Death and murder were her business. So when the phone rang at 2 A.M., Detective Emma Reed, awoke and answered in a voice that was all cop. At the station, her subordinates dubbed her “Detective One Day” since she was known for solving cases within 24 hours. Emma Reed simply had a knack for sniffing out the guilty party.
BRRRRING, BRRRRING, the phone chimed urgently, and Detective Reed rolled herself out of bed to answer.
“Reed,” she quipped. “Give me the story.” 
  Knowing the detective would like the facts short and to the point, Jim Crawford, explained to his partner, “Another murder it seems, Em. I’ve secured the scene. The victim was  David Ross, 52 year old, wealthy banker. On the scene were 3 suspects, all family. A wife, Laura, daughter, Persephone, and son, Danny.  It’s the only house on Pin Oak Lane with lights on. Can’t miss it.”
Appreciating her thorough partner and processing the information, Emma, replied, “Thanks, Jim. See you in 10.”
Emma straightened her jet black hair, and quickly dressed. She shrugged on a white polo shirt with no frills, straight black slacks, and a black pin striped jacket. Her black boots clicked against the tiles as she walked hurriedly to her car.
In no time at all Detective Reed arrived at the scene. The house was better termed a mansion, three stories high, ornate, and with extensive security. When Emma pushed past the police tape and strode into the abode, holding her badge, she commanded attention, and the officers on scene stood up straighter as she walked by. She nodded in acknowledgment and headed to the family room. 
She quickly surveyed the room and analyzed the scene. Jim was standing by  three individuals sitting in chairs, visibly distressed. Detective Reed walked over to each of the suspects and studied them with her piercing black eyes. They each looked very uncomfortable. The wife was constantly shifting in her chair, unable to make eye contact, the son was cowering and bent over, and the daughter had her chin up, looking defiant, but Detective Reed could see a glint of fear in her eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Emma offered. “If you wouldn’t mind I’d like a word with my partner and then we can talk.” Ushering Jim to the far side of the room, Emma asked for the run down on the night.
“The 911 call came in from Laura Ross, the wife, at 1:15 A.M. I was dispatched first to the scene. I secured the scene on arrival. I saw the victim face down on the sofa with a knife in his chest. He appeared to have fallen from the impact. No sign of forced entry. Nothing on the security tapes. On the wall, as you can see, smeared in blood, ‘REVENGE IS SWEET.’ Sounds like this murder was personal. Housekeeper and cook happen to be on vacation so the only others in the house were the children. Wife says they came running out of their rooms when they heard her scream. Seems like there traces of mandrake root, a common sedative. Also the family grows mandrake root in their garden. Here’s a folder containing their personal information and family relationships.” Jim replied handing her a manilla folder with the word ‘Classified’ written diagonally on the front in red bold letters.
“Alright,” Emma answered taking the folder, “Let’s clear this room so I can look at the victim myself. Set up the the other 3 for interviews and check the knife for fingerprints, just to be complete.”
Emma strode over to the body and peered down at the victim. He was solidly built, appeared strong, with light brown hair and chiseled features. She gently turned over the body and saw there was no sign of struggle, just a large butcher knife embedded deep in his chest. There was blood on the sofa and pooled on the carpet.
After her assessment, Emma walked to Laura, her first suspect. She was a tall and sturdy woman, with long blond hair and a round face. She managed to look distraught; she was straightening her turtleneck sweater and dabbing her nose, but Emma noticed her eyes were clear with no redness or puffiness. Emma’s gut reaction told her Laura looked a bit shifty, unable to make direct eye contact.
“For the record, would you mind telling me your full name.” Emma began.
“Laura Ross.”
“Okay Mrs. Ross, what is your profession?
“Oh, I am a um… gardener. My garden is right outside.”
“Hmmm… Mrs. Ross, you and Mr. Ross were married 25 years ago. How would you describe your relationship?” 
“I won’t lie!” Laura blurted. “I’m sorry to yell, but this is just so upsetting. David and I- well, we argued...a lot. I guess...we weren’t a happy couple. You will know all this anyway after you speak with the children. But we had a life together, and kids, and social stature. I wouldn’t see him dead! Surely you can’t think I had anything to do with this!”
“I’m just trying to find the truth, Mrs. Ross. You want me to do that, right? What did you argue over?”
“Well… we argued over many things. Sometimes it was that I wanted my own money, since he controls all the money and I’m not allowed to buy things I want without asking him first, and he rarely says yes.”
“Will you benefit from his death?”
“Well… I will get all of the property… and the money…. and everything else he owns.” Laura stated shifting in her chair, and looking at her hands.
“So his death would give you exactly what you want?”
“Yes. I-I mean NO! I never wanted for him to die, I only wanted my own money.” Laura shouted.
“Okay, Mrs. Ross. Now let’s talk about the murder. Where were you when the murder happened?”
“I was in my office, working late. Both the kids were in town and I wanted to finish up so we could have some family time tomorrow. David was watching television outside. I worked straight till 1 am. I went to the kitchen to get a drink of water and that’s when I saw Danny, my son, heading upstairs. He said he had gone out with some friends and had just gotten home. I heard the television and assumed that David left it on. When I went to the family room, I saw him. I saw the blood on the carpet and I panicked. I didn’t go to him. I was so scared. I screamed, I think, and called 911.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to share with me about your marriage or tonight?”
“No… nothing at all.” Laura whispered. Emma noticed the bruising on Laura’s neck she tried to cover with her turtleneck and wondered if she would share the fact that she was beaten by David, but she decided not to pursue it.
“Well there is one thing. I could have never killed him. I’m deathly afraid of knives, especially one with a blade that long.”
Emma joined Danny, the seventeen year old son visiting from college, next. He was tall, lean and muscular, but not as much as his father.
“So Danny, how do you feel over your father’s death?”
“I’m heartbroken, I feel terrible and sad.” Danny stated without a trace of emotion on his face.
“Danny, can you tell me how your relationship was with your father?”
“Well… it was okay. He was demanding and never satisfied, that’s true. He’s always hassling me about money, but I swear I didn’t kill him.”
“I believe you Danny, but where were you when your father was murdered?”
“I went out with some friends. My dad and I got into a fight earlier and I just needed to get out”
“Did you ever hear a scream of any sort?”
“A scream? No. But I did hear my mother shouting for us to come down.”
“Alright, last question Danny, I heard that last year your father had a car accident. His engine broke down with no warning in the middle of the road. When the mechanics looked at it they said that it was no accident, someone rewired the wires to attempt to shut of the engine or blow up the car. Many thought someone in the family tried to murder him. And since you are studying to be a car mechanic, you are the only one in your family who knows about cars. Do you know anything about the murder attempt?”
“No, all I know is it wasn’t me. My dad has a lot of enemies. It could have been anyone.” Danny defended, as he remembered what really happened. He was 16 and consumed with hatred. He was tired of the judgement and dissatisfaction of his father and actually thought he could rewire the car to make the engine blow. Well, he didn’t even get that right. He regretted it though but how could he tell the detective that? She would never believe him.
“Okay, Danny. That will be all for now. Please send your sister in.”
Emma studied Persephone, a 20 year old law student, with a tall, lean figure, who appeared rather haughty and angry. Persephone spoke first.“Blame me if you want, but I didn’t do it.”
“We’re just talking for now, Persephone. Tell me, how did you feel about your dad?”
“Of course I loved him,” she answered with her chin in the air. “He was my dad.”
“Have you always known you were adopted? Was that an adjustment?”
“I guess my real parents wanted me. I hated the orphanage so I’m grateful the Ross’s saved me from that life.”
“Are you angry?”
“No.”
“Do you ever feel like you don’t belong?”
“No.”
“Are you ever depressed or moody?”
“Only as much as a normal person.” Persephone stated. Despite what she said, Emma could tell from her body language she was far from stable. 
“Hmmm… okay Persephone. Do you have anything else to tell me, any secrets?”
“N-no, no secrets. N-nothing to tell you.” Persephone stuttered. This was the first time Emma had visibly thrown Persephone off balance and seen her falter.
As Emma took Persephone back to the living room Persephone thought of the secret she hid, her murder attempt when she was 10 years old.  The family was camping in the woods and Persephone was up cooking omelets for her family while her parents were asleep in their tent.  Persephone and her parents had had a big argument the day before over her wanting to contact her birth parents. In a fit of rage, she lit a match and placed it on her parent’s tent.. Laura and David escaped just before the tent collapsed. Persephone was filled with remorse and somehow her parents forgave her. But she knew she could never share this secret with the detective.
As Emma stood thinking about this case, Jim walked over. “Well, Em, you’re good, but even you can’t figure this out overnight. You’ve got an abused, money hungry wife, an angry, seventeen year old son, and an unstable adopted twenty year old  daughter- all with reasons to kill.”
Emma turned to him and smiled. “I thought the same thing, Jim. And then I remembered something. It’s always in the details. You’re going to want to bring Laura Ross to the station, in handcuffs.”
“What? But how--??“
Emma explained. “Mrs. Ross walked into the family room from the kitchen. She stated she never approached the victim and Mr. Ross was lying face down. So how could she have known there was a knife in the chest, and especially one with a long blade?”
“I don’t know how you do it, Emma.”
“While murder may continue in Chicago, at least it’s one more victim who will get the justice they deserve.”