Walking around with a Lilli is strange, but doing so while they are hidden in an accessory is ever stranger. I cannot understand how anyone would willingly do this, but I concede that it is highly practical. My hands are free and Detective Flint is safe in there, so I should not be complaining. Still, it is as though my personal space is being violated. For the millionth time today, I wish that I could be working alone...

Walking into the interview room, I find Chief Perry already there, standing with her back to me, reading through a file. In front of her is a two-way glass window with a view of an older woman, the CEO's wife, seated at and handcuffed to the table. Of all the suspects, she is the one I believe Flint will be most interested in, which is good because she will be first. 

The Chief hears me enter, turning her head to glance at me, but remains focused on her reading, flipping to the next page. "Detective, you're early. I take it you rushed your introductions?"

"Yes, ma'am. I was eager to get started right away." I tell her, pointing a finger toward my earring. "Detective Flint from Lilliputia is currently with me."

"Good. Now we can begin interrogating this lot properly." She drops the file onto a nearby table and steps closer to me. Her eyes glance my earring, her disgust and frustration plainly visible. Given her very strong opinions on Lillis, I am certain she has much to say to Flint, but is practicing self restraint. I believe she opposes the notion that we need a Lilli to help us resolve this, but there is nothing you can do when the Queen herself makes a personal request. Trying to put on a friendly face, she focuses on my face rather than the earring. "We have narrowed down the suspects to five individuals. Three are Brobs, and two are Lillis, and all of them have motive. The both of you will interrogate them until we determine who the true killer is. You are to do this together, and for the Lillis, we have already set up accommodations. We are approaching the legal limit for suspect detention, so try not to take too long. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." I nod, holding back my protests. This time constraint will surely place an uncomfortable urgency upon us. I hear Flint complaining through my earpiece, asking me to question the Chief, but I ignore him. He doesn't know her like I do. She will not take kindly to back-talk, especially if it comes from a Lilli.

"Godspeed, Detectives." She says, taking her seat once more, but not before casting one last irritated glance toward my earring. Waving a hand in the air, she gestures for us to begin.

I enter the room and take my seat in front of our first suspect. Taking the earring off my ear, I lower it to the table, in front of what appears to be a very tiny platform and podium, with a normal-sized speaker and screen beside it. I watch as the earring opens up and my tiny partner makes his way onto it. He doesn't say a word, moving into position, all while our suspect is motionless in front of us, staring blankly into her lap. She is so distraught that she does not even realize someone has entered until I speak. 

"Good evening, Mrs. Harmond. I am Detective Claire and joining me is Detective Flint." I gesture to my earring. The woman finally looks up, her eyes bloodshot and her mascara running from all her tears. She is an utter mess, trembling and hardly able to focus. I sympathize with her, but I cannot afford to be compassionate. We are investigating the homicide of a high-profile individual, and despite being his wife, she is at the top of the list of suspects. It wouldn't be the first time I've encountered spousal murder.

"Detectives..." She sniffles, trying to raise her hands, but the chains of her cuffs prevent her. "My Robert... My dear, sweet Robert..." Tears begin to well up in her eyes. "I don't understand what is happening. Why am I here?"

"You're here because you're a prime suspect in your husband's murder." I hear Detective Flint's voice over the speaker. His voice sounds clear and audible, no different than a Brob's. The screen then comes online, providing face for the disembodied voice. It is my first look at the Lilli I've been speaking to.

The man exudes an air of quiet confidence as he stands at the podium, questioning Mrs. Harmond. Despite being so puny in comparison to her or me, he remains unafraid. His blue eyes are sharp and observant, intense, but with an underlying warmth to them. His face is marked with a few wrinkles that speak of late nights and hard cases. Some meticulously groomed stubble accentuates his jawline, giving him somewhat of a rugged look. On the other hand, his hair, already half gray, is kept short and neat, giving him a composed and professional image. He wears a light gray dress shirt underneath a well-tailored back blazer, paired with black, sharply pressed trousers held up by sleek, leather belt that adds a touch of sophistication. His firearm and holster rest on his hip, along with a miniature notebook on the opposite side. An expensive, silver watch adorns his wrist, completing the ensemble for a respectable and authoritative look.

"You have a clear motive, not to mention ample means." He presses her, quite directly.

"Who...?" Mrs. Harmond looks at the screen, before her eyes fall on Detective Flint. I expect her expression to change into anger or disdain, but it doesn't. She simply addresses him instead of me in the same desperate, miserable tone. "What motive...would I...possibly have?"

"Your business." I cut in, bringing her attention back to me. "You knew that Mr. Harmond left everything he owned, including his company, to you. No dependents, relatives, or close friends. Just you." I tell her, pausing to gauge her reaction. She stares in disbelief, finally piecing together why she is here. "Your husband did not die of natural causes. He was poisoned, which induced the heart attack. That poison is incredibly difficult to acquire. It would take millions, if not tens of millions, and you are definitely not lacking in funds."

"Oh, dear Lord!" She cries out, tears beginning to overflow. She stutters, hardly able to catch her breath. "I-I have no clue what you are talking about! I loved Robert! H-He was my everything!"

The woman sobs even louder, unable to compose herself. It's heartbreaking to watch. Whether she did it or not, the emotions on display are genuine. I firmly believe she loved her husband. The question remains, was that love stronger than her love for money?

"Ma'am, we are only trying to piece together what happened." I try, in a softer tone. "Did you husband have any enemies? Let's start there."

Unfortunately, Mrs. Harmond cannot stop her tears. Both Flint and I try to calm her a few more times, but she is absolutely inconsolable. I don't see us getting anywhere while she is in this state.

"I think we're done here." I declare, prompting two officers to enter the room and remove her. Once she is out, I take the chance to pick Flint's brain. We will have the room for under a minute, so I but it's better than nothing. My eyes dart between the screen and the real him as we talk. "I don't think she did it."

"Neither do I. However, the evidence points to her." He sighs, surprising me with his agreement. He seems very bothered by what we just witnessed. "Let's bring the next one in. Hopefully we can get some actual information this time."

The officers enter, bringing with them a young man in a tuxedo. He looks to be twenty five-ish, fit, handsome, and very annoyed. Your typical rich kid. Once he is at the table, he decides to begin before I can even say a word.

"My dad's never going to let this go. Do you know who I am?!" He scoffs, looking me up and down. His eyes linger on my chest, and he smirks, before returning to his anger. "Listen, lady, I didn't do shit. I'm as innocent as a newborn baby. I've already been here for, like, so many hours without just cause! Let me go now and I swear I'll tell dad to go easy on you guys." He winks at me.

I've been on the force for many years, and harassment is nothing new to me. Sometimes it's the criminals, other times it's the male officers. It doesn't matter, it's all the same. I'm a woman in a role usually held by men, in a field dominated by them. It doesn't matter what I wear or what rank I attain, men will always be men. It used to bother me much more in my younger years, but now it's only mildly irritating. I pull my blazer closed and snap my fingers at him like I would a dog. 

"Mr. Paul, I don't think you realize the situation you're in. You are a suspect in the murder of Mr. Harmond. You are not going anywhere until you've been questioned." I tell him, sternly.

"Yeah, well, show me your evidence!" He rolls his eyes at me, though his shift in tone tells me he's taking things a little more seriously. "Got none? Yeah, of course you don't. I didn't even go near the man all night."

He's not wrong. We lack solid evidence tying him to the murder, but he certainly has motive. He doesn't look like a criminal, nor a murderer, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have hired someone to do it. Like Mrs. Harmond, he also possesses ample funds.

"Witnesses claim to have seen you arguing with Mr. Harmond approximately an hour before he died. It seems that you were awfully angry about something." I tell him, which causes him to freeze up. "And we have video evidence to confirm it."

"Listen, that was nothing. I had a little too much to drink and I thought I caught him sneaking peeks at my girl. That's all!" He insists, a pleading look on his face. "I was going to apologize to him later. My dad would've killed me if I'd pissed the old man off. He respects him a lot, you know."

Suddenly, Flint joins in the conversation. "Sure, let's go with that. I'm more interested in a recent purchase you made. One Brob-milligram of powderized Virelith two weeks ago. Such a rare and expensive product isn't all that useful to a playboy like yourself. Care to tell us about that?"

Mr. Paul's eyes quickly switch to Flint's screen and widen in surprise. Then, he begins to laugh. "What the hell? They've got Lilli cops on this too? Hah!" I wait for Flint to say something, but he simply waits for the kid to calm down. I join him in his silence, until our suspect wisens up and decides to behave properly.

"The Detective asked you a question, did he not?" I press him. "Kindly answer him."

With some reluctance, Mr. Paul looks in Flint's general direction and complies. "Well, I, uhh... I'm not going to deny I bought it. It's not illegal to do so in Brobdingnag! Right?"

"It is not." I confirm for him, much to his relief.

"But it is in Lilliputia. Whoever sold it to you is going to be locked up for no less than ten years." Flint explains, though it elicits no visible reaction from Mr. Paul.

"Okay, and? That's their business. I'll give you the farmer's contact information if that's what you want. Serves him right for selling to me at a damn high price!" He shakes his head, hoping for sympathy or maybe a chuckle. He finds none from me. "There was a rumor that mixing the powder with...some other substance...could make you...uh, well, trip, if you catch my drift."

"Substance abuse. You were getting high off an exotic plant that someone scammed you into buying, which in reality, has no hallucinatory effects." I tell him, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Wait, what? That's bull. I had the wildest high!" He insists, though there is some doubt in his voice. He does not want to believe what I am saying.

"You got scammed, kid. And now you're wanted for murder. How's it feel to be promoted to number one on the list of suspects?" Flint mocks him, which I find juvenile, until I see the effect it has on Mr. Paul. The young man is mortified.

"Guys, please. I didn't kill Mr. Harmond! I know it looks bad, but I'm innocent. I was just fooling around!" He practically begs, reaching his hand out to touch mine. The chains stop him, but I react instinctively, moving mine away. I neglect to realize how close my pinky is to Flint, and accidentally drop it on his platform, crushing the left side. I instantly pull it away, fearing the worst, but find the little man totally unharmed. In fact, he doesn't even react as he presses our suspect even harder.

"Detective Claire, I think we've got our guy. He's going away for a long, long time." He tells me, almost believably.

"What? No way! No!" He protests, pulling on his cuffs. "Wait! I have some information that might be useful!"

"Oh? Do tell." I ask, smirking a little. There is no way that worked. Not to understate Flint's tactics, but this guy cannot be this dumb! All he has to do is stay quiet and he'll probably get released soon...

"I know that Mr. Harmond was planning something big for the company. I don't have the details, but my dad mentioned it to me. The investors were really pissed off. Like, almost all of them! I swear that's all I know!"

Finally, a decent clue. Assuming he's telling the truth, this could be a big lead. I glance down at Flint, pleasantly surprised by him. Good going, little man. "Alright, I think that's enough. You can get going now, Mr. Paul."

Two officers enter and take our second suspect away, promptly bringing the third. It's a man in his forties, though likely younger than myself. He is dressed in a suit that has a wine-colored stain on the shirt. Unlike Mr. Paul, he seems much less irritated. I decide to jump right in.

"Mr. Boseman, do you know why you're here?" I say as he inspects his handcuffs. Having never been in a pair before, they seem to interest him.

"Good evening, Detective." He responds, automatically. "I'm told you have some questions for me?"

"Indeed I do. As does my partner, Detective Flint." I gesture to the screen, bringing his attention to Flint.

"Ah, a Lilli! I'm not surprised they brought a foreigner. This case is bigger than all of us. I hope it can be resolved as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I will not be answering questions today. I apologize for any trouble that may cause." He tells us with a smile.

"We are only seeking to hear your story. You have no reason to be afraid." I try, fearing he might shut down entirely. I know what he is doing, and I can't allow him to do it. This isn't my first interrogation, after all.

"Oh, I am not afraid, Detective. I am acting on the advice of my lawyer, who should be here shortly." He says, with that same smile on his face.

"Should you choose-" I begin, only for Flint to cut me off mid-sentence.

"If you want to do that, then go ahead. We'll get to the bottom of this with or without you." Flint remarks, not at all bothered by his refusal to cooperate. "Frankly, I don't suspect you anyway. Detective Claire, can we move on to the next suspect?"

His request comes as a surprise to me. I'd assumed he was using one of his tactics again, but I think he seriously wants to move on. Did he notice something I didn't? I think hard about what has been said. I give the suspect a good, long stare. 

Nothing. I can come up with nothing.

"Okay, then." I finally say, requesting the officers enter and take him away. They leave us alone for another minute before bringing in the next suspect. In that time I turn my attention to Flint and speak my mind. "You shouldn't have dismissed him so quickly. I wasn't prepared for that. I hope you had a good reason."

"I didn't." He says, flatly. "I just don't like dealing with lawyers."

My eyes widen in surprise and anger. Is he serious? That's his reason? What is he thinking! We just sent a suspect away without asking a single question. There is no way we will be able to get him back here, least of all if he lawyers up!

"Detective Flint, that was highly unprofessional. Careless, even. Are you not taking this seriously?" I say, slightly louder than I intend to.

"Watch your tone, Detective Claire." He responds, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "I may be asking you first, but that's just a courtesy. I have the authority to send a suspect away if I wish to." 

I form a fist and purse my lips. He is fixating on the wrong part of what I said. "No one is questioning your authority, Detective. I'm only asking why you are being so impatient when-"

The door to the interrogation room suddenly opens, and an officer enters with an odd-looking cube in hand, no bigger than a wireless earbud case. We both go quiet as not to let the next suspect hear us arguing. The officer sets it down beside Flint's platform and promptly leaves the room. I strain my eyes, watching as Flint enters it through a door and then the screen beside me switches to a view of the cube's interior. It appears to be an interrogation room identical to the one we're in, but much smaller. A camera in the corner gives me a view of what is happening inside. Our fourth suspect, a woman in her thirties, dressed in a revealing statement dress, sits at the table, waiting. Flint joins her and immediately begins the interrogation.

"Dr. Baird, I have some questions for you, but first..." Flint says, before going mute. I am confused for a moment, before I realize he has covered his mic with his hand. It's only for a brief moment, but it sends a clear message. My frustration with him continues to grow as I see him asking something, which the woman shakes her head in response to, before he allows me to hear the conversation again. "...that's good. Now, on to the questions. As one of Mr. Harmond's head of R&D, you work very closely with him, correct?"

"Yes, sir. I do." She nods, visibly more comfortable that she is speaking with a fellow Lilli. Though, there is great tension in her body language. I decide to let Flint take the lead with this suspect, fearing she might become less cooperative if I interject.

"I'm told you've been working together for roughly ten years?" He continues. "And that you live and work full-time here in Brobdingnag."

"Twelve, actually. I have only been formally employed under Mr. Harmond for ten." She corrects him. "And yes, I that is correct. I moved here when Harmony Pharmaceuticals offered me a job I couldn't refuse. In a good way, I mean." She chuckles nervously.

"How would you describe your relationship with Mr. Harmond? Rumor has it that you two were friends. That is quite uncommon, after all." Flint asks, probing further.

"Mr. Harmond is, or rather was, one of the greatest men I ever knew. Indeed, I have been close with him and Mrs. Harmond for several years. We are friends outside of work, but that isn't something we publicize." She explains, a wistful smile on her face. She looks away, reminiscing. "At first, I was very afraid to move here, to the land of giants. It's no secret that we're looked down upon. But Mr. Harmond doesn't think that way. He shows respect to everyone who earns it, and he was always very kind to me. As was Mrs. Harmond, but not nearly as much as him." Her gaze then fixes on Flint and she leans forward. Any tension in her expression is now gone. "Do you know why Mr. Harmond created Harmony Pharmaceuticals?"

"I would assume it was to make lots of money." Flint jokes, inviting her to correct him.

"No, no! Money was never his goal. He believes that healthcare is a universal right, and that everyone deserves access. Granted, developing effective drugs is expensive, so a nonprofit was out of the question." She shrugs, tilting her head a little. "Our company is the only producer of Moxanen that exports to Lilliputia. The active ingredient can only be grown on Brob motherland, not New Brobdingnag, and for reasons that need not be said, most companies refuse to export it to Lilliputia."

"I know, I read your companies bio." Flint urges her to get to the point.

"Then you know how prevalent Mengy's syndrome has become increasingly present in our homeland. Moxanen is the only available treatment..." She sighs, doing her best to summarize the thoughts in her head. "My point is that Mr. Harmond was a wonderful man and he will be dearly missed."

"I think I've heard enough. Thank you for your cooperation." Flint concludes, exiting the cube before calling for the officer to take the suspect away. This time, however, the officer brings the next suspect with him as he enters, switching this cube for another, and leaving us no time to discuss.

"Go ahead. Lillis respond better to Lillis, so I'll sit back and listen." I offer, though it irritates me that I cannot play a bigger role in the Lilli interrogations. 

The process is the same. Flint enters, takes his seat, and gets right into the questioning. All the while, I sit quietly and watch on the screen. This is suspect number five, the last one for now. He is a man in his thirties, similarly well dressed, in a tuxedo. Even from the screen, I can tell how incredibly calm he looks. Unlike Mr. Boseman, who was 'forcing' it, this man seems genuinely relaxed. It is...odd. It seems that Flint notices this too, as he looks into the camera, shooting me a certain glance.

"Mr. Collins, do you know-" Flint begins, but is interrupted by the man as soon as he begins.

"That won't be necessary, Detective." He says, standing up as best he can while his hands are cuffed to the table. He looks directly into the camera, addressing not just me, but the entire precinct. "My name is Howard Collins and I confess to the murder of Robert Harmond."