The central police theory, championed by Detective Silas Reed, was straightforward: Julian, driven by Wrath over the contract dispute, snapped. The evidence supporting this was the Wrath painting, a violent, abstract canvas found near the body. Elias's known works included Lust, Sloth, Gluttony, Avarice, and the fatal Envy. The final sin, Pride, was famously missing.
Thea felt the official narrative was too clean, too dramatically satisfying. Elias was an artist who specialized in manipulation and control. His death had the feel of a meticulously staged performance.
In her lab, Thea isolated and analyzed a micro-sample of the Ghost Paint residue she had retrieved. She wasn't looking for blood splatter; she was looking for temperature spikes and chemical signatures left by the killer’s clothing or skin. The spectral analysis showed an unnaturally high concentration of metallic compounds and a rapid thermal discharge, suggesting contact with a heat-reflecting object or sudden, intense agitation. The residue was too complex for a simple, impulsive act of rage.
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