A bright sunrise bathed Richard and Camille's house in warm light as they set the breakfast table in the morning. The kitchen smelled of freshly brewed tea and fresh croissants while Lucien waited impatiently for his breakfast.

Richard sat at the table browsing through the newspaper while Camille placed the steaming teacups on the table. "Here's your tea," she said lovingly and kissed Richard on the cheek.

Richard smiled and thanked her. "Thank you, Camille. I really like when you cheer me up in the morning".

Meanwhile, Lucien sleepily entered the room, yawned, rubbed his eyes and climbed onto his chair to sit down. Suddenly a shadow fell on the table. "Harry!" he called excitedly, pointing at the animal.

Camille laughed and caressed Lucien's head. "Yes, Harry is hungry too. We have to give him his breakfast," she said and held out her food to the lizard.

While they were still eating breakfast, Richard began to ponder the case. "Camille, I have a feeling we've missed something. Something important that could lead us on the right trail."

She nodded and said: "Yes. I agree. Maybe we should look at the evidence again and check our notes. We might have missed something".

Suddenly Richard's mobile phone rang. He quickly took it out of his pocket and looked at the display. "It's Dwayne," he said, answering. "Hello, Dwayne, what's up?" As Richard spoke to Dwayne, Camille sensed a certain uneasiness coming on. She was sure there were more clues that could help them catch the killer. they just had to find them. When he had finished talking, Richard turned to Camille. "It looks like we have a new lead. Dwayne has found something interesting. We should head to the station right away." Camille nodded decisively and they left the house together, Lucien in Richard's arms, and made their way to the police station.

After a short stop to take Lucien to kindergarten, Richard and Camille set off for work. The sun was high in the sky and the streets of Saint-Marie were bustling with people going about their daily business. Arriving at the police station, they entered the building. Fidel was already at his desk working diligently, he only looked up from his screen briefly to greet the two. The two walked over to their desks to take their seats. Richard placed his bag on the desk and began to read the files and notes on the case. But immediately he pushed them aside in frustration. He just couldn't find any answers, no matter how many times he read through the various documents and papers.

Eventually he got up and went to the murder board to take a closer look at the pictures of the crime scene, hoping to find a lead to the culprit there. As always at this time of year in Saint-Marie, the heat in the station was unbearable and the air conditioning was once again not working, so Richard wiped the sweat from his forehead and grumbled in exasperation: "I will never, ever get used to this heat. It seems like the whole island has conspired against me."

The other investigators in the room exchanged amused glances. After all these years, they were used to Richard's grumblings by now. They had made a kind of unofficial game out of taking note of Richard's complaints about the heat with a smile and a wink.

Camille laughed softly and pushed a glass of ice-cold water towards him. "Here, Richard, drink this. It will help you cool down a bit. And remember, we're all in the same soup, I mean, situation."

Dwayne and Fidel started laughing and Richard gave his wife an exasperated look. After the laughter had died down, Richard cleared his throat and turned to his colleagues. "Well, folks, that's enough fun," he said with a serious face. "But now it's time to get back to our work. We have another murder to solve." The others agreed with him and went into investigation mode: They gathered around the murder board and began to discuss the few facts they had at their disposal. Richard took a marker and began to note down the various aspects of the case.

"So we have the victim, Philip Leclerc, an estate agent who was stabbed to death in a secluded villa," Richard explained, drawing the layout of the villa on the whiteboard. "We don't yet know exactly what weapon was used to commit the murder, but we have some leads and clues that might help us."

Camille looked at the sketch of the villa and ran her finger thoughtfully over the floor plan. "The villa's remote location could mean that the perpetrator deliberately chose a place where he would attract little attention. We should check if anyone in the vicinity has observed any suspicious activity."

Richard nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea, Camille. We should also take a closer look at Philip's personal background. Were there any disputes, financial problems or other conflicts that might indicate a possible motive?" He turned to Dwayne and Fidel. "Dwayne, Fidel, I want you to look closely at Philip's personal and business background. Take a closer look at his business partners, his clients and his closest contacts. Look for possible motives or disputes that could be connected to the murder. Also investigate his financial situation and possible debts. Maybe we'll find something that will help us."

Dwayne nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir, that will be done, chief. We'll get right on it and use all available resources to thoroughly investigate Philip's personal background. Don't worry, we'll leave no stone unturned." Then he turned to his younger colleague, "Let's go, Fidel," and left the station together with Sergeant Best.

Richard and Camille stayed behind and exchanged a quick glance. They knew that this was a crucial moment in the investigation. Now it was up to them to put the puzzle together and bring the truth to light.

Camille cleared her throat slightly and said: "Richard, I have another idea. Maybe we should take a closer look at the area where the murder took place. Maybe we'll find more clues or traces there that will help us."

Richard nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'll ask the forensic team to examine the crime scene again. Maybe they missed something or can come up with new evidence." They exchanged more ideas and decided to take the investigation in different directions. The case was far from solved, but they were determined not to give up.

After several hours had passed and the investigation at the crime scene had not yielded any tangible results, it was time for a short break. Camille felt herself getting hungry and decided to go to her mother's bar to get something to eat. Maybe a little break and a chat with her mother would bring new perspectives. The sun was high in the sky as Camille walked through the busy streets of the island. The warm wind gently brushed through her hair, while the sounds of everyday life - the roar of the sea, the laughter of people and the clatter of dishes in the surrounding cafés - provided a pleasant backdrop. Eventually she reached her mother's bar, a cosy place with nautical decorations and the familiar smell of freshly brewed coffee. The door opened with a soft ring and Camille entered.

"Salut, Maman!" called Camille cheerfully. "I've come for lunch. Is everything going well here?"

Catherine gave her daughter a smile and wiped her hands on her apron. "Good, ma chérie. The usual guests, good atmosphere. And how is the investigation going?" the bar owner inquired of her daughter.

Camille sighed slightly and sat down at the bar. "We're still in the dark, Maman. No lead, no viable clue. It's just frustrating."

Catherine looked sympathetically at her daughter and handed her a container of delicious smelling food. "Well, parfois il faut du temps pour démêler l'écheveau, ma chérie Have patience, the solution will be found just when you least expect it".

Camille gave her a grateful smile. Her mother's words of encouragement had not failed to have their effect, and so she opened the container to enjoy the tempting aroma of the dish when it occurred to her that her mother might know something about Mr Leclerc. "Maman, do you happen to know anything about our murder victim? Did he sometimes come to the bar or do you know anyone who had anything to do with him?"

Catherine thought for a moment and then frowned. "You know, I remember something," she said thoughtfully. "There was a man called Jacques who was here a lot in the last few weeks. A rather odd fellow. He was very interested in Monsieur Leclerc's business, but otherwise seemed very reserved."

Camille perked up. "Jacques? Do you know more about him? Where can I find him?"

The older woman paused for a moment to think. "Jacques ... Jacques ... I don't know his surname. But I overheard someone call him 'Monsieur Dupont'. Maybe you can do more with that name."

A small smile appeared on Camille's face. "Thank you, Maman. That may be the crucial clue we were hoping for. I will search for Monsieur Dupont immediately and speak to him about it." She took the container of lunch, gave her maman a grateful kiss on the cheek and strode to the door with renewed vigour.

Camille held the paper bag with lunch tightly in her hand as she hurriedly walked down the street. The warm midday sun shone in her face and made her skin glow. The smell of freshly baked bread and spicy food rose to her nose and made her mouth water.

She thought of the conversation with her mother in the bar. Catherine had given her another helpful piece of information. The man she had been watching had the surname "Dupont". It wasn't much, but it could be a crucial clue. Camille felt her inner tension rising. At last the case seemed to be taking a turn. Her steps quickened as she reached the station. The door swung open and she entered the room where her colleagues were already gathered around the large conference table. The smell of coffee and files was in the air.

Camille let her gaze wander over the group. Richard was sitting at the head of the table, looking through a file. His focused expression revealed that he was already immersed in the investigation documents again. Next to him sat Dwayne, whose pen kept sliding over the notebook. His serious face revealed that he was meticulously analysing the facts and evidence. The only one not sitting at the table was Fidel, who was on the phone at that moment.

When Camille entered, all heads turned to look at her. Obviously they were eagerly awaiting her arrival, or rather the arrival of the food. The young woman sat down at the table, placed the paper bag in the middle, took a deep breath and began to relay the information from her mother in a calm voice. "I have some important news. Maman was able to tell me something about Mr Leclerc. Namely, that he's been involved with a certain Jacques Dupont lately, but unfortunately she couldn't tell me anything more."

An excited whisper went through the room. The mood was suddenly electrified as the investigators realised they finally had a name to focus on. Richard put the file aside and fixed his gaze on Camille. "Well done, Camille. This is a crucial breakthrough. We need to find out more about this Dupont right away."

Camille nodded. This case had become personal for her and she desperately wanted justice to be done for the victim. She knew that she and her team had no time to lose.

"Wait a minute," Dwayne interrupted. "Before we throw ourselves fully into the search for Dupont, maybe we should eat something. I don't think we can investigate effectively if our stomachs are growling and we can barely think from exhaustion."

Camille and Fidel looked gratefully at Dwayne. His objection was justified. They had worked hard all morning and barely had time for a break. Working on an empty stomach could affect their concentration and drain their energy. She nodded in agreement and turned to Richard. "What do you think, Richard? A quick lunch might do us all good."

Richard hesitated briefly, but then nodded as well. "Yes, you are right, Dwayne. It would be unwise to continue without refreshment. Let's take a short break and eat something. But let's not take too much time. We still have a lot to do."

Relieved, the team agreed and went to the common room, where they sat down at the table and hungrily ate the food Camille had brought. For a while, nothing could be heard in the room except the chewing and contented smacking of the investigators. They had all been very hungry, and Catherine's food seemed like a godsend to them. Even Richard, who was usually so fussy about food and couldn't quite get to grips with his mother-in-law's cooking even after all these years, took a hearty bite. Camille enjoyed her salad with fresh vegetable strips and juicy pieces of chicken. Every bite gave her new energy and refreshed her spirit. She felt her concentration returning and her thoughts becoming clearer.

When they had finished eating, Richard rose and turned to the team. "All right, let's get on with it. We have a name and a lead. Let's find Dupont so hopefully we can find out more and close the case."

The other members nodded and also rose from their seats to return to the main room. Once in the main room, Richard stepped in front of the large murder case board covered with photos and notes about the case. He looked at the serious faces of his colleagues and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Fidel, I want you to track Dupont down," Richard said in a calm voice, looking at Fidel. "Find out all possible information about him. Check his contacts, his whereabouts and his possible motives. We need to find out where he is and how to find him."

Fidel nodded in agreement and folded his hands in front of him. "Of course, sir. I'll take care of it right away."

Richard nodded with satisfaction and turned to Dwayne. "Dwayne, I want you to review all the evidence and information we have gathered so far. Maybe you'll find something we missed or a connection we didn't realise."

Dwayne nodded vigorously and rose from his chair. "Understood, sir. I'll go through all the available evidence again and look for any connections or clues that might help us find Dupont."

Richard looked to his wife, who was still standing at his side. "Camille, you and I will continue to focus on interviewing witnesses and possible suspects in the crime."

Everyone went to their desks and immersed themselves in their work again. The room filled with the quiet hum of telephones, the clatter of keyboards and muffled conversations as the team worked flat out to solve the case.