The body lay still on the polished hardwood floor, a pool of crimson slowly spreading beneath it. Detective Lila Hernandez surveyed the scene, her keen eyes taking in every detail. The victim, a wealthy businessman named Marcus Ashton, had been stabbed multiple times.
As Lila examined the room, she noticed the window was slightly ajar, and the safe behind a painting was open and empty. The only other person in the house was Marcus's wife, Evelyn, who had called the police in hysterics.
Evelyn claimed she had been out shopping and returned home to find her husband dead. However, Lila couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the blood spatters on Evelyn's dress were inconsistent with her story.
Lila confronted Evelyn, who broke down and confessed. She had discovered that Marcus was planning to leave her for his mistress and take all their money. In a fit of rage, Evelyn had stabbed him and staged the scene to look like a robbery gone wrong.
As Evelyn was led away in handcuffs, Lila couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. Another case closed, but at what cost? She knew that behind every crime, there was a human story, one that often ended in tragedy.
