The day was well under way when Constable Higgins burst into the office of the Detective Murdoch. He deeply sighed and gave him a black look. Immediately, the young man bit his lips and gently knocked on the door jamb.
-Yes Higgins? William threw as calmly as possible.
-We have searched the area around the club and found it in a dumpster, he said, laying his knife resting in a white handkerchief, a fluke that it was not even emptied.
William stood up and looked at the object carefully, then he took it and walked to a piece of furniture was a little further. Under the eyes of the young officer, he opened a wooden chest and pulled out a small lamp. He took the knife carefully and looked every angle. Blue light revealed little more clear traces on the handle and blade.
-Blood? Henry murmured beside him.
-Yes, William nodded, I believe we have the murder weapon. I'll try to find fingerprints, perhaps we will be lucky.
They exchanged glances and Detective Murdoch returned to his desk. He put many minutes leaning on the knife, auscultation every square millimeter, to address several footprints. He wondered space of a second how a man who had committed murder and bother to wipe the gun to remove the blood, would have left his prints on it so distinct. But he had seen so many murders in his career he was surprised more so for the actions of those who perpetrated them.
He carefully recorded his statements, and he just left his office, holding a cardboard to his colleague.
-Look if the fingerprints match with others in the database, and keep me informed immediately.
-Yes Sir, the young man nodded, and the others? He said, pointing to those he still held.
-You will not find anything with them, I think they belong to a child, they are too small.
-Do you think a child would have done it?
-A child could not kill a man Higgins, but a child touched that knife.
-Do you think he is the accomplice?
-I do not know Higgins, William sighed somewhat nervous, that's what we are trying to discover.
They exchanged another look and the detective returned to his office, closing the door behind him. He threw his furniture on the carton and it sank into the chair and sighed deeply. He thought he knew who owned these fingerprints, he had seen a child in the club the day before. But he could not believe that the girl he had seen that he could not help comparing an angel, was involved in all this. He had to wait and hope that these adult footprints would lead to the guilty and thus, he could find that girl and get it all straight.
He even spent a few minutes before Constable Higgins knocks at Detective Murdoch's office. He left from the eye the autopsy report he read to give him a look and nodded. Henry came in, handed him a folder.
-The fingerprints on the murder weapon matches with other archived for eight years.
William took the file and opened it without taking his eyes off the young man.
-We therefore have a suspect.
-Indeed, the club owner. She was arrested a few years ago for disturbing the public order.
William left the eyes to see the photo of the young woman pinned to the first page. He recognized her at once, and his heart sank in his chest. He felt betrayed, how could he trust this woman when she was the prime suspect? How could he believe that he knew her as he knew nothing of her?
-I have got an address, the young man continued.
-Take two men with you, we will arrest her, said William dry throat.
His colleague left the room and William looked again at this picture, this face, this look, her name. Julia Ogden. He sighed deeply and left the room quickly, taking his jacket and his hat in passing. He left the building with three policemen sitting on the passenger seat, he looked at the scroll buildings, trees, cars, passers. Yet his mind was elsewhere. He felt his heart beat a little wildly at every meter traveled, he knew he was going to need a lot of courage to come face to her again. He knew he would have to fight to remain professional and distant. He knew he would have to use all his strength of character not to imagine approaching her, touch her, kiss her.
When he left the police car and he put his eyes on the young woman in her garden in front of her house, his heart skipped a beat in his chest. Lord, give me strength, thought William.
She was kneeling on the ground, hands in the earth to take care of her flowers as the sun had reasserted itself since that morning. She wore a straw hat on her hair waving in her neck and on her shoulders. Her shirt barely open, he could see the hollow of her breasts, her bare legs as her skirt had ridden up above her knees. He stood there, motionless on the sidewalk, watching just before snap back to reality. He met her eyes and she froze before seeing other men approach her. She rose so quickly.
-Gentlemen, she stammered, what ...
-We are here to arrest you Madam, threw Higgins.
At these words, Julia looked William again and he finally approached her. He saw her staring, he noticed her jerky breathing. She stepped slowly to the door of the house and he spoke.
-You are under arrest, murmured William, whose voice choked in his throat, please follow me to the police station.
She does not react and gently, he took his handcuffs, he grabbed one of her wrists and made her turn around to keep her arm behind her back.
-Do not do that, whispered Julia lip, please.
-I am doing my duty ma'am.
Julia simply turned to meet his gaze. They were so close he felt her breath on his skin.
-I am innocent, breathed Julia, you know it.
-We have your fingerprints on the murder weapon, I am obliged to take you to the station.
-Tell me that you believe me, I know you believe me.
-What I think is not your concern, Madam.
She did not answer, her eyes deep in his. At this moment, the breath of William hitched. He knew deep within himself what was happening. He knew he could trust her, he knew she was innocent. He knew it was not the desire, he loved her.
Before he had time to say or do anything at all, his fingers still stroking her wrist that he had not resigned to encircle with handcuffs, a little girl with blond curls ran out of the house and ran to them to throw herself against the young woman.
She then left his gaze to place a free hand on her head and smiling tenderly.
-Mamma, threw the girl, what's happening?
-This is nothing my heart, do not worry. I have to follow these gentlemen.
-What for? Asked the little girl crossing the gaze of William.
-Well, they have questions for me and they can not do it here. Hopefully, you're coming with me.
The girl nodded and Julia merely gave her her hand before turning to William again. He looked back and forth and he felt very stupid during a second. The girl looked so much like her mother that he should have guessed at first glance that this child the day before the club was her daughter.
-I have no one to keep her, whispered Julia, she will not cause any problem and when Darcy leave the hospital he can pick her up. But please Detective Murdoch, she said even lower, no handcuffs, I will not run away I made you a promise. But I do not want Olivia sees her mother being treated like the worst criminals.
-Madam I ...
-I beg you, begged the young woman, please.
He even spent a few seconds in the absolute silence before William nodded. He walked away a little of her to pass before him. Yet he put his hand in her back. At this touch Julia shuddered and closed her eyes, but he did not notice it. He simply turned to his colleagues.
-Higgins, come with us, Hodge and Jackson, search the house.
Then he brought up Julia and the girl in the car and sat in the place he occupied coming. In silence, returning to the police station number four where he knew the next few minutes and hours will be even more challenging.
to be continued... ;)