4 days later…

Ace Antony had just woken up, ready for his night shift. He is a security guard at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Hotel in Central Munich. The famous detective Antwan Wagner was visiting Munich to meet with the Prime Minister. Detective Antwan Wagner is famous around the world and is praised for unyielding the hardest and most mysterious cases assiduously. Antwan and his apprentice, Albert Armstrong, made sure that even the smallest cases were solved flawlessly. `It has been reported that there have been several murders all around the city. Thus explaining Antwan and his disciple have been called to the city. Antwan was on his way out of the hotel, he was getting ready to meet the prime minister so he was dressed nicely and had headphones for the drive to the office. Antwan suddenly got attacked by a crazy man homeless in the lobby. Unfortunately, since Antwan had earbuds, he could not hear what was happening. Ace, the doorman, was right in the middle of this whole situation and decided to help Antwan. As the crazy man approached Detective Wagner, Ace quickly pushed him to the side to avoid being hit.
“Look out!”

The unusual disruption shook Antwan and took off his earbuds. Detective Wagner thanked him and Ace was astounded because he’d never met anyone partially famous. Detective Wagner introduced himself to Ace and they quickly became confrere. Detective Wagner stated that if there were any cases associated with him, he should be notified, at this point each of them exchanged business cards and proceeded to walk off, continuing what they were doing before. Ace had thought about reaching out but he had realized he had too much work and he had to do it later.

As Ace resolved the uncertain situation, Antwan proceeded on his way to the capitol building, in the distance, he saw the building, it was sky-high and the lights surrounded the dark, glim roads. The multi-story head government building was astonishing. Antwan was surprised by the sheer size of the building, but more importantly, the color. The building was covered in fine wood, and painted with the perfect colors. 

As the taxi entered the driveway, Antwan gathered his possessions and made his way to the tall maple wood doors. Two doormen asked for his ID and then slowly opened the doors and welcomed Antwan into the building. Antwan made his way down the spacious hall, admiring the historical paintings and mosaics. To his surprise, at the end of the hall lies the Prime Minister's office, distanced and sanctioned from the rest of the rooms. To the right of the room, a gallery full of artwork and paintings overwhelmed Antwan. As Detective Wagner wandered around the room, a guard went up to him. Announcing that the Prime Minister was geared up and ready for his meeting. As Antwan entered the room, the Prime Minister: Mr. Scholes, greeted him, his desk centered, bookshelves on either side of the room. 

“Take a seat.” Promulgated Mr. Scholes. “You may be wondering why I called you in today.”
“I certainly am.” 

Mr. Scholes grabbed papers out of his desk, hesitating to give them to the detective.

“These papers show photos of the camera footage in a nightclub. Highlighting the casualty of Mr. Antony, founder of AAA.”

Detective Wagner, confused, asked, “As in Frederick Antony?”

“Yes sir,  do you know him?” Asked Mr. Scholes

“His son saved me from getting attacked by a homeless man on my way here.” Antwan,

“He was found deceased at his 58th birthday party with a knife in his chest.” Mr. Scholes explained.

“I brought you here today to hand over this case file in hopes of solving this murder, you are the best in the business.” Mr. Scholes added.

“Will I be operating alone?”

“Detective Albert Armstrong will accompany you,” Mr. Scholes answered.

Antwan remembers hearing about Albert and how he is biased and has many preconceived ideas about his cases. This means Antwan is going to have to oppose his thoughts from Alberts. Mr. Scholes thanked Antwan for coming in. After some more discussion, Mr.Scholes sent him on his way to the nightclub to start the investigation. Antwan made his way out of the room and proceeded down the hallway back to his taxi. Entering the taxi he gave the driver directions and now he was on his way to the nightclub. After around a half-hour car ride through the bright city of Munich, he had made it to the club. Approaching the entrance, he was greeted by a waitress, Miss Emelia.

“Sir, this place is closed due to an investigation, are you one of the officers?”

“Yes. I am. I think they are already here, so please let me pass by.”

Antwan made his way through the nightclub, searching for Albert.

 At first glance, Antwan sees Ace and walks up to him.

“I heard about your dad Ace, I’m sorry.” Antwan apologized.

“Thank you, are you the one working the case?” Asked Ace.

“Indeed I am.” Said Antwan.

When Antwan finally figured out where Albert was sitting, both of them ordered drinks and started discussing the situation.  Ace had been taken in for questioning; he found his dad dead on the floor. After questioning Ace, he was escorted to a safe house where he would be monitored. Knowing that the suspect was still out there it would be best for Ace to be kept safe. Antwan made his way back to the room of the crime scene to start marking evidence. The first thing he marked was the knife’s blade protruding out of Fredericks's chest. Examining the blade he realized that the knife brand was only sold in one shop in Munich. Albert was off to the side drinking his whiskey watching Detective Wagner mark different pieces of evidence. Antwan quickly jotted down the serial number on the knife and any other suspicions. Antwan made sure to include the shop in his notes so he could visit it and discuss the previous purchases and buyers. 

He continued to examine the body and Antwan jotted down basic observations, he eventually figured out one important thing, Frederick was stabbed from in front not from the back, the knife's handle was poking out his chest, not the knife's blade. This means it had to have been someone he was having a conversation with due to the fact the knife was stabbed by someone in front of him. Whenever Antwan decided to check the cameras, there was a problem with the film. A few minutes before and after the murder the cameras had suddenly been shut off. Antwan first didn't suspect much but after more thinking, he realized that something was wrong. How could suddenly the cameras shut off minutes before the tragic incident? Antwan thought about it for a minute and decided to return to it later.

For now, Antwan and his partner pulled some witnesses for questioning. First, they pulled the guy who works at the cameras.

“What time did you get to the club Mr. Goretzka?” 

“Around 4:30 to make sure all the cameras were on and working.” Mr. Goretzka responded.

“Do you remember what you did before the party started?”

“I watched the television and had a snack.”

“Ok, and what did you do around the time of the murder?”

“I went to the bathroom once, came back, and all the cameras were off and not working. I couldn’t find a way to turn them back on so I went to the technician.”

“Ok, thank you for your time Mr. Goretzka.” 

Antwan ended the conversation with a good idea of how the cameras turned off. He and his partner assumed the murderer or an accomplice went into the camera room, while Mr. Goretzka was in the bathroom and disabled all the cameras. After communicating about this they pulled their second witness,  Miss Emilia Wilhelm. 

“Hello Ms. Wilhelm, we're just going to ask you a few questions about the night of the murder.”

“Ok, that’s fine, anything to help y'all.”

“What were you doing that night?”

“I was waiting and bartending for the party attendees.”

“Do you remember seeing anything weird or strange?”

“No, I don’t recall anything.”

Before going on with the questioning, Albert pulled Antwan to the side to share his thoughts.

“I don’t think this girl could do anything, let's just let her go.” 

The biased side of Albert has just kicked in, Antwan thought. Antwan discussed this with Albert and said,

“Albert, listen, this is a critical case, we need to make sure about everyone if we want to figure it out.”.

“There is no possible way she could've done it. I’m done with her," replied Albert. 

“You can never be so sure.”

As they wrapped up the questioning, day one of the case had just made itself to a conclusion.

Each detective had different ideas.

Detective Wagner

Most Plausible Suspects: Mr. Goretzka

Notes: We need to interview the party guest, and his son and finish the interview with Emelia. We need to further investigate Mr. Goretzka because he is the most dubious suspect. We only need to interview the party guest closest to Mr. Frederick who has the most intolerance toward him.

Detective Armstrong

Most Plausible Suspects: Mr. Goretzka

Cleared Suspects: Emelia Wilhelm

Notes: Investigate recent purchases from the knife store, Detective Wagner is a chauvinist, he thinks that Emelia is a possible suspect but it is so obvious she’s not. We need to investigate Fredericks's son, Ace. That’s the real suspect.

As the sun rose from the Near East, Detective Wagner and Armstrong made their way to the knife store. They both got in the taxi and conversed over the case until they reached the store. As they entered the knife store, they saw a galore of knives, pocket knives, cooking knives, hunting knives, etc. They approached the dealer and showed him the serial number of the knife found at the crime scene. The dealer, Mr. Schmidt, checked his records and confirmed that the knife was indeed sold in his store. He provided them with information on the buyer, a man named Erik Muller.

Detective Wagner and Armstrong jumped up and quickly headed to Erik Muller's home address. As they bolted toward his house, they noticed that there was no illumination from the windows. This made Detective Armstrong think that he might not be home. Detective Wagner pleaded, saying that he could be hiding but Detective Armstrong decided to come back later and then gather more information about Erik.

Next on their list was interviewing the party guests, starting with those closest to Frederick Antony. They wanted to sense the emotions and reactions of people who were intimately connected to the victim so they could further expand their knowledge of who might have murdered him. The first person they interviewed was Mr. Bartholomew Hertz, a long-time friend of Frederick Antony, dating back to the late 60s.

Mr. Hertz expressed shock and sorrow at Frederick's death. He seemed to be on the verge of tears every time they asked a personal question about his relation to Frederick. However, Detective Wagner observed a subtle hesitation in Mr. Hertz's responses. Sensing something out of order in what he stated. 

When he asked Mr. Hertz where he was during the approximate time of his death, he started stuttering and then slowly started sweating as he thought about his answer very thoroughly. He probed further and discovered a recent business dispute between Frederick and Mr. Hertz regarding a significant deal in their businesses. This revelation raised suspicions, making Mr. Hertz a very plausible suspect.

As the detectives delved deeper into the interviews with other party guests, they encountered many people stating there were obstructions in their relationships with Frederick due to many unresolved issues with him. It seemed that the businessman had left behind a trail of injustice and resentment with some of his closest associates.

Meanwhile, Detective Armstrong focused on investigating Ace Antony, Frederick's son. He dug into Ace's background, looking for any motives or possible connections to the murder. Ace's strained relationship with his father became a significant focal point, and Armstrong was determined to uncover any hidden animosities. He didn't have much time so he decided to review the case on Ace sometime tomorrow.

As the new day starts, Both detectives meet at the club and then discuss where they will go next. Detective Wagner stated they should go revisit Erik Muller’s house so they proceeded to get in their taxi. Back at Erik Muller's residence, the detectives returned to find the lights on. They knocked on the door, and Erik slowly and cautiously opened it. The detectives identified themselves but Erik quickly shut the door. 

They showed him a warrant they had acquired from the MPD and threatened to call the police if he didn't open the door. He eventually let him in where all three of them sat down in the dining room and discussed what happened. They questioned him about the knife purchase. Erik admitted to buying the knife but claimed it was for self-defense purposes and had nothing to do with Frederick's murder. He also admitted to being one of Frederick Antony's friends and he told them about how he also attended his party.

Detective Wagner, not fully convinced, decided to dig deeper into Erik's background and connections to Frederick Antony. The investigation took an unexpected turn when they discovered that Erik had once worked for AAA but was fired due to a conflict with Frederick. This revelation added another layer of complexity to the case.

The detectives now faced a bunch of complicated relationships. As they continued to investigate, they finally began to discover the true motive behind Frederick Antony's murder. Detective Wagner and Armstrong continued their investigation, now with even more relationships and motives to unravel. The discovery that Erik Muller had once worked for AAA and was fired due to a conflict with Frederick Antony added a layer of intrigue to the case. The detectives questioned Erik further, delving into the nature of his conflict with Frederick. Still not getting any evidence, Detective Wagner decided to leave Erik alone for the day and then they decided to revisit the party guests, focusing on those who might have known about Frederick's activities.

One of the guests, a former business partner named Ms. Evelyn Becker, revealed that she had been aware of every complicated thing involving Frederick's business, including the scandal about Erik's unemployment. She stated that during the time he got fired, he was enraged and secretly had an undying hatred for Frederick after that moment but decided to keep it a secret so there could be a slim chance he would get his job back. Each detective thanked her for her information and time and slowly the detectives continued their interviews. They kept trying to piece together the puzzle of Frederick's empire and identify the person or group that had orchestrated his demise...

The death shook the foundation of AAA, leaving the detectives to question not only the identity of the murderer but also the extent of Frederick's involvement with different people, how many people did he have problems with? Detective Armstrong was very stressed due to the fact it was a huge case involving so many people. He tries to convince Detective Wagner to stop researching and frame Mr. Erik so they can clear up all the tension and finish up the case. This causes an argument to break out between each detective and Detective Wagner is fueled with anger so he decides to part ways with Detective Armstrong until further notice.

Detective Wagner, determined to solve the case, continued his investigation solo. As he delved deeper into Frederick's business dealings, he discovered many betrayals, hidden alliances, and secret conflicts involving Frederick. The more he investigated, the more he realized that Frederick Antony's success was built on the ruins of broken partnerships and dissatisfied associates.

In his pursuit of the truth, Detective Wagner revisited the crime scene, thoroughly looking at every detail once more. He retraced Frederick's steps on the night of the party, trying to understand the sequence of events leading up to his murder. As he reviewed the CCTV footage, he noticed a shadowy figure entering the kitchen just moments before Frederick was found dead. The figure's face was obscured, but the distinct silhouette showed a familiarity that sparked Detective Wagner's curiosity.

Determined to identify this mysterious character, Detective Wagner expanded his investigation to include all employees and associates of AAA. He began interviewing the staff, carefully observing their reactions and searching for any signs of guilt or involvement. It wasn't long before he stumbled upon an employee named Carla Rodriguez, who had a history of disagreements with Frederick over workplace policies.

Carla, an ambitious architect within AAA, had clashed with Frederick on numerous occasions. She felt that her ideas were often dismissed, and her contributions were undervalued. As Detective Wagner looked into Carla's background, he found a long-lasting resentment that had lasted over many years. Carla believed that Frederick overlooked her ideas due to the fact she was a woman and that she was “incapable” of doing the things men could. The detective believed that this resentment might have reached an all-time high on the night of the party.

When questioned, Carla vehemently denied any involvement in Frederick's murder. However, her defensive attitude and evasive answers created tons of suspicions. Detective Wagner decided to dig deeper into her alibi and activities on the night of the crime. As he pieced together the timeline, he discovered discrepancies that cast doubt on Carla's innocence.

Simultaneously, Detective Armstrong, after cooling down from the argument, began to reflect on his actions. He realized the importance of staying true to the principles of justice and vowed to rejoin the investigation with a renewed commitment to honesty.

Back at the crime scene, Detective Wagner confronted Carla with the evidence he had gathered. Despite her initial denial, she crumbled under the weight of all the pressure due to so much proof against her. Tearfully, she confessed to the murder, revealing that she couldn't bear the constant humiliation, and decided to take matters into her own hands.

As the truth unfolded, it became evident that Frederick Antony's empire had been built on a foundation of broken relationships. Detective Wagner, though satisfied with solving the case, couldn't help but ponder the cost of success and the consequences of underlooked aspiration` in the world of business.

The arrest of Carla Rodriguez shocked the business community, which then led to a reevaluation of ethical practices within AAA and beyond. The story of Frederick Antony's murder served as a cautionary tale, a reminder that in the lit corridors of corporate conspiracy, the shadows cast by deceit and betrayal could lead to unexpected and tragic outcomes.