The Cop and the Princess - Chapter eleven:- First move

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Chapter 11 – The First Move

Scene One – Police Headquarters

After the morning training session with Sara and Leon Hope heads toward the police station .

She parked her car outside Police Headquarters.

The moment she stepped inside, Officer Sean was already waiting with a thick stack of files in his hands.

“There you are, Detective.”

Hope looked at the folders.

“Please tell me that’s not more paperwork.”

Sean chuckled.

“I wish.”

He placed the files on the conference table.

“These are the eleven personnel who had complete access to Princess Sara Ashford’s convoy security details on the day of the attack.”

Hope pulled out a chair and began flipping through the files.

Convoy coordinators.

Communication officers.

Security supervisors.

Every person who had known the route, timing, vehicle allocation and escort formation.

Sean stood beside her.

“I’ve already checked their financial records, phone activity and service history.”

“Nothing suspicious.”

“No unusual transactions.”

“No unexplained calls.”

“No criminal records.”

Hope closed the final file.

“Good.”

Sean looked at her.

“Good?”

Hope nodded.

“If everyone looked suspicious…”

“…this investigation would’ve been too easy.”

Sean chuckles you are a psycho person

Hope smiles yes I am

She placed the files neatly on the table.

“Bring them in.”

“One by one.”

The questioning continued for nearly three hours.

Hope never raised her voice.

She simply asked the same questions again and again.

“When did you receive Princess Sara’s convoy schedule?”

“Who forwarded it to you?”

“Did anyone ask about the route before the convoy departed?”

“Did you notice anyone behaving differently that day?”

“Did anyone request information they weren’t authorised to receive?”

Every answer sounded almost identical.

“No, Detective.”

“I only followed protocol.”

“I received the route through the official channel.”

“I didn’t share it with anyone.”

Hope watched more than she listened.

She studied their eyes.

Their breathing.

Their hands.

Their hesitation.

Nothing.

The fifth officer left.

Then the sixth.

The seventh.

Sean quietly sighed.

“We’re getting nowhere.”

Hope calmly closed another file.

“We’re eliminating possibilities.”

“That’s still progress.”

Soon…

The tenth officer stood up and left the room.

Sean picked up the final folder.

“Last one.”

Hope nodded.

“Send him in.”

A middle-aged convoy coordinator slowly walked into the room.

Unlike everyone before him…

He looked exhausted.

Sweat covered his forehead despite the cool air inside.

Hope noticed it immediately.

“Please.”

“Have a seat.”

The man nodded quietly.

Hope opened his file.

“You had full access to Princess Sara Ashford’s convoy security report.”

“Yes…”

“You knew which vehicle she would be travelling in.”

“…Yes.”

“You knew the exact departure time.”

“…Yes.”

“You knew the convoy route.”

“…Yes.”

“You knew how many security officers were assigned.”

“…Yes.”

Hope looked directly into his eyes.

“Did anyone ask you about those details before the attack?”

Silence.

The man’s breathing suddenly became heavier.

Hope didn’t repeat the question.

She simply waited.

Sean noticed the man’s hands trembling.

“Sir…”

“Are you alright?”

The man suddenly grabbed the edge of the chair.

His body jerked violently.

The chair crashed onto the floor.

Sean rushed forward.

“Medic!”

Hope immediately knelt beside him.

“Stay with me.”

The man’s trembling hand slowly reached inside his coat.

Sean instinctively grabbed his wrist.

Hope stopped him.

“Wait.”

The man wasn’t reaching for a weapon.

With the last of his strength…

He pulled out a small folded note.

His shaking fingers pressed it into Hope’s hand.

For a brief second…

Their eyes met.

There was no panic.

No fear.

Only acceptance.

His lips moved slightly…

But no words came out.

The next second…

His body went completely still.

Silence filled the interrogation room.

The medical team rushed inside, followed closely by forensic officers.

One of the doctors checked his pulse before slowly looking up.

“…Time of death confirmed.”

Hope remained kneeling beside the body.

She slowly unfolded the small piece of paper.

Only one sentence was written.

Want to play, Detective?

Hope stared at the words for several seconds.

Then carefully folded the note and placed it inside an evidence bag.

She looked once more at the lifeless body.

Very quietly, almost to herself, she murmured,

“So…”

“You want to play a game.”

She stood up and looked toward the forensic team.

“I want a complete toxicology report.”

“Blood analysis.”

“Every trace compound.”

“I don’t care how long it takes.”

“I want the exact cause of death.”

The lead forensic officer nodded.

“We’ll start immediately.”

Hope gave one final glance at the evidence bag in her hand.

Then silently walked out of the interrogation room.

The forensic team wheeled the body out of the interrogation room.

Hope and Sean stepped into the hallway.

Sean broke the silence.

"...What just happened?"

Hope slowly looked at the evidence bag in her hand.

"He handed me this note."

Sean nodded.

"I saw."

Hope's eyes remained fixed on the folded paper.

"He wasn't surprised."

Sean frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Hope looked back toward the interrogation room.

"He kept this note in his pocket..."

"...until the moment he collapsed."

She paused.

"That means he knew what was coming."

"He wasn't someone who suddenly died."

"He knew he was going to."

Sean looked at her, trying to process her words.

"So..."

"You think he planned this?"

Hope shook her head immediately.

"No."

"No one plans their own death."

She slowly held up the evidence bag.

"Someone is behind this."

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the words written on the note.

"And in this case..."

"...it was him."

Sean looked at the note once before turning toward the forensic team.

"I'll tell them to prioritize the report."

Hope nodded.

"I want the post-mortem and toxicology report the moment it's ready."

Sean walked away.

Hope remained standing in the quiet hallway, her fingers still holding the evidence bag.

She looked at the four words written on the paper one last time.

Want to play, Detective?

For the first time since the investigation began...

Hope felt like someone wasn't hiding from her anymore.

Someone had just made the first move.

Scene Two – Two Hours Later

Nearly two hours passed.

The station had become quieter.

Most officers had returned to their desks while Hope remained inside her office, the evidence bag containing the folded note lying beside the stack of security files.

She hadn't touched it again.

Instead...

She stared at the board filled with photographs of the convoy attack.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Sean entered carrying a brown forensic envelope.

"They're done."

Hope looked up immediately.

"The report?"

Sean nodded and handed it over.

Hope opened it without saying a word.

Her eyes moved quickly across the pages.

Blood analysis.

Toxicology.

Internal examination.

Then...

She stopped reading.

Sean noticed the change.

"What is it?"

Hope quietly read the final paragraph once again.

"The cause of death..."

She looked up.

"...was poisoning."

Sean frowned.

"Poison?"

Hope nodded slowly.

"But that's not the interesting part."

She handed him the report.

Sean read silently.

A few seconds later his eyes widened.

"It says the poison was designed to activate almost exactly two hours after entering the bloodstream."

Hope nodded.

"Almost to the minute."

Sean slowly lowered the report.

"So..."

"He was poisoned before he even came here."

Hope leaned back in her chair.

"Exactly."

Sean looked confused.

I don’t understand?

"And why are you smiling, Hope?"

"We just lost our only lead."

Hope looked toward the evidence bag on her desk.

"He knew we were going to bring him in."

Sean frowned.

"What?"

Hope stood and slowly walked toward the investigation board.

"He could've been killed anywhere."

"His house."

"The street."

"His office."

"Anywhere."

She turned back toward Sean.

"But whoever planned this..."

"...chose this."

She pointed toward the interrogation room visible through the glass corridor.

"They wanted him to die here."

"In front of us."

Sean crossed his arms.

"So..."

"You think whoever poisoned him timed everything perfectly?"

Hope nodded.

"They wanted me to watch him die."

Silence filled the room.

After a moment Sean spoke again.

"So how do you think they poisoned him?"

Hope remained quiet for several seconds.

Then she looked back at the evidence bag.

"I don't think..."

"...they poisoned him."

Sean blinked.

"What?"

Hope picked up the folded note.

"He gave me this..."

"...before he died."

She slowly unfolded it.

Want to play, Detective?

Hope continued,

"He knew he was poisoned."

"He knew his time was running out."

Sean looked puzzled.

"Then..."

"Why would he let himself die?"

Hope looked back at the forensic report.

"I don't know."

"Not yet."

"But I know one thing."

She placed both the report and the note side by side.

"The man who leaked Princess Sara's convoy details..."

"...didn't do it for money."

Sean frowned.

"How can you be sure?"

Hope folded her arms.

"If someone betrays the Royal Family for money..."

"They disappear."

"They take the cash."

"They leave the country."

"They never wait around."

She looked directly at Sean.

"But he stayed."

"He went back to work."

"He lived his normal life."

"As if nothing happened."

Sean slowly nodded.

"You're right..."

Hope continued,

"Which tells me..."

"He had something more valuable than money."

"Something he couldn't leave behind."

She looked back at Sean.

"I want everything about this man."

Sean immediately reached for his notebook.

"Family?"

Hope nodded.

"Everything."

"His wife."

"Children."

"Parents."

"Friends."

"Addresses."

"Daily routine."

"I want every single detail."

Sean closed the notebook.

"I'll start right away."

Scene Three – The Farmhouse

The afternoon sun bathed the farmhouse garden in a warm golden glow.

The investigation felt miles away.

For once...

The house was filled with nothing but laughter.

Sara sat cross-legged on the outdoor rug with a Ludo board spread between her and Leon.

Rose and Rachel occupied the garden bench nearby, each holding a glass of fresh lemonade.

Casey lazily slept beneath the table, completely uninterested in the fierce competition unfolding above him.

Sara rolled the dice.

"A six!"

She clapped excitedly.

"I told you my luck is back."

Leon smiled as he moved one of his pieces.

"We'll see."

Sara narrowed her eyes.

"You always say that."

"And then somehow you still lose."

Leon laughed.

"Maybe I'm just getting old."

Rose immediately joined in.

"Thirty isn't old."

Rachel looked at Leon.

"Don't listen to her."

"According to Rose, anyone above twenty-five is ancient."

Rose gasped dramatically.

"I never said that!"

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"You literally called Hope 'Grandma Detective' yesterday."

Sara burst into laughter.

"I forgot about that!"

Rose covered her face.

"I was joking!"

Rachel grinned.

"Hope didn't seem to think so."

Leon chuckled quietly while Sara rolled the dice again.

Another six.

She jumped happily.

"See!"

"I told you!"

Leon looked at the board before pretending to think very seriously.

"Hmm..."

"I may have made a terrible mistake."

Sara smiled proudly.

"You definitely did."

Rose leaned closer.

"I think Leo's losing on purpose."

Sara immediately looked at Leon.

"No!"

Leon looked offended.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm fighting for my life over here."

Rachel laughed.

"The only thing you're fighting is your little sister's ego."

Sara proudly folded her arms.

"My ego deserves respect."

Leon nodded dramatically.

"Clearly."

"I underestimated my opponent."

Sara pointed at him.

"Too late."

"I'm winning."

A few more turns later...

Sara reached the final square.

"I won!"

She threw both hands into the air.

"I actually won!"

Leon sighed dramatically.

"I've been defeated."

Sara immediately stood up and hugged him.

"I knew I could beat you one day."

Leon smiled warmly as he gently ruffled her hair.

"I knew you would."

Sara looked at him suspiciously.

"...Wait."

"You let me win."

Leon placed a hand over his heart.

"I'm deeply offended."

"I fought with honour."

Rose couldn't hold her laughter anymore.

"Oh please."

"You practically gifted her half the board."

Rachel nodded.

"I've never seen someone lose so politely."

Leon shrugged.

"What can I say?"

"My little sister looked too happy."

Sara smiled softly.

"You really did let me win..."

Leon looked at her for a moment before speaking.

"You've had enough difficult days recently."

"If losing one Ludo match makes you smile..."

"I'll happily lose another."

Sara's smile slowly faded into something softer.

She quietly wrapped her arms around him again.

"...Thank you."

Leon kissed the top of her head.

"You never have to thank your brother."

Rose looked at Rachel.

"I'm not crying."

Rachel smirked.

"Nobody said you were."

"It's just..."

"...the lemonade."

Rose quickly wiped the corner of her eye.

"Exactly."

"Lemonade."

Rachel couldn't stop smiling.

Scene – Back at the head quarters

Sean returned carrying another folder.

Hope immediately looked up.

“What did you find?”

Sean placed the file on her desk.

“He had a wife.”

“And a six-year-old son.”

Hope quietly listened.

Sean continued.

“According to the neighbours…”

“They disappeared two days before the convoy attack.”

“No one knows where they went.”

“No forwarding address.”

“They simply left in a car.”

Silence.

Hope slowly closed the file.

Sean looked at her.

“You were right.”

Hope nodded.

“The mastermind took them.”

Sean frowned.

“You think he kidnapped his family?”

Hope looked toward the investigation board.

“He gave this man only two choices.”

She spoke quietly.

“Die…”

“…or watch your family die.”

Sean lowered his head.

“He chose his family.”

Hope nodded once.

“He was a father before he was a traitor.”

Sean sighed.

“So…”

“We’re back to a dead end.”

Hope slowly picked up the evidence bag once again.

She looked at the four words written inside.

Then…

A faint smile appeared.

Sean noticed it.

“What?”

Hope held the note up.

“No, Sean.”

“We’re not at a dead end.”

She placed the note on the table between them.

“This man isn’t simply destroying evidence.”

“He’s talking to us.”

Sean stared at the note.

“What the hell…”

He seems like a maniac person

Hope’s eyes never left the paper.

“He wants me to play.”

She looked back at Sean.

“This isn’t an ordinary criminal trying to hide.”

“He made sure I watched a witness die.”

“He left me a message.”

“He timed everything perfectly…”

“…just so I’d understand there was someone behind it.”

Hope slowly folded the note and placed it back inside the evidence bag.

Then she quietly said,

“And you know what…”

A small confident smile crossed her face.

“This is becoming… interesting

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