Chapter 4
 The sheriff heard her partner before she saw her. The sound of smashing ceramics grew closer and closer before Vi came crashing into view, sending a pot of marigolds toppling to the ground, the bright petals and dirt spilling everywhere.
Vi straightened quickly, as she caught sight of her girlfriend. The taller woman stood absolutely still, gaze fixated on a potted shrub.
“Are your allergies screwing with your head or something?” Vi asked after a beat, genuinely concerned. “You called me over only to have a staring contest with a weed?”
She reached out toward it, entranced by its strange flowers, but Caitlyn swatted her hand down.
“Don’t touch them without protective gloves.” Despite how congested she was, Caitlyn was still able to sound commanding. Another reason why she was the best sheriff Piltover had ever known.
Vi carefully reached into the bag full of equipment she always brought on missions and handed Caitlyn a pair of thick rubber gloves. She donned her own as well.
Caitlyn carefully reached out and picked up the pot, holding her breath as her nose protested. It took all of her effort not to give into another sneezing fit as she lowered the pot towards the ground.
She couldn’t take it any longer and practically shoved the plant into Vi’s ready hands before turning to the side, bringing her elbow to her face and sneezing three times.
“So it’s this guy that’s triggering your allergies?” Vi asked, glaring at the plant in her hands. The nerve it had to make her girlfriend feel like this.
Caitlyn nodded as she wiped her nose against the crook of her arm. She had no time to get a handkerchief, and couldn’t anyway since she had touched the flowers. And right now, solving the case and catching the killer was more important than manners. “Among many others, yes. But, it seems that I’m especially allergic to this one.”
“What… is it?” Vi asked, still looking at it suspiciously. It would only take one squeeze to completely obliterate it...
“If my hunch is correct, Nerium Oleander.” Caitlyn said. “It’s incredibly poisonous. Just touching it can irritate your skin. If ingested, it will cause dizziness, excessive drooling, difficulty breathing and eventually your heart will stop. You’ll be dead within the hour.”
“And how do you know this?” Vi asked.
Caitlyn rolled her eyes impatiently. “You’ve seen the giant gardens on my parents’ estate. It was one of the first things father taught me as a child so I wouldn’t accidentally poison myself while playing.”
She turned back to the plant, carefully bending to inspect it. Just like she suspected, a few petals were missing. She plucked a couple of the flowers off it and put them into an airtight plastic bag before sneezing again. Shaking her head irritably at her body’s overzealous reaction to nature itself, Caitlyn reached into her belt, and snapped a picture of the plant.
“These are going to forensics,” she said, sniffling. She really didn’t have time for these stupid allergies. “I’m going to call in toxicology to verify if I’m correct… snf … pathology and the coroner, of course… a-tschoo !”
Vi fought back a laugh. Cupcake was already so cute when she got into her cases (an opinion the enforcer kept to herself, because she knew her partner would be less than impressed to hear it). To watch her go into detective mode while fighting off allergies was just irresistible.
Caitlyn frowned. “I have a notion of who the killer is. Where has the owner of this greenhouse been this entire time?"
Vi shook her own head, coming back into the direness of the moment. “It was abandoned when we got here.”
Caitlyn nodded, and her nose twitched. “Precisely. Think, all the other crimes have occurred within two blocks of this area. Vi, it’s finally fitting together!”
She looked up and her ridiculously puffy eyes glinted. "Vi, tell the units stationed outside to hold up anyone in any sort of gardening attire. We’re going back to the station.”