Mistletoe’s Kiss

24. Chapter 24

24

Chapter 24

“Let’s all drink to Delicious Death and to hell with the after-effects.”

A Murderer is Announced by Agatha Christie

M addy crept down the hallway until she reached the study and carefully pushed the door open. She didn’t want to go in, if anything the smell of blood from earlier was worse and wafted out the door as it opened. Stepping inside she tried to hold her breath, standing still for a couple of moments until it got slightly easier to breathe. She took a couple of steps further into the room and slowly looked around, trying to avoid eyeing Dan but she needed to get to the desk to test her theory.

Everything looked the same, Dan’s body was still sitting in the chair at the desk, his head lying face down in a pool of blood. She couldn’t see any sign of a weapon, she presumed he’d been stabbed with a knife but she couldn’t see one anywhere. She was surprised that looking at a dead body, with its unnatural stillness and pale waxy skin wasn’t freaking her out as much as she thought it would. What did make her feel sick was the blood which was tacky on the desk but still dripping off the edge and puddling on the floor. Being careful not to step in it or touch anything that might interfere with the investigation, she scanned the desk, mentally noting each item with growing dread. As the pieces fell into place, a chill ran through her, the details confirming what she’d feared. It was undeniable, and the realization turned her stomach. Her theory about the murderer was no longer a theory—it was a horrifying truth.

The realisation crashed over Maddy like a tidal wave and left her gasping for breath. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she tried to process what she’d just learned. As she backed away from the desk, she heard a noise and whirled to find Nolan closing the door behind him with a quiet click. His gaze drifted to her, taking in the shock on her face and the fear in her eyes. For a moment, he said nothing, letting the silence stretch between them. Then, a slow smile tugged at his lips, betraying a twisted sense of amusement. He knew the game was over, and the truth was out.

“It was you…” said Maddy.