Amidst the hustling city where shadows seemed dancing under the flickering streetlights, Detective Clara Hayes was called to a crime scene which is full of chillness. Victor Lang, the victim, was found dead in his art gallery which is at the 5th floor of Rose Apartment. The gallery was filled with exquisites’ paintings and portraits. Being a high profile case and a sense of foul play, the case was handed privately to Clara to reveal the truth.
As usual, she started to look for minute details. After a search of long hours, she noted some shattered glass pieces of a display case along with a missing painting- considered as a rare piece and was decided to be auctioned soon. Further, she investigates both his personal as well as professional life to list out potential suspects. Among others, it highlighted the names of his wife, Elena; his rival dealer, Mark; and another artist, Lily whose work has been ridiculed by the deceased.
Clara started her investigation with Elena. She found her in a lavish lifestyle with a bungalow and an expensive car. Upon entering, she found her drawing room to be filled with imported home decors and a few photographs of her alone.
Clara: Mrs. Lang. I know it’s not the right time for you to answer my questions, but it’s highly crucial to find the culprit soon.
Elena: I understand. Go on. I want the culprit to be punished soon, who took away my beloved from me.
Clara: Do you have any doubt on someone?
Elena: He had enemies everywhere. People disliked him for his straightforward personality. Last month he openly criticized Lily regarding her art style.
Clara: Ok. Thank you. Please handle yourself.
Clara went to meet Mark in his office.
Clara: I’ve come to know that you’ve had some grudges with Mr. Lang.
Mark: Grudges, in the sense, arise out of his unprofessional ethics. He did steal my ideas and accredited to himself. I always want to beat him in professional angle only, not personal. Both lives are different. I hope you understand.
Clara, being intuitive, sensed a flickering anger beneath the calm façade of Mark, but she moved on, not yet convinced of his guilt. Then she headed towards her last prime suspect, Lily. She’s considered to be a struggling artist. Despite her heartfelt efforts, Victor Lang dismisses her works as ‘mediocre.’ Clara confronted her. She turned furious: “Mr. Lang was a fraud. Nothing to be jealous of his achievements. His works are nothing without the ideas of struggling artists like us.” Then she shouted. “I didn’t kill him. I have nothing to do with him. I believe in my hard work, and definitely I would be succeeded soon.”
Clara noted every single emotion, and their intensity. But she felt she needed more than just words.
Days turned into two weeks, and Clara came to a dead end. In the meantime, media swarmed in front of police station and start questioning. The pressure to solve the case soon increased. Clara revisited the crime scene, leaving no stones unturned. This time, she noticed a hidden camera. Immediately she contacts the IT cell for the footages. It revealed a shadowy figure lingering in the gallery on the murder’s night, but being blurred, it made it complex to identify the person.
By her sheer determination in her work, Clara studied the footages minutely. Suddenly she noticed something, and revisited that part of it. The thing she noticed was a distinctive scarf, which was used by the shadowy figure. Immediately, it strikes her to the last art exhibition she attended. It was with Elena. Immediately she rushes to her to confront.
Clara reached Elena’s bungalow, and found her packing things frantically. “Stop. Don’t move. What’s going on?” Elena’s swollen eyes widened. She approached towards Clara in a manner that she would confess. To her surprise, Elena snatches the scarf, and with hardened expression, “You know nothing.”
Clara lunged towards the scarf swiftly, but Elena’s response was quicker. A struggle ensued, and in the chaos, Elena knocked over a lamp, revealing a hidden compartment in the wall. Inside there lay a cache of stolen paintings, including the one missing from the gallery.
“Victor was going to expose me,” Elena confessed, her voice shaking. “I had to protect myself. I didn’t mean to kill him!”
Just as Clara was about to place Elena under arrest, a loud bang echoed through the room. Clara turned to see Mark standing in the doorway, a gun aimed at them. “You’re both fools,” he sneered. “You think you can play in my world and not pay the price?”
In a tense standoff, Clara’s instincts kicked in. “You’re the one who killed Victor, aren’t you?” she accused. “You wanted to frame Elena to eliminate your competition.”
Mark laughed, a chilling sound. “You’re clever, Detective, but it won’t save you.” Just as he prepared to pull the trigger, Clara lunged forward, knocking the gun from his hand. In the ensuing struggle, the gun discharged, and Mark fell to the ground, a look of shock on his face. Clara quickly secured the weapon and turned to Elena, who was trembling in the corner.
“Call for backup,” Clara instructed, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. As Elena fumbled for her phone, Clara knelt beside Mark, who was gasping for breath. “You thought you could get away with it, didn’t you?” she said, her tone a mix of anger and pity.
Mark coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t kill him,” he wheezed, his eyes darting around the room. “I just wanted to scare him. He was going to ruin me.”
“Your plan backfired,” Clara replied, watching as the life faded from his eyes. “You underestimated both Victor and Elena.”
As the sound of sirens approached, Clara felt a mix of relief and sorrow. The case was solved, but at a great cost. She glanced at Elena, who was still in shock, clutching the scarf as if it were a lifeline. “You need to tell the truth,” Clara urged gently. “It’s the only way to move forward.”
Elena nodded slowly, tears streaming down her face. “I never wanted any of this,” she whispered. “I just wanted to be free of him.”
With the police arriving, Clara stepped back, allowing them to take over. She knew the road ahead would be difficult for both women, but justice had been served, albeit in a twisted way. As she walked away from the scene, Clara couldn’t shake the feeling that the shadows of the city would always hold more secrets, waiting for the next detective brave enough to uncover them.
