Hector held his glass calmly, almost as if listening to the policewoman's hurried breathing like a melody in his ears; as he raised his glass to look at its reflection in the silver spoon, as if considering his answer for a moment before raising his head towards her, his eyes widening. "He's the father of the girl i saved afew hours ago!" He leaned back slowly, but his eyes never left her
Clara's eyes wandered a little away, trying to gather her thoughts as she clutched the small, warm cup of tea in both hands before she muttered, "I know it's hard to believe, sir! He's crazy! ...but" She put her cup down and looked up at Hector, whose smile slowly faded as soon as she put the cup down, but the young lady didn't seem to notice. Instead, she continued, "I just don't understand why he added Mr. James and Mary's case to this forum!"...
She paced nervously around the room, muttering incoherently, "Missing eyes...missing limbs..." Then she paused, wondering, "But what does this have to do with Mrs. Marie's fire? And her husband, whose crime has already been confirmed?" She took a step back and stumbled, but she caught herself against a solid body standing directly behind her like a wall. It was Hector, watching her with a cold smile. "Calm down, miss! You haven't finished your tea yet."
At the same time, Elizabeth had already surrendered to rest beside her aunt on the sofa that swayed gently under their weight. Isabella looked extremely nervous as she placed the bandage over her wounds, and so breaking her silence, she said, "You know, Auntie?" The young girl, who gently rested her head on her lap, told her, "I really think something strange happens to my body after every nightmare I have," while she looked at her other wounds scattered under her light clothing. Her eyes followed her aunt's gentle hand over her.
Isabella's fingers moved above her head, caressing the still-damp strands of her hair, continuing to stroke it gently, before breaking the silence, her eyes blazing with rage, "If only I could kill whoever did this to you!" At that moment, words began to spill from her mouth without her making any effort to hide them, as she focused all her attention on her niece's face, a few drops of tears welling up...
Returning to Clara...., who had taken a few steps back to sit down a few meters away from Hector, he gazed at her intently, studying her features, before saying, "Mr. James suffered from a severe case of schizophrenia; sometimes he showered his wife with indescribable love, and at other times he was consumed with hatred for her." His words caused a jumble of thoughts in the young policewoman's mind. She leaned back on the sofa, saying:
"I know but ...I feel there is something missing in Mr. James's case, otherwise it wouldn't have caught Mr. Henry's attention to put him in the forum." She let out a long sigh, her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she swallowed hard...the man in front of her watched her body relax, continuing his speech with increasingly wide pupils as he readjusted his posture, crossing one leg over the other. "Your intelligence is truly impressive, miss."
The young policewoman smiled shyly at those words. Her body relaxed somewhat despite the strong, opposing feeling inside her. After taking a deep breath as soon as she stood up, she whispered, "Sorry to bother you, sir! Thank you for your help." She started towards the door, but the man sitting behind her stopped her, asking, "Why the rush, Miss Clara? You know, you've piqued my curiosity about this Henry. Perhaps I can help you." Slowly, he took his phone out of his jacket pocket, continuing as he watched her, "It seems my connection with the police chief is finally paying off."
He leaned his head towards her cup, from which she hadn't taken a single sip, a faint smile playing on his lips in the dim light streaming over his head as he stammered,
"You should have drunk your tea."
For a moment, his words sparkled in Clara's eyes, and her hand slipped from the doorknob as if a surge of excitement had ignited everything within her. Her words burst forth in a rush: "Forget about the tea! __Are you serious?! You have no idea how much of a help this would be!" Before her burning enthusiasm was cut short by the ringing of her phone, it was Jack...
The screen quickly captured her attention, and she thought eagerly, "I must tell boss; he will surely be delighted by this news." Joy filled her face as she turned around for a few seconds to find herself just inches away, facing that painting... the painting she had seen of the woman holding a severed head. "I think this painting will haunt my dreams," she murmured softly, as the sound of footsteps approached behind her...
The footsteps stopped, and an iron arm coiled around her neck from behind, tightening its grip. A cry of terror choked her throat: "WhAT... what's happening?!" Her voice came out as a broken rattle, her eyes bulging as she fought for every last ounce of oxygen. She turned for a moment to meet Hector's relaxed, eeriely calm face. He pressed his hand against her mouth while his other arm tightened around her neck, lifting her off the ground. Her legs flailed in mid-air as she pounded against him with all her might, desperately calling out in a choked whisper: "i CANT BREATH! I can't breathe!"
"It's okay," he spat the cold words against her neck, his arms squeezing it as it grew paler. Her rapid gasps had turned into heavy, drawn-out breaths.
Her desperate scratching at his shirt subsided, her body growing heavier before it ceased moving completely in his hands, her eyes frozen in a vast, empty space, staring at the ceiling. Her last gasp, something like "WHYY__," faded deep in her throat, leaving behind a profound silence....He loosened his grip, and her lifeless body slumped to the floor , filled the space with a calm murmur as he leaned towards her lifeless features: "What a waste!" His gaze shifted to the still-vibrating phone, which he coldly snatched away, removing the SIM card and destroying it completely. Then, his fingers deftly searched the pockets of the still body beneath him before he find his business card and carefully placed it on the sofa. With complete ease, he settled himself on the same sofa beside the corpse and pressed the remote control, turning on the television. It seemed that... Henry's story had already made her way to the news...
'There you are again,' Hector murmured, casting a fleeting glance at Clara's sprawling body, continuing his conversation with her corpse: 'I really like you... Stop interrupting me with those blank stares.' His fingers threaded through her hair, caressing her still head as he tilted it in his hands before adding, 'You have pretty good eyes, too.' His words came out in a neutral tone, like a doctor speaking to another patient.