30/08/2026
At 45, Percy Stillman had achieved everything an average middle-class American man could dream of.
His construction company, Stillman Construction, held contracts for half of River City's major projects, from shopping malls to residential complexes.
The mansion in the prestigious Oakland Hills neighborhood, where his family lived, was worth a million half dollars.
His wife Stacy was one of the most successful realtors at the elite agency Premium Estate, and their children, 16-year-old Brandon and 14-year-old Emily, attended the best private school in town.
Every morning, Percy woke up at 6, drank his coffee while reading the Wall Street Journal, kissed his wife goodbye, and drove to his office on the 30th floor of the River Tower.
In the evening, he would return home for dinner with his family, help his children with their homework, and watch the news.
On weekends, he played golf at a country club.
But twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, Percy didn't go home after work.
Instead, he parked his black BMW X7 in the underground garage of the River Plaza Shopping Center and walked three blocks to the Metropole Bar in the city's business district.
The metropole was the place where young professionals came after work.
Lawyers from nearby offices, bankers, middle managers.
The modern interior, subdued lighting, expensive alcohol, and jazz music created an atmosphere of elegant anonymity that Percy liked so much.
Jason Reyes worked behind the bar.
28 years old, dark hair, always clean shaven with a charming smile that made customers leave generous tips.
Jason had moved to River City 3 years ago from Detroit, where he had worked in several restaurants before deciding to try his luck in a bigger city.
They met a year and a half ago.
Percy walked into the Metropole after a particularly difficult day.
A $15 million deal had fallen through due to city planning issues.
Jason noticed his gloomy mood and handing him a whiskey said, "You look like the world is falling on your shoulders.
" They struck up a conversation.
At first, they were just casual conversations at the bar.
Jason was a good listener and never asked too many personal questions.
Gradually, Percy began to come more often, staying until closing time.
One evening last March, when there were no other customers left in the bar, Jason suggested, "Why don't we continue this conversation at my place?" Jason's apartment was in a modern residential complex called River View, 10 minutes drive from downtown.
It was a modest one-bedroom apartment on the eighth floor with a view of the Grand River, which flowed through the city.
It was there in that apartment that something happened between them that Percy could never fully explain to himself.
He had been married for 20 years.
He had never had any problems with women.
But when Jason kissed him that March evening, something clicked inside him, as if a part of his personality that he had kept locked away his entire life had suddenly burst forth.
Since then, their meetings had become regular.
But every time it was time to go home to Stacy and the kids, reality hit him with the same force as before.
In River City, he was Percy Stillman, a construction magnate, a family man, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a sponsor of charitable events, a man who couldn't afford to be gay.
Stacy began to suspect that something was wrong about 6 months ago.
At first, it was small things.
He started staying late at work more often, had s*x with her less often, and sometimes she noticed unfamiliar scents of perfume on his clothes.
She thought he was having an affair with his secretary or a client and tried to talk to him about it several times.
Percy denied everything, explaining his delays by saying he had a growing workload and was stressed.
The only person who knew Jason's secret was his best friend, Thomas Harris.
Thomas ran a chain of fast fill gas stations and had lived in River City for 10 years.
They met when Jason first moved to town and Thomas helped him find a job and an apartment.
Jason never mentioned the name of his secret lover, saying only that he was an influential married man in business.
Thomas disapproved of the relationship, believing it would lead to nothing good, but he was a good enough friend not to lecture him.
Meanwhile, Detective Michael O'Conor of the River City Police Department's homicide division was busy with routine cases.
In his 12 years on the force, he had seen it all.
From domestic violence in workingclass neighborhoods to financial crimes in the business district.
Okconor was a good cop, attentive to detail and patient in his investigations.
His divorce 3 years earlier had taught him not to trust outward appearances of family happiness.
On that October evening, when this story began, none of these people had any idea how closely their lives would become intertwined in just a few weeks.
Percy kissed Stacy good night, thinking about his meeting with Jason the next day.
Jason browsed cooking websites, dreaming of his own restaurant.
Stacy lay awake wondering how to find out the truth about her husband's infidelity.
Okconor read his daughter a bedtime story while Thomas watched football on TV.
None of them knew that in a month's time, one of them would be dead and the rest would be embroiled in a murder investigation that would rock River City.
The November rains had turned the streets of River City into gray streams of water and mud.
Jason Reyes stood at the window of his apartment, holding a stack of bills in his hands and staring at the murky Grand River below.
The red numbers on his credit card statements seemed to burn before his eyes.
$15,847 on his Mastercard, $8,223 on his Visa, and another $12,000 in personal loans from First National Bank.
Over the past 6 months, his financial situation had deteriorated dramatically.
First, his car broke down.
An old Honda Accord he had bought used in Detroit.
The repairs cost $3,000.
Then his mother fell ill in Detroit and Jason had to pay part of her medical bills, another $5,000.
And in August, the manager of the Riverview apartment complex raised the rent by $200 a month.
The bartender's salary at the Metropole, even with tips, barely covered his monthly expenses.
Jason worked part-time on weekends at a catering company.
But that didn't solve the problem of growing debts.
Every month he could only pay the minimum amount on his loans and the interest was eating up more and more of his money.
The worst part was that his dream of opening his own restaurant now seemed completely out of reach.
Jason had already found the perfect place, a small space on Main Street in the historic center of town where an old bookstore used to be.
The rent was $4,000 a month, but he needed at least $100,000 for renovations, equipment, and startup capital.
On Friday evening, after the metropolis closed, Jason and Percy sat on the couch in his apartment, drinking wine.
Outside, the city lights were burning, reflecting in the raindrops on the window.
"I have an offer for a restaurant," Jason said, trying to sound confident.
He told Percy about the space on Main Street and his plans to create a restaurant serving modern American cuisine and signature cocktails.
Percy listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
Jason spoke with such enthusiasm that his eyes literally lit up.
But when the conversation turned to finances, Percy frowned.
"$100,000 is a lot of money," he said cautiously.
"I'm not asking for the whole amount right away," Jason replied quickly.
Maybe 25,000 to start with to put a deposit on the place and start renovating.
I'll find the rest myself somehow.
Percy was silent, twirling his wine glass in his hands.
He knew that $25,000 wasn't that much money for him.
Last week, he had spent $40,000 on a new car for Stacy, but giving Jason money meant deepening their relationship even more, making it more serious and permanent.
Let's talk about it later," he said finally.
"I need to think about it.
" Jason nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.
He had expected a more enthusiastic response.
Over the year and a half they had been together, Percy had given him money several times, paid for car repairs, helped with his mother's medical bills, but it had never been such a large sum.
Meanwhile, in the mansion in Oakland Hills, Stacy Steelman was awake.
It was already midnight and Percy still hadn't returned...
FULL MURDER STORY BELOW👇👇👇
