Fatal attraction

Prologue

The moon was full and Alex was standing atop an abandoned skyscraper. It was drizzling softly, and the city had been oddly quiet around this time of night. Usually, there were always some sounds from the traffic or some drunk guys going home after a night at the pub.

A soft rustle behind her made Alex turn sharply, her hand instinctively reaching for her gun. But it was only Maya, her silhouette illuminated by the pale moonlight. She moved with a feline grace, her dark hair flowing like a shadow behind her. She hadn't seen Maya much since the argument.

"Maya," Alex breathed, relief mixing with suspicion. "What are you doing here?"

Maya stepped closer; her expression unreadable. "I had a feeling you might need some help tonight."

Alex frowned her instincts on high alert. "How did you find me this time?"

Maya's lips curled into a mysterious smile. "I have my ways, Alex."

Alex's unease grew as she studied Maya's face. There was something different about her tonight, something unsettling. "Do you have any other leads on the killer?"

Maya's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "I do. But first, I need you to trust me."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Why should I trust you, Maya? I love you, but you've been hiding secrets since we met."

Maya's gaze softened a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "Because I care about you, Alex. And because I know things that could help you catch the killer."

Alex took a step back, her mind racing. She couldn't shake the feeling that Maya was hiding something. "What if you know those things because you might be the killer?"

Maya just ignored the question "I'm not the one who should tell you about that.''

Maya hesitated, then reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a small, leather-bound journal. "I found this. It belonged to one of the victims."

Alex took the journal, flipping through the pages. Her eyes widened as she recognised the handwriting—it matched to the notes left at the crime scenes. "Where did you get this?"

Maya's voice was barely above a whisper. "It was hidden in their apartment. I thought it might contain clues."

Alex studied the journal, her heart pounding. The entries detailed the victim's encounters with a mysterious woman, describing her as charming, intelligent, and dangerous. Alex's blood ran cold as she realised the descriptions matched Maya perfectly.

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Alex demanded, her voice shaking.

Maya's eyes filled with regret. "I was scared, Alex. Scared of what you might think."

Alex's mind raced as she pieced together the clues. The secret meetings, the way Maya always seemed to know too much, the uneasy feeling she had around her. "Maya... are you the Nightshade Killer?"

Maya's expression shifted, a mixture of sadness and resignation. "Alex, please. You must understand—"

Before she could finish, Alex drew her gun, aiming it at Maya. "Don't move. Tell me the truth."

Maya's shoulders slumped, and she took a step back, her hands raised in surrender. "Yes, Alex. I am the Nightshade Killer."

Alex's heart shattered as the words sank in. She had trusted Maya and felt a connection with her. She had started to fall in love with her. Things had grown weird again between them but not in that way. And now, the woman she thought she knew was the monster she had been hunting.

"Why, Maya?" Alex's voice broke. "Why did you do it?"

Maya's eyes were filled with a strange mixture of regret and rage. "Because they deserved it, Alex. Every single one of them. They were corrupt and evil. I was delivering justice in my way."

Alex's hands trembled as she kept her gun trained on Maya. "You're sick, Maya. You murdered innocent people." Alex said with a broken whisper.

Maya shook her head, her gaze intense. "They weren't innocent, Alex. They were monsters hiding behind masks of respectability. Just like my father."