A The attraction of doubt

The rain was falling heavily on the city, creating puddles that reflected the flickering neon lights of the deserted streets. The yellow light of the street lamps barely filtered through the thick layer of clouds covering the sky. Everything seemed calm, as if the city itself was holding its breath, waiting for something terrible.

At the police station, the atmosphere was heavy, filled with the exhaustion of piling investigations and the constant chatter of conversations. Daniel Martin, a police inspector in his thirties, was going through the files with a tired gaze. A recent investigation occupied all his thoughts-a gruesome murder in the city's upscale neighborhood. The victim, a respected and influential man, had been found in his apartment, shot multiple times in the heart.

Everyone had theories about the murderer, but the truth, so far, remained out of reach. The main suspect, however, was a woman. A young woman, strikingly beautiful, who seemed straight out of a masterpiece painting, yet her eyes hid a disturbing depth.

Her name was Claire Dufresne.

She had been the close friend of the victim. They had met in the art world, a story of encounters at galas and luxury exhibitions, but no one really knew what kind of relationship they had. Claire didn't seem like a murderer. She appeared soft, calm, perhaps even innocent. But the evidence was clear: she was the last person seen with the victim before his death. And her statements were strangely vague.

Daniel couldn't shake the image of her face, a cold and perplexing beauty. Every interview with her left him more unsettled. How could someone like Claire be involved in such a brutal crime? And why, despite his instincts, did his heart scream that there was more to her than what he could see?

When he was assigned this case, he had immediately sensed its complexity. His sense of justice told him to follow the facts, to ignore his emotions, to treat every suspect equally, regardless of their appearance. But the attraction he felt for Claire complicated things. He wasn't sure what he felt, except for a strange fascination that unsettled him with each encounter.

His thoughts were interrupted by the abrupt entrance of his colleague, Serge, who dropped a pile of papers on his desk.