rewards. Anyone who entered the forensic world did so out of vocation, not for money. And, to be honest, the same could be said for detectives.
Angel put his arm around Masuka and said with a smile, "Don't lie just to get along, we both know our limits."
"Yeah, I guess we have our limits, but it's not bad to think about the possibility of getting something like this."
Masuka was saying all this not to depress Max, who was young and probably had many dreams to fulfill. He, more than anyone, knew how hard life was, so, as an experienced forensic, he just wanted to be kind to the younger ones.
Life was cruel. Celebrities made more money than someone who takes care of the rest or, in this case, talks to the corpses of people who need justice to make this world a better place.
"Stop wasting time and let's check out the house."
Masuka, who had been behind the group, said: "They killed that man, and no one gave a damn… Even if he was a millionaire, what's the point of life if you're not surrounded by people who care about you?"
"I care about you." Dexter said, who had been quietly standing beside him.
"Thanks, buddy, I care about you too."
The rest of the group said nothing else and all followed Sergeant Doakes, who was leading the investigation.
Each villa in the community housed two residences, separated by a low wall. Despite the intense sun, the vegetation in the courtyards was perfectly cared for.
Moreover, each one had a distinct design, and the arrangement of the foliage seemed carefully stratified, as if each level of plants had an aesthetic purpose.
After opening the door to Ron's apartment, Angel put on his glasses and illuminated the floor with his flashlight, focusing directly on the crime scene.
Larry, on the other hand, moved slowly, even observing things that didn't seem important at first glance. He needed to mentally record every corner of the place before anyone altered anything.
Thanks to his nearly photographic memory, he made sure to fix every detail before it could be disturbed.
A few minutes later, Angel approached and said, "Larry, I think we found something."
"Where?"
"In the bathroom, Masuka is analyzing it."
Larry, who had been ready to examine the house for a while, finally made his way to the bathroom. Only now, after watching his teammates in action, was he starting to fully trust their abilities.
That's why he didn't rush. He didn't underestimate his colleagues at all and, more importantly, respected them as fellow workers.
"Detective Batista, Ron's guys are outside." One of the officers announced.
Angel looked at him and responded firmly, "Don't let them in. We'll take care of everything."
"What are they doing here?" Larry asked, clearly intrigued.
"I have no idea." Angel replied, with a puzzled expression.
Outside Ron's apartment, Tara was arguing with the police officers who were blocking her way. She wanted to know what was going on.
"Don't worry, ma'am." One of the officers said in a calm tone. "The forensics and detectives are inspecting the property. After all, it's the victim's home, and they might find important evidence here."
…
"Dexter, where are you going?"
"No blood, no trabajo."
As soon as Larry took action, he set aside any emotional distractions. His fascination with the case stemmed from a theory that kept turning over in his mind: perhaps an even more meticulous and prepared killer was behind this crime, manipulating every detail.
Of course, the idea excited him. But he was also aware that it could be something much simpler. He didn't want to get carried away.
Upon entering the bathroom, they immediately noticed the footprints on the floor, marked with chalk by Masuka.
Following them, they arrived at the master bedroom bathroom on the second floor. The footprints repeated, going back and forth between the study and the bedroom, with an unusual clarity compared to typical dust marks.
Masuka, with contained enthusiasm, explained, "These footprints are pretty special. They aren't made of common dust... the perpetrator stepped in water marks and then walked while they were drying. That left this trail."
"They're almost invisible to the naked eye…" Added Ángel, trying to contribute something more to the analysis.
"They can only be seen with ultraviolet or side lighting. And since this room is well-sealed, the water evaporated slowly, allowing the dust to settle on the footprints and make them visible like this."
These footprints were scattered throughout the second floor, especially between the study and the master bedroom, while only a few prints were found at the exit of the first floor. It was obvious that whoever the owner was, they were looking for something on the second floor.
"It seems like the person who left these footprints is very familiar with the place, so they can find even the most hidden things."
Larry entered the study, squinting as he looked at the open closet and said, "The person who left these prints clearly knew where the most special things were, like, for example, that decorative glory sports equipment of the victim."
"That makes sense to me," Masuka began packing those golf clubs into evidence bags.
"Yes, they only used things from the victim."
Ángel, confused, asked, "What you two are saying is that this is the first crime scene?"
"Yes, the murder was committed here."
Larry calmly walked toward the bathroom. On the floor, some rusty scissors lay haphazardly.
Carefully, he picked them up and placed them in an evidence bag. When he looked up, he paused for a moment to observe the surroundings. The bathroom was surprisingly luxurious.
Climbing two marble steps, there was a white bathtub with inlaid details. It was fan-shaped and measured about two meters per side. It still had about five or six centimeters of water, but the liquid had turned reddish-brown, with alarming cloudiness.
On the edge of the bathtub, several circular marks were visible, as if something or someone had repeatedly leaned there. Black and purple scales, small but dense, adhered to these marks.
Larry, without missing a beat, picked up some of those fragments and placed them carefully into another evidence bag.
Then, Larry lifted the magnifying glass and placed the largest piece under his right eye, examining it carefully.
The scale was actually very fine, with delicate lines that seemed like veins. Upon examining the texture, something caught his attention... Rose petals?
"Is that a petal?" Masuka asked, having quite a bit of experience with scenes where a vengeful bride killed the lover. He smiled, imagining a bloody drama unfolding right in that luxurious bathroom.
"Are you sure?" Ángel asked, leaning in to look through the magnifying glass. Indeed, on the edge of the fragment, a pinkish, almost reddish hue was visible.
"If it's a petal... Could it be that the killer was a woman?" Ángel suggested, leaving the question hanging in the air.
Before Larry could respond, Masuka shook his head, cutting off the speculation. "According to the footprints we analyzed at the scene, the person moving between the rooms was 30 cm. Their estimated height is between 1.80 and 1.82 meters."
Masuka paused before adding confidently, "The weight is harder to calculate, of course, because wet footprints that dry aren't as accurate, but it's definitely a strong man."
"But it seems there could have been a third person present at the scene... So why didn't anyone mention it?" Ángel commented, frowning.
"A partner?" Masuka suggested, unsure.
"No," Larry replied, after a brief pause, "A spectator."
Now that the pieces were beginning to fit together, he considered the possibility that this was the scene where Ron was submerged in an attempt to simulate drowning... After having been murdered.
That's why he took a sample of the bathwater. If he could compare it with the victim's lung tissue cuts, he could confirm his hypothesis.
Meanwhile, Ángel turned on a powerful flashlight and moved it around the edge of the bathtub, using side light to reveal hidden details.
Then, Larry noticed something. "Look what we have here…"
Everyone watched as Larry carefully extracted two curly hairs from the edge with tweezers. "They have roots. Part of the follicle is still attached."
"Hopefully, we can extract DNA!" Masuka exclaimed excitedly, as if he had just found a diamond in the sand. "This is pure gold for a crime scene."