The room fell silent as Detective Liam Parker entered the crime scene. The victim, a wealthy businessman named Robert Montgomery, lay lifeless on the floor of his study. Parker surveyed the room, taking in the scattered papers, the overturned chair, and the broken window.
"What do we know so far?" Parker asked his partner, Detective Sarah Thompson.
"The housekeeper found him this morning," Thompson replied. "The coroner estimates time of death between 10 pm and midnight. Cause of death appears to be a single gunshot wound to the chest."
Parker nodded, his eyes scanning the room for clues. He noticed a strange smell lingering in the air, a scent that seemed out of place in the musty study.
"Do you smell that?" he asked Thompson.
She sniffed the air and frowned. "Perfume, maybe?"
Parker moved closer to the body and knelt down. On Montgomery's sleeve, he spotted a faint red lipstick stain. He stood up and faced Thompson.
"I think we need to talk to his wife," Parker said.
They found Olivia Montgomery in the living room, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She claimed to have been at a charity event the previous evening and had returned home to find her husband dead.
"Mrs. Montgomery, can you explain the lipstick stain on your husband's sleeve?" Parker asked.
Olivia's eyes widened. "I... I don't know. It must have happened at the event."
Parker leaned in closer. "The strange thing is, the scent on his sleeve doesn't match your perfume."
Olivia's face paled. "I... I need to confess something. I hired a private investigator to follow my husband. I suspected he was having an affair."
Parker's mind raced. He turned to Thompson. "Contact the PI agency and find out who was assigned to Robert Montgomery's case. I have a feeling we'll find our killer there."
