Paint the town red

Chapter XXXVIII

When I woke up in the morning from the alarm, I had a pain not only in my lip, but also in my head. Apparently, yesterday's nervous day decided to leave "pleasant" reminders about itself. I turned off the annoying signal with a familiar movement, after which I just lay in bed for a while and tried to put my thoughts in some semblance of order.

I was thinking about everything that happened yesterday, and even worse, I was thinking about what to expect from today. I'd love to stay in bed today and spend the day alone, but I need to write an explanation to Fred for yesterday's incident, and Max has an interrogation today, and I have to support him. He always supported and comforted me, so now it's my turn to be a lifeline for him, even if it's not very good.

After taking a shower and having breakfast afterwards, I packed up and went to work. On the way, I tried not to think about the case and what course the investigation would take now, I tried to relax before the inevitable continuation of yesterday's showdown with Liam. And as people say, easy at the wake - the first person I met at the entrance to the precinct was Lawson. He didn't look his best, but do I look better? Nope. He gave me an annoyed look, and then said in a sarcastic tone:

"What, you got something else to accuse me of?"

"Isn't it enough for you?"

"Well, who knows? I don't know what to expect from you and your partner anymore."

"You were told not to touch Max, so shut your mouth."

He grinned and walked down the hall, while I went to my office, where Max was already waiting for me. He didn't look worried, although he'll be questioned today in connection with our case. When I entered the office, he smiled, and it seemed to make me feel better mentally. I went up to him and kissed him briefly on the temple, to which he smiled.

"And for luck?"

I smiled with the corners of my lips, so as not to disturb the wound on my lip once again, and briefly kissed him on the lower lip first, and then I smacked him on the lips. Yes, in the morning we could afford such frivolity in our office, as few officers come to the beginning of a shift, let alone those who might need a detective.

I hung up my jacket and sat down at my desk. There was already a cup of hot coffee on the table. It looks like it's becoming Max's new habit to bring coffee to me in the morning. It's not that I mind, I just don't want him to spoil me.

My partner and I began to discuss our case and all four murders, and he began to ask me in more detail about what I had noticed. He always listened with interest to my stories about cases, so ours was no exception. I told him everything I told him in Fred's office yesterday, only in great detail. I could see from his face that he was as surprised as I was when I found all the inconsistencies. Together we began to discuss the motives why Liam could have committed these crimes and why he tried to blame Max for this, but we didn't find a clear motive. Especially since I've known Liam for a while, so how could he know about my past and my connections with the victims? And I never crossed Lawson's path either: I thoroughly double-checked where we could've crossed paths with him in the past, but the answer was simple - nowhere. He flew here from New Zealand less than six months ago, and joined the police only a couple of months ago, so our paths didn't cross in any way.

While Max and I were talking, one of the officers knocked on the office door and informed my partner that Mick was already waiting for him in the interrogation room. Max got up from his desk chair, and when he was already on his way out of the office, I quietly wished him luck. I don't know if he heard me or not, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.

As soon as I was alone in my office, I immediately remembered about the explanatory note. Turning on the computer and opening the program with the forms, I wanted to start writing the text, but ... but I couldn't concentrate on what exactly should I write. I stared at the monitor, and my hands froze over the keyboard. My thoughts wouldn't come together, so I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, remembering yesterday's conversation in Frederick's office.