Chapter 1164 - Poisoning and the Call Girl

Jack shook his head, indicating he had no impression of the name. Prosecutor General Jackson shrugged and took the initiative to explain.

“He's a fairly well-known hedge fund manager. If you watch TV often, you might’ve seen him on some talk shows—he's the one who used to argue, red in the face, that the subprime mortgage crisis was no big deal.”

“Sounds like a big shot?” Jack smiled and responded, picking up on the sarcastic tone. It was clear this case had given the Prosecutor General quite the headache, as his words were full of complaints.

“The issue now is that his legal team is trying to classify this incident as a suicide. This way, please.”

Prosecutor General Jackson led Jack through the entire hotel corridor to the door of a high-end suite at the end of the hallway.

The scene wasn’t cordoned off like a typical crime scene—there was no barrier tape at the door, which remained shut. The two suited men standing outside didn’t look like police officers.

“Open the door,” Jackson signaled to the two men with a slight tilt of his head, then led Jack into the room.

“I’ve instructed the people below me to preserve the crime scene as much as possible. If you can disprove the suicide claim, we might be able to buy ourselves some time.”

The body had already been removed, but someone had drawn a chalk outline on the floor where the victim had fallen, using a traditional method.

“You mean ‘we’?” Jack put on gloves and scanned the bar area’s glasses and other objects with a UV light.

“Yes, we,” the prosecutor replied, signaling to the two men at the door. Once the door was closed again, he continued.

“Ms. Anderson is seeking a position on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I had a reason for requesting you come alone. At least three state Supreme Court justices have asked me whether charges would be filed in this case.

That’s made certain people very nervous—they want to bury this quietly. So until we have hard evidence, I need to keep this under the radar. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Jack understood perfectly—this was just a simple political transaction.

The Prosecutor General had probably seen an opportunity in the case and wanted to stir things up. But concerned his own team might not be up to the task—and fearing potential backlash—he wanted input from a professional before making a move.

Jack also noticed that Jackson used the plural form when referring to the case, but he didn’t press the issue immediately. Instead, he gave the man a little reassurance first.

He picked up an already-opened box of tadalafil from the minibar counter and smiled at the prosecutor. “Generally speaking, most men don’t take erectile dysfunction meds before committing suicide. Did this Hoyt Asift have a family?”

“Yes, his wife and children were at home at the time of his death,” Jackson's eyes lit up—clearly satisfied with Jack’s precise line of questioning.

“So, would you say mistress or call girl?” A rich man found dead in a luxury hotel suite in the middle of the night, with male enhancement drugs on the table—there really weren’t many other explanations.

Jackson lowered his voice further. “Agent Tavoller, once we leave this room, I will deny ever saying any of what I’m about to tell you, and none of this should appear in any report.

According to my investigators, nearly every Wednesday, Hoyt Asift would withdraw $20,000 in cash from his hedge fund. Last night was no exception.”

“Twenty grand for one night? High-end escort, huh?” Jack’s face remained neutral, but inwardly he was a little taken aback. This guy played at a pretty high level.

If you’re single and making $60–70K a year, you’re considered middle class in the U.S. And this man was spending more than that each month just on escorts.

Jackson sneered and gave a dismissive snort. “I personally questioned the hotel doorman and staff. Nothing. No one noticed any suspicious women coming through.”

“That’s not surprising. A luxury hotel has to protect its reputation and its guests’ privacy. They’re not going to admit to having sex workers on-site. Besides, a woman who charges twenty grand a night isn’t going to be easily recognized as a prostitute.”

As Jack spoke, he used tweezers to pick a strand of light golden hair from the couch and placed it into an evidence bag.

“Have you completed toxicology yet?” The smell near the sofa wasn’t pleasant. Though he hadn’t seen the body, Jack could tell the victim had experienced incontinence before death.

“Yes, the lab says it’s ‘TETS.’”

The prosecutor pointed to a stain on the carpet in front of the couch. “There was a spilled wine glass there. I had it tested privately.”

“TETS,” Jack thought—tetramethylene disulfotetramine, an organic compound, a neurotoxin over a hundred times more lethal than potassium cyanide.

“We can basically conclude this was a homicide. The killer poisoned the victim’s drink before sex. The effects kicked in during foreplay, and the final moments were excruciating.

Full-body convulsions, foaming at the mouth, seizure-like symptoms, then total loss of consciousness. He had no ability to resist or call for help.”

Jackson involuntarily shivered at Jack’s description, clearly recalling the horrifying sight of the victim’s corpse the night before.

“How many similar cases do you suspect might be connected to this one?”

Still shaken, the prosecutor blurted out without thinking, “One... maybe two... maybe even more, I can’t be sure.

Because it involves ‘important people,’ you understand—my investigators have run into wall after wall.”

Contrary to common perception, in the U.S., many investigations aren’t conducted by the police but by investigators under the District Attorney’s Office.

These investigators are appointed by the DA’s office and report only to the DA or Assistant DA. This means they can bypass local law enforcement entirely and conduct independent investigations.

Handing the evidence bag to the prosecutor, Jack took off his rubber gloves. “Please have these, along with any suspicious hairs found on the victim or his clothing, sent to the New York CSI lab as soon as possible.

I may need to call in one or two assistants, and I’ll also need every file you have on any cases you think might be related to this one.”

The prosecutor nodded and opened the door. “Then this case is yours—but please, keep it quiet.”

The two of them left the crime scene and headed to the hotel’s ground floor. Jack took out his phone and messaged JJ and Aubrey, asking them to come to Dallas as soon as possible to join him.