Frozen Blaze - 03: Crystalline Powder

Zane Shaw’s gaze remained fixed on JingMing Wong, the owner of the small market stall. The man’s nervous energy was palpable, and his attempts to pacify Zane only made the detective more suspicious.

“Detective Shaw, there must be some misunderstanding,” JingMing Wong said hurriedly, wiping his hands on a rag as if to rid himself of invisible dirt. “I don’t know anything about any crime.”

Zane remained silent, his expression unreadable. He didn’t need to say anything; the weight of his presence was enough to unsettle anyone. Leo King, standing beside him, finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.

“We’re just here to ask a few questions, Mr. Wong,” Leo said. “There’s been some new information in the case, and we need your cooperation.”

JingMing Wong swallowed hard, his eyes darting between the two detectives. “Of course, of course. Anything to help.”

Zane and Leo exchanged a brief glance before Zane stepped closer to the market stall. The wooden counter was cluttered with various items—knives, cutting boards, and a small pile of vegetables waiting to be chopped. But what caught Zane’s eye was the faint trace of white powder on one of the cutting boards.

Zane leaned in, running a gloved finger over the residue. “What’s this?”

JingMing Wong’s eyes widened in surprise. “I—I don’t know. It’s probably just some flour or something. I prepare food here all the time.”

Zane sniffed the powder cautiously. It was odorless, as he suspected. He turned to Leo. “Let’s get this tested.”

Leo nodded and pulled out a small evidence bag, carefully collecting a sample of the powder. “We’ll know soon enough.”

The team took the sample back to the station, where the lab results confirmed Zane’s suspicion. The substance was sodium benzoate, a common food preservative. On the surface, it seemed innocuous, but its presence at the crime scene raised more questions than answers.

“Why would someone go through the trouble of leaving this behind?” Leo mused aloud as they reviewed the findings.

Zane’s mind was already racing. “They didn’t leave it behind by accident. This was intentional—either to mislead us or to cover something up. We need to consider the possibility that the suspect wore smaller shoes to disguise their identity.”

Leo frowned, leaning back in his chair. “Smaller shoes?”

“Think about it,” Zane continued. “If they knew we’d be looking at footprints, they might’ve worn shoes a size too small to throw us off. We should simulate the footprints and see if they match the ones found at the scene.”

The team set up a simulation, recreating the footprint patterns from the crime scene. After several attempts, they found that the prints matched perfectly when using shoes one size smaller than the suspect’s actual size.

“They planned this down to the smallest detail,” Leo said, impressed despite himself. “Whoever did this has a strong anti-detection consciousness. This wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment thing; it was premeditated.”

Zane nodded. “They wanted to mislead us, but in doing so, they’ve left us with more clues than they realized.”

The investigation was far from over, but the team was beginning to form a clearer picture of the suspect’s behavior and motives. Revenge, premeditation, and meticulous planning were all part of the equation. But there was still one more task at hand.

“We need to apologize to the individual we wrongly accused,” Zane said, his voice heavy with responsibility. “It’s the right thing to do, and we need to make amends.”

Leo agreed, and the team reached out to the wrongly accused party, offering an apology and discussing potential compensation for any harm caused. It was a difficult conversation, but it was necessary to maintain the integrity of their investigation.

As the investigation progressed, new clues began to emerge, leading to a deeper understanding of the case. Zane and Leo decided to visit a business owner who might have connections to the case. The conversation quickly turned to the Julius Treaty—a historical document that had significance in the area.

“Do you know much about the Julius Treaty?” Zane asked the business owner, his tone inquisitive.

The man nodded, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—doubt, perhaps, or fear. “It’s a part of our history. People don’t talk about it much, but it’s there.”

Zane sensed the man’s discomfort and decided not to press further, but he made a mental note to look into the treaty’s significance. There could be more to this case than they initially thought.

Meanwhile, the market remained bustling, the lively atmosphere a stark contrast to the tension Zane felt. As they walked through the crowded stalls, Zane couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia. The smell of freshly baked bread, the chatter of vendors—all of it reminded him of a time long past.

A sudden gust of wind whipped through the market, catching Zane off guard. He paused, recalling a moment from his youth—a rejection that had stung more than he’d ever let on. It was a fleeting memory, but it left him feeling momentarily vulnerable.

“Zane, watch out!” Leo’s voice snapped him back to reality just in time.

Zane turned to see that he had nearly walked into an open well. The danger passed quickly, but the near-miss left him shaken. He sustained only minor scrapes, but the incident served as a reminder that he needed to stay focused.

Back at the station, Zane and Leo reviewed surveillance footage from the market, focusing on the possible source of the sodium benzoate. The footage was grainy, but it provided a few leads. One of them pointed to Gong Shuai, a person of interest who had appeared in the investigation before.

“We need to confront Gong Shuai,” Leo suggested. “There’s more to this guy than meets the eye.”

Zane agreed, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that this confrontation would open up more questions than answers. They decided to visit Gong Shuai at his residence, reflecting on the complexities of human relationships as they prepared for the meeting.

On the way to Gong Shuai’s place, Zane found himself lost in thought, reminiscing about his parents and the childhood memories that had shaped him into the man he was today. Life had changed so much since those days, and not all of the changes had been for the better.

Arriving at Gong Shuai’s residence, Zane noticed an increase in his medication dosage in the past few days, something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by his colleagues. The stress of the investigation was taking its toll.

Just as they were about to knock on the door, Zane’s phone rang. The caller ID displayed a number he didn’t recognize, but he answered anyway.

“Detective Shaw,” he said, keeping his voice steady.

There was a brief pause, followed by a familiar voice. “Detective Shaw, it’s Gong Shuai. We need to talk.”

Zane’s grip on the phone tightened. This was the moment he had been waiting for—but what did Gong Shuai want, and why was he reaching out now?

The case was about to take another unexpected turn, and Zane knew that every decision he made from this point forward could have life-altering consequences.