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Finn grinned sheepishly as he gotback on his feet, wanting to pass it off as deliberate. In a spontaneous move,he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in for a kiss. A blush crept upAmelia's cheeks as she gently pushed him back.
"Finn," she chidedsoftly, "we can't... not here."
His smile remained warm as henodded understandingly. "Of course, Amelia. I am, as always, a consummateprofessional."
Amelia took a moment to composeherself before suggesting their next course of action. "Before we call ita day, let's go speak with Emily Stanton's boyfriend. He might have moreinsights that could shed light on this tangled web we're unraveling."
Finn's gaze held hers for alingering moment before he nodded in agreement. The unspoken understandingbetween them resonated in that shared look, a bond forged through countlesscases and whispered confidences.
With resolve in their hearts anddetermination etched into their expressions, Finn and Amelia set off once moreinto the labyrinthine world of shadows and secrets that awaited them beyond thedimly lit room.
CHAPTER FIVE
Finn rapped sharply on theweathered door of Liam's apartment, the sound echoing down the dimly lithallway. It swung open to reveal a figure that seemed to teeter on the edge ofcollapse, eyes red-rimmed and a week's worth of stubble lining his jaw.
"Mr. Holden?" Finn asked,though he already knew the answer.
"Y-yeah," Liam's voicewas a hoarse whisper, "That's me."
"Detective Wright," Finnintroduced himself, stepping inside with Amelia close behind. "This isInspector Winters. We spoke with you earlier today. We’re here aboutEmily."
“Oh, yes,” he said, rubbing histemples as though he had only just awoken. “Come in.”
The apartment reeked of stale beerand greasy food. Empty bottles clinked underfoot as they moved further into thechaos. Amelia's nose seemed wrinkled in distaste momentarily, but she remainedsilent, her gaze scanning the room with practiced detachment.
"Sorry 'bout the mess,"Liam muttered, watching as Finn navigated through the detritus with carefulsteps. "Haven't really been up for cleaning today."
"Understandable," Finnsaid, his tone even, but not unkind. He stopped by a table littered with papersand picked up an old-fashioned pocket watch. "It's never easy to take inlosing someone like this."
"I still don’t believe it,I…" Liam couldn't finish the sentence, choking on his grief.
"We’re sorry to disturb you,”Amelia offered, gently. “But we need to go over a few things if we’re to catchthe person who killed Emily.”
Liam nodded.
“Can you tell us about Emily'sbehavior lately?" Amelia asked in a professional tone. “Any changes thatmight suggest things were different for her?”
Liam wiped at his eyes with theback of his hand, then nodded slowly. "She was looking for a new angle forher live streams, Something to make her stand out. She got real deep into oldbooks, essays." He gestured vaguely toward a shelf crammed withleather-bound volumes.
"Victorian novels?" Finnquestioned, examining the spines of the books. Authors from another era gazedback at him through golden lettering.
“I think so,” he answered. “Butthat wasn’t really my kind of thing.”
"And what would she do withthis newfound interest?" Amelia asked.
“I think Emily thought she could dosomething where she visited Victorian locations and talk about them,” Liamreplied.
"With all respect," Finnadded. "That doesn't sound like it would captivate a modern streamingaudience. Did she have another angle?"
“Emily was interested in themacabre side of that time,” Liam explained. “Her angle was strange stories ofVictorian Britain. Murders, weird traditions, that sort of thing. People lapthat up.”
A thought crossed Finn’s mind.“Weird traditions? Tell me, Liam, did Emily ever show interest in Victoriantechnology? Unusual inventions of the time, that sort of thing?”
"Yes, actually. And clocks,too. She started collecting them," Liam added, pointing towards a cornerwhere a small array of antique timepieces sat. Their faces, frozen at differenthours, seemed to mock the very concept of order.
"Clocks?" Amelia echoed,her curiosity piqued.
"Antique ones. Watches,too," Liam confirmed. "Got 'em all over the place."
