When Corpses Lie

Too Much Blood

Me and Louise looked at each other. I, countering the maid, said:

- I'm afraid we won't do that. - Thatwas a point where I wish I had glasses, because I would have took them out, said that dramatically and then I would put them hung on my shirt's pocket. Even sunglasses would have worked.

- Are you sure about that? Because I'm not the one that's gonna face the consequences. - We looked at each other and didn't even move an inch. - Okay then. - She pulled out a pocket knife and tried to stab us. - Now, you're going to obey me. - Louise looked at me, suddenly remembering that she was only a doctor.

- I don't have my gun... I'm sorry.

- Now walk. Upstairs. - We entered the house. She was just behind us and no one even noticed the knife. We entered a small room that I assumed was the maid's room, for when she had to sleep there.Thinking of a plan of escaping, I said:

- Are you dumb? Melissa knows that we were looking for you. If we disappear I think she's gonna assume that you did something. She'll come look here right away.

- What do you recommend? - Louise asked.

- Melissa's bedroom. - Without even contesting the idea, we got into the room. As soon as she closed the door, I threw myself onto the maid and tossed the knife away. I wanted Thomas' bedroom because I remembered that Stella's gun was there. I ran to the safe and yelled:

- Fight her. - From that point on I turned my back to the two women fighting. The safe had four numbers worn off. 5, 3, 8 and 2.

I tried various combinations: 5382, 8253, 3528, 5832, etcetera.  After 7 tries, I finally got 2853. The safe opened and I took the gun from it. I warned Louise:

- Get away! - She threw her body onto the bed and I shot the maid twice on her arms, so she wouldn't grab the knife.

- You fuck! - She yelled. - Ahhhh.

We heard footsteps on the stairs. I asked Louise if she and Danielle could take care of the maid's wounds. She nodded and went downstairs, to find her girlfriend. However, she returned after a few seconds, with Danielle and a whole bunch of other people.

- What the fuck is going on here? - Thomas was the first to talk and he didn't move after he said those words. His bedroom was all messy. A bloody knife on the ground, blood on the wall and spreading throughout the sheets of his bed, a smell of gunpowder... Even the maid's body.

- Are you ok? - Danielle asked. Louise simply nodded. - You're bleeding.

- It's nothing. She's in a worst shaped than I am. - She said, pointing to Natasha.

After they had their curiosity satisfied, everybody but Melissa, Robert, Thomas, Danielle and Louise left the room. On the last few days stupid things were happening all around and I was at fault there.

Louise and Danielle eventually moved to go get some first-aid kit and when they left, Robert asked again, much more calm:

- What... in the actual fuck... happened here?

- She had a knife, man! - I said.

- Couldn't you have disarmed her in a different way? - Melissa asked.

- Maybe... - I said after a long pause. - But at the time it seemed like the best idea.

- Unbelievable... I need to check on Alex. - They both left and I stayed in the room, hearing the maid's moans of pain.

- Why didn't you just answer us? - I asked. She said nothing. - Fine then. What happened between you and Stan when you were his maid? - She still remained silent. - Really? You're giving me the silence treatment? Ok, I can work with that... - I putted a finger into her wound. She yelled in pain. I repeated my question: - What happened between you both?

- Go to hell! AH! - I pressured it even harder. - Ah ok fine! He fired me from stealing his stuff.

- And did you do it?

- No, he falsely accused me. And he ruined my life. The case went to court. My husband left me because he believed in Stan. The jury also believed him and I had to pay so much money to him! - She started crying. - I lost my house because of him. Everything I had, everything I loved was lost because of that man. - Louise and Danielle came in. - I wanted that man dead. And you're god damn right. I did want to kill him. But someone else did it for me, unfortunately. I wanted to watch the life drain out of his eyes. The blood dripping. I wanted to feel the power.  - She came closer to me and said: - Whenever you find this man, make sure he doesn't live. - I was growing angrier by the second. I picked up the knife and ran towards the maid but Danielle and Louise stopped me both.

- Let me go! - I yelled. - She deserves to die. - They pushed me back. Louise slapped me.

- Stop that nonsense. You are a detective! Are you gonna go to whoever killed Stan's level? Wake up! - She sighed. - We need to solve this fast. - I looked out the window. The sun was going down already. - Who do you think did it?

- I'm guessing Frank. - I said after calming down. - He has no alibi and a motive, even if it's a weak one.

- Oh shit... I forgot the gauze downstairs. Can you go get it, sweetie? - Danielle said.

- Of course. - As soon as she got out the door, Danielle said:

- Remember that thing I had to tell you? - I nodded. - Good. I just wanted to say that I think that Robert was poisoned.

- Why?

- Well, I found no hole in his head that would point to a blood force trauma so the only other reason for him to pass out was poison.

- And the blood?

- It's probably just Stan's. - In that moment it hit me. "It was just Stan's"... My eyes widened open. - What's wrong?

- Get everybody together. I think I know who did it.