17

May 3

Fred sat in his car with Commissioner White who was looking around the parking lot.

Fred tapped his fingers against his forehead, unnerved by Daphne's insane plan.

'Swat three, confirm the position.' White spoke into his walkie-talkie.

'Confirming position, over.' The officer spoke through the walkie-talkie.

'I hope this plan works.' White spoke as he rubbed his nose.

'Me too.' Fred muttered.

Daphne sat in the lobby at TW Foods. Amanda sat behind the desk as Daphne remembered her from the first time she came here.

She heard the sharp click-clack sound echoing through the corridor, and Layla Black appeared in the doorway.

'Miss Blake, how nice to see you again. Shall we take this to my office?'

Daphne smiled, 'Yes, of course.'

Layla turned back through the doorway, Daphne felt for her phone in her pocket and she followed Layla through the corridor to her large office.

'Please take a seat.' Layla offered Daphne the chair on the other side of the desk whilst she took her seat in the office chair.

'What did you want to discuss?' Layla asked as she crossed one leg over the other and sat in her chair as if it were a throne and she flipped her blonde curls off her shoulder.

'I just wanted to ask a few follow-up questions from our meeting the other day. There are a few stones still unturned.' Daphne explained.

'Of course, anything to help.' Layla's bright red lips formed a smile, 'Where's your partner?'

'Oh, he's ill this week, stomach problems, so I'm on my own.' Daphne spoke, 'Do you mind if I record again?'

'Of course not.' Layla smiled again, her dark eyes looked down on Daphne.

Daphne put her recorder on the table and pressed the red button. A red light came on, indicating that the device was recording.

'What questions do you want to ask?' Layla asked.

'As you know, since I was last here Jenny's case has now become a murder investigation.' Daphne stated.

'Yes, that's such a shame, the poor girl.' When Layla spoke, she put her hand on her heart as if it were broken by the loss of an employee she probably didn't know existed until now.

'We're struggling to put together a timeline for Jenny. What she did on her last day. We know that she was at work, and then she went home.' Daphne spoke and Layla looked at her with feigned interest.

'After she went home, she argued with her mother for whatever reason, I think she said it was about her attitude or something like that. Then she left her home.'

Layla hummed, 'Yes, I know, I read it in the newspaper. Like I said previously, Jenny was lovely at work but we are all different at work than we are at home.'

Daphne nodded, 'Yes, that's true.'

Layla smiled, 'I like to gorge myself with Ben and Jerry's ice cream at home, but here at work I eat a salad.' She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, 'Who knows why we do what we do.'

Daphne tried not to show how Layla's shrill laugh unnerved her.

'Anyway, Jenny.' Daphne continued, 'She didn't go to her friend's house or her boyfriend's house. We can't think of any other places she would have gone to. I wanted to ask if she came here on that night?'

Layla's smile faltered a little and her head switched, 'No, I don't believe so.'

'Are you sure?' Daphne asked, 'She wasn't picked up on your security cameras?'

Layla shook her head, 'No, not that I have seen.'

'Ok.' Daphne smiled, and she moved on, 'Just one final question.'

Layla nodded and her smile returned, 'Go ahead.'

Daphne cleared her throat, 'How long have you been stealing money from TW Foods' bank account and using the warehouse to store drugs?'

Layla blinked a few times and her smile dropped, 'What?'

'You heard me.' Daphne replied.

Layla cleared her throat, 'I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Blake.'

'I think you do.' Daphne spoke, 'You have been stealing money out of the bank account for months and months and using it to buy drugs which you have been storing in the warehouse.'

Layla adjusted herself on her seat, but she remained silent.

'Admit it.' Daphne spoke, 'I've already seen the bank account statements, and I had food samples tested from the schools, they call contain traces of e-'

'Ecstasy.' Layla said and she cleared her throat.

Daphne watched Layla as she smiled.

'How did you do it?' Daphne asked.

Casually, Layla picked up the black glass paperweight, and with one swift motion, she smashed Daphne's recorder.

Daphne held herself together as Layla smiled wickedly at her. She put the paperweight back in its spot on the desk.

'How did I do it?' Layla asked, 'How did I get away with it for so long?'

She laughed again as shrill as before. Then she folded her arms on the table and smiled at Daphne.

'And here I was thinking I got away with it for certain.' Layla sighed, 'Yes, I have been stealing money out of TW's bank account and I have been using it to buy drugs, I have been doing it for…for a long time.'

Daphne sat back in the chair, 'And how did it get into the food?'

Layla sighed, 'Ugh! You can never get the staff these days I swear! I was paying some of the workers cash-in-hand to sell the drugs on but somewhere between it arriving and distributing it to them, it got "mixed up" in the food.' Layla winked at Daphne.

'You mean, you intentionally put it in there?' Daphne asked.

Layla shrugged, 'Intentionally and accidentally are similar things, no?' She smiled again.

'You want Theodore's business for your own?' Daphne asked, 'That's why you put the drugs in the food, to ruin his reputation and you could take it for your own.'

'And who says reporters don't know what they're talking about.' Layla smiled and sat back in her cushy office chair. Daphne stared at her.

'You're different though. I've read your stuff and you're good.' Layla said 'Little Ellie Laney wouldn't have been found if it weren't for Daphne Blake and her marvelous reporting. I have to question the stability of the police these days, why would they not check out her deadbeat dad before almost giving up?'

Daphne didn't take her eyes off Layla, she didn't know what she would do to her if she turned away.

Layla folded her hands together, 'I suppose you want to know how I killed Jenny too, don't you?'

'So you did kill her then?' Daphne asked.

'I couldn't have her ruining things for me.' Layla said almost matter-of-factly. 'You're right, she did come here that night. She saw me dealing with my dealers and she took photos of me.'

'The police found her phone at her home.' Daphne said. 'Oh please, you've never had a fake phone?' Layla asked.

'Jenny was taking pictures of me and I saw her. I was surprised that she confronted me rather than running away. I asked her what she was doing and she told me everything that she knew.' Layla explained, 'So I killed her. I wrapped my hands around her neck and I squeezed until she died.'

Layla smiled as she looked at her hands, 'She tried to put up a fight but I was stronger than she. I had the workers dispose of her body, I don't know what they did with it before they put it at the park but wasn't that a twist?'

Daphne's eyes quickly glanced at the paperweight Layla had used to smash her recorder before she looked back at Layla who had watched Daphne.

She stood from her seat, 'Unfortunately, I wasn't counting on you visiting me a second time, and now that I have spilled my best storyline to you, I am going to have to kill you.'

Daphne quickly stood from the chair. Layla lunged towards her, arms stretched out to grab her.

Daphne kicked the chair at Layla and she bowled over it, tumbling to the floor with a thud. One of the heels on her shoes broke off.

Layla growled, 'I loved these shoes!' She got to her feet and charged at Daphne again, catching her this time.

Daphne fought her off as best as she could. Layla's sharp nails drew blood as she clawed at Daphne before she pinned her down on the desk.

Daphne tried fighting her off but Layla was too strong, 'Any last prayers?' Layla screamed as she clasped her hands around Daphne's neck.

Daphne dug her fingernails into Layla's wrists but it was useless. She tried kicking Layla away but that didn't work either.

Daphne tried to reach for the paperweight, her fingertips almost touching it.

Layla's devilish dark eyes glared into Daphne's, watching her slowly give up the fight.

The office door burst open.

A figure pulled Layla off her, the pressure released from her neck and everything went dark