Detective On Duty-Chapter 20: Fight With Katherine And James

She’s so lovely, can’t wait to have you Katherine Vance, if I don’t have you then no other man will.’ Adrian thought, fantasizing about having her on his bed.

Adrian gave a polite nod and the two of them walked out of the diner. They stood on the sidewalk for a moment, exchanging pleasantries. Adrian offered a warm, friendly smile and shook Katherine’s hand. "It was a wonderful evening, Katherine. Thank you for coming."

Unbeknownst to them, a few feet away, a dark-haired man in a fine suit watched the entire exchange from the shadows. James Anderson saw the way Katherine laughed with Adrian, the comfortable ease between them, and finally, the way they shook hands. A hot, furious jealousy flared up inside him. He had just confessed his feelings to her, asked her to be his girlfriend, and here she was, having dinner with another man. He turned on his heel, his face a mask of rage, and went home in a fury.

Katherine entered the front door of the house she was now temporarily staying at, a soft smile on her face. The day had been long but lovely. The smile vanished the moment she saw James. He was standing in the middle of the living room, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his eyes blazing with anger.

"What’s going on?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"You happened!" he shouted, his voice rough and loud. "What were you doing with that guy? Who is he?"

Katherine’s eyes widened in shock. The sheer force of his anger was a physical blow. "What are you talking about?" she stammered, feeling a wave of betrayal wash over her. "Were you... were you stalking me?"

"I saw you!" he roared, taking a step toward her. "I need an explanation, Katherine. Right now."

Katherine, hurt and confused, took a step back. "He’s Adrian, the one who did his birthday at his house, the day I met you," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Ava’s boyfriend. We’ve known each other for a long time, but we’ve never had a chance to talk alone. Today was the first time we ever had dinner together. Why are you so bothered? Do you not trust me?"

James’s angry expression faltered. He opened his mouth, stammered, and then went quiet. The fight had drained from him, leaving behind only shame and regret. He looked at her, truly looked at her, and saw the pain in her eyes. He had ruined everything.

Without another word, Katherine turned, walked out of the house, and went home, leaving James standing in the middle of the room, his fists unclenched, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew he had made a mistake, and his foolish jealousy had pushed her away.

Katherine was exhausted as she lay on her bed, her mind still replaying the scene with James. His outburst had hurt her deeply. It wasn’t just his anger; it was the lack of trust it implied. She felt a profound sense of disappointment, a cloud hanging over the hopeful new beginning she had imagined.

Sighing, she pushed herself out of bed and went to freshen up. As she returned to her room, she saw a familiar sight on her doormat: a letter. It was a cream-colored envelope, sealed with a familiar wax stamp. She was used to James sending her letters now; he often wrote to her throughout the day. She picked it up, a sense of weary anticipation settling over her.

"It better makes sense cause I won’t still forgive him if it doesn’t," she uttered, filled with anticipation, she went in locked the door behind her and she sat at her small writing table, the soft glow of the table lamp illuminating the room. She opened the envelope and unfolded the paper, her eyes scanning his bold, confident handwriting.

My dearest Katherine,

I am so deeply sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you like that. I was jealous of seeing you with another man, and my foolish pride got the better of me. Please forgive me.

If you want to see how truly sorry I am, how about you invite your friend Ava and her boyfriend Adrian for a double dinner date? We can all get to know each other. I’ll make sure it’s an evening to remember. Is that okay? 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Katherine sighed, the fight draining out of her. She couldn’t stay angry with him. A small smile touched her lips, she bit her lips seductively. She picked up a sheet of her own stationery and began to write.

The next morning, Katherine sealed her letter and put on her coat. She walked to the local post office, the familiar bell on the door chiming as she entered. She handed the letter to the clerk, paying for the postage, and with a final glance at the neat envelope, she left, knowing it would be delivered to James’s house by the next post.

Meanwhile, at the Aethelred Initiative office, Cecilia sat poring over Katherine’s diaries. Her desk was a mess of open notebooks and scattered notes. She pulled out a few envelopes from one of the diary’s pages, where Katherine had tucked them away. One was clearly from James Anderson, his elegant script undeniable, she knew it was James because he always wrote "from your love James" at the bottom of the letter.

But another envelope, on a different page, caught her eye. The handwriting was different—a quick, almost careless scrawl—and there was no sender’s address. She opened it and read the short note:

"You were good tonight. - C."

"Who could that be?" Cecilia wondered aloud, her brow furrowed in concentration. The note was cryptic, and it didn’t seem to fit the narrative of James’s romantic gestures. It was a new piece to the puzzle, one that left her with more questions than answers. "I thought she James was her only lover, does she have another boyfriend? Do James even know about this? Was this the reason he broke up with her?" Questions clouded her thoughts, unable for her to think clearly and concentrate that made her hold her head in frustration.