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"Are you okay?" Amelia asked softly, her voice soothing in the dimly lit cell.
"Y-yeah," Finn stammered, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Just a really vivid nightmare."
"Listen, it's 6:30 AM," Amelia informed him, her tone shifting to one of urgency. "We don't have much time."
"Time for what?" Finn asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"There's been another murder," Amelia replied gravely, her words cutting through the air like a knife.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Finn stood at the entrance to St Martins Castle, the ancient red stones cold and damp beneath his fingertips as he put his hand to them. The morning fog clung to the ground, shrouding the scene in an eerie silence. Amelia stood beside him, her red hair escaping from her ponytail and framing her face. She glanced around, alert and focused. Constable Mulberry approached them, his dark eyes flicking between the two of them, a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Morning, Inspector, Finn," he said, offering a nod. "Glad you could make it."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Finn replied with a tight smile. His mind raced with thoughts of the previous night's events, wondering if the man who had shot at him was behind another death.
As if on cue, Inspector Ulman emerged from the fog, impeccably dressed as always. His mustache twitched with disapproval as he walked towards them, his gaze stern.
"Agent Wright, Inspector Winters," he said curtly. "I heard about your little escapade last night. Sneaking around the castle, arresting Charles Keatings without sufficient evidence." He shook his head. "Quite reckless, don't you think?"
"Reckless, maybe," Finn retorted, feeling defensive. "But we had reason to believe he might be involved."
"Reasons that seem rather flimsy now, don't they?" Ulman raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by their detective work.
"As flimsy as your mustache," Finn said.
Ulman stared in disbelief. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"
"No, really," Finn said. "It's a magnificent mustache. Do you put something in it to make it so straight?"
"Ignore Finn," Amelia said.
"How rude," Finn answered in a feigned British accent.
Ulman cleared his throat. "We can only hope that this arrest and your cowboy attitude doesn't jeopardize our investigation further."
"Listen, Inspector," Amelia interjected, her voice steady and strong. "We're here to solve this case, just like you. Finn is the best there is. We'll follow any lead he or I find if it means finding the truth and stopping further deaths."
Ulman stared at them for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Very well," he conceded. "But let's try to maintain some semblance of professionalism from now on, shall we?"
"Agreed," Finn said, forcing a smile. He couldn't help but wonder if they had made a mistake in arresting Charles Keatings and poking the hornets nest a little too early. Had their presence accelerated the killer's plans?
But there was no time to dwell on it now – they had a new crime scene to investigate and another victim to identify. And as he looked around at the fog-shrouded castle grounds, he knew that the place held more death in its embrace.
"If you feel this is too much, I could perhaps..." Ulman's offer was cut short.
"Inspector Ulman," Amelia said, her voice steady and authoritative, "it's important to remember that Finn and I are leading this investigation. We will take your opinions into consideration, but ultimately, we make the decisions."
Ulman's face reddened, and he clenched his jaw before nodding tersely. "As you wish," he said through gritted teeth, and with a curt nod, he turned on his heel and left the scene.
"Constable Mulberry," Finn called out, eager to move forward. "Could you show us where the body is?"
"Of course, Agent Wright," Mulberry replied, motioning for Finn and Amelia to follow him.
As they ventured off the path, Finn took in the damp, earthy smell of the woods surrounding them. The trees loomed overhead, their branches creating a canopy that blocked out much of the natural light. They trudged through the waterlogged fields, the ground squelching beneath their feet as they made their way to the small hillside.
Halfway up the incline, Finn could see the forensics team hunched over the prone figure of a young woman. Her body lay twisted and broken amongst the fallen leaves, an eerie stillness surrounding her as the investigators photographed the scene.
