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Meanwhile, across the sea in London, England, Detective James Taylor sat in his cluttered office, nursing a lukewarm cup of tea. His assistant, Alice Whitmore, was sorting through paperwork when the telephone rang.

“Taylor & Associates, how can I help you?” Alice answered crisply.

A man with a thick Australian accent came on the line. “G'day, this is Robert Hastings, partner of the University of Melbourne. I’m calling regarding Professor Vittoria Mancini. She had recently agreed to resume her professorship with us, but we’ve just received news of her untimely death. Given the... unsettling nature of it, we’d like to bring in external investigators.”

James leaned forward, frowning slightly. “I see. And what exactly are you looking for?”

“We’d like you to oversee an independent investigation, Detective Taylor. And don’t worry about the logistics — whatever your costs are, we’ll cover them in full.”

James hesitated for a beat, ready to probe further—but the mention of full financial backing sealed his decision.

“Very well,” he said. “We’ll make arrangements right away.”

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