Meanwhile at the SPD precinct:
"Chief. You asked to see me?"
"Yes. Take a seat Detective. I just got your initial report on the Rizzo Murders, and this rusty situation has political implications all over it."
"Yeah, I tried to keep the wording... flexible once the bigger picture started coming into focus. I was planning to discuss the rest with you once there was time."
"That sort of thinking is why you're my best Detective, Statler. Now, you mentioned the lab turned up evidence of military chrome in the recovered vehicle. Given the timing and location, is there any chance this could be the Swedish cooking up something again?"
"Thankfully I'd say that's not likely. We did trace some of the samples from the floorwell to Night City. Lab analysis turned up obvious isotopes even if in trace amounts. Could have been planted, but far too easy for them to bork it up. I think we can safely rule them out."
"From your look you have someone else in mind."
"Nothing on the record, or even suspicious of course, but the week's spike in violence did start around the time the Proctor & Gamble heiress punched that guy's face inside out. We could have missed a chain of more subtle retaliations leading to the murders."
"Mmm. Good to keep that one off the reports. Miss P-G would ruin the whole department if such a rumor came from us. What about this Night City lead?"
"Well, one of the rookies suggested it might be linked to a turf war with the local branch of the Animals and them calling in support. Bit of nonsense really; Dr Teeth has the local crew on a short leash. Besides which, the gunner was reported to have blatantly chrome arms and hiring such a merc would have caused electric mayhem within the gang."
"Logical. Now, commissioner Camilla is going to lay an egg if we don't make any progress on this case, so please tell me you have something useful to go forward on."
"Well, it is thin, but there is a tentative connection to rumors of a trade deal that went down last night which may have involved a Night City runner. Seems plausible that the murders were a distraction from the exchange, but could also just be NC cyberpsychos being cyberpsychos. Upside is that they would have already left town. Downside is we won't have a chance of catching them."
"Leaves us in the lurch like McGurk. Well. Not much left for us fuzz to do but bear down to get the old song and dance routine ready for the politicos."
"Well, at least we know the perp is too small to remain at large."
The two older men shared a grim chuckle as they left Chief Waldorf's office in search of Honeydew's stash of special coffee.