"Matthias, could you tell us when and how you discovered Emma Abelson and what you did afterward?"
Yao asked as the frightened Danish man took a deep breath before talking and telling the story once more.
"I arrived here at 5:45 and I went to the bathroom to change into my uniform. Then I began my morning patrol starting from the basement. As soon as I got out of the elevator, I saw someone on the ground and I thought someone was hurt but when I got closer, I realized that it was Mrs. Emma and that..she was dead! Then I contacted her husband immediately and I called the police for him".
Matthias exclaimed, wrapping the blanket around his messy blonde hair while Ivan stood right beside of detective Wang.
"Ivan, what are you doing? Why aren't you taking notes?"
The Russian wasn't aware that he was Yao's private assistant but he still quickly pulled out a little white journal with sunflower prints that he always carried with him. He then started writing down the statement given by the security guard.
"Who's in charge of the night shift? When does it start and when does it end?"
The Chinese man asked while Ivan noted down every question and response.
"Tino is the night guard from 6 to 6, a 1w hours night shift, but his son had a fever so he told me that he wouldn't be able to make it".
Ivan found it interesting that the night guard hadn't been there where Emma was left, how strange. He was starting to think that this Tino could be a possible suspect.
"I see that there are security cameras around here, do you think you can show us the footage?"
Yao was curious, and he was known for asking a lot of questions when investigating, he would leave no doubts and get as much information as he could.
"I would show you but the entire building's cameras have stopped working a week ago. I can still show you the footage from before the malfunction".
The cameras haven't been working since a week before, Ivan was starting to think that it might have been a premeditated murder, the killer must have messed with the security cameras beforehand. The Russian knew that he wasn't supposed to talk unless Yao wanted him to but he just couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore.
"What happened to the cameras and why weren't they fixed?"
The smaller male turned sly eyes on detective Braginski, he wasn't supposed to be talking, but at least he didn't ask stupid questions like always.
"The cameras suddenly had a strange glitch, I think it was a systematic failure or something that can't be repaired, and next week we're getting a whole new set".
"Have you seen Emma Abelsson yesterday?"
The Chinese man asked, once again taking over the interrogation and giving the Russian nudge on the arm to indicate him to keep taking notes.
"I have, she left the building about 4 wearings that same exact clothes, that was the last time I saw her".
Ivan continued jotting down every clue given by the Danish security guard. He still thought that the glitching of security cameras were very strange, cameras don't just glitch and stop working.
"Did you see anything odd about her? Do you remember seeing anything strange yesterday or today in the building?"
Matthias was visibly getting weary of all the questions, the poor man just came to work like every day and was almost scared to death when he saw a corpse in the basement. He shook his head, he really didn't remember anything out of the ordinary.
"Thank you for your collaboration, if you remember anything, please contact us. Also, some officers will be taking the footage from the previous weeks, please collaborate with them".
The Russian quickly got out his business card and gave it to Matthias just like Yao did and the Danish man nodded at them with a small grin as they walked away.
"Do you think he did it?"
Once again, Yao had the immense desire to slap Ivan for making the dumbest suggestions, but he tried to remain calm because there were many officers around them.
"Don't jump to conclusions so soon, we still have a lot of people to talk to, starting with the husband. Then we'll pay Matthias' family a little visit to make sure that he wasn't lying to us and that he had in fact spent the night at home and left early in the morning. We'll do the same with Tino, let's see if his son is really sick".
The Russian places his little notebook back into his shirt's front pocket as he went into the elevator with detective Wang. Ivan didn't find Matthias suspicious since he was very willing to cooperate, he only asked because he wanted to know the thought process of Yao. He wasn't as stupid as the Asian thought he was. He was observant enough to notice the splinter on Emma's leg. Now he understood that the Chinese man worked based on evidence only, there had to be proof for him to believe someone.
"She's married but she didn't have a ring when we saw her".
Yao raised an eyebrow, the boy was learning fast, pointing out the important stuff only, not bad for his first day.
"I've noticed, only the husband will be able to confirm if she went out with it or not".
Soon, the elevator's door was opened and they entered the apartment with the door open where they found a brunette sitting on the couch, sobbing loudly, that had to be the husband.
"Ivan, go talk to Mr. Fernandez".
The Chinese man suggested, wanting to test the Russian and see how well he worked under stressful situations like a crying Spaniard. Also because he was bad at dealing with sensitive people and he didn't want to screw up in front of detective Braginski.
"Huh? Me?"
The Russian whispered under his breath before the Asian pushing him forward and he stood in front of the grieving husband.
"Mr. Fernandez, I'm so sorry for your loss".
The weeping husband stood up immediately from the couch and threw his arms around Ivan. The Russian remained still for a few seconds and blinked a couple of times while Yao covered up his mouth, covering his laughter. The detective had no choice but to pat the Spaniard's back who cries nonstop and wouldn't let go of him.
"I'm detective Wang, Mr. Fernandez and we would like to ask you some questions about your wife".
Yao intervened, seeing the panic in Ivan's violet eyes. That's precisely why he had such a hard time approaching emotionally unstable people.
"My Emma, she's an angel now".
Mr. Fernandez placed his hands together as if making a prayer while tears kept rolling down from his face.
"Could you please tell us what Emma and you did yesterday?"
The Russian spoke this time, he had been ordered to take care of the situation and he would go on with it even if he failed in the first part.
"Well, we had breakfast together like usual about 9, and by 10 I left for work. She's a fashion designer and she works at home, I know that some ladies came by to pick up some clothes and I was back home by 2 for lunch. At 3 more or else I went back to the office and Emma told me that she would be going out with a friend. I came back around 8 and she wasn't still here. I called her but she didn't pick up so I called her friend and by that time they were still together. I was very tired so I simply went to bed".
The Spaniard explained their routine, wiping his tears away while speaking.
"Do you know who those ladies were that came in the morning? Also, who's the friend she claimed going out with?"
The Chinese man simply listened to Antonio's testimony and so far the Russian had been asking the right questions.
"I don't know who the ladies from the morning were but the friend is actually Emma's goddaughter, Lily Zwingli".
Ivan pulled out his little notebook to write down the name as well as the timeline just provided by Emma's husband.
"Did Emma mention where they were going?"
Yao asked this time, while detective Braginski wrote the details down.
"I think they were going to a recently opened pastry shop, Emma really liked sweets".
Antonio's voice was shaky again. He would have never imagined that his wife would be murdered in their own basement.
"Do you remember what Emma wore yesterday before going out?"
The Spaniard nodded, as he grabbed a framed picture of their wedding and pressed it against his chest.
"The blue suit I bought her last week with the stockings, and the matching gloves she made herself. Also, the diamond earrings her little brother got her because Lars wouldn't spend a single cent on her. She was also wearing a blue headband I think, she loves them and has a ton of them. And her wedding ring too, she would never leave without it, her purse too! Blue designer bag".
The Chinese scratched his chin, so the ring had been taken from her as well as the purse. If they were lucky, they could find those in the jungle. If not, then why would the killer take the ring but not the earings that are equally expensive? Didn't make much sense to him. Talking about rings, he looked at Antonio's hand and he wasn't wearing one.
"Can I take this picture with me? Her ring shows on there pretty clearly".
The Asian snatched the framed wedding photo to have a better look at the ring, it was a golden one with a particularly big diamond.
"The ring is missing!? The ring has been passed down from generations in my family and I won't bury her without it!"
The Spaniard was getting altered for the family ring, it appears that it had great emotional value. Ivan simply nodded before glancing at the picture of the happy couple cutting down the wedding cake.
"You mentioned Emma's little brother and Lars, could you tell us more?"
The Russian was in control of the conversation and he was going to get out as much information as he could from Antonio, who finally stopped crying.
"Her little brother is Lux and the big brother is Lars, Emma was in the middle. Lux and Lars own the family jewelry shop that their parents left them after dying in a car crash a few years ago, it hit Emma very hard".
The Chinese man gave Ivan another nudge on the arm and the Russian understood that he should write those names down.
"Did she have any enemies? Or someone who would like to harm her?"
The Spaniard broke into tears after the question made by detective Braginski, how dare him to suggest such a thing? His wife was an angel and everyone loved her dearly.
"Of course not! What makes you think that? Are you saying that she deserved this?"
The Russian shook his head immediately, that definitely wasn't his intention, it was just a routine question.
"Well thank you for your collaboration, Mr. Fernandez, we'll let you know of the advances of the investigation".
Detective Wang made a small vow before quickly turning around and leaving the apartment with the picture tucked under his arm while Ivan followed him like a little duckling. Not wanting to stay by the moody husband any second longer who was swearing at them in Spanish.
"Well, he was pretty intense".
Yao commented once they were in the elevator about to go down, Ivan nodded in agreement, first, he got hugged and then was thrown out of the apartment.
"I didn't see him wearing a ring".
Detective Braginski pointed out while they walked out of the building and an officer quickly ran towards them to give Yao a detailed file of the case.
"Strange, isn't it? After making a huge deal about his wife's ring missing".
Yao answered while looking through the pages of the file, the newbie had pretty good observation skills.
"I think he's hiding something from us".
The two were now sitting in the car as the Chinese man began driving and leaving the building.
"Lily will confirm that for us".