I have seen many confessions during my career as a Detective, but never one so shocking. It's one thing to confess to the murder of a fellow Lilli; hell, I've seen some pretty damn cold killers brag about it, but it's another thing entirely to claim to have killed a Brob. Lillis don't fell giants, not since the Great war. More importantly, how can he speak about it so calmly? I'm inclined to think he's joking, or making light of the situation for some reason.

As I try to formulate a fitting response to his outlandish claim, it seems that Detective Claire cannot sit quietly any longer. She addresses him directly, shattering the silence. Being a Brob, she has no need for mics or speakers. The natural volume of her voice rattles the room, easily reaching our ears.

"Mr. Collins, with all due respect to Lilli-kind, you could not have committed this crime. You are not physically capable of it." Claire explains, not to belittle Lillis, rather stating an obvious fact.

"And yet, I did. Allow me to explain exactly how I carried it out." He says, still standing, his resolve unshaken. "On the night of the Gala, I was on a Lilli platform situated on Mr. Harmond's table. I had arranged for exactly 0.024 Brob milliliters to be prepared in several syringes which I injected into his fingertip over the course of two hours. I know that fact has not been released to the public. Check the forensic report if you don't believe me." He continues, providing us with an impossible level of detail. "I had the toxin developed under temperatures five degrees below zero, and transported a day in advance. Check under stage, and you will find the cold storage unit where I kept them." 

"Someone would have seen you. There were others on that platform, and they would have noticed you going back and forth, let alone going under the platform." I argue, challenging his story.

"Perhaps, if not for the fact that there were only a handful of them, and they were far from sober!" He chuckles. "I wouldn't be surprised if they forgot the entire night."

"Why are you confessing to this so willingly?" I ask him, banging a fist into the table. Everything about this seems off. I know when I'm being messed with, and I don't appreciate it. Hopefully I can throw him off with my next line: "Assuming we can confirm your story, and trust me, we will, you're guilty of first degree murder on foreign soil. You'll be locked away for the rest of your life, if they don't give you the death penalty outright."

The man looks at me as if I'm beginning to bore him, and my comment does nothing to pressure him. In fact, it looks like I just confirmed what he already thought to be true. I feel myself losing ground.

"I understand the gravity of my crime, but I believe in the justice system." He says, without any elaboration. He then sits down calmly and does not utter another word.

I hear the door to the greater interrogation room slam open as someone enters. Judging by the voice, I can tell that it's Chief Perry. "I've heard enough. Mr. Collins, you are under arrest for the murder of Robert Harmond. I will personally be escorting you to your cell while you await trial. Detective Flint, please make your way out, immediately."

The cube rumbles as the giantess approaches, her heavy footsteps letting us know just how angry she is. I make a break for the door, stepping out just as her fingers pinch the sides of the building and hoist it into the air. I'd like to say I'm surprised by her disregard for my safety, but I'm not. I saw the way she was looking at me earlier. I am hardly even a person in her eyes. The Chief exits the room, leaving me alone with Claire, who also doesn't seem to concerned about me. She doesn't even look down as she stands up, a hand on her hip, staring blankly.

"Get in the carrier. We'll talk in my office." She sighs, with a hint of irritation in her voice.

I return to the Lilli carrier without a word, trying my best to focus on the case instead of how much Claire's orders piss me off. I expect her to put it back on her ear, but instead find myself being brought to the inside of her blazer, where she carelessly deposits the earring in her pocket. The drop is rough enough that I feel it, the shock making me dizzy. Left in total darkness, she walks back to her office without a care in the world. I hear her talking to some people along the way, ordering them to verify information and get back to her. Then, she continues walking. I hear a door open and close behind her, before she brings me out of her pocket and sets me down on her desk. I move to the hatch and step outside, finding myself on her desk, with her seated at it. The entire tabletop shakes as she comes to rest her elbows on it. Leaning in, her fingers massage her temples as she closes her eyes and thinks. It's a little unnerving, having her loom over me like this. I want to ask her to give me some space, but can't think of a nice way to say it.

"The Chief clearly wants this resolved as soon as possible. If his story checks out, then the case will be closed. Justice will have been served..." She groans, clearly unsatisfied with how things played out. "I don't approve of this. Even if the evidence points to him, I still don't buy it."

"I'm feeling the same way. This was all too easy." I shake my head.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She says, pulling her arms back and sitting up straight. She pulls out a notebook from somewhere out of sight along with a pen. Clicking the top, she places it on the paper and begins to jot something down. She presses the top of her pen against her bottom lip, mumbling softly, "...all information we have."

I can't see what she's written, obviously. The notebook is easily as tall as a three story building and even if it wasn't, I wouldn't be able to make out anything while standing on the paper. Whatever, it doesn't matter to me. I doubt she wrote anything down that I hadn't already. No, I probably wrote more. 

"There were four other suspects. I think we can immediately rule two of them out." My declaration brings her attention to me, her eyes skeptical, yet interested. "Suspect one, the wife, and Suspect three, the mute. I don't believe they had any part in this."

"I agree with you about Mrs. Harmond. I don't believe she did it." She glances back at her notebook, reviewing her notes from earlier. "She has no criminal record and I don't buy the supposed 'motive' they assumed. If she truly wanted her husband dead, she could have gone about it much more discreetly. To do it during her company's Gala just does not make logical sense." Her expression softens a little as she continues. "And... I believe she loved him. They were married for over forty eight years."

"Yeah. I can't imagine the pain she's feeling." I try not to let my feelings cloud my judgement, but any detective worth their salt knows that you have to trust your gut. Though, a gut feeling can be wrong. That's why I asked her, so that I could confirm my feeling. "As for Mr. Boseman, he's just...an idiot."

"Come again?" She smirks for a moment, then it goes away.

"The man was incredibly nervous. His voice may have sounded confident, but his body betrayed him. You must have noticed?" I ask, hoping she caught that as well.

"Of course I did, that's standard behavioral analysis. His breathing was strained. He was sweating too." She comments, looking through her notes for more. "But that could be a result of guilt. Criminals, especially first-timers, tend to try extra hard to seem innocent, which has the opposite effect."

"There was something else, too. The way his hands were placed on the table." I place my own hands in a similar fashion, on an imaginary table in front of me. "When he said he 'was not afraid'... That was a lie. When he said 'I hope this can be resolved as soon as possible'... That was the truth. I don't need a polygraph to know that. Being so close to his hands, his pulse was practically vibrating the tabletop. I could feel when his pulse spiked."

Claire looks at me with both skepticism and amazement. "Is that...even possible? I didn't feel a thing."

"You aren't a Lilli, Detective. There are some things we perceive that you can't." I explain, as non-offensively as possible. "It's not a trick I practiced. If I'd been just a little further back on the table, I might not have realized at all. Going back to my initial point, the man was an idiot. He was so scared that he nearly incriminated himself in an attempt to avoid trouble. He probably saw it on TV or something."

"Well, then I will trust your judgement." She nods in agreement. "His motive was weak at best. He and Mrs. Harmond did not get along, and as such, neither did Mr. Harmond. That hardly seems like motive for murder." She drags her pen across her notes twice, which even from down here I can recognize as a strike-through. "Okay. I think it might be best to wait for the other cops and forensics team to verify Suspect five's confession before discussing him. That leaves Suspects two and four. In your own words, I am inclined to believe Mr. Paul was another 'idiot'."

"He's a dumbass rich kid pretending to be a playboy. I checked his records and found he has a history with drugs. Arrested twice for illegal possession, but saved by his father's connections each time. Nothing too crazy, and absolutely nothing to do with Virelith." I tell her pulling out my own notebook to make sure I'm not talking out my ass. I read another comment I wrote earlier for her, "He also isn't rich enough to afford enough of the plant to do anything with it. I crunched the numbers, and they didn't add up."

"How much is the difference?" She inquires, preparing to write it down.

"Let's just say he'd need to be twice as rich, if not three times for this to have been a recreational purchase. I doubt even he's dumb enough to spend half his fortune on the off chance he might get a better high." I shake my head, utterly disappointed in the young man and his stupidity. "Anyway, that just leaves Suspect four. Her story about the company and the Moxanen check out. I don't think she's guilty, but I'm not prepared to rule her out just yet."

To my surprise, the giantess shakes her head at me. "No, of all the suspects, she struck me as the most suspicious."

For a moment, her certainty confuses me. Then, I think about which part of Dr. Baird's story seemed off. It doesn't take me long to realize what Claire is implying. I raise a brow, challenging her to elaborate. "And why is that, exactly?" 

The giantess' body language suddenly becomes uncomfortable. Although she hasn't said it outright, we both know what she means. I have no doubt in my mind now. Staring at me intensely, she folds her arms under her chest and decides to say it anyway. I suspect she doesn't like being pressed by me. 

"A Brob being friends with a Lilli? Surely you don't believe that." She scoffs, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"What's so difficult to believe?" I ask her, through grit teeth.

"I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it is highly uncommon. If I may be honest with you, I've personally never had any interest in your kind, let alone befriending any." She takes out her hand and makes a gesture, as if pinching something in the air. "What sort of relationship can one have with beings smaller than the space between my fingers? Had this technology not existed, our conversation would not have been possible in the first place."

The more I listen to her, the angrier I get. Don't get me wrong, I've never been interested in her kind either. In fact, the resentment between our races is a lot stronger from our side than theirs, and for good reason. I'm not going to bring up our history, but this issue can be summarized in one word: sizism. The belief that one is superior to another based on their size alone is revolting. She was subtle about it at first, having me believe she might've been different, but now her true feelings are being laid bare. I recall all the ways she's disrespected and mistreated me today, and feel my anger boiling up. 

This was the last straw. 

"Detective, I've been putting up with a lot of crap from you today. It's no secret that neither of us wanted this partnership, but I am trying to work with you." I raise my voice a little, holding back from actual yelling. "Your comments are not only ignorant, but sizist as well."

Upon hearing me say that, it is as if the floodgates have burst open. Whatever she was holding back begins to flow out as well. It seems she has been holding back a lot as well. She puts down her pen, her demeanor changing entirely from calm and serious to cold and intense. As much as I hate to admit it, it unnerves me.

"You've tried to work with me? Detective Flint, the very first thing you said to me was that you were in a hurry to get home. Did you forget how you covered your mic so I could not hear you? Or how whenever I question you, you respond rudely and aggressively?" She points out, attacking me right back. "What in the world did you say that was so private?" She scowls, making a valid point.

I hesitate, but decide to tell her. "I needed to ask her if she'd been treated well by you Brobs."

"Right, you did mention how we were keeping your people 'hostage'. A wonderful first impression, Detective. More importantly, you cannot deny me access to the audio feed of our interrogation." I am about to respond, but she doesn't let me. She unfolds her arms and moves a hand toward me, finger outstretched in an accusatory manner, huge and imposing. It's incredibly close, not to mention bigger than a football field, and hovering within an arm's reach. "You are the one making this investigation more difficult than it needs to be."

I try to slap her finger out of the way, but it doesn't budge. I'd have more luck trying to move an apartment complex. Instead, I move to the side, trying to get out of the way of her finger in case she does the unthinkable in her anger. In turn, I point a finger back. "If you want to list all the things I've done to irritate you, then surely you won't mind when I do the same. Since this morning you've limited my access to the forensic lab, refused to let me defend myself when Chief Perry insulted me, almost crushed me during the interrogation, and even tossed me into your pocket like an object!"

The giantess glares at me, a fire burning in her eyes. "Whatever you claim I have done to you today out of malice was for your own good. The only point I will acknowledge is nearly crushing you, though, I can hardly be blamed for that when you are so pathetically small."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." I glare back at her, furiously. "Have you no respect for a peer?"

"Hah! A peer? You honestly see yourself as my peer?" She laughs, making an amused face. "You are a Lilli. No matter how much experience you have, how many cases you've solved, you will never be my equal. You and I are not the same."

She leans back in her seat, folding her arms once more. She seems satisfied with her response, thinking she's put me in my place. I am so incredibly angry with this woman, to the point where I can hardly think. I take a deep breath to calm myself, not letting her rile me up.

"Believe what you want, but my accomplishments speak for themselves. You know very well how capable I am. You read my file, and I read yours. You're right, we aren't the same." I fire back, using her own words against her.

I notice her eye twitch, her composed demeanor breaking. "You egregious speck."

Upon hearing that word, I feel I am about to lose my temper. I step forward, angrier than I've been in years, and challenge her. "I thought we agreed not to use that word, Detective?"

Leaning in very close, until her lips dominate my entire view, she whispers that word again, but I hear her loud and clear. "Speck."

A deafening silence falls upon us in the office. I have no words for her, nor does she for me. I had hoped to complete this investigation in spite of her, but it seems that will not be possible. At least, not while we are working so closely. Neither of us can give up the case, but that doesn't mean we can't work separately. Pulling out my phone, I text my liaison and explain the situation to him. All the while, Detective Claire moves away, sitting back up in her seat, and waiting for me to respond.

"You have nothing to say to me?" She asks, her tone noticeably less angry, but with the same bite.

"What more is there to say? I told you that if you called me that again, this partnership would be over." I explain, receiving a confirmation from him that the appropriate arrangements will be made. I pocket my phone and look up at her, my relief at being free of her overshadowing my anger. "I have a case to solve, and I will do that without you. Once this is over, this 'speck' will be out of your hair for good."

A knock is heard at the door, before a younger female officer opens it, peeking her head inside. "Pardon me, Detectives. I'm sorry to interrupt."

"No problem, Officer. Come on in." I say, switching my earpiece so that it links to hers as well. "I'm heading into the carrier on the Detective's desk. Please take me to the forensics lab when you're ready."

"What do you think you're doing, Linda?" Claire snaps at her. "I didn't approve this."

"Chief Perry just did." The other giantess says as she collects me in her hand, carefully lifting me up. It's leagues better than how Claire did it, that's for sure. It makes me wonder if she's dealt with Lillis before. "Detective Flint made the request, and I volunteered."

Detective Claire goes silent, gesturing for us to leave. It appears she's had enough of me, and likely lost all respect for her coworker. It's fine, though. Now we can each do our thing separately, just like we wanted. Officer Linda carries me through the precinct, down to the lab, where we find Katie still there, hard at work. As we enter, she comes up to us with the same upbeat, friendly demeanor that totally does not suit someone who works with corpses for a living. 

"Welcome back, Detective, and hello, Linda!" She greets us. "I've been hard at work running those tests you requested. It appears that all of the information from Mr. Collins' confession was more or less true."

"More or less?" I ask, which Linda then repeats for me since Katie lacks an earpiece.

"Umm, yes. The dosage of Virelith was slightly off, but the difference was negligible. We also verified the injection site on his finger." She explains, walking us over to the body.

"Would you like a closer look, Detective?" Linda offers, lowering the carrier to the table, inviting me to step out. Normally, I'd be reluctant to go out in the open, and I don't like getting up close with the bodies of victims, but I feel I should take a look with my own eyes.

"Sure." I say, opening the hatch and stepping out. Immediately, I notice how cold the room is. Then, I notice the smell. "Let's make this quick..."

I see that she set me down very close to his hand, which is convenient. Approaching it, I see that there is a noticeable redness on the pad of the index finger. I get even closer, squinting my eyes to see where Lilli-scale hypodermic needles were clearly used. It's so very tiny, even on our scale, that there is no way the Brobs would have noticed on their own. I sigh, unhappy that the evidence continues to point at Mr. Collins. I still don't buy it! Something is off here, but I can't put my finger on it. No pun intended...

Turning away from the body, I gaze out into the open room. I close my eyes and focus my mind, running through the evidence all over again. As unbelievable as this story is, it only continues to make sense. Choosing not to reject the narrative, I reevaluate the case assuming it was one hundred percent true. The next big puzzle piece is Mr. Collins' motive. I was going to press him until that Chief of theirs burst in and took him away. Murdering the CEO of a company you hold a significant share in is illogical. There is nothing to gain. So, why would he do it? The man became a suspect because he stood to gain more control of the board if Mr. Harmond was out of the picture. In the event that came to pass, it would be counterproductive to confess. It felt as if he wanted us to know that he did it. He wanted to remove any doubt. He even knew the consequences of doing so.

"What is he hiding?" I mutter, pacing around on the metal table as I think. "What was his true motive...?!"