Chapter 16 Another Murder

An excerpt from The Titanium Mysteries Book 1: What Is She Doing Here?

Jessa was fuming in her apartment. She stopped and smiled. Yes, that was what she should do. She called Julian and asked him over. She offered to tell him more evidence on the case. He agreed to meet her alone. She went to the bathroom and touched up her makeup. She made sure her clothes were perfect.

She was out of time. He was at her door. She let him in. He sat down on the couch.

“Okay, so talk. What do you know about the case?”

“Well, perhaps I know nothing at all.”

Julian blinked. “What?”

“Well, I mean, you are quite handsome and I was feeling a bit lonely. Do you ever get lonely, detective?”

Julian stood up. “So, that’s why you invited me over here.” He walked out of her apartment. He ran down the stairs with his hoverboard in hand. Soon he was out on the street.

Jessa followed him as best she could. “No, wait! I could make you so happy. I’m quite good. You’ll see. You won’t regret it.”

Julian didn’t turn around to face her. Across the street, Zeta was out for a walk. She turned her head in Jessa’s direction. She gasped when she saw Jessa catch up with Julian.

Jessa jumped in front of Julian forcing him to stop dead in his tracks. She put her arms around his neck. Zeta couldn’t hear what Jessa was saying to Julian. Zeta had stopped to watch the exchange. He said something to her and nearly dropped his hoverboard to remove her hands from him.

Jessa scoffed at him and yelled colorful metaphors. Julian got on his hoverboard and took off. Jessa stormed off moments later.

Zeta blinked. She smiled and resumed her walk.

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Detectives Julian and Zelda ran down the stairs of the hotel. They had just gotten the call that Toni, Phillipe’s business partner, was found dead in a private room. They hurried to the scene of the crime.

When they reached the body, they both felt a strong sense of deja vu. Blood came from different areas of the body. Too much like Phillipe’s body. But this was Toni. Pictures were taken. Samples were taken.

Julian and Zelda looked at each other. They frowned. They looked around for more evidence. This time there weren’t servants to worry about, but many hotel staff workers. And Jessa had been there as well.

When the detectives realized Jessa had been there with Toni, they both raised an eyebrow. Clearly, Toni wasn’t the murderer. Zeta was nowhere near the hotel. Nor had she been in contact with Toni. Things weren’t looking good for Jessa now.

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Zelda and Julian were in their shared office when Zeta walked in. The detectives made room for her. She was expected. She had found more evidence relevant to the case and her book. She wanted to share it with them as she did before. She pulled out her tablet. Julian gave it permission to send data to the office computer.

Soon the new evidence Zeta had discovered from online sources appeared on the wall screen. The three elves checked the new evidence and found a pattern. The evidence pointed to Jessa.

“Someone leaked this information online.” Zeta blinked.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. “I see that. This is private footage showing Jessa with Cliff of the competing company.”

Julian chimed in. “And it looks like they are complaining about androids.”

Zelda continued, “Apparently, she wasn’t just a party girl and a socialite. She was a hired spy for a competing company known as Robots Aren’t Us. The person who had hired her did not want Phillipe and Toni to learn about androids.”

Technically, they were already too late. There were at least two known androids in existence. One was possibly still in the solar system. But her whereabouts could not be confirmed.

Julian and Zelda looked at each other. Zelda sent the order to have Jessa arrested. There was nothing more they could do.