The Perfect Crime

Chapter 24: BROTHER-IN-LAW

There is no honour among thieves.
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Shack's Bar and Grill was no longer a bar and grill. It was an abandoned derelict two storeyed building —a glorified shack really. There was a huge sign out front saying, CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS.

Emilia highly doubted that there were going to be any renovations in this building any time soon. If there had been any plans of renovations before, they would have already started. So why, then, was she meeting up with Rosalia —a woman of high society— in this dump? Why did Rosalia even want to see her in the first place? What did they have to discuss?

Sitted in her car, Emilia stared at the text message again. Maybe it had been sent to her by mistake. Crazier things had happened before. Nonetheless, Emilia texted Rosalia.

I'm here. Can't see u anywhere.

Rosalia texted back instantly.

Basement parking lot. Orange BMW.

Emilia got out of her car, took one last breath of fresh air and descended into the dark basement parking lot.

The basement parking lot had more cars than Emilia had expected. She looked for the orange BMW and lo and behold, there it was, sequestered between a white Honda and an abandoned looking red Audi. Rosalia was leaning against the hood of the car like one of those movie stars in an '80s flick.

"So glad you could make it." Rosalia almost looked pleased to see her.

"Why did you want to see me? And why here?"

Rosalia raised her index finger. "Firstly, I'm sorry for inviting you to this place. I didn't know that it was closed for renovations. You know that I have not been in the country for a while. Now to answer your first question, I have someone who is dying to meet you?"

Emilia's pulse skyrocketed. She began rummaging through her purse for her gun.

Rosalia walked —more like cat walked— towards her. "Don't you want to know who it is?"

Emilia didn't want to know anything. She wanted to leave. It had been stupid of her to come here. At first, when she'd read Rosalia's message, she'd thought that Rosalia was in some sort of danger because of Matthias. Now, that Rosalia was perfectly fine, she could go home and put all this behind her.

Rosalia pouted. "Leaving already? Don't you want to meet your number one fan?"

Emilia continued to walk at a brisk pace. Rosalia was hot on her heels.

"Not even if the person is as important as your future brother-in-law?" Rosalia literally purred.

Emilia stopped. It was a stupid thing to do but she did it anyway. Brother-in-law? Archer had no brothers besides....

"Rosalia, what have you done?" Emilia pulled out her gun, spread her legs and aimed it at Rosalia's head. Emilia heard a faint sound —a car door opening and closing.

Rosalia laughed. "I did what had to be done. Put that gun down because you aren't going to use it. At least not today."

Emilia stared at her, appalled. "You are one sick bitch."

But she was right about one thing, though. Emilia wasn't going to use that gun. She turned to flee but crashed into a big hard body and fell to the floor.

"Not so fast." A deep baritone echoed through the parking lot.

Emilia rubbed her eyes because she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "You?"