Cause & Effect | Ominis Gaunt Love Story

Chapter 19: Breakfast with a Sociopath and 'the Stupid Looking One'

Ominis smiled wickedly and glanced at her sideways, "What about you, princess? Do you see the connection?"

She was ready to say no. The negation was on the tip of her tongue. After all, she wasn't a trained Auror—How would she know? And what was the point of trying and embarrassing herself?

But then she saw a tiny spark of confidence in his eye. It was new and didn't have much conviction, but it was something. The fact that he even cared to hear her opinion, appalled her. If this was 2024, her parents never would have asked her opinion. Mum or Dad would have pointed it out immediately and then started brainstorming. Bouncing ideas off each other. To be completely honest, Stella wouldn't have tried either. As soon as the question was presented to Mum, Dad, or even Scorp; she'd have left the room, and gone back to the solitude of her bookshop.

In the very little time that they'd known each other, she had impressed him with being able to see through his disillusionment charm.

However small, he had something akin to confidence in her abilities. It warmed her heart. This feeling of being... valued? She didn't really know what to call it.

Maybe it was time she started to see the value in her own abilities too. If this sociopath who didn't know a thing about her besides having a somewhat keen gaze had faith in her, then perhaps she ought to put herself out there more.

With renewed determination, Stella leaned forward and glanced at each of the photos carefully.

She could do this.

Chapter 19: Breakfast with a Sociopath and 'the Stupid Looking One'

Lucan had checked the body and the connections between each of the men multiple times. Ominis had told him that it's the small details that are important. If that was the case, then maybe the correlation between all four murders wasn't on the body, but in the crime scene. Stella switched her focus from the bodies which were all on the floor in varying poses, and looked elsewhere.

Despite them all being in different social classes, Stella noticed that there were flowers in some aspect of the photo. With the cravat wearing socialite, there was a large vase in the background full. For the ascot wearing middle class-man, another vase, but less extravagant. The other two poorer class wizards had smaller vases and single flowers.

In reality, having flowers wasn't a remarkable feat. But what was the likelihood that all those flowers happened to be yellow roses.

The moment she reached out and pointed to the flowers in one of the photos, a predatory smile rose on his lips. "Good girl."

Lucan's head swiveled between each of the photos. "These all look fresh. This could be the killer's signature." His eyebrows drew together, "But why roses?"

"I don't think they're in season." Stella noticed plates and pitchers magically floating to the dining table as Tobbs prepared breakfast. "Which means that whoever is leaving flowers at the scene is growing them on her own." She glanced over at Ominis, "Doesn't that make it more difficult to identify the killer? If we can't figure out where she purchased the flowers?"

He looked over at Lucan and raised an eyebrow. That made the younger Auror's back straighten, "Not necessarily. She would have had to purchase seeds for those flowers and with them being out of season, there's likely not a long list."