Through the threshold

Sebastian stopped the car in front of Boris Mago's house with Gabriela next to him in the front seat. She hadn't moved the whole way since he'd picked her up from her apartment.

It had been two days since they had last seen each other. Since then, he had discovered additional clues pointing to her uncle's guilt. He had decided not to tell her the details, but during their phone conversation the day before, he had caught her relenting on the subject. It was clear that doubts lived in her mind as well.

The police were still tight-lipped about her uncle's case, but it wasn't too hard for him to figure out what was going on. At the moment, no clues were pointing to a specific person or group. They were not even aware of the murder weapon because the wounds on the body were too many and varied. They were still doing research and they weren't going to finish any time soon.

His contact with the police informed him that there were too many uncertainties surrounding this case, the work in the department was significant and the likelihood of closure was small. On the one hand, this calmed him down and gave him time to act, on the other hand, it made him think about the efficiency of state bodies. After some thought, he decided to be happy.

Even so, he was kept busy with the robbery, his many business duties, and the problems surrounding Maximilian Collins. Getting rid of this jackal was going to be more difficult than he thought. There were many legal points to consider before taking action. On the other hand, Collins had decided to mock him to his face because he was going from office to office splashing his money in the form of business trips. And because he was meeting with business partners, there was no way to fire him for misuse of business finances.

With each passing day, this man's presence irritated him more and more. He didn't understand where it all came from, but he didn't intend to analyze that much either. Collins had to go, and the odds of it being bodily harm were increasing by the day. Sebastian shook his head once. Now was not the time to think about that.

On the phone, when they had talked the day before, Gabriela had invited him to accompany her to her uncle's house on the pretence that if there was anything of his there, he could have it. But considering that she had seen and worked with this book, her justification was completely unrealistic. But he didn't mind. Her invitation allowed him to inspect the premises legally and in full view of the police.

As Gabriela informed him, the detectives wanted her to inspect the house to identify missing items. If anything was stolen, it would help the investigation. She, in turn, insisted that Sebastian accompany her during the search. Sebastian thought the police wouldn't be too happy about that request. His suspicions were confirmed when he pulled the car into the driveway and saw the look the detectives were giving them. He turned and looked at her.

- Are you okay? – he asked considering her silence for the last twenty minutes and her distant look. He hadn't heard a word from her since the one "good morning" he got when he got her into the car. Even a complete moron would know something is wrong if a woman stays silent for a long time in your presence.

- Yes, I'm just preparing myself - she sighed, aware that she needed to be fit to face what was in the house. If it was still there, of course. But she wasn't taking any chances here.

It was a difficult time for her. Her emotions were getting the best of her. Anger towards her uncle, regret of their strained relationship, guilt for her shortcomings and fatigue because of too many sleepless nights the last month.

Gabriela shook her curls and pulled herself together. Nothing was going to be done if she let herself be swept by her emotions. It was time to embrace the present and face the future. The two detectives were waiting for them at the door of the mansion. Even on the day of their meeting, she had numbered them as cop one and cop two. Number one - Collins was leaning against his car and checking the "perimeter" as they called it in slang. Number Two watched her and her reactions from the car.

I'm still a suspect, she thought. The spoiled little heiress beat up her poor old uncle for the one inheritance. Well, if they wanted drama, they were going to get it, she decided fuming.

Sebastian noticed the exact moment of the change. Her posture straightened, and her eyes became sharp and focused. The message she was emitting read: don't get in my way, I'm doing this my way.

- Let's go inside - she said regally, as it seemed to him. She swiftly got out of the car not waiting for him and headed towards the two policemen. With a slight swaying gait, she approached them.

- Let's not waste any more time. - she said.

- Yes, of course, Miss Mago - answered Number Two - I have the keys - he answered and headed for the front door - wait for me here.

- Now we will only do a preliminary inspection - said Detective Collins, carefully following her reactions - You will tell us what is missing and what is out of place. Everything has already been processed by forensics, so don't worry about touching things. We'll check the rooms together, and then we'll go back to the police station. We have to continue the investigation of the leads we found. During this time, I ask you to make a more detailed examination of the rooms and write down anything that is out of place.

- Of course - she answered without adding anything else.

The door opened with a slight creek, giving the foreboding feeling of upcoming turmoil. She took a deep breath and stepped through the threshold.