The Bride Killa

The Ridgeview Police Precinct buzzed with energy the next morning, a sense of urgency palpable in the air. The sixth bride weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Jane arrived early, determined to make progress, but the fatigue in her eyes betrayed her sleepless night.

Detective Marcus Hayes sat at the head of the conference table, briefing the team on new leads. Megan Price, seated beside Jane, flipped through a stack of photographs, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"We've got witnesses claiming they saw one of the victims—Amanda Hartley—at the Ridgeview Flower Market a few days before her disappearance," Marcus began. "Apparently, she had an argument with a florist there. Henry Patterson. The witnesses say he was acting…odd."

Jane leaned forward, her interest piqued. "Odd how?"

Marcus shrugged. "One said he was overly interested in Amanda, kept asking her questions about her wedding plans. Another said he got visibly upset when she ignored him."

Jane's mind raced. Henry Patterson. A florist with a strange fascination with brides. It wasn't much, but it was a thread to pull. "Is he here?"

Marcus nodded. "We picked him up this morning. He's in Interrogation Room 2."

First Interrogation: Witnesses

Jane and Marcus entered the observation room, where a young woman named Lydia Cartwright sat, nervously fidgeting with her hands. She was one of the witnesses who had seen Amanda at the flower market.

Jane started gently. "Thank you for coming in, Lydia. We know this must be difficult."

Lydia nodded, her voice shaky. "I just want to help. Amanda was so sweet. She didn't deserve…any of this."

Jane offered a reassuring smile. "Can you tell us what you saw that day at the market?"

Lydia took a deep breath. "Amanda was looking at bouquets. She seemed happy, excited. Then Henry came over. He started asking her a lot of questions—what kind of flowers she wanted, when the wedding was. At first, it seemed normal, but then…"

"Then what?" Marcus prompted.

"He started getting angry. Amanda said she already had a florist, and he…he snapped. Said something like, 'They won't appreciate you the way I would.' It was creepy. Amanda left right after that."

Jane exchanged a glance with Marcus. "Did you see anything else? Anything unusual about Henry?"

Lydia hesitated. "I saw him watching her as she walked away. He looked…furious. And later, I saw him leaving the market with a bouquet of roses."

"Roses?" Jane pressed.

Lydia nodded. "Yeah. Red ones."

Second Interrogation: Henry Patterson

Henry Patterson sat in the interrogation room, his wiry frame hunched over the table. His hands were clasped tightly together, knuckles white. He glanced up as Jane and Marcus entered, his eyes darting nervously between them.

Jane took a seat across from him, her expression calm but sharp. Marcus stood behind her, arms crossed.

"Henry," Jane began, her tone measured. "Thanks for coming in to talk with us."

Henry gave a tight nod. "I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"

Jane ignored the jab. "We've heard from witnesses that you had an interaction with Amanda Hartley at the flower market. Can you tell us about that?"

Henry shifted uncomfortably. "She was looking at flowers. I was just doing my job, asking her if she needed help."

"Some witnesses say you seemed…intense," Jane said carefully. "That you got upset when she said she had a florist."

Henry's eyes narrowed. "Intense? Upset? I was just trying to be helpful. Maybe I came on too strong, but I wasn't angry."

Marcus leaned forward, his voice low. "Witnesses also say you followed her when she left. That you were carrying roses."

Henry's jaw tightened. "I was taking roses to another customer. I didn't follow her."

Jane studied him closely. His words were defensive, but his demeanor…there was something off. A twitch in his left eye, the way his hands fidgeted. "Henry," she said softly, "Amanda Hartley is dead. Do you understand why that makes your interaction with her significant?"

Henry's face paled. "Dead? I didn't… I didn't do anything to her!"

"We're not accusing you," Jane lied smoothly. "But we need to understand your relationship with her. Did you know her outside of the market?"

"No!" Henry snapped, his voice cracking. "I didn't know her at all. She was just a customer."

Marcus stepped forward, placing a photograph of Amanda on the table. "You recognize her, don't you?"

Henry's gaze flickered to the photo, then away. "I told you. She came to the market. That's it."

"Did you send her roses?" Jane asked, her tone sharp.

Henry froze. "What?"

"Several of the victims received roses before they disappeared," Jane pressed. "Did you send roses to Amanda Hartley?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Henry shouted, his voice rising. "I didn't send her anything!"

Interrogation Break: Observations

Jane and Marcus stepped out of the room, leaving Henry alone with his thoughts. Jane crossed her arms, pacing the hallway.

"What do you think?" Marcus asked.

Jane sighed. "He's hiding something. I don't know if he's our guy, but there's something he's not telling us."

"Agreed," Marcus said. "But his alibi checks out. He was working at the market during one of the other disappearances."

"Doesn't mean he's innocent," Jane muttered. "He could have a partner. Or he could be the one sending the roses while someone else does the killing."

Marcus frowned. "You think this is bigger than one person?"

Jane nodded. "I don't know yet. But I'm not ruling it out."

Return to Interrogation

When Jane and Marcus reentered the room, Henry's nervous energy had only increased. His leg bounced under the table, and he avoided their eyes.

"Henry," Jane said firmly, "if you're not involved, you need to help us understand why witnesses are pointing fingers at you. If you're innocent, the truth will clear your name."

Henry glared at her. "I've told you everything I know. I don't know why they're saying this stuff about me."

"Maybe because you have a history of being…overly interested in women," Marcus said pointedly, sliding a file across the table. Inside were records of complaints filed against Henry for inappropriate behavior toward female customers.

Henry's face flushed. "Those were misunderstandings! I never hurt anyone!"

Jane leaned in, her eyes piercing. "Maybe not physically. But what about emotionally? Do you enjoy watching women squirm, Henry? Do you like the power it gives you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Henry shouted, his voice cracking.

Jane held his gaze for a long moment before standing. "We'll be checking your phone records, your deliveries, and your contacts. If there's anything connecting you to these victims, we'll find it."

Henry slumped in his chair, his hands trembling. "I didn't do anything," he whispered.

Aftermath

As Jane left the interrogation room, Megan Price approached her, holding a stack of files. "Jane, you're going to want to see this."

"What is it?" Jane asked, taking the files.

"Background checks on the florists in the area. Henry Patterson isn't the only one with a questionable past." Megan handed her another file. "There's another florist, Olivia Ramsey. She worked with Henry until a year ago when she suddenly left the business."

Jane's eyes narrowed as she flipped through the pages. "Let's pay her a visit."

The hunt was far from over, and Jane felt the noose tightening around someone's neck. She just had to figure out whose.