Footage

"The time was 11:50 p.m. You came out of his apartment right at midnight and took the elevator. By our estimation, he died at midnight. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

I clenched my fists, my expression darkening. Then, Felix took out a photo of a bloodstained knife. "You stabbed the victim through the heart right after going into his apartment and fled from the scene of the crime.

"There are only your and his fingerprints on the knife. How do you explain this?"

Felix slammed the table, and I nearly jumped.

However, I took a second to calm down and met his eyes without fear. "Yes, that woman does look like me, but it's also true that I stayed at my friend's place for the night. Cinnamon Garden. There are cams in the front and back entrances. Look it up."

Felix called his men and gave his orders before turning his attention back to me. "We'll be the judge of that. Next question."

The gall! I quickly stopped him, "I've given you an alibi, Captain Chance. That proves I'm not a suspect. You should release me, not question me further!"

He put on a calm, cool smile. "You're the suspect as long as the footage isn't in our hands. Now, answer the question. Shawn was your boyfriend, but you denied it. Why?"

That question struck me like a lightning bolt. I clenched my teeth but eventually told the truth.

"We broke up a month ago. I didn't want to tell the truth because dating him is a stain on my life."

I wanted to break up with Shawn, but he was livid about it. So, he pinned me down and violated me again and again. He said he'd make me regret breaking up with him. The memory alone made my stomach churn.

"No office romance. Company policy, so we kept it a secret. How'd you find out?"

Felix took out a patrol record. "You got in a fight with Shawn at Southwind Avenue a month and a half ago. The fight turned physical, and a spectator called the cops. You both claimed it was a couple's quarrel, and that you two had made up."

The record made me chuckle dryly. "Yes, we did get in a fight. He tore my gown into pieces, and a female officer kindly lent me her clothes so I wouldn't go home naked."

"Every couple fights. Killing your boyfriend over that is a bit much."

"What do you mean, a bit much?"

Felix arched his eyebrow and slid a piece of printed chat history over to me. "We found out about Shawn's continued harassment after the breakup. He consistently sent you threats about kicking you out of the industry.

"He even made up sexual rumors about you and ruined the promotion you should've gotten last month."

The messages were vile, despicable, and hideous. Every word tore my heart apart.

I bit my lip as my throat squeezed up. "I got along with my colleagues better than he did. No one bought his story, so I never let that affect me."

Felix kept his eyes on me as though he could see through me. "You sneakily purchased pepper spray and tasers last month, and your search history included 'How to get away from a harassing ex' and 'Self-defense in extreme situations.' That's proof you planned this murder."

Released

My heart sank, but I quickly composed myself. "Any girl would do the same thing if they were in my place. That's not proof of motive."

The room's door creaked open. A cop came in and whispered something to him.

Felix scanned me closely and nodded.

"We've gotten the footage from Queenie's neighborhood. We also found that there are no signs of you going in or out around the time of the crime. You may leave, but you're still a suspect. We'll call you whenever we need your assistance."

They uncuffed me. I stood up and massaged my wrists before scrutinizing the cop who came in. "Did Queenie give you the footage?"

The cop shot me a suspicious look. "We got it ourselves. Couldn't get to Queenie."

I pressed no further and left the room.

Queenie was right outside the station, and she clasped my hand immediately. Her eyes were red-rimmed.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you? I brought the footage from last night and all the recordings too. The guards can also prove you were home all night."

A grin curled my lips, and I linked my hands around Queenie's arm. "It's alright. The cops have gotten the footage. I'm fine now. Come on, I have a job to quit, and then we're celebrating! Shawn's dead!"

I got back to the company, but my colleagues avoided me like the plague. Some eyed me with doubt, some with fear, and some with glee.

Queenie didn't let go of my hand. "Ignore them. They're nothing more than strangers from now on."

"I know."

The company processed my resignation as fast as they could. I figured this was one of the perks of getting involved in a murder case. They even gave me my last salary and the money for Shawn's last dinner without raising a fuss.

We left the company, and I hugged Queenie happily. "You've always wanted to try out a 3-star Michelin place. Come on, it's my treat!"

…

I ordered the lobster Queenie always wanted, king crabs, and all the flashy but bland items.

We were halfway through our meal when my phone buzzed. Felix.

"There is a new discovery about the case. We'll need you here right now."

And there went my good mood.

Queenie consoled me gently, saying, "No one can punish you for things you didn't do. Go. I'll be waiting at home."

Felix took me to the interrogation room right after I arrived.

He presented a written testimonial. "Testimonial from the restaurant's waitress. She overheard you on the phone with Shawn. 'Someone's going to kill you first if I don't, you vile scum!' Did that happen? Who's the one who helped you?"

I let out a defeated laugh. "That's why you called me over in the dead of the night? He made me pay nearly 4,000 dollars when he knew I was broke! You'd want him dead after that, too!"

Felix grunted and put the testimonial aside before focusing his attention on me again. This time, he sounded more serious. "We found a backup phone at Shawn's place. There's a record of a call at 11:30 last night.

"It lasted for three minutes. He was talking to you, but you claimed to have no contact with him after leaving the restaurant. What about that, then?"

My mind buzzed as fury coursed through my veins.

Dirty Secret

"That's private and has nothing to do with the case! I'm saying nothing!"

I was frustrated, but Felix wasn't at all fazed by my outburst.

His eyes never left me as he added, "We also found out your mother needed 75 grand for her surgery last month, but Shawn paid off his gambling debts with that money right before the surgery could happen.

"Your mother died. That's why you broke up with him. You hated him, so you wanted to kill him! That's your motive, isn't it?"

That was sudden, so I didn't see that coming. I was frozen in my seat, not even noticing my tears crawling down my cheeks. Yes, I despised Shawn. That was 75 grand, which meant countless all-nighters.

I nearly killed myself just to earn that money, yet he took it like it was nothing.

I wanted to tear him apart and put a bullet through my head when I first found out. However, I didn't go through with it.

…

I hung my head low. When I spoke, my voice was trembling. "It's true, but that's not a reason to murder him either."

"Are you suggesting that he had other enemies?" Felix leaned forward, his gaze sharp as a falcon's.

I met his eyes and smiled. Then, I huddled closer and whispered softly, "Of course, he did. Still, that information is for your ears only. No one else."

Felix gazed at me, saying nothing. Nevertheless, he eventually agreed to my terms. He also had a condition—he wanted to check out Queenie's house, and I said yes.

…

We arrived at Cinnamon Garden a short while later. I unlocked the door like it was my own home. A wave of flowery scent greeted us after we went in. The walls were filled with photos of Queenie and me, from children to adults.

It was a warm, cozy space. Felix took a seat on the couch after inspecting it. "Now, can you talk?"

I got Felix a glass of water first before telling him my tale.

"Shawn was a regular at… special parties. Masked people in expensive clothes gathered in a mansion. People from all walks of life were involved. The games involved were filthier than you could imagine.

"I'm talking about sexual favors, bribery, swinging, and more. All sorts of dark crimes lurk there; you name it, they have it. He took me there once, and I was blindfolded.

"I was in a gown. That was the first and last time I wore a gown. I had stupidly thought it was a regular event, but the bastard locked me in a room with an old fogey.

"He told me that he'd pay me 150 grand if I pleased him. In my panic, I knocked the old bastard out and jumped out a window. A month ago, he mentioned sneaking a hidden camera into the party somehow and recording some footage.

"'I'll have enough money for 10 lifetimes with this!' he said. I think he probably tried to blackmail one of the guests and got silenced."

I laid out everything I knew. Felix scanned me sharply, judgmentally. The silence dragged on and on. Eventually, he drained the whole glass of water and headed for the door.

He stopped at the photo wall at the entrance and looked back at me. "You knew he'd die, down to the exact time, didn't you?"

His statement petrified me, but I said nothing. To my surprise, Felix smiled. He pointed at the photo wall. "It's been a year since you last took a photo with Queenie, and it just so happens that you've also known Shawn for a year."

Then, Felix threw out a weird question. "Where'd you hide Queenie?"