❛𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃, 𝐈'𝐌 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐑...❜ | 𝐍𝐨.𝟐

Chapter 8- Oxford, Oxford, Oxford...

I stretch the blue latex gloves onto my small hands, then bag the evidence.

"You think your friend in forensics can get us a visual?"

"He can try his best, if the culprits prints are on it. They stole everything?"

"Everything. Someone was in my house, where my son lays his head. The thought of it terrifies me."

"We've got a cop car stationed outside of your house until you don't want it anymore. Have you told Lauren yet?"

"No. It's best not to; she's going back to her hometown to question people about the night her mother was slaughtered, this would be too much for her to handle...she doesn't even know you're here."

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"Sure, when we solve it."

"Emma, you're installing fake confidence into Lauren. Face it, we have nothing. No theory, no rightful allegation, nothing."

"Keep your voice down!" i shut my office door with a loud thud, "I'll solve the case! I just need until the 31st!"

"Emma, that's three weeks from now, there's no way-"

"If i'm still the same detective i was when i solved the mass murder when i was 17, i can solve a case with little to no evidence."

"I'll help the best i can with this note. Does the phrase "stop digging" mean anything to you?"

"Not that i know of...they obviously just got scared. Thanks for your help. I owe you."

Now from Lauren's POV:
The drive to Oxford was purposefully made long, considering i was the one driving.

I'm in no rush to go back to the place where my mother was murdered.

"Do you want to stop somewhere?" i ask, anxious.

"We made a pit stop ten minutes ago. It's not too late to turn back around-"

"No. We're doing this. You'll do the detective thing and i'll do the recognising thing. I just...i don't want to see my dad...or my brother."

Don't think dominatrices don't get scared; they do. Behind my tough exterior, there's a vulnerable woman who hasn't seen her family in 10 years.

"The last memory i have of my dad was me slamming the door, screaming i hated him and i was moving to Abbey Wood with my grandmother."

"You don't speak much of her..."

"She was an angel in the shape of my mum. My grandmother is a very wonderful human being who i do not see enough."

"I love how you just quoted Ed Sheeran to me and yet you claim him to be annoying."

We slowly approach the estate of my family home. It hasn't changed much since i was here a decade ago.

Thankfully, we're only asking the neighbours if they remember anything.

I use the lion door knocker to summon the resident, "I swear to fucking god, if i get mistaken for working for a prostitution company again..." Emma mutters.

"Why would you-"

I am cut off by a woman, around Emma's age, answering the door.

"Before you start pitching us some sales idea that could save animals or give us milk in a bottle, me and my gran are skint."

"We're not here to sell you anything, although i like your feisty attitude. Does Hillary Wood live here? We'd like to ask her some questions." Emma states.