Nathan, the head of the detective team at the North Shore city's East District Police Station, took charge of the crime scene immediately after receiving the report.
The forensic team carefully retrieved the dismembered remains, sealing each piece in specialized plastic bags for evidence. The victim, a young woman approximately twenty-eight years old, was identified by her limbs and torso, her head nowhere to be found.
The building, occupied solely by the Max Real Estate Company, boasted close to a thousand employees and operated under a sealed management model.
Access to the office areas above the fourth floor was restricted to a dedicated elevator, which only company employees could use with their access cards. Nathan suspected that both the perpetrator and the victim were company insiders.
After all, who else would specifically target a corporate water tank for disposing of a body, and how could they penetrate such a secure environment unless they were closely associated with someone inside?
Nathan immediately ordered a lockdown of the entire office building, including the Max Real Estate sales center on floors one to three. His first move was to consult with Dominic, the general affairs manager, to understand the layout of the building.
Dominic, visibly shaken and pale, explained, "This building was just completed last year, housing over 800 employees. I've been with Max Real Estate since its inception, working here without a hitch. We've never faced any unlawful incidents, let alone a murder..."
Nathan interrupted his reminiscence, "Mr. Dominic, how many bathrooms and storage rooms does this building have?" He suspected the initial crime scene might be located within one of these spaces, where the victim was killed and dismembered.
After a moment's thought, Dominic answered, "Each floor has two men's bathrooms and two women's bathrooms. With eighteen floors, that's 72 in total. Oh, and the department heads and higher-ups have private office suites with their own bathrooms, so that's another 19 for the 19 of us, including the executives."
Nathan signaled to his assistant, Alex, to take notes and inquired about the distribution of these 19 private office suites.
Dominic clarified, "Oh, I forgot, one suite is currently vacant! The office suites are spread across floors eight to eighteen, two per floor. The two on the eighteenth floor belong to our Chairman Maximilian and our General Manager Gregory. Gregory resides abroad and rarely returns, so his office has remained unused."
As Nathan mentally mapped out the building, he saw that Dominic was struggling to keep composed. Closing his notebook, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Dominic. We'll be in touch. Now, I need to speak with the person in charge here. That would be Chairman Maximilian?"
Wiping sweat from his brow, Dominic replied, "Our chairman is currently out of town on business. He oversees major project negotiations and strategic development, while day-to-day operations and management are handled by our Deputy General Manager—Rebecca. Let me contact her secretary for you. She's very busy managing such a large company..."
Nathan was displeased. With such a serious crime within the company, he expected the leadership to proactively cooperate with the police.
Dominic left to find Rebecca's secretary. Meanwhile, Nathan's phone rang with an unknown number. Answering, he heard a deep male voice: "Captain Nathan? Hello, I'm Theodore, the deputy mayor's secretary. I apologize for the intrusion. I got your number from Chief Christopher..."
Nathan was surprised and curious why the deputy mayor's secretary would contact him directly. He responded politely, inquiring about any specific instructions.
Theodore's voice had a soft, almost feminine quality, "Captain Nathan, you're at Max Real Estate, right? The leadership wanted me to convey a message: Max Real Estate is one of our city's most prestigious private enterprises, a major contributor to our tax revenue. Its economic impact is closely tied to the welfare of our citizens. I understand there's been a murder? The leadership hopes for a swift resolution to the case, while also protecting the company's reputation. It's important to keep the incident under wraps as much as possible and ensure the company continues its operations normally."
Nathan felt uncomfortable with this direct interference in his investigation. Before he could reflect further, his phone rang again—this time from Chief Christopher: "Nathan, did Theodore contact you? I'm aware of it. You need to accommodate the city leadership's request. I heard you've locked down the building, but the sales center must remain open. We need to solve the case, but the company must also operate as usual. Rebecca, the deputy general manager of Max Real Estate, has raised concerns with city leadership. We should consider the public's positive feedback..."
Hanging up, Nathan felt cornered. Promoted by Chief Christopher himself, he knew he had to follow orders. He marveled at Rebecca's influence, wondering about her ability to swiftly engage city leaders for support and assistance.
Dominic returned, "Officer Nathan, Deputy General Manager Rebecca is waiting for you in the guest lounge. Please follow me."
As they walked, Nathan casually inquired, "So, this Deputy General Manager Rebecca, she's related to Chairman Maximilian?"
Dominic chuckled, "Our private enterprise was built and developed by Chairman Maximilian. Naturally, his business is inherited by his children. Rebecca, the deputy general manager, is his daughter, and Gregory, the general manager, is his son."
They arrived at the guest lounge on the sixteenth floor. Nathan and his assistant, Alex, entered to find a slender, attractive woman rising to greet them. With refined features, short, stylish hair, and dressed in a professional suit, she wore a business-like smile.
Extending her hand to Nathan, she said, "You must be Captain Nathan. Thank you for your hard work. I'm Rebecca."