Withered Lipstick

A young actress was discovered dead in a motel on the city's fringes. There are no signs of foul play, no indication of alcohol or substance abuse, and she was found to be in perfect health. It’s as if she was mysteriously placed there for an eternal slumber.

Five people surfaced during the investigation. A former co-worker whose work ethic is so questionable that it would make you doubt his office tenure. A film mogul whose only concern is to earn money, a man whose rap sheet is peppered with murder, a spouse with a violent temper that made the life of the mysterious woman constantly walking on eggshells, and a priest who offers peace, atonement, and salvation. All of them, however, have an immaculate alibi that would immediately exonerate them but also have the potential motive to put the woman's life at risk.

Deepening the mystery of her enigmatic death, the individuals involved with her have either gone missing without a trace or turned up dead under suspicious circumstances, leaving the police with little to no evidence to cast light and provide closure. All that could be determined so far is that she was caught in an entanglement of lies, deceit, and conspiracies that may have involved powerful men from the unsavory underbelly of society freely moving into the shadows of the criminal underworld.