It was early in the morning. Cars were rustling on the road, making all kinds of sounds. People were walking on the pavements. Shops were located on the both sides, where the pavement ended.
Inside a café, a woman in her late thirties was sipping her coffee and eating chocolate-crusted pancakes.
"Do you need something else?" asked a waiter.
The woman, Olivia Brown shook her head at him. She replied, "No, I don't need anything more. Although, I would have liked the pancakes to be covered in chocolate syrup as well. You do know, I am a regular, hmmm?"
The waiter gave her a fake smile. He said, "I am sorry, Detective Brown. Maybe I will remember it for the next time. You will visit next time, right?"
Olivia shrugged, "Depends on your hospitality."
"Detective Brown, where is your friend? I mean, I haven't seen her today."
Olivia looked at him and averted her eyes. The question itself was making her uncomfortable, if not the inquiring eyes of the waiter. What should she say? Should she say that she was going to arrest her 'friend' tonight?
She nodded and said, "She is going on a long trip... a very long trip. You might never see her again. Are you sad? One of your regulars is going to be absent from today."
"Detective Brown, I am not said. I will do miss her. Tell her, when she comes back, she will have to definitely come here. Everything will be on the house," said the waiter.
Olivia put the cup on the table and replied, "That I will do. Although, you never gave me anything for free. Then again you should ask your boss, right?"
The waiter laughed mockingly. "Get yourself a boyfriend, Detective. Must be all that crankiness is due to your zero-love life."
"I have no zero-love life. Maybe you need to crosscheck your 'tiny' details on me, Ashraf."
"One-night stands are not equivalent to love. Also, you should put away your phone. The whole café knows your obsession with novels. So, if you please be kind enough." Ashraf shook his head and walked towards another table.
"I will keep that in mind," Oliva slammed her phone on the table, "I don't why I am reading this shitty novel. The author needs to check his brains. He included all those murder plots, for what? None of them were solved. The protagonist just 'healed' her male leads and lived a happy life with them. Argh!"
Suddenly, a man wearing police officer's clothes, walked into the café. Spotting Olivia, he dashed towards her. He yelled, "Mam, if we have found her."
For a moment, Olivia stopped all her movements. Composing herself, she looked at the officer and nodded. She said, "Let's go."
Leaving the money on the table, Olivia walked out of the café, with the officer following her.
"Reach the location, I will... meet you there."
"Yes, Mam."
Olivia entered the car and closed the door with a thud. She opened her phone and tapped on the gallery. Numerous photos were lined up, waiting her to choose from them. With a shaky breath, she opened a photo.
The photo contained two women. One was her, and the other was her friend.
"Why? Why do this, Sheila?" Her tone was full of anguish. She punched the steering wheel, and slammed her head on it. Wiping the unshed tears from her eyes, she started the car. Nodding to herself, she pressed on the accelerator and drove towards the place, which was ingrained in her very memory.
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A woman was sitting with a child in her left hand, and a gun in the other. With a smile, she said, "I am surprised that they sent you here. The department really thinks you are up to the job, don't they?"
With a sigh, Olivia walked into the living room, with a gun aimed right at the woman's head. The woman, whom she considered as her best friend.
"Why did you do that?" asked Olivia. Her voice was cold and so did her eyes.
The woman, Sheila replied, "I am surprised you asked me that question. Olivia, have you ever looked at your clothes? You are talented and solved almost every case on your plate... but they don't pay the bills. Certainly, not for me. What do you think, Oli? You lack what I have. Being kind doesn't make you strong?" She kissed the baby's forehead and smirked at Olivia.
Nodding, Olivia yelled, "Put down the baby and raise your hands! I am not going to say this twice!"
"Why? It's my baby and I am the mother."
"Don't try to use the baby as the leverage! I am not falling for it. You are certainly no that cruel. Even a monster will not hurt its child, and you are a human. I am certain you won't. So, don't try to make useless threats."
Sheila tilted her head in amusement. She knew Olivia was naïve... but to be this naïve... she didn't whether to laugh at her or pity the child. At that moment, she gently wrapped her hand on the child's neck and put the gun's muzzle on the child's chest.
Horrified, Olivia yelled, "What the fuck are you doing?! Are you out of your mind?! Put down the child and don't you dare hurt her! Or else I will shoot you!"
Sheila tutted at her and leaned back on the couch. "We both know, I won't. Olivia, you are a cop. Yet, you see this world with full of colours, believing there is some goodness in them. Do you think I am good? Do... I have something redeemable? Is it?"
Olivia's eyes blurred with tears. "Y-you d-don't... Put. Down. The. Child. Or else..."
"Empty threats! You have never shot a human in your entire life. Do you think I will be afraid of you? 'Please! Don't shoot! I am sorry, Oli! I will never do this again! I will be a good girl and never sell out myself for the rich! I promise! No more betraying my department!' Hahaha... did you think this would happen when you aim your gun at me? Keep one thing in mind, you are weak and will always be."
Suddenly, Sheila turned her attention towards the child. Just as she was about to press the trigger, a loud gunshot was heard. She felt a sharp pain in her chest. Blood began oozing out of her chest. With a surprised expression, she looked at Olivia. "Y-you... s-shot?" Her tone was full of disbelief.
Olivia swallowed and said, "I-I w-will not allow... y-you to h-hurt the... child... even if I kill y-you." Tears were dripping from chin, drop by drop on the ground.
"I-I... didn't k-know... this w-would happen... but y-you are... l-late. I had already k-killed... the child. Y-you w-would h-h-have noticed if... your e-e-emotions didn't cloud y-your... judgement." Sheila immediately turned the gun towards Olivia and shot three times in her chest.
"Y-you... m-missed... my h-h-heart, b-bitch... ha...haha...ha..."