AIME

Fresh blood glistened high on the window, blocking the suns glittering rays and casting the room in a luminous red. Expensive beige furniture was scattered around the enormous library, placed intelligently around the books stacked in the hundreds of bookshelves. A fireplace was nestled in one of the corners, its flames forgotten and left to turn into red hot coals.
I was enormously confused. "How in the lord's name did he get up there?"
In the middle of it all, a chandelier stood high above the books, its glistening crystals dripping blood onto the otherwise pure white carpet. Pierced upon the elegantly twisting metal arms of the chandelier hung the mangled body of Xavier Radcliffe, elite host of the world famous TV show 'The Rivals Ruckus'. He also happened to be the person that I was meant to protect from the many people who thirsted for his blood. Oops.
A whirring started next to me and I glanced to my right to see a neon blue light fizz into life on my assistant's head. "It appears that Xavier Radcliffe fell from the air conditioning vent and impaled himself on a custom made 2028 edition Swarovski crystal chandelier, dying an estimated one hundred and ninety-four minutes ago."
Aime, short for Artificial Intelligence Murder Examiner, was my newest assistant, after I had told my previous one to chill when it attempted to follow me home and it had locked itself in a cold room, destroying all of its circuits and promptly committing suicide. I wasn't the best with the whole robot thing.
The air conditioning vent above the chandelier was swinging back and forth, attached to its frame by a screw, its hypnotising motion the first thing you saw when you entered the room.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead and wondering why I bothered anymore. "Yeah but why was he in the vent in the first place?"
Aime's circuits started to buzz again before eventually dying out. "System error."
I resisted the sudden urge to cut all the robots wires and instead began to contemplate how weird the situation was.
"I get ya buddy."
In his last days Xavier had remained exuberant on his TV show and in public, showing off his niece and family, laughing and wearing his trademark grin as per usual. Yet the billionaire that I had gotten to know was a hollow shell, confining himself to his study and wracked with a constant fear of the death threats that slid under his door.
"Aime pull up the security footage of Xavier's study from three and a half hours ago."
In seconds a holographic screen appeared before me, showing a muttering Xavier with dark circles under his eyes. His usually tan caramel skin had an unhealthy flush and his shoulder length raven hair was tangled in a maze of knots. The trillionaire's eyes were darting everywhere in a constant whirlwind of motion, his lips mouthing unintelligible words. For Fifteen minutes he sat in a manic frenzy before a rustling was heard in the speakers. From the startled expression on Xavier's face I wasn't the only one to notice and with fearful cry the star stood and fled into his escape route, an open air conditioning vent behind his desk which I hadn't before noticed.
"Quick, switch the footage to the libraries feed."
The holographic screen switched to an eerily still and quiet library. I sat still, barely breathing as I watched the screen, startling when half a minute later, a loud clumping and rattling noise resonated from Aime's speakers. Within moments the grate swung free, sending a toppling Xavier to the ground. His high pitched scream filtered out the second he fell upon the chandelier, impaling his body in a grotesque thump, a shower of blood sprinkling in every which position, splattering windows, walls and books, before tapering out into a steady drip as he took his last gaping breath. As he breathed out his mangled body went limp and slid further down the chandelier arms. All the while the vent continued its swinging, rattling back and forth, back and forth. Its echoing beat a perfect partner to the scene it had witnessed.
I leaned back from the screen, glancing at the bloodbath above me, a perfect mirror image of what I had just witnessed.
My next thought struck me like a baseball bat.
"Aime switch back to the study."
Standing in the study was a tall lady with rich caramel skin and silky raven hair that reached the top of her thighs. She wore a black jumpsuit and even though she faced away from the camera I could tell from her posture that she was someone important. Then she turned around.
I collapsed onto the nearest couch and sighed, leaning my head into my hands.
Staring up at me was Veronica Radcliffe, Xavier Radcliffe's favourite niece. It was no secret that the Trillionaire doted on her to no end, spoiling her with glittering jewellery and advanced technology.
Advanced technology just like the slim black rifle that Veronica was currently pointing at the security camera. I just barely glimpsed a thin, delicate finger twitch on the trigger before the screen turned to static.
I unconsciously tightened the grip of my own gun, nestled in my belt.
"Pull up the current time footage of every camera in the house."
The screen tripled in size, dozens upon dozens of rooms staring blankly up at me. Each were eerily quiet and still, no Veronica to be found.
"Where is she?"
The tang of iron burst onto my tongue from where I had been gnawing at my check. My eyes darted in every which direction, heart beating as I tried to find the teenager.
Suddenly one of the screens went static, exploding into a fizz of black and white. Seconds later another one followed in the footsteps of the first and then another one.
My mouth went dry. "She's shooting the cameras, destroying the evidence."
Slowly the third floor cameras flickered out before the second floor staircase camera died. I stifled a groan as realisation struck. "Shes making her way to the front door."
Between the second floor staircase and the first floor staircase was the library.
A shot rang out before I even managed to glance up, the impact to my shoulder flinging me to the floor like a ragdoll. A cry escaped my lips, blood splattering onto the already bloodstained white carpet, my vision blurring.
The soft click of high heels muffled by carpet slowly came closer as I overcame the shock of being shot.
"Such a pity."
My vision adjusted to show Veronicas face above mine, features morphed into a ridiculous pout. A perfectly manicured nail stroked my cheek in a sickening caress.
"You're such a pretty thing." Her eyelashes fluttered and I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous amber of her eyes. She winked, "I bet we could have had some fun." A deep sigh escaped her lips before she stood back up, smoothing the creases in her skirt and holding her gun point black at my head.
"Alas, you just had to work this case."
Suddenly my mind ticked back to what made me take this case in the first place, the pretty brunette who worked in the flower shop and the date at the movies I had planned.
With that in mind I surged up and slammed the teenager in the stomach. Thanks to the initial shock the shot went wide, smashing a nearby window and showering us with delicate shards of glass.
The glass brought pinpoints of blood to the surface of my skin but I scrambled backwards, fumbling desperately for the gun I had dropped.
Veronica was already on her feet, hand smearing a mixture of blood and bright red lipstick in an attempt to remove the blood spilling over her lips.
An echoing laugh poured from her as she stepped through the glass towards where I was sprawled out under the chandelier, my gun still far behind me.
The right side her red lips quirked up. "I must say, that was good." With that she stepped up to me, high heel nudging my torso as she leaned down to my ear. "But I've had enough."
The cold barrel of her gun pressed against my skull and in one final, useless attempt I surged backwards away from her just as a shot echoed throughout the room.
Only to be followed by the crash of glass and metal, a high pitched scream tapering out and a surge of hot liquid splashing onto my leg.
I stayed still for minutes, the liquid on my leg becoming cold and drying before I cracked open my eyes. On the floor before me was the once magnificent chandelier, now shards of glass and twisted metal. On top was Xavier's long dead body and on the crushed beneath it all was Veronicas limp and lifeless body.
I collapsed on the floor, Aime's phone call for a clean-up crew just barely registing before I succumbed to an inky blackness.


"Detective Annabeth Shirley, can you hear me?"
I woke up to a obnoxious light shining in my eyes. I cringed before sitting up, shoving away the nurse trying to examine me.
"What happened."
My mind was a mess of gunshots and blood, images moving in a whirlwind of motion.
"You let your client be killed by his nephew, before Aime killed said nephew, is what happened."
I glanced to my right, revealing my captain sitting beside me, a grin stretching across his face despite the grim news.
He stood up, stretching out stiff legs before patting me on the back with loud thumps. "Glad you're ok though."
With that he strode out, leaving me stunned and confused.



For the remainder of the check-ups I sat pondering how Aime had saved me. Maybe robots weren't so bad after all.
When I was finally let out of the stiff hospital I strolled to the local flower shop with a specific plan in mind. Perhaps I would stop at the police station and thank a certain robot too.

~~~

Well this happened.
Hope you liked it, if you did comment or vote, if you'd like too of course.
P.s. Comment if you'd want a sequel. If you'd like too.