Chapter 367
After returning to Jersey City and visiting his son in the hospital, Mr. Jasper Sr. invited two senior officers from the Jersey City Police Department, along with the lead detective on James’s poisoning case, to his home that evening.
They met in the Jasper family’s formal sitting room-a quiet, elegant space reserved for serious discussions.
The moment the three officials saw Mr. Jasper Sr., they greeted him in unison with respectful nods. “Mr. Jasper Sr.”
Despite his considerable influence, Mr. Jasper Sr. had never been the type to throw his weight around. He gave a small nod and gestured to the chairs. “Please, have a seat.
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The room was spacious, centered around a long rectangular table made of polished hardwood. A classic porcelain tea set was arranged neatly on top.
Mr. Jasper Sr. took the seat at the head of the table, with Sean seated to his right.
Before sitting down, the three officers turned to Sean one by one and greeted him politely. “Mr. Jasper.”
Sean acknowledged them politely. Only then did the three men take their seats across from Mr. Jasper Sr. and briefly introduced themselves before moving on to report the latest developments in the case.
Mr. Jasper Sr. had already made inquiries into James’s poisoning as soon as he got back to the city.
The police had uncovered several promising leads.
The lead officer, Joshua Taylor, a stern-faced man in his forties, spoke first. “According to Mrs. Jasper, the primary suspect is Vivian Xander. She told us that back when Vivian was still considered the Jasper family’s foster daughter, she regularly prepared soup for Mr. James Jasper every few days. Mr. James also had a strict morning routine. He never skipped his black coffee. So, we launched our investigation focusing on both the soup and the coffee. And we did find some clues.”
Joshua handed two reports to Mr. Jasper Sr.
“These are the lab reports for Mr. James’s usual coffee mug and the ceramic pot used for the soup.”
Mr. Jasper Sr. furrowed his brows as he flipped through the documents.
Sensing that the technical language might be difficult to follow, Joshua explained in simpler terms. “The toxic substance found in the ceramic pot matches the one found in Mr. James’s system. So we can preliminarily conclude that the soup had been
poisoned.
“The ceramic material is porous, so when the soup is boiled at high temperatures, the toxins can seep into the pot and remain even after washing. In contrast, the coffee is served cold, and the mug is made of glass, which doesn’t retain toxins the same way. After cleaning, no residue remained in the mug, so the coffee cup tested clean.
“Additionally, according to the house staff, it was always Vivian who made Mr. James’s morning coffee by hand.”
The more Mr. Jasper Sr. heard, the deeper his frown became. “What does Vivian have to say for herself?”
Joshua replied, “The suspect is currently in prison. We’ve questioned her, but she’s remained completely silent.”
He continued, “Mrs. Jasper also mentioned that another detainee, Joseph Ford, might be directly connected to this case. We questioned him as well, but he didn’t say a word either.”
“Have you reviewed the surveillance footage at the house?” Mr. Jasper Sr. asked.
“We have. Nothing unusual turned up. The kitchen footage shows Vivian making soup, but she had her back to the camera, so we can’t confirm if she tampered with it. As for the coffee machine area, there’s no suspicious activity. If she really did poison the coffee, it likely happened after it was made. She could have moved into a blind spot and added the toxin there.
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“There’s one more thing…” Joshua hesitated, glancing cautiously at Mr. Jasper Sr.
Mr. Jasper Sr. lifted his eyes. “What is it?”
Joshua hesitated, then said, “When we asked Mrs. Jasper about Vivian and Joseph’s motives for murder, she t ask you. She said it wasn’t her place to say.”
