100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 68: Murder of the 15th XIII

(Continuation.)

Levi sighed, he truly misses the redhead. He finds it troublesome at times having to dumb down for people.

"But the attack, Rona, Mo!?" Marco asked the blond, confused at the revelation.

Levi rolled his eyes, why can’t a man, considered to be intelligent in ordinary people’s standard be incapable of putting 2 and 2 together?

But then again, GP’s are like the dullest kind of doctor. Can’t be helped, Levi thought.

He turned to his friend, "Everything’s real, Marco. The attack happened, the only lie in my statement was finding her dead in the tub. I did find her, but she wasn’t dead. She pulled the drain, and successfully saved her life." Levi said, recalling seeing the soaked redhead rolled to her side inside her tub. She wasn’t breathing, but she did have a pulse. A very weak pulse.

He gave rescue breathing, successfully helping the redhead cough up most of the water in her lungs. Although, from what he learned after, she flatlined for 72 seconds in the ambulance. Something about the drug in her system slowing her heartbeat to a point that it stopped completely.

But they were able to revive her. Although she was assumed brain dead by the tests done afterward.

Then Marco shifted to Levi, he remembered everything the blond psychologist did, the way he reacted. That was too real.

"But you cried here, Levi," Marco muttered. Levi snorted,

"Don’t be absurd. I was acting!" He denied, but Marco was unconvinced. That was real. That was the most real he’s seen the blond be.

"Didn’t seem like acting to me," he commented, which Levi ignored.

"She has regained her consciousness. She’s blind though. Elle is with her, Mo on the other hand..." Levi trailed in a sad tone, he liked that dog more than he liked most people.

"Sorry, did you say she’s blind?" Marco asked, surprised at the new information. Wasn’t one enough already? Are there going to be more revelations?

"Something in the drug caused her brain incapable of processing images, Anna is working on it," Levi said, waving it off.

The way he was treating it Marco didn’t like, "Why?" Marco asked, wondering what led them to do such a convincing lie. Although, he was glad to know she was alive. But, why?

Levi looked at him, confused with his question.

"Why the secrecy? Why do you have to fake her death, Levi?!" Marco whispered angrily, not wanting Mrs. Whitehall to hear. He was shaking, furious at his friend.

Levi’s eyes widened at the bearded man’s reaction, he was expecting him to dance out of happiness or something akin to it. Not question his motives.

People can be so unpredictable.

"It’s to keep her safe, Marco. No one can kill someone already dead!" Levi said like it was obvious. Marco stood from the sofa and paced trying to walk his frustrations off.

"You are mad at me," Levi observed as the lanky man fisted his hands.

"Great observation." Marco deadpanned, annoyed. He knew Levi can go to ridiculous lengths just to solve a puzzle, flirt with women even men. He uses his charm and undeniable intelligence to manipulate people into doing his bidding, all just to solve a case. But he never expected he’d go that far, especially with Sam on the line. He was disappointed, to say the least.

"I thought you’d be glad," Levi said.

"Of course I’m glad. I’m ecstatic. But, did you and Sam planned this?!" Marco asked, angry. Levi looked at him like he was stupid, "Of course not. She almost died. Do you think I’ll actually go the lengths to have her injured for a bloody case?!" Levi barked back, and Marco expelled a sigh of relief.

Of course, he thought he was capable of doing something like that. He was after all a selfish dick, Levi thought.

"I reckon she’ll want revenge for the woman and Mo. She has a violent streak if you haven’t noticed." Levi said, thoughtfully.

"So, Sam had nothing to do with this?"

"Obviously! Her dog died in the process! I found her alive Marco. I called Anna, she was happy to help."

"Anna, happy?" Marco almost scoffed, the woman was nothing but happy. She was manipulative, conniving, and selfish, just like her younger brother. She would never do something for free. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"She is fond of her, you know. And they worked together before. She employed her, multiple times." Levi explained.

"What kind of work?" Marco asked curiously.

"Same, like we did in America. Consultancy."

....

The next day

Marco and Lisa drove towards the address given to them, Anna’s residence. The place was enormous, exactly what they expected and more from the older Jackson.

Marco had shared his intel with Lisa, and they both asked if they could see Sam. Visit her, since they were worried.

Valerie, Anna’s assistant guided them towards the bedroom. They saw Sam immediately when they entered, but she didn’t see them. Instead, she heard them.

Her head shifted to the direction of the door, where they entered.

She was holding a book, in further inspection, it was a book for the blind.

"Sam, hi. It’s me, Marco, Lisa is with me." He said.

Sam smiled warmly as per usual, "Hi, I was a bit surprised when Elle told me you were coming. I didn’t think Anna would let me have visitors." She said.

"We would have come sooner if we knew," Marco informed. His eyes widened upon realization of what kind of book she was reading, "Isn’t that a bit soon?" He asked.

Sam smiled sadly, "Elle thinks so too." She said.

Elle standing to her left furrowed her brows. "It is too soon," she commented, she didn’t like how well the redhead was taking her state.

"No harm in the practice," Sam replied.

Marco gave her a forced smile, one she couldn’t see. Then the lanky man turned to Lisa,

"We can’t stay long, Anna’s orders. But Levi sent us to check on you." He said.

"You mean, he sent you to ask me what happened," Sam said, smiling.

Lisa smiled back at her, it fascinated her, right at that moment. The way she smiles hide the sadness in her. She was a convincing liar, Lisa thought.

"Shouldn’t he be the one asking her that? Can’t he spare her a minute of his precious time?" Elle spat, annoyed.

"He-he’s working. He would have come, but you know him...he’s working on your case." Marco explained sadly, sounding as if he can’t even convince himself.

"It’s okay, Marco. I’ve met him. I know what Levi’s like. No need to defend him" Sam said, amused. She knew him well enough, she knew he wouldn’t want to be there. And she knew he wouldn’t come to see her with the case still unsolved.

"He’s a cad," Elle commented.

Sam smiled, "That too. But he means well, and I honestly don’t want to see him as well." she said, surprising the couple.

"Not like that." Sam laughed at the sudden silence.

"He won’t be of any use here, we all know that. He’ll just waste time here, and I don’t want him to waste any. He should be there, as he should. He can’t help me. He can’t fix this." Sam said, pointing at her eyes.

"So, shall we start with what I remember?" Sam offered, "I do apologize if my mind is not as sharp as it used to. I don’t remember much about the attack, just snippets of it. " she confessed.

"Anything you share would help. Go ahead." Marco assured.

Sam explained what she remembered. She shared all she could recall, and Marco shared what Levi had observed in the crime scene. They learned it is in pattern with the little she remembers.

"The odd thing is, I know him. I think I do. I didn’t see him, he was masked, gloved, but I knew he knew that I have a photographic memory. And that I can identify someone with any part of their body, those I’ve seen before of course. He was ready. I didn’t see a strand of his hair, nor the shade of his skin." Sam said, scowling.

"How about his movements? He did attack you." Marco asked.

"From the back Marco, he attacked me from the back. I was taken by surprise, he drugged me. And that meant he knew I could take him in a regular squabble. He’s not trained for a fight, not a regular one. But he was clever. He knew me...and that’s what bothers me. There’s someone I know out there, maybe even an acquaintance, a colleague, maybe a friend. Who attacked me in my own home, murdered my dog and a friend of mine." Sam says, gritting her teeth.

"Anything else that could help us?" Marco asked.

"No. Not at the moment." Sam replies.

Marco and Lisa moved to leave, and the redhead heard the door open.

"Marco," Sam called before he could step out, and Marco turned.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Can I ask a favor?"

"Anything," Marco said in a heartbeat, causing Sam to smile. "Do send Levi a message would you?" Sam asked.

...

2 hours later, 7 Eastbourne

"She looks fine. I mean, she seemed fine." Marco said, entering the flat.

"She’s blind. Of course, she’s not fine." Levi said, a bit annoyed. She was clearly not fine. She had a photographic memory, she lived off images, she made a living out of that ability. Losing her sight, meant losing it as well. Sam was far from fine. And he didn’t need to see her figure that out.

"You didn’t even come and see her."

"She doesn’t need me."

"You can’t tell what another person needs, Levi. It would mean a lot if you just went and saw her." Marco argued.

"My visit won’t fix her eyes, Marco," Levi replied. "That’s not what I meant. Your presence would have made her feel..."

"Feel what?" Levi snapped.

"Like you care, you know."

"I do care." Levi spat, surprising Marco with his admission. Of course, he cares. She was one of his friends.

She understood him.

She was different, she was like him.

She was the only woman capable of keeping up with him.

She wasn’t dull.

She was ’sublime.’

"Yes...I know." Marco says.

"There’s no sense of talking about this anymore. I need to Focus. Do Shut up, Marco." Levi instructed, closing his eyes and leaning back.

"She did want me to send you a message, it could wait of course." Marco started, pulling a letter from his pocket and Levi’s eyes snapped open.

"No, it’s okay. It could wait. You need to Focus." Marco teased, pocketing the letter back.

"On with it." The psychologist demanded. Marco pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to him.

He opened it quickly, it was in Elle’s handwriting. Of course, she can’t write. But it was her voice he heard when he read it:

"I don’t want to see your stupid face until you catch him, Mr. Jackson. Good day." A smile spread on the Irishman’s face.

"What does it say?" Marco pried, looking at his face.

Levi handed the paper to him, while he approached the whiteboard, trying to figure out what he missed.

Marco opened the note and smiled,

"Typical, Sam." He said.

"Hmmm." Levi hummed, getting back to work.