Distance Between Us

Chapter 1

It was a sunny afternoon of October in London. With sun shining blindingly bright and crisp air providing some relief in the cold atmosphere of the city, the day was perfect for taking a break from the mundane life and sink in a comfy couch while reading a nice book accompanied with a mug of hot coffee.

It would sound tempting to most of people but for some diligent individuals, also known as workaholics, it was quite an absurd idea.

So was Aditi Rathore who just like any other day, was deeply immersed in work.

"May I come in ma'am?" A soft voice broke the thick silence in Aditi's cabin. She looked up at her colleague and nodded gently.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am but I need your guidance in this case." The girl said politely slightly gesturing the file in her hands.

Aditi closed her laptop and adjusted her black rimmed glasses before beckoning her to pass the file.

The girl gingerly passed the file to her waiting for her to speak something.

As Aditi began to read each and every word written in the file with a serious expression on her face, the girl doubted whether it was a good decision to ask her for guidance.

"Did you have a talk with the secretary of the victim's wife?" Aditi asked suddenly startling the girl.

"N-no ma'am, I didn't find it worthy talking to her." She replied in a rushed tone as if defending herself for the crime she never did.

"You should do it right away." Aditi stated smoothly.

The girl tilted her head in confusion. She was full of questions which was eloquent on her face.

"According to your information, the victim was murdered two days after he and his wife returned from their 5 day trip Los Angeles. The coincidence is that the secretary of his wife was out of the town too during those 5 days in name of visiting her mother in countryside." Aditi explained while walking to her bookshelf which was stacked with files.

"But the question is, was she really there?" Aditi said slowly emphasizing the last part with a slight smirk.

The girl's jaw dropped and she could feel goosebumps; there was something in the tone and style of Aditi's speech which blew away people's mind. She took a heavy breath and gulped hard.

"The secretary called the wife several times whereas the village she is claiming to be in at the time of murder is a remote area with no network. Do some research." Aditi adviced and handed her her file.

"Thank you ma'am." She replied with a smile. Aditi nodded at her gesture.

The girl hastily made her way out of the room overwhelmed with the new clue. This was why she loved her job as a lawyer. With each new and twisted case, she learned new things and aspects which thrilled her.

Adrenaline flowing in her veins, she ran into another girl knocking her off. The latter landed on ground and whined before glaring at her excited friend.

"Are you out of your mind Angela?! Who walks blindly in the corridor?" She shouted.

"Sorry Gemma, I was just, you know, excited." Angela replied awkwardly.

"For what?" Gemma asked standing up and slightly slapping her friend's arm.

"Aditi ma'am gave me an indirect clue about that businessman Smith case and that thrilled me." She said rubbing her arm.

"Really? Did you actually ask her for help?" Gemma asked surprised.

"Yeah. See, I know she's an aloof person who can be cold at times but hey, she's one of the best lawyers in London." Angela defended her act.