The Mysterious Cycle | #wattys2019

Chapter 14

"I. cannot. Believe this! How did this happen!" he yelled at particularly no one.  He looked around the now barren room and saw Melinda's body, lying on the cold hard floor, blood splashed out everywhere.

When he first came in, the stench gave him a weird gut feeling that something bad had happened but he secretly hoped that Naomi had died. But when he took a look at Melinda's body, his blood boiled even more for revenge. He decided he won't rest until he tortured and killed Naomi with his own hands.
He sat there next to her body, staring at her open lifeless eyes. Even someone as ruthless as him was slightly teary at the sight of it. When his men started to gather around him, he knew he had to compose himself and he couldn't let himself be weak. He had to finish Naomi once and for all before she could get to him.

He was panting for breath and pacing up and down the room and rubbing his head vigorously. He knew he had to be careful but he found it difficult to contain his anger. He had to think what to do and faster. Time is something that he didn't have in abundance right now.

....................

Naomi went back to the precinct and pretended that none of it had happened and she just had a fine morning. Right now she had to be more than careful because someone around her was plotting her death.

She knew that either her days were numbered or his. She hoped it was his and not hers. She really wanted to do this for Will and she kept telling herself that she could get to the roots of the case.

"Where were you yesterday?"  Mike asked her as he threw his hands over her shoulder in a friendly gesture. Naomi sat upright as soon as he said so which made him withdraw his hand awkwardly.

She thought for a while and spoke, "Oh no! you just startled me. Don't worry." She gave a chuckle.

"Oh damn! I thought you didn't like it. Sorry!" he said as he brushed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh c'mon. we have known each other for so long. You really think I'd think that way about you?" Naomi gave a super fake smile but Seb didn't seem to notice. In her head, Naomi was thinking of why was she even stuck here. She didn't even know who was trying to kill her and the suspense killed her.

"So getting back to my question, I didn't see you yesterday. Where were you?"

"Nothing. I just felt like resting yesterday. I haven't been myself lately, I know." She said as she looked down at her hands.

"Hey, it's fine to feel that way. It'll be over soon and we're here to help you, you know that right?" he gave a genuine smile.

As much as she wanted to yell out the fact that she trusted no one, she thought better of it and smiled back at him.

"Anyway, you get back to work. I don't want to be disturbing you." Mike said and patted on her head and headed off to his desk.

She sat upright with her fingers interlocked and in deep thought. She didn't know what to make of this conversation. She knew Mike was a good lad but she couldn't get herself to trust anybody. But why did he even bother coming and asking her if he didn't care? She shrugged as she knew she couldn't do anything but to wait and watch what happened next.

......................

A few hours later, everyone was huddled around her, asking her if she had any leads on the killer. She shook her head as if she knew nothing and continued with her lie.

"I have planned a ceremony for Will. He didn't get a proper funeral and the loss of such an important and talented detective has to be acknowledged by all of us. I've made all arrangements for tomorrow. Get dressed." Rhodes said as he gave a side hug to her and she couldn't help but tear up with joy that people loved Will around here. They missed his expertise and she could see it. She missed his expertise dearly. Had he been here, things would've been a lot easier.