After the last interview with Lix Storm, Kat and Vera were ready to head back from North Carolina.

Jeffries almost took pity on Kat and offered to go with her, but Vera was so funny, muttering stories about wooden mattresses and hotel rooms haunted by spiders, that he ended up letting them both go.

They arrived at Frederick Lyon's house, who didn't seem surprised to see them there again. Kat was almost disappointed. She and Vera had barely had time to start the interrogation before their suspect confessed all by himself.

Bel Rowley has summoned Frederic Lyon to her office for two reasons: one is totally uncomfortable and the other gives her butterflies.

She has to tell him that, after a series of mistakes on his part, she has been forced to end their collaboration on The Hour. It's heartbreaking for her to part with one of her best journalists, but the bosses were very clear up there, they let a lot of things slide, but now it's no longer possible, she has no choice.

And at the same time she doesn't want to hide it any more. Now she wants to tell him, almost shyly and with rosy cheeks, that she too is in love with him. That it has taken her years and many detours to realise it, but that she has finally done it and doesn't want to waste any more time without him.

Freddy sits in Bel's office. He watches as she fidgets in front of him. Pacing up and down the office, which seems to shrink with each passing minute.

It's as if he's anaesthetised.

It's like watching television without sound.

When he finally realises what's happening, that Bel is kicking him out of the show he's spent so much time and energy on, he can't take it. He grabs the first object he can reach, a bright yellow lamp he had given Bel years before, and throws it at her. The lamp hit Bel in the face and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Freddy doesn't even have time to realise that she has declared her love for him before she dies.

The rest is a mist to Freddy. He tries to wipe up all the blood with Bel's blue vest and stuffs it in a cupboard. He wants to take her to hospital, but panics and dumps her lifeless body next to her house.

He then stormes out of Philadelphia without looking back.

Lilly arrived at the CBS offices.

She'd been waiting there for ten minutes, unable to work up the courage to go up to Lix's office.

She felt like she'd been trying to work up the courage all day.

At home, she had already spent a long time in front of her wardrobe, changing her clothes four times. She wanted to look

professional

but not boring

nice

but not too friendly

a little chic

but not too stuffy

pretty

but not too dressed up

Before today, she hadn't even known that clothes could say so much.

In the end, she opted for something very classic. A discreetly striped shirt - a nod to the first time she'd seen Lix, navy blue trousers - not black, she'd decided that looked too austere - and a matching jacket. Her hair was pulled back into the usual ponytail, but she had left a few more strands out than usual so as not to look too severe.

All right, Lilly. If you've got to go, you've got to go. No time to chicken out.

She finally arrived at Lix's office and knocked timidly.

She felt like a teenager outside the headmaster's office, waiting for someone on the other side of the door to answer. She tugged at her sleeves to calm herself and quickly ran her hands over her cheeks, hoping she wouldn't blush. She was about to turn around when she finally heard a 'Yes, come in?

She found herself standing in front of Lix, looking as beautiful and elegant as ever with her brick-coloured lipstick and large cat-eye glasses. Naturally, she started to

blush.

The red blossomed on her cheeks like a poppy.

And even though she had spent a quarter of an hour in front of the toilet mirror rehearsing everything she wanted to say to Lix, she no longer knew what she wanted to say. She'd forgotten

everything.

She could barely stammer out 'I guess I owe you an apology...'.

Lix's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she flashed a smile that lit up the room at Lilly, who was standing awkwardly in the corner of the office.

- Darling...

She paused. Lit a cigarette.

- I don't think we met under the best of circumstances. I'm not very proud of myself, and the way you're acting now, I don't think you're very proud of yourself either. How about a fresh start? Can I buy you a drink tonight? Let's pretend we don't know each other. That we're just lucky to be in the same place at the same time. What do you think?

- Well, I can't wait to meet you.

It was the first Thursday of the month.

So it was First Thursday. All the homicide cops in Philadelphia gather at Joe's to drink beer, play darts and tell the same old stories that no one ever gets tired of hearing.

And Lilly never missed First Thursday.

It's tradition.

And Lilly liked traditions.

But this time, for the first time in her entire homicide career, she was preparing to skip that night she loved.

This time there was somewhere else she wanted to be.

This time there was someone waiting for her.

Discreetly, Lilly got up from her desk and grabbed her jacket to leave. She crossed her fingers that no one would notice her leaving and that she could get home quietly to change before meeting Lix. If any member of the team found out she was skipping First Thursday, she'd never get away with it.

So far, so good. She was almost at the lift and no one was looking at her.

Scotty was grumbling as he finished a report, Jeffries was in Stillman's office talking about sports, Kat was in the archives room and Vera...

- Lilly! Tell me I'm wrong! You're not trying to sneak out without saying goodbye and especially without coming with us to Joe's!

Damn it... Vera...

-Sorry, guys, I won't be there tonight. I have to meet a... friend... I know you'll miss me a lot, but you'll manage without me for one evening, I trust you.

- A friend? you? socialising? with other people? what's happening to you? at least tell us where you're going!

- No. I won't say another word. But I promise I'll make it up to you next month. See you on Monday!

Kat, outraged by what she'd just heard coming back from the archives, tried to stop Lilly from getting into the lift, but soon realised it was all in vain.

Scotty, who had obviously guessed who this mysterious friend was that Lilly seemed so keen to find, giggled in her ear before she headed home:

- At least, the person you're meeting never faked her death.

Lily arrived at the bar five minutes early. She'd had time to go home, feed the cats and change out of her work clothes into something more casual. She'd pulled on her favourite pair of jeans, which she admitted showed off her bum and made her legs look longer, and paired them with a Chappell Roan T-shirt she'd bought at a concert years ago. She had let her hair down and dared to wear more lipstick than usual.

When she arrived at the bar, she immediately spotted Lix sitting there and took a few minutes to watch her. She looked so beautiful, lit by the bar's fairy lights. She'd dressed the same as she had in her office this morning, but she'd unbuttoned a few buttons on her shirt and rolled her sleeves up over her forearms.

From a distance, she looked a little nervous. She tapped quickly on the table as she scanned the bar, as if looking for someone, and flicked out cigarette after cigarette.

Come on, Lilly, it's time.

- Excuse me, is this seat taken?

When Lix heard Lilly's voice, she turned and gave her a smile that melted the detective's heart.

Lix's blue eyes meet Lilly's blue eyes. It was an

ocean of sweetness

born between them.

- No, darling, it's all yours. Please sit down next to me. My name is Lix, by the way.

It's the promise

of a wonderful evening.