Never Again

Chapter 1

The three suspects sit across from Oliver at the interrogation table with the file of the case in between them. It contains every detail of the theft of the famous painting 'Sunflowers' by Vincent van Gogh from The National Gallery. Or at least one of the five versions. And if that wasn't enough of a crime, the nightguard Albert Thompson died that unfortunate night as well. There are three suspects sitting next to each other in complete silence: Edward Vance, Claire Jenkins and Paul Everett.

Edward Vance restores art, including paintings and has a somewhat shady past. He has his hand curled nervously around the cuff of his shirt, but his face gives nothing away which makes him look emotionless.
Next to him sits Claire Jenkins. She is a museum curator who has been working in the museum for years. In spite of her situation she looks very calm, almost too calm. She even looks a bit bored by the events happening and does not seem curious or nervous at all about what Oliver is going to say.
The third suspect is Paul Everett, a rich art collector and board member of the museum. He sits back in his chair with arrogance. His ego is so big, it almost fills the silence. Almost. He seems to be sure that he has nothing to fear.

"Let's go over the events of that night again." Oliver speaks with a professional tone, breaking the silence. "As you all know the painting 'Sunflowers' got stolen and Albert Thompson was found dead that same night at the scene. A stolen painting and a dead man – not just a coincidence if you ask me." He turns to Edward Vance. "Mr Vance, you had access to the painting. You were the only one with a valid reason to even come close to the painting without raising any questions. However you have a shady past with art transactions which makes you the first person people would think did it."
Vance opens his mouth to say something, but Oliver raises his hand before he can. "Let me finish." He turns to the only woman in the room. "Miss Jenkins, you know every corner of that museum. If anyone would know the perfect place to hide a copy of the painting which would serve as a replacement, it is you." She still looks as calm and bored as before. "And you have access to the safety protocols. For you it would be as easy as taking candy from a kid to circumvent the systems."
After receiving an eye roll from Claire, Oliver moves on to the third and last suspect. "And that leaves you, Mr Everett." Oliver narrows his eyes at the arrogant man. "You had everything to gain from that painting disappearing. A famous piece like this on the black market – that would make millions. And let me guess, you would be the buyer? Or maybe you already had someone in mind who would."

Paul laughs mockingly. "And where is your evidence, detective?"

As a response Oliver smiles briefly and leans in. "You're right, I don't have direct evidence. But I do have something better: a pattern and a conspiracy of greed and opportunism." Oliver turns to Edward once
again. "Mr Vance, you were indeed planning to steal the painting, but you knew you couldn't come far without any help from the inside. That's when you approached Miss Jenkins." Claire's eyes widen, but Oliver continues without pausing and faces her. "Miss Jenkins, you were looking for an opportunity to break free from your boring job without a future worth looking forward to. This theft was your chance, a chance to live life the way you want to live it. So you adjusted the security so Mr Vance could get in without any trouble." Now facing Paul, Oliver proceeds. "And Mr Everett, you are the financier of this operation. You already arranged a buyer and would buy the painting for a fraction of its true value."
Paul's smile fades away slowly. "But," Oliver continues, "something went wrong. Albert Thompson, the nightguard, discovered your plan. How? I'm not sure. Maybe he heard you talking – we'll never know. Anyway, Mr Vance, you attacked him, but not hard enough to kill him. If it was not for the unfortunate fall, and the fatal wound it caused, he would still be alive. You didn't have time to properly hide the painting, so you left it behind while you hastily devised a replacement plan." Oliver rises from his chair. "And the best part? You betrayed each other without realizing it. Mr Vance, you dropped your silver cufflink that matched your suit perfectly.
Miss Jenkins you missed a security camera that showed you coming back after working hours. And Mr Everett, your financial records? Too much money disappeared too quickly. Next time, you have to do it way more subtle, man." The three criminals look baffled at the detective who now walks toward the door. "Not that there is going to be a next time." He opens the door and gives a sign to the policemen to come in. "The game is over, lady and gentlemen. You have had enough time to talk, now it is time for you to confess. And trust me, you will." The policemen cuff Vance, Jenkins and Everett with force as they don't come smoothly.

"Just wait; my lawyer will get me out." Everett yells to Oliver over his shoulder.

Oliver turns to Everett and nods sarcastically. "Oh yeah, I'm sure he will." Oliver waves them off as they exit the interrogation room. "Now the boring part: paperwork" Oliver sighs as he walks to his desk.

********

Just as Oliver is about to take a break, there is a
knock on his desk. It's his sergeant, Caleb Wilson, a big muscled guy who could easily pose as a MMA fighter.

"The chief wishes to see you in his office, Lennox." He looks over Oliver's shoulder. "As always I am impressed. You don't only solve cases at high speed, but you also do the paperwork at a speed other detectives would be envious of." Oliver laughs. Wilson always speaks in an elegant way unlike his appearance. If he wouldn't have become a policeman, Oliver thinks Wilson would have become an author since Wilson is good with words.

"Thanks Wilson." Oliver stands up after stacking the paperwork and walks toward the chief's office. After knocking three times and hearing a muffled 'come in', Oliver enters the room.

"Ah, Oliver. Good job on the Sunflower Case; you should be proud of your achievement!" The chief gestures to Oliver that he can sit on the seat at the other end of the desk.

"Thank you, sir. I am." The chief, Arthur Barlowe, is a white man in his sixties so he will retire sometime in the coming years. His hair is white and wrinkles cover his face. His office always looks very neat, never even a sign of dust in sight. On his desk is a picture of his wife, children and grandchildren.

"If you're interested I already have a new case in store for you."

"Already? I still haven't finished my paperwork."

"Knowing you, that won't take too long. How long do you think you need?"

"A day, two max."

"Then someone else will work on it until you're done."

"Could I get a spoiler sir?"

"It's a murder."

A/N:
I have to finish this book in a month and I have exams somewhere in between as well. So long-story short: this will be a finished book (hopefully) by the 14th of February 2025. The end might be a bit rushed, but I think I might adapt it afterwards. Also, English is not my first language, so sorry in advance for any mistakes. If you have any tips or see any mistakes, please tell me (a suggestion for a better title is also very welcome). You would be of great assistence. But don't forget to enjoy as well! <3