The Last Connection

The rain poured down in Columbus, Ohio, blurring the neon lights of High Street into a watercolor of reds and blues. A body lay sprawled in the alley behind a popular downtown bar, the scent of whiskey and regret lingering in the stale air. Detective Sarah Mason stepped under the flickering streetlamp, her heart racing as she felt the familiar thrill of anticipation mixed with dread. Another victim, another mystery. “Just another Tuesday,” she whispered to herself, adjusting her soaked trench coat.

As she crouched next to the body — a man in his thirties, dressed in a designer suit — she noticed the missing cufflinks. That detail gnawed at her. Who was he, and why was he in a back alley in the middle of a storm? She pulled out her notebook, jotting down the physical details and possible motives.

A few hours later, at her cluttered desk in the precinct, Sarah began breaking down the victim’s last known connections. The city’s nightlife was bustling with gossip, and she soon caught wind of there being a lavish charity gala the night before. The victim, identified as Mark Antonelli, was a prominent figure in the local tech community — wealthy, influential, and notably known for cultivating enemies along with allies.

Sarah reached out to his close friends, hoping to piece together his last moments. First up was Beth, a fierce entrepreneur with ambition…