Deadly Infatuation

Chapter 17

Max

When my alarm sounds at 6 a.m. on Monday, I go through my usual routine of getting ready for work and head down to my office an hour earlier than usual to go over the suggestions my advisers have made about cracking the European market. By the time 9 a.m. rolls around, I have decided what distributors we should use, the advertisement company that can promote our brand, and what large retail companies we should pitch to. I email all of my suggestions to my dad for him to read and ask for a team meeting to get this ball rolling.

Now that I've got the important stuff out of the way, I grab my coat and exit the building and drive all the way to Lily's shop to take her out for coffee. When I pull up outside Blue Lavender, I'm in complete shock. The glass door has been smashed through, and there are cops inside the shop, talking to a weeping Lily. I leap out of my car and run straight into her shop. A cop tries to stop me from entering, telling me it's a crime scene, but I push past him. My shoes crunch as I step on the shattered glass, but I ignore it and head straight to Lily, who's stood next to Suzanne while they talk to another officer.

"Max," she cries when she sees me.

I immediately pull her in for a hug and kiss the top of her head. She weeps softly in my arms, and I can feel her trembling beneath me. I turn to one officer who is standing in front of us and demand to know what happened.

"It seems Miss Hail was a victim of burglary. We've had a spate of them in the area recently, and we think it's the same people. Luckily for Miss Hail, she deposited her money at the bank on Friday. But I guess the perpetrators didn't like that, as they've clearly wrecked the place."

"How can you say it's just a regular burglary?! They've thrown blood everywhere and they've left a knife on the counter!" Lily wails hysterically.

I take a proper look around the shop and realize she's right, a deep red substance that looks a lot like blood is splashed all over the floor and on the counter where there is a large knife laying flat on top of a white rose.

Suzanne nods her head next to me. "I agree with Lily, Officer. I know they haven't caused damage like this to the other shops that they didn't get money from."

The officer strokes his beard in thought. "Yes, it is unusual for them to have done this, which is why we're dusting the knife and safe for fingerprints. As for the blood, I'd guess they used something like pigs' blood. It's easily accessible."

I squeeze Lily tighter and glare at the bored officer. "Why haven't you caught them already? Surely you have them on CCTV or something?"

"I'm afraid this area doesn't have the luxury of that, sir," he responds stiffly. "It's probably one reason this area has become a target."

Great, so they have fuck all to go on. By the end of the day, I'll make sure Lily has a working camera placed above her door.

The officer looks down at the small notepad in his hand and flicks through the pages of notes. "Are you sure that no one else could have done this? Perhaps a disgruntled customer, an ex-colleague, or someone from your private life?"

"What about that man you went on a date with?" Suzanne asks. "Do you think he could have done this?"

"No. I haven't spoken to him since then."

"Are you sure?" I check.

"I'm positive. He doesn't seem like someone who would be capable of doing something like this."

"You said your colleague Callie went home soon after seeing this," the officer interrupts. "Could she have done this to your shop?"

Lily adamantly shakes her head. "Callie wouldn't have done this. She knows what days I remove the money from the safe. I just can't think of anyone who would want to target me or the shop."