After taking a taxi, she returned to the hotel where Leandra was staying in. Passing the reception and tourists with a large number of suitcases, she entered the familiar elevator, smelling a slight smell of tobacco in it. The door opened, she went out and froze… The door to Leandra’s room was open, several police officers were working inside and two others were standing outside, not letting in strangers. What the hell happened here?

Under the cold gaze of these two officers, she looked inside and saw a girl she knew. “Adrianna?”

Adrianna Hale was a detective and Mireya’s and friend for quite some time – their fathers were investigators for the Chicago Police Force until their families moved to Los Angeles. But the presence of Adrianna made Mireya feel trembling in her body and growing excitement – Detective Hale was investigating the murders.

Hearing Mireya’s voice, Adrianna turned around and having said something to her colleagues, she approached her. “Mireya? You already know?”

“What about?” Mireya involuntarily took a step back.

“Let’s step away, okay?” Adrianna put her hand on Mireya’s shoulder, and they walked to the window at the end of the corridor.

Adrianna tried to find words. “I’m sorry to say that. I don’t know if you were still friends. But it’s always hard to lose someone who was your friend once. Mireya…” She slowed down. “Leandra was killed last night.”

Mireya froze. But she did not feel the expected shock, but still tears dripped down from her eyes. “How did it happen?”

“Someone strangled her.” Adrianna answered. “Our people are checking her room, but… All the fingerprints were deliberately erased, so the killer obviously tried to cover up the tracks.”

“Wait…” Mireya raised her hand. “Someone called me from her cell phone this morning. I thought she wanted to talk, and I came here. I didn’t know that she…”

“Her cell was stolen, but we will try to track where the incoming call came from.” Adrianna said. “Tell me, when did she return?”

Adrianna knew Leandra from the beginning of her friendship with Mireya, but they almost didn’t communicate with each other – different interests, different opinions, and even a mutual friend couldn’t make them at least “just friends”.

“She said she came back yesterday.” Mireya answered. “Can you check it out?”

“Of course we can. So, she called you?”

“Yes, she did. It was too sudden.” Mireya chuckled. “After so much time, our conversation took only a few minutes and now… I didn’t even ask why she came and…” Mireya felt the current pass through her body. “I left her room when we talked, and she just locked the door.”

Adrianna raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

“Well, it was strange of her.” Mireya looked along the corridor. “What if her killer was there when I was outside? I could stop this one?”

“Or this one would have killed both of you. All right, listen to me…” Adrianna took Mireya by the shoulders. “Theoretically, you are the last one who saw her alive. And sorry, that makes you a suspect. You need to go with me to the station; our people have already checked the video surveillance cameras. Mireya, the time of Leandra’s death coincides with the time of your visit. I’m afraid you need a lawyer.”

***

Arriving at the police station, Mireya passed through a typical working chaos – the detectives’ desks were clogged with documents, phone calls did not ever stop, the sweet smell of their favourite donuts and coffee spread, it seemed throughout the building. Adrianna led her to the interrogation room, where there was a silver table and two chairs, also cameras and microphones that recorded everything was happening in it.

“Is it all so bad?” Mireya asked, sitting down at the table.

Adrianna sat down in front of her, opening a folder for entries. “That’s what we have – you left Leandra’s room, the time of your departure coincides with the approximate time of her death. After you left, someone left her room, but a couple of hours after she left, and it wasn’t Leandra because the door was opened with an electronic key, but someone hacked it to open it; the sensor still worked. So Leandra wasn’t alone there. The cameras were turned off when that unknown came out and left the hotel.”

“The police think it was me?”

“Listen. In her hotel room, all fingerprints were erased, except from a glass of water – there are yours and Leandra’s on it. Yes, the detectives believe you could leave after you committed the murder, but then you came back to cover up the tracks and therefore found a way to turn off the cameras.”

Mireya chuckled. “So I did not turn off the camera before committing the murder and just so quietly left the body of the murdered friend? But then I came back and… Heck! I decided to cover up the tracks, hiding myself. God, that sounds stupid!”