Inspector Rachel and Officer Mike arrived at the small electronics shop, searching for the CCTV footage that captured the events outside Elena's house. The owner, a friendly man with a warm smile, welcomed them and led them to a small room in the back.
"Some people said you were coming to check the CCTV footage," he said, nodding. "Please, have a seat."
Inspector Rachel and Officer Mike sat down, and the owner started playing the footage on a bank of monitors. As they watched, the video showed Elena being carried to the balcony by two men.
"Wait, wait," Inspector Rachel said, her voice firm. "What's happening?"
The footage showed Elena being thrown off the balcony, and then it suddenly ended. But what surprised Inspector Rachel and Officer Mike was that the video didn't show Elena falling or hitting the ground. Instead, it cut out and then resumed, showing everything back to normal.
Inspector Rachel and Officer Mike exchanged a confused glance. "What's going on?" Inspector Rachel asked.
Officer Mike shook his head. "I have no idea."
Inspector Rachel's eyes narrowed. "This is interesting."
She turned to the owner. "Can I collect this video? Is there any way I can download it to my phone?"
The owner hesitated. "I don't think it's possible, except you take the...uh...USB."
Inspector Rachel nodded. "Okay, fine. I'll need the USB. I promise I'll bring it back before evening."
The owner smiled. "No problem."
He removed the USB from the computer and handed it over to Inspector Rachel. She took it, nodded, and then suddenly left the building with Officer Mike.
Back at the station, Inspector Rachel and Officer Mike gathered around a computer, playing the CCTV footage they had retrieved earlier. The chief and several other officers joined them, all eyes fixed on the screen.
As the video played, the room fell silent. Everyone watched in confusion as Elena was thrown off the balcony, but instead of hitting the ground, the video cut out and then resumed, showing everything back to normal.
The chief spoke up first. "What the...? How is this possible?"
Inspector Rachel shook her head. "I don't know, but it's clear that someone or something intervened."
One of the officers spoke up. "Could it be that the person who saved miss Elena is...mysterious?"
Inspector Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Come on, it's not like we're in a superhero movie or something."
Another officer spoke up. "But how can you explain this? The video clearly shows Elena being thrown off the balcony, but it doesn't show her hitting the ground. And there's no one catching her. How is that possible?"
The room fell silent again, with everyone looking at each other in confusion.
Finally, one of the officers spoke up. "I think we should calm down and focus on solving this case. Let's investigate those guys who tried to kill Elena and find out who sent them. That should be our priority, not how Elena was caught."
Inspector Rachel nodded, but still looked puzzled. "I still find it strange, though. How was she caught?"
The officer repeated. "Like I said, that shouldn't be our priority right now. Let's focus on getting the truth from those guys."
Inspector Rachel nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're right. Let's get to work."
The detectives were preparing to interrogate the two men who had tried to kill Elena, but before they could even make a move,one of the officers rushed in, looking frantic.
"Wait, wait! You need to see this!" he exclaimed, out of breath.
The detectives turned to him, confused. "What is it?" one of them asked.
The officer hesitated before speaking. "Those two guys...they're dead."
The room fell silent, and the detectives exchanged shocked glances. They rushed to the cell where the two men were being held, and what they saw made their blood run cold.
The two men were lying on the floor, their bodies bleeding and lifeless. The detectives stood there, stunned, trying to process what they were seeing.
"How did this happen?" one of them asked, his voice shaking with anger.
The officer who had discovered the bodies explained that he headed to the cell to take them out for interrogation when he found them like that.
The head of the department scratched his head in frustration. "How were they managed to be killed? What do we tell Miss Elena now?"
Inspector Rachel spoke up, her voice thoughtful. "I think it must have happened when we were all distracted by the video. Whoever did this must have taken advantage of the fact that we were all focused on the CCTV footage."
The other detectives nodded in agreement, their faces grim. They knew they had to get to the bottom of this, and fast.
****************************
Elena sat at her desk, signing papers that had been brought to her yesterday. It was a tedious task, but she was determined to get it done. As she signed her name for what felt like the hundredth time, she started to hear voices outside her office door.
At first, she thought it was just her employees discussing something, but then she heard a voice that made her blood boil.
"I'm her fiancé," the voice said.
Elena's eyes narrowed as she recognized the voice. It was Felix, the man her father was forcing her to marry.
Her bodyguard, Lucas, was standing outside her office door, and Elena could hear him arguing with Felix.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't just barge in here," Lucas said.
Felix's voice rose in anger. "I'm her fiancé, I have every right to see her."
Elena sighed and put down her pen. She walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Felix's smug face.
"What do you want, Felix?" Elena asked, her voice cold.
"Who is this?" Felix asked glancing at Lucas
"He is my bodyguard!..got any problem with it??..why are you here?"
Felix smiled, his eyes gleaming with condescension. "I just wanted to check on you, my dear. I heard about the...incident."
Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, as you can see. So, get out."
Felix's smile faltered, but he quickly regained his composure. "I'm not going anywhere until I'm sure you're safe."
Elena laughed, a harsh sound. "Safe from what? You? You're the last person I need protection from."
Felix's face turned red with anger, but Elena just glared at him. "Leave. Now."
Lucas stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Felix. "I think it's time for you to leave, sir."
Felix's eyes flashed with anger, He turned and stormed off, leaving Elena and Lucas alone.
Elena let out a deep breath,as she heads back into her office jamming the door.
*************************
Felix sat in the backseat of his luxurious car, his driver expertly navigating the busy streets. As they drove, Felix couldn't help but think about his encounter with Elena.
He loosened his tie, feeling a sense of frustration wash over him. "What does that girl even want...?" he muttered to himself.
He couldn't understand why Elena was being so stubborn. He had everything she could possibly want: wealth, power, good looks. What more could she ask for?
Felix shook his head, feeling a sense of annoyance. "What the hell is wrong with that girl?" he asked himself.
He looked up, catching his driver's eye in the rearview mirror. "Take me to the office," he said, his voice firm.
The driver nodded and stepped on the gas, speeding up as they merged onto the highway.
Felix sat back, his mind still reeling with thoughts of Elena. He couldn't believe she had spoken to him like that, like he was some kind of servant.
He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger. "I'll show her," he muttered to himself. "I'll show her who's boss."
***********************
Elena stood up from her desk, pacing back and forth across her office as she listened to the detective's words on the phone.
"What do you mean they're dead?" she demanded, her voice rising in frustration. "How is this possible? Where were you guys? How careless were you guys that you couldn't even watch those people?"
The detective hesitated on the other end of the line. "I apologize, Miss Elena. We had them in custody, but somehow...I don't know, it's like they were targeted or something."
Elena's eyes widened in shock. "This is the second time this has happened! The first guy who tried to kill me, he was killed too. Who is doing this? And why?"
The detective sighed. "We're doing everything we can to investigate, Miss Elena. But in the meantime, we need to make sure you're safe."
Elena's voice rose to a near-shriek. "Safe? Are you kidding me? I'm not safe! I'm in danger, and you guys are just standing around twiddling your thumbs!"
The detective tried to calm her down. "Miss Elena, please...we're doing everything we can..."
But Elena cut him off. "No, you're not doing enough! You need to do more!
She slammed the phone down on her desk, her heart racing with fear and frustration. Who was behind these attempted murders? And how could she trust the police to keep her safe?