A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth woke up a little early the next morning or you could say that she didn't get any sleep last night. But it was not because of any worry or problem. In the years, she couldn't sleep because of her excitement.

She had a sweet smile itched on her face since she woke up. She met Mr and Mrs Payne on her way to work and they were also puzzled why their sweet Ruth was joyous and chirpy today.

Even Claire was confused at her strange behaviour and before she could poke that little happy bubble of hers with her sharp tongue, Ruth dashed from there.

Soon Ruth reached Mr Cooper's tailoring shop and met Thea.

"Good morning, dear best friend!" She greeted her with a wide smile.

Thea cocked her brow at her friend who was in a different mood today. "Good morning! Someone's all sunshine today!" She commented.

"Of course! And why shouldn't I? It is the pay day afterall!" Ruth exclaimed that made their coworkers giggle at her enthusiasm.

"Let her be, Thea. It's her first salary day. Let the little girl have her moment." A coworker who was in her mid age said with a smile.

After spending a month working there, Ruth had achieved double success. She had managed to warm up her coworkers towards her and she had proved her capability to be recruited as a permanent worker to Mr Cooper.

"Ladies! I don't hear you working instead of your useless chattering. Get back to your work or..." Mr Cooper trailed off with his threat while muttering some incoherent words under his breath.

Every woman rushed to their respective workstations and started with their task in their hands.

"What's wrong with him?" Ruth whispered.

"Oh don't mind him. Mr Cooper is in an exceptionally bad mood on every month's payday." Thea answered giving a glance at the old man, who was busy scribbling something in a register.

His face looked grim, his thick brows knotted in the middle of his forehead.

"Just wait till he gives us money. His face looks priceless!" Another woman giggled remembering their employer's habit and how it pained him to pay his employees.

The day went slower than every day but that was the case only with Ruth. And soon the time came for which she was anticipating for.

She stood with a smiling face in front of the annoyed-looking Mr Cooper. And she could see what her coworker was talking about his expressions.

He looked like he was ripping away one of his body parts to give it away. Ruth stifled her giggle when Thea mimicked him.

"Miss Moore, you have done a decent job these days. The customers are satisfied with your service, especially Mrs Lansdowne. The lady is impressed with you."

Ruth was delighted to hear this, all her efforts paid well she thought.

"Does that mean I can work here permanently?" She asked expectantly.

The man thinned his lips not wanting to answer her but the way his face changed expressions, she knew the answer. But listening to it from his mouth was a different level of satisfaction.

"Hmm."

"Hmm as in hmm or hmm as in yes, Ms Moore, you can work here permanently?" She was truly enjoying the old man's discomfort.

His eyes hardened. "Yes, Ms Moore, you can work here until I pleased." He said emphasizing the last three words.

Ruth nodded her head vigorously. She couldn't contain her happiness anymore.

"Thank you very much, Mr Cooper! I will not disappoint you!" She beamed with promising words.

After the work, Ruth and Thea bid goodbyes to their fellow workers and walked towards the direction of the local market instead of their respective homes.

It was Ruth's first pay and she wanted to buy something good for dinner. She also decided to buy some fish for Mr and Mrs Payne. Thea's mother had also instructed her to buy some fruits and vegetables, so she decided to accompany Ruth on her little shopping spree.

"What are you going to do with your first pay, Ms Moore?" Thea asked.

"All my pay will be for paying the rent of my house and some for buying the groceries and other essentials. I also have to return the money that I took from Mr and Mrs Payne in the time of need."

They reached the local market in a few minutes as it was not far from the tailoring shop. Small stalls were set up on both sides of the road. Venders were busy attending to the crowd of customers.

The market was divided into three parts. In the first part, there were stalls and shops for fresh vegetables and fruits. Most of them displayed the locally grown produce but some of them had the imported produce from neighbouring land too.

The second part which was adjacent to the first one was a fish market. The fishermen caught the fresh fish and their family members sold them in the market. Some sellers, who couldn't go fishing themselves, bought an ample amount of fish from the fishermen at a reasonable price and then sold it at a market price.

The third section was nothing but a place of all delicacies and street food. There were small shacks and stalls with colourful roofs made of paper or cloth, that sold various types of dishes at a lower price than the restaurants.

And the two women decided to visit all three of them.

"So you will be left with no savings?" Thea asked while choosing bright red ripened tomatoes that her mother told her to get.

"Not this month at least. I want to return all the debt first then from the next month I will start saving some money." Ruth replied.

"Ruth, I am happy that you got a stable job! It was refreshing to see your bright smile back." Thea gave a genuine smile which Ruth returned with hers.

'It happened because of you', Ruth wanted to tell her friend that for the umpteenth time but she knew that Thea would not like it so she didn't voice out loudly.

"Please pack one kilogram of these." Thea requested the vendor.

Ruth watched the bags full of vegetables and fruits with Thea. "Thea, I know that your mother had told you to shop but I think the amount of things you have with you is more than what you need."

Thea sighed. "I know, but here is the list my mother made for me." She gave a piece of paper to Ruth.

Ruth curiously glanced at the list and with the little education that her mother had provided her, she read the words written in it.

Her eyes widened reading the long list. "This is too much!"

"I know. I told my mother that I can not carry heavy bags to home and she should cancel some of these items but she said that we are having special guest over a dinner."

Paying the seller the right amount of money, Thea thanked him and then picked her bags from the ground. Her hands indeed couldn't carry those heavy bags and hence, Ruth offered her help.

"Let me help you carry them."

Giving two bags from her, Thea felt relieved. "Thank you, Ruth!"

After getting all the vegetables that they needed, they both headed to the second section.

"Who is this special guest?" Ruth was not a person who pry into other's personal life but Thea had become like her family. And all that awkwardness and formalities seized to exist between them.

"Oh, I don't know. My mother didn't tell me. But looking at the amount of shopping she has made me do, it must be someone special and my mother wants to impress the person with her fantastic cooking skills."

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"Is there any update?" Rees asked the man that came to meet him in the premises of 'the great manor'.

Both men stood in the garden where they were sure that there were no eyes and ears to pry on their conversation.

"Yes. The suspect was in his house for days that we began to think that maybe we were misled and were keeping watch on the wrong person. But yesterday, he stepped out of his house and went to buy flowers."

"Flowers?" Rees asked in confusion.

"Yes. Why a poor thief like him got fascinated with flowers all of a sudden? And thus we followed him. He bought a bunch of tulips and then returned his home." The man informed.

After taking a minute to run his brain, Rees asked "Did you inquire to the seller? Where is this flower shop?"

"It was not a shop. The suspect bought them from a roadside vendor. When we went to inquire to him, he was not there. He disappeared before we got to him."

"Okay. Don't make any mistakes and keep a keen eye on the suspect. Also, tell someone to search that seller. We need to study every clue."

"Yes!"

With that said, the man walked back to his assigned duty. Rees's brain was running at a lightning speed. Why the suspect went to buy flowers? Was it pre-planned or just his likeness towards flowers? Or was it some kind of code or signal?

Whatever that was, they needed to find it before the Vincardine witnessed another death of an innocent.