"So, when did you get the key back?" asked Ethan.
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Ivory's eyes widened for a moment before she regained her composure.
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"You mean the house key?" she asked.
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"Yeah," replied Ethan.
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"Two days before Mark's death. Does it have something to do with his death?" asked Ivory.
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"Maybe. Where did you find it?" asked Ethan.
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"Mark did. He said he found it under the couch," said Ivory.
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"Under the couch?" murmured Ethan.
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"It must have slipped without me noticing. Why?" said Ivory.
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"Is it just a coincidence that you found the key right before Mark's death?" said Ethan.
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"What do you mean?" asked Ivory.
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"Ivory, you lost the key almost a month ago and then suddenly found it back one day. And just two days after that, Mark was murdered. And there was no sign of a break-in," said Ethan.
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Ivory gasped. "Ethan, could it mean that whoever murdered Mark had the key? That explains the lack of a break-in," said Ivory, connecting the dots.
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"It is possible. That day when we found those daisies, even then there was no sign of a break-in. Remember?" asked Ethan.
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Ivory's eyes widened at the realisation. "You're right. Not once was there any sign of a break-in."
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"Ethan?" Ivory called suddenly, her eyes wide.
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"Yes?" said Ethan.
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"Even this time when he appeared, I don't think he broke my door or locks. He was outside my gate and barely a few moments later, he was standing in front of me," said Ivory.
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"Your locks and door are both intact," said Ethan thoughtfully.
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"Did you see or hear him unlock the door?" asked Ethan.
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"I was too scared to pay attention to any details, Ethan. I'm so sorry. But I'm sure the door was locked, and I didn't open it. Yet it wasn't broken when he entered. So, he must have the key. That's the only explanation," said Ivory.
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"Hm," nodded Ethan. "At least that's what it looks like." He paused, then asked, "Did he say something to you? Anything at all?"
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"No, I fainted almost immediately," replied Ivory.
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Ethan spoke after thinking for a moment. "It is possible he made duplicate keys when you lost the original or probably you didn't lose it, instead he stole the key in the first place."
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"I can't believe I missed such an important detail. I didn't even tell this to the police," said Ivory, worried.
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"Don't worry, I'll tell them. For now, we can assume that the stalker has your house key," said Ethan.
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"That's dangerous. Should I change my lock?" asked Ivory.
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Ethan nodded. "That's a good idea. Do it once you're out of here."
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"You know what's bothering me?" asked Ethan.
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Ivory shook her head, waiting for him to continue.
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"He had plenty of time to kill Mark, yet he waited for you to find the key back before doing so. He could have shown himself anytime, yet he decided to do it when both of us were present. And then, suddenly, the next day, he directly appeared in front of you, in broad daylight which is a big risk. He could have been waiting inside your home until night. And despite all this, he never truly hurt you", said Ethan.
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"Ethan..." Ivory's brow furrowed as she realised something.
"That evening we were going to the police, remember? If he had decided to hide in the house, he would have been caught. Maybe he knew that somehow."
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"You mean he may have overheard our conversation somehow?" asked Ethan, his eyes wide.
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"It's just an assumption, Ethan," said Ivory.
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"Hm, but it's possible. That night he suddenly vanished, and then showed up the next morning. He knew the risks. But you know what I still don't understand?" asked Ethan.
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"What?" asked Ivory.
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"That-how is it even possible for him to listen to our conversations? He wasn't even in the range of hearing. Remember?" said Ethan.
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"If he heard our conversation, then there are only two possibilities: first, he was in range and we just didn't notice-though vanishing like that is physically impossible. Second, he was being informed somehow."
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Ethan's expression turned thoughtful. "And how would he be informed? Did you tell someone about this?" asked Ethan gently.
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"No. The only person I called after that was you. Is it possible for him to listen to our phone conversations?" asked Ivory.
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Ethan shook his head. "It's not possible, Ivory. And even if it was, it would still require him some time to act. He showed up mid-phone call," said Ethan.
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"So, it was already a part of his plan?" asked Ivory.
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"Yes, that's the only explanation for now. But the bigger question that comes with it is: what is he even planning? He showed up-but for what? He didn't hurt you, he didn't take anything. Then why did he show up again in the morning when he had already shown us his presence the night before?" said Ethan.
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"Ethan, is he after me because I'm trying to avenge Mark's death? Or was killing Mark always part of a bigger plan?" asked Ivory.
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"I can't say for sure, Ivory. But the latter seems more likely to me. If it was all about Mark's death, he would've never shown himself again-it's too risky. Especially with the daisies and everything else. And given how deliberate Mark's death was, it definitely doesn't look like the end," said Ethan.
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"So... He is after me? Or at least does he know me?" asked Ivory, her voice trembling.
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Ethan sighed heavily. "I can't say if he's after you or not. He had plenty of chances, but he didn't act on them. But I think he knows you. He knows you like daisies. And maybe... he even knew you'd have a panic attack if you saw him that night, that you'd end up in the hospital the next day."
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Ivory gulped.
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"Wait-" Ethan's eyes widened as he realised something. "Ivory, he knows you're here. Your reports were scattered on the ground. That's how the police found you. He must have seen those too."
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"Is it dangerous even in the hospital?" Ivory's face paled.
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Ethan saw her reaction and immediately understood. If he pushed too hard, she'd spiral again. She was still sensitive, and all of this was overwhelming her.
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He gently held Ivory's hand, his voice steady and comforting. "No, it's not dangerous here. Just stay a little alert. Besides, I'll visit you whenever you need me. Don't be scared."
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Ivory's eyes welled up at his words. "Thank you, Ethan. You're the only one I can trust now."
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Ethan's breath hitched, a strange warmth spreading through his chest. "I'm here for you," he said softly.
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"Mark always said that," Ivory whispered, sobbing quietly.
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Ethan forced a smile. "What did he say?"
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Ivory wiped off her tears. "That he'd always be there for me, no matter what. He held me every time I had a panic attack until I calmed down. Back in college too, I remember how worried he used to get over my health," she said softly, shaking her head and smiling sadly at the memory.
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Ethan felt his chest tighten. He remembered everything all over again-Mark's arms wrapped around Ivory, rubbing patterns on her arm to soothe her, while all Ethan could do was offer her some water. How Mark always kept extra medicines for her, just in case. She never paid much attention then, but Mark was always there. And now, suddenly, he was gone.
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"Yeah, I remember," said Ethan, his voice low, trying to keep the pain from breaking through. "You two were really made for each other."
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"I really miss him. I want to get him justice. That's the least I could do for him", said Ivory, sad but determined.
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Ethan's grip on Ivory's hand tightened. "Yes, we will find the criminal and serve justice to Mark."
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They stayed like that for a few more minutes, Ethan still holding Ivory's hand. The silence was comforting for both of them after the intense panic of the past few hours.
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Ethan finally broke the silence, though he didn't want to. "I have to go now. Need to work on the case", he said, getting up.
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Ivory nodded. "Be careful, Ethan. I don't want to lose you too", she whispered.
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Ethan felt his heart skip a beat at her words. Smiling gently, he cupped her cheeks. "I will be careful. Take care."
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Just as he was about to leave, the nurse came rushing in with another small bouquet of daisies. Both Ethan's and Ivory's eyes widened instantly-they both understood what it meant. The stalker had left these, which meant he had been inside the hospital at some point.
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Ethan gingerly took the bouquet. This time, there was a note attached:
NOTE: FOR IVORY.
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He opened it, only to find something written that made his eyes widen.
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"What's in there, Ethan?" asked Ivory, panicking slightly.
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Ivory's alarmed voice snapped him back to reality, and he handed her the note.
NOTE: FOR IVORY. She opened it, and her face paled.
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On opening the note, it read:
WHY DID YOU LIE TO YOUR DETECTIVE?
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Ethan rushed out of the room, scanning the hall and reception, searching everywhere, wondering if the person was still there, hiding among so many people. But all he found was disappointment.
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He hurried back into the room and asked the nurse, "Where did you find this? Did you see anyone suspicious?"
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"It was left at reception. I didn't see who brought it. The receptionist must have seen him."
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Ethan nodded and went straight to the receptionist. "Who left the daisies here?"
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"Umm... a little boy dropped them off", replied the receptionist.
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"What? Where is he now? What did he look like?" asked Ethan in one breath.
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"He dropped this and ran away. He was short, with ruffled hair and brown eyes", said the receptionist.
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"Damn it!" muttered Ethan, running his hand through his hair.
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He went back to Ivory, who was still in shock.
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"That bastard sent those flowers through a kid", said Ethan grimly.
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"Ethan... was he listening to our conversation? That message... Is it his way of showing that he's always around?" asked Ivory, her voice trembling.
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"Maybe." Ethan paused before continuing, "What did that message mean? Did you lie to me about something?"
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Ivory opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she just shook her head.
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"Ivory, you understand that you need to tell me the truth, right?" Ethan asked firmly.
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"I know, Ethan. But we haven't even discussed anything where I might need to lie. I really don't know what that message means," said Ivory.
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Ethan nodded. "I'll go report this to the police as well, and then I'll check the cameras in the reception."
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With that, Ethan walked out and drove straight to the police station. He updated the officer on what had happened and then requested the camera recordings.
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He watched the footage patiently, where he saw exactly what the receptionist had described: a little boy walked in, placed the daisies on the desk, and ran away, the receptionist calling after him. But there was no sign of the stalker. Ethan went through the recordings of the following hours as well, but nothing suspicious appeared.
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He also tried finding the boy, asking nearby people if they had seen him, but got no information. He inquired if anyone had noticed a suspicious-looking man, but again, nothing.
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It was as if Ethan was searching for a ghost who could appear and disappear at will.
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Ethan sat down in his car, tired and frustrated. He started summing up everything that had happened, trying to notice if he had missed something in between.
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Nearly a week ago, Ivory had called him, asking to meet, though she hadn't told him why.
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Three days later, he met her at the coffee shop. She told him about Mark's death-how his heart was precisely cut out while no other organs were touched or stolen. There had been no sign of a break-in.
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Then Ethan went to her house to see the crime scene himself, where he reviewed the autopsy report. It confirmed that the work had been done by a professional.
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They had gone downstairs into the kitchen because he wanted some water. That's when he noticed the daisies-sitting there with no tag or sender. Again, no forced entry. Nothing stolen.
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That was when Ivory finally confessed about a shadow that had been following her for some time, though she hadn't paid much attention to it until then.
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Ethan had then submitted those daisies to forensics. When he returned later, Ivory had requested him to stay the night offering Mark's room to him.
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That night, Ivory brought his dinner upstairs, and that's when both of them saw the shadow for the first time. Tall, with broad shoulders. Ivory fell into a panic attack, and the shadow disappeared. While Ethan was comforting her, he went downstairs to check but found nothing. He asked her to visit the doctor the next day.
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The following morning, he reminded her again to see the doctor, and promised to file a report about the stalker that evening. Then he left for his house.
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Before afternoon, Ethan got a call from Ivory. She was panicking, saying the stalker was outside her front door. The call ended abruptly. He reported it to the police immediately and quickly drove to her house.
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Her phone was found smashed, and the police had already taken her to Dr. Natalie, whom they later discovered from scattered reports.
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They inquired everyone close to Ivory or Mark-friends, colleagues, everyone: checking their locations, call history, attendance, and whereabouts. All of it was confirmed. None of them showed any sign of knowing the stalker.
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He also met a girl named Hazel during the investigation, someone who clearly hated Mark and was bitter about Ethan as well, just because Ethan was trying to find Mark's killer.
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Then Ethan learned about a fight between Mark and Ivory, and that Ivory had lost her house key a month ago. Still, no one spoke ill of their relationship. Everyone described them as the perfect couple.
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After that, Ethan went to the hospital to meet Ivory, but the nurse didn't allow him to see her, so he had to wait until night.
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In the meantime, he checked Ivory's phone locations for the entire month before Mark's death, searching for anything unusual. But he found nothing. Ivory simply used to go to the office and came back home late at night due to overtime, just like she said.
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Finally, after more than nine hours, Ethan met Ivory. The doctor explained that her surgery had lasted barely two to three hours but due to her sensitive condition, she couldn't meet anyone.
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Ivory said she couldn't see the stalker's face since it was covered. And the stalker hadn't hurt her either. All her injury came from her heart condition and the instant panic that had struck her.
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The doctor said she needed to be kept under observation for at least one to two weeks.
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Today, when he visited Ivory, she told him that she had found the key
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two days before Mark's death. They talked quietly for a while.
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Then the nurse rushed in, explaining that someone had left daisies with a bizarre note. It had been dropped off by a little boy-likely sent by the stalker.
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and then Add to home screen.