A number of couples were dancing to the symphonic music while the others were busy drinking cocktails and chatting with each other.\u00a0 Around the vast banquet hall were put thousands of white roses.\u00a0 Such a white colour that it seemed like the purest and clearest thing in the world, and nothing could pollute it.\u00a0 The blooming flowers spread their fragrance far and wide.\u00a0 But Sergeant Timberlake trembled at once when he smelt it.\u00a0 He hated this smell.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese white roses are so petty, aren\u2019t they?\u201d said Margaret Woolley, the daughter of George Woolley, the richest person in the city.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake looked at her.\u00a0 Jewels were twinkling around her.\u00a0 She was young and fashionable but terribly annoying.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mum loves white roses very much.\u00a0 She says that white roses are pure and unblemished but pretty gorgeous at the same time.\u00a0 But that doesn\u2019t mean they are weak as they have thorns to protect themselves. She calls this \u2018fatal beauty\u2019.\u201d \u00a0She laughed but stopped suddenly, and whispered near his ears in a cool, chilly tone, \u201cBut I think what she really means is that the most beautiful things are also the most dangerous things in the world.\u00a0 Sometimes, maybe you are approaching death without knowing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake stared at her in amusement.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut death is none of my business.\u00a0 That\u2019s the problem of old men, like Dad.\u00a0 Compared to his death, I am more interested in how much money I can get at that time.\u00a0 You know, I am a realist.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shrugged her shoulders.\u00a0 Then she turned around and flew across the dance floor again like a butterfly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake sighed.\u00a0 Although he was sent to the Woolley\u2019s house to protect the Woolley family during the party, he did not think they would get any harm.\u00a0 Based on the above conversation, he would rather worry about whether there was any person injured by the Woolleys, than the safety of the Woolleys themselves.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sorry, Sir. Did my daughter disturb you?\u201d Mrs. Woolley came to greet Timberlake.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, of course not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs. Woolley was an elegant British woman.\u00a0 Her golden wavy hair was worn in a bun.\u00a0 She was petite and looked delicate.\u00a0 Like the white roses, she looked pure and artless.\u00a0 She seemed to need protection all the time.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard that you\u2019re the one who planted all the white roses to decorate the house tonight.\u00a0 They\u2019re really beautiful,\u201d said Timberlake. \u201cMy wife loves roses also but she just doesn\u2019t know how to, well, deal with them!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s quite difficult to plant them in the British climate,\u201d she smiled.\u00a0 \u201cBut let me remind you one thing. Although the roses won\u2019t stay fresh all the time, you still have to buy some for her as gifts as long as your wife still loves them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut my wife\u2019s very fastidious!\u00a0 If I keep buying roses to her, she will just feel bored and ignore me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat depends on the way you give her.\u00a0 Sometimes, you can write some love words on a strip of paper, and then tie it to the stem of the rose.\u00a0 Your wife must feel very happy after receiving it!\u201d\u00a0 She winked to Timberlake.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a good way to preserve your love!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGee, what a fantastic method!\u00a0 Mr. Woolley must have always done that to you so that your love can last for such a long time.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it so?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs. Woolley\u2019s smile froze for a few seconds.\u00a0 Then she nodded her head somewhat stiffly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u00a0 That\u2019s the way we communicate.\u00a0 We call this \u2018Rose Trick\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The conversation ended abruptly.\u00a0 Mrs. Woolley then went in search of her husband.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Crows cawed outside the house loudly.\u00a0 But no one in house realized that.\u00a0 They still focused on the dancing party.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
A scream suddenly broke the party music.\u00a0 All people were puzzled and everyone froze.\u00a0 Timberlake was the first one able to take action.\u00a0 He rushed outside.\u00a0 He saw Mrs. Woolley just standing near the door, her arms folded and her face expressionless, and glaring at the private swimming pool.\u00a0 But the moment she realized Sergeant Timberlake had dashed out, she immediately came and grabbed his hand.\u00a0 Pointing to their private swimming pool, she shouted, \u201cPlease!\u00a0 Please save him!\u00a0 Don\u2019t let him die!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake saw someone floating in the pool.\u00a0 He ran closer with a sinking heart.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBe careful with the slippery floor, Sir!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
He heard Mrs. Woolley talk to him.\u00a0 But he did not care.\u00a0 When he came closer, he knew who he was.\u00a0 MR. WOOLLEY.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr. Woolley\u2019s prostrated body was motionless.\u00a0 He was holding a white rose in his blackened hand.\u00a0 He no longer breathed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was DEAD.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake asked other police for help and went back to the house with Mrs. Woolley.\u00a0 When he announced the death of Mr. Woolley, everyone was shocked except one, Margaret.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, is he really dead?\u201d Margaret bit her fingernails and asked nervously.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Timberlake gave an answer, Margaret had already dashed towards the swimming pool.\u00a0 But she was held back by other guests.\u00a0 Timberlake gazed at her for a while.\u00a0 She was sobbing nervously in the arms of Mrs. Woolley.\u00a0 But Mrs. Woolley just hugged her calmly, without a drop of tear.\u00a0 From time to time, Mrs. Woolley peeped at the police and also Sergeant Timberlake to know about what they were doing.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After asking the permission of Mrs. Woolley, Timberlake went upstairs to examine the Woolleys\u2019 bedrooms.\u00a0 He first entered Margaret\u2019s room.\u00a0 Famous brand clothes and bags were piled up on the bed.\u00a0 Diamond rings, and other jewellery were dumped on the dresser freely.\u00a0 On the table, there were several credit card bills which had the total amount of four hundred thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake scratched his head.\u00a0 And then he left Margaret\u2019s room but entered the bedroom of the Woolley couple.\u00a0 White roses were put everywhere in the room.\u00a0 In the drawer, there was a box of painting brushes with only the largest brush having been used.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
He kept looking for clues.\u00a0 He carefully checked every corner of the room, even rummaging in the rubbish bin.\u00a0 He checked every piece of rubbish from the most upper layer to the bottom part.\u00a0 At the bottom of the rubbish bin, there was a brand new clutch bag.\u00a0 His initial intention was to ignore the bag and end the search.\u00a0 But then, he had some strange feelings.\u00a0 Why did Mrs. Woolley have to dump such a new bag?\u00a0 His curiosity took the better of him.\u00a0 He opened the bag.\u00a0 Then, he found it.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake smiled.\u00a0 He knew the answer.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timberlake asked Margaret and Mrs. Woolley come to see the corpse of Mr. Woolley.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you help me to pick up the flower from Mr. Woolley\u2019s hand and bring it back to me, Margaret?\u201d asked Timberlake.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she was about to pick up the flower, Mrs. Woolley ran in front of her and picked it up by holding a petal at once, and yelled, \u201cBe careful not to get hurt!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you afraid of?\u201d Timberlake stared at her.\u00a0 \u201cYou fear that your daughter will be cut by the thorns, or be poisoned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rose fell to the ground from her hand.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI found this in your room,\u201d Timberlake took out the painting brushes box. \u201cThe blackened fingers show your husband is poisoned.\u00a0 I think you used the brush to paint the poison onto the thorns so only the largest brush is used and has a black tip.\u00a0 Am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough your daughter is a suspect since she is materialistic and has a pile of bills to pay off, I know she is too young and doesn\u2019t dare to do so.\u00a0 I can confirm that when I saw her sob over her Dad\u2019s death.\u00a0 But, YOU,\u201d he paused and goggled at Mrs. Woolley, \u201cIsn\u2019t it strange that a wife can react so calmly after her husband is dead? And even care about trifles like the slippery floor?\u00a0 After I found a pile of photos in the new bag that you have dumped in the rubbish bin, I am sure that you are the murderer.\u00a0 That pile of photos of your husband and another woman.\u00a0 He had extramarital affairs and this is your motive for killing Mr. Woolley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears were running down the cheeks of Mrs. Woolley.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut do you know what the vital clue is?\u00a0 I found a strip of paper in his hand.\u00a0 \u2018Rose Trick\u2019, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs. Woolley laughed, yelling and crying.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re so clever, Sergeant Timberlake!\u201d she cried. \u201cYes! I hired a private detective to check that old stick-in-the-mud! \u00a0Because I knew that. \u00a0I knew he has a mistress outside. \u00a0Thanks to that detective. \u00a0I finally found the evidence and confirmed my guesses.\u00a0 Then I decided. \u00a0I never allow anyone to betray me! So I told him to meet me near the swimming pool and I put the poisonous white rose there. \u00a0When he saw the paper tied on the flower, he just thought that was our \u2018Rose Trick\u2019. \u00a0But once he untied the paper and touched the rose, he was dead! \u00a0Then I could kill him without coming here! \u00a0Serve him right! \u00a0I hate him! \u00a0I really hate him…\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The poisonous white rose began to wither\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A number of couples were dancing to the symphonic music while the others were busy drinking cocktails and chatting with each other.\u00a0 Around the vast banquet hall were put thousands of white roses.\u00a0 Such a white colour that it seemed like the purest and clearest thing in the world, and nothing could .........<\/p>Read More<\/a>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":8474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","language-en","classlevel-others","schoolyear-35"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1768"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3408,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1768\/revisions\/3408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/buddingwriters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}