Who really killed Wanda Day! - Wedding Bells (DAY! Series Book 2)

Chapter 3 - A Foe, A Father, And The First Fuck-Off

Aloysius G. McBride was a little April Fool's joke, or so his parents, Malt and Carie, thought. When they announced the birth of their firstborn, the closest family members simply didn't believe them. After all, the young couple was notorious for their elaborate pranks. However, this time, it was no joke. At exactly 11:11 in the morning, Aloysius had made his grand entrance into the world, greeting it with a loud, unapologetic scream.

He soon became the apple of his grandparents' eye - a pint-sized gentleman who could charm the socks off anyone he met. With his impeccable manners and polite disposition, he had the whole family wrapped around his little finger. However, the tides turned when Aloysius turned seven. His teacher, a battle-hardened warrior woman named Eloise Montez, took one look at the angelic child and declared war. At the first parent-teacher conference, she unleashed a barrage of complaints, claiming that the boy refused to lift a finger in her classroom. Needless to say, the doting parents were flabbergasted. So, they did what any self-respecting family would do - they dragged poor Aloysius to not one, not two, but FOUR different doctors, determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. And lo and behold, the truth was revealed: the kid was a certified genius, capable of solving logic puzzles that would make Einstein scratch his head in confusion.

After the family discovered Aloysius' exceptional intellect, they knew they had to get the kid out of that dreadful teacher's clutches and into a school that could actually challenge his razor-sharp mind. So, they shipped him off to the most prestigious academy they could find. As Aloysius matured, he had only one goal in mind: hunting down the bad guys and making them regret the day they ever turned to a life of crime. This ambition was sparked at the ripe old age of fourteen when he witnessed a bank robbery unfold in his city. As the police swooped in and apprehended the perpetrator, the curious crowd erupted in cheers, and Aloysius knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life - become the world's greatest detective.

McBride wasted no time in pursuing his dream. He marched straight into the police academy, determined to hone his skills and rise through the ranks faster than a cheetah on a caffeine high. And rise he did! Instructors at the academy marveled at Aloysius' ability to crack even the toughest cases, while his fellow cadets alternated between awe and mild terror at his deductive prowess.

Throughout his meteoric rise, McBride had the unwavering support of his childhood sweetheart, Sarah. This woman was a true saint, patiently weathering the long separations as he traveled to attend prestigious seminars and conferences, calling him 'the world's most adorable detective.' As Aloysius graduated, he knew he had the perfect partner by his side - Sarah would be his rock, his confidante, and his partner in crime. Their love managed to thrive despite everything, and finally, as Aloysius was exactly 27 years, six months, and three days old, the two lovebirds tied the knot.

Aged 31, McBride had already clawed his way up the ranks to become a detective - a feat he was positively giddy about. It wasn't long before his colleagues in the department had bestowed upon him a rather fitting nickname: The Beast. You see, Aloysius had a knack for sinking his teeth into a case and refusing to let go until his prey was utterly helpless, sprawled out on the ground before him. It was a rather ferocious approach, to be sure, but one that had certainly earned him a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Dangerous? Oh, you better believe it. Aloysius G. McBride was the kind of detective who would sooner chew you up and spit you out than let a single clue slip through his grasp.

Now, McBride only had one adversary that even he couldn't seem to conquer - Death. He had gone toe-to-toe with the Grim Reaper on more than one occasion, and sometimes he even managed to come out on top. But no matter how hard McBride tried, no matter how fiercely he fought, he could never escape the devastating blow of losing his own daughter, who had been stillborn. The loss of that precious child sent his wife, Sarah, into a downward spiral of deep depression, and Aloysius responded the only way he knew how - by throwing himself even more fervently into his work. The legend of The Beast only grew, until one day, the unthinkable happened: the FBI came calling, eager to get their claws on this formidable detective.