Chapter 4: The Bride's Blind Spot and the Sharp Tongue

Time: Friday Afternoon, 4:00 PM – Saturday, 1:15 PM

Setting: Kat’s Apartment (Friday) and A Busy Bistro (Saturday)

Part I: The Uninvited Guest

The scent of jasmine and anxiety hit Jana the moment Kat Kaine opened the door. Kat, her best friend since college, was five days away from her wedding.

Jana offered a small, genuine smile. “Deep breaths, Kat. They all look white in the end.”

While helping Kat sort through ribbons, Jana pressed gently about the recent death of Mark Dowman, Kat's brother Steve's closest friend. Kat insisted she barely knew Mark, but admitted Steve was devastated and withdrawn.

Exactly fifty minutes later, the chime rang. Jana opened the door to find Adrian Thorne.

“Detective Thorne,” Jana said, her voice dangerously flat.

“I apologize for the intrusion, Jana,” he returned, his eyes scanning the room. “I need a private word with Steve Kaine. Is he here?”

Before Jana could lie, Kat chirped from the living room. “Adrian! What are you doing here? Steve’s on his way. Come in!”

Thorne stepped past Jana, their shoulders brushing in a calculated, charged tension.

Jana made an excuse to leave, but Thorne’s quiet voice stopped her. “Don't run, Jana. You have nowhere left to hide.”

Part II: The Uncomfortable Truce

The next day, Jana was stuck between Kat and Steve Kaine at a busy downtown bistro for a forced 'peace lunch.' Steve, visibly grieving his friend Mark Dowman, was tense, his public anger towards Jana masking a complex, secret connection.

“I need you two to be civil,” Kat pleaded, exasperated by the silence. “You have to coexist until Wednesday.”

Jana decided to push him, needing to gauge his state.

“I’m perfectly civil, Kat,” Jana said, her tone cool. “I’m here to support you. Though, I have to say, I'm glad your brother finally got kissed.”

Steve froze, his hands stilling. His eyes snapped up with a furious intensity that felt raw and personal—a look Jana knew intimately from their secret late-night meetings.

“What the hell are you talking about, Jana?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Jana feigned confusion. “I’m talking about Mark. I meant I’m glad his soul is at rest, even if it’s tragic. Isn’t that what people say?” (She knew the word "kissed" was an obscure reference to the ligature mark on Mark's body).

“Shut up, Jana,” he hissed finally.

Kat looked bewildered. “God, you two are exhausting. What was that all about?”

Jana shrugged elegantly, throwing a public challenge at the man she secretly liked. “I may have been baiting him. I know Steve doesn’t like me. Never has.”

Steve scoffed, forced to play the part. “And I know Jana doesn't like me. She always treated Mark's and my circle like hurdles to overcome.”

Kat threw her hands up in utter exasperation. “Yes! Thank you! It’s exhausting! You both have always been like two territorial cats circling each other. I love you both, but you clearly don’t like each other, and frankly, I don’t like him or her when you’re together! Now, can we just focus on the seating chart before I invite Detective Thorne to arrest both of you for emotional distress?”

Jana ignored Kat, her gaze meeting Steve's briefly—a mix of challenge and silent communication. His sharp reaction to the "kiss" comment, combined with his private fear she'd heard on the phone, confirmed he was hiding something vital about his friend Mark Dowman's death.

The public tension between Jana and Steve was a thin shield over a dangerous, secret relationship, and the murder of Mark Dowman threatened to expose both.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***