100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 146: The Reunion IV

The Octagon, Queen Mary University

Sam rolled her eyes, "Go away." she told Robert Leon, who was too shocked to move from his spot. Her hand shooed him away dismissively, playing the obnoxious spoiled brat role perfectly by imitating her second cousin Felicia.

Offended, Robert vacated his seat and walked away. His plot to ’romance’ the girl and have the Bank’s security systems upgraded blew upon his face before it even started.

Sam looked at Levi to her left; he remained unresponsive, his eyes casually observing the room like before. Yet, she could see the slight curl on the edge of his lips as he watched Robert walk further away. "You enjoyed that." She said, rubbing hand sanitizer on her hands. "Indeed." He agreed, a smirk on his face when he looked down at her.

"I see you’re not just a pretty face," he said under his breath.

"Shut up." Sam shot back, and he cracked into a smile.

A few minutes later, the event started; silly awards were presented, which Levi considered was torturous, especially the stupid, long-winded unnecessary speeches. There was Exceptional Service, Distinguished Achievement, etcetera-etcetera. Photos and documentation of the past flashed on the screen; achievements were acknowledged, and all that shebang. Levi filtered most of the things happening except for the suspect he pointed out to Sam, sitting beside his fiancee a few meters away.

Sam leaned closer to Levi, "So tell me more about this case." She said in hushed tones, "Two socialites had been found dead in their homes from a drug overdose a few days apart; the CID’s investigation is still leaning into accidental death." Levi shared, earning a nod from Sam---a newly hired Forensic Pathologist was handling the case. Usually, she’d be receiving calls from her colleagues regarding circumstances like this one, but this new Pathologist refused to ask for her help as to why she didn’t care. But she heard of it from Jones who dropped by almost a week ago to consult a case with her, and based on his story, both women overdosed with the same drug.

"But you think otherwise," she assumed, earning a nod from the slicked blond.

"Its stupid, but it cant be helped since the exam results are coming slow. The forensics are taking their time, its annoying. Not only that the cases share too many similarities; either this is a serial case, and it’s a pattern or a Coincidence. And we both know there are no coincidences, only the illusion of coincidences," he said; Sam elbowed him playfully. "Did you just quote V for vendetta?" Sam whispered, and Levi cracked into a grin proudly.

"Anyway, where does Mr. Fletcher come in the picture?"

"I have a few reasons to believe these two women are linked to David Fletcher; the boys are working on that now as we speak," Levi revealed, explaining the pattern, the suspect’s background check. And he knew they had to work fast.

It was almost an hour later when food and drinks were served, and people started to move around, greeting each other. Music played in the background; people danced in the center of the hall.

Sam excused herself to use the loo; she made sure her makeup was up to standards and walked out back to the chit-chattering crowd, the fake laughs, the lies filling the air. Everyone was trying to step everyone up and build their egos before they go home.

On the other hand, Levi walked around the hall, subtly blending with the crowd as he continued to watch his target like a hawk, wearing his signature smile. He bumped into a woman softly, one he had noticed earlier to be wearing a pair of heels a size bigger. The soft bump was surprisingly enough for the brunette to stagger backward, almost falling on her butt if the slicked blond did not intervene. He couldn’t risk a commotion drawing attention to him. And so, his long arms wrapped around the small of her back immediately before she fell.

The woman gasped in surprise and relief, "Thank you!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening a fraction the second she gazed up at her savior. "Don’t mention it, careful next time." the Irishman simply said, releasing her the second he knew she regained her balance. "Excuse me," he said, retreating to a less crowded place when he felt his mobile phone vibrating in his pocket.

Stacey Windsor’s eyes remained at the back of the slicked blond man, and she felt her heart hammering against her chest. She could still feel how strong his arms were wrapped around her, and she couldn’t help but watch him walk away. He looked familiar, she thought.

Levi stood in the empty hallway, "what’s the craic?" he asked the moment he answered Marco’s call. The bearded man sat in the passenger seat of their agency car. Joe sat in the driver’s seat while Alex sat in the back seat with his laptop. Levi listened carefully as Marco explained their latest Findings, and he broke into a shit-eating grin.

Sam maneuvered through the crowd to get back to her date when a hand reached for her arm, stopping her from her tracks. Sam turned, and a man a few inches south of six feet faced her. He had dirty blond hair and had a passably good looking face.

She raised her brow at the stranger, "Hi, I’m Kevin Carston." "Samantha Gray." She replied, accepting the hand he offered; he shook it firmly, tilting her hand under his. This didn’t go unnoticed to her; It was a psychological move to make people subconsciously feel that he was far superior than he actually was; it was what manipulative people tend to do that goes unnoticed by most people. "Nice to meet you." She said, tilting it to the other side so her hand was on top of his and then letting go.

"Lovely to meet you. I’ve been meaning to speak with you alone since you walked in. But your date has been keeping you close. He must be afraid some better man will show up and snatch you away." Kevin said, head gesturing to Levi, who was now standing on the other side of the room, eyes on them. Sam sent the Irishman an assuring smile as if telling him she could handle the stranger. "He has every reason to be afraid--he’s famous. I give him that. But Levi hadn’t changed a bit --" "You know him personally?" Sam interrupted, curious how Levi was like years ago.

"We had Chemistry together," Kevin answered. "Oh," Sam muttered, now rather bored, she moved to leave when he grabbed her again, this time holding her hand.

Sam tensed; she didn’t like being touched by strangers. One was enough, twice was too much in her books, and the urge to break his nose right then for invading her personal space was intense. "You’re better off with someone else, a decent guy with a regular job--that can provide you with all your needs, financially and physically," Kevin said, confidently, taking a step forward, invading her space. Sam’s eyes narrowed at him, but he continued with his sexual harassment by tilting her hand so her palm showed. He then pulled a business card from his breast pocket and placed it on her palm. Sam scoffed loudly, amused by his self-confidence. She had met a few idiots in her life, but he skyrocketed on her Top Ten.

"And that man will be you?" She asked him, smugly. "Of course." He said, slightly taken aback by her tone.

His answer caused Sam to laugh loudly, causing the people around to give her a look. Kevin laughed humorlessly, joining her, lost as to why she was laughing. "Levi Jackson is not only a businessman and psychologist, he is also a brilliant magician, and he’s especially good with his card tricks; he practices his sleight of hand every day." She stated as if to give a point, a point people in her level of intelligence would have gotten in a millisecond. Kevin sent her another baffled look; Sam, this time, invaded his privacy, leaned in, and whispered to his ear.

"To put it plainly, so your tiny brain could understand it...he has long slender fingers, and he is very good at using them," Sam said, pulling away. She wagged the card to his face, and ripped it in half, and inserted it in his breast pocket, patting it patronizingly. "I’m more than satisfied, thank you, but no thank you." She said smugly, then strutted away with more swagger than she had before grabbing a glass of wine from a server’s tray along the way to the Irishman.

"What did he want with you?" Levi asked when Sam stood beside him with a glass of wine in her hand. "Sex," Sam replied plainly, catching a few passerby’s attention, which they both ignored. "How original," Levi commented sarcastically, regretting choosing the gown she was wearing then. Sam giggled suddenly, earning a curious look from him, "What did you do?" He asked, busy observing his suspect. "Told him you’re a magician." She answered, giggling now.

"Then why are you so amused?" Levi asked though he had a general idea why.

"I told him you have long slender fingers and are very good at using it," Sam said, turning red in the cheeks from holding her laughter in, so she won’t attract attention; it must be the alcohol talking Levi thought.

"Ah... innuendo," Levi grunted as he expected. She finds sexual innuendos amusing--especially their nonexistent sex life; something he heard from Janet’s gossips after their girl’s night out months ago.

He sighed; at least she was finding ways to amuse herself in that dull gathering, unlike him.