Nori blinked once, then twice. Then a third time, just to be super sure, but no matter how many times she blinked, the image stayed the same. On the front door that led to her apartment's landing, there was one word, scrawled in scarlet, the letters starting to run together in the rain.
TOMORROW."Hgn," Nori squeaked, flexing her fingers nervously around the hilt of her umbrella as she shifted her weight uneasily. "It looks like blood," the small blonde warbled anxiously while flicking her gaze over to the huge hole that had been crushed into the wall by the door. Whatever happened here must have taken place after she went upstairs last night because she definitely would have noticed otherwise. Hunks of plaster and brick were strewn all about the sidewalk, little red specs of something languidly washing away in the downpour.
"Right," Nori nodded decidedly, turning to unlock the door to the Enchanted Florist. "I should call the police."
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An hour and a half later, Nori was well into regretting her decision to get the police involved.
"So you're telling me," Officer Saiko retorted between smacking obnoxiously at a candy cane, "That the word, 'Tomorrow' was written on your door in what you believe to be blood?"
"Yes. I know it's not there anymore because of the rain, but I showed you the picture I took of it right after I called you."
"Right, the picture," the ginger muttered skeptically, casting an unimpressed glance at Nori's phone. "And this isn't photoshopped? Because, as an intelligent woman like yourself must know, lying to a police officer and falsifying documents is a crime."
"Why would I photoshop this?" Nori hissed through clenched teeth. "What about the hole wall!?"
"That...," the officer trailed off, appeasing the damaged wall with disinterested hazel eyes. "...is probably from a bird flying into it or somethin'."
"A bird? Seriously? It must have been an Articuno to cause that much damage."
"An arti what?"
"Never mind," Nori mumbled, rubbing her temple where she could feel a headache coming on. "So what are you saying I should do?"
"Call your insurance company to come look at this damage," Officer Saiko told her, flipping his notepad shut and tucking it into his breast pocket. "As for the graffiti on your door, it's not there now so there isn't anything for us to do about it."
"Fine," the florist ground out and the man gave her a curt nod before walking back to his police cruiser and driving off. Nori, who was already incredibly irritated, walked back into the Enchanted Florist just in time to here Nick Weston say over the radio,
"...why don’t you stop by The Enchanted Florist and grab her some flowers to say, ‘I’m Sorry’? Who knows, maybe she’ll take you back! Just don’t get caught ogling the pretty florists like Kaori Tatsumia and…well…I guess just her. *Cough* Anyways...,".
"REALLY NICK WESTON!?" Nori screeched, grabbing the closet thing (a spool of electric chartreuse ribbon) and hurling it at one of the surround sound speakers in the corner of the shop. It may not have stopped the radio host's smooth voice, but it felt gratifying.
By the time Ariana got done singing about all the winter things she was going to do with her boo, Nori had calmed down enough to look up the e-mail of the private detective that had been mentioned on the radio last night.
Detective Holland,
When I woke up this morning I found the word, 'Tomorrow' written on my front door in what might have been blood. Next to the door it looks like someone smashed something into the wall. I have already contacted the police and they seem unwilling to take me seriously.
I have attached both a picture of the door and one of the damage to the building. If you have any advice on how I should proceed with this matter, please contact me by e-mail or my cell number, which is xxx-xxxx. I don't have a ton of money, but I am still willing to negotiate a small fee for your advice and services.
Nori HaywoodAfter proofreading once or twice, the florist hits the send button and goes back out into the rain to start cleaning up the debris.
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