"Nam, can you tell us what happened that night?" Beth asked.
Nam shifted on his hospital bed, wincing in pain. "Of course." He took a deep breath. "I'm no stranger to work; I've never needed to do it, what with my legacy, but I like it. It keeps me grounded."
"Grounded in what way?" I interjected, curious about the man who didn’t fit the typical victim profile.
"Working with flowers, at my shop, Floral Fun, it's therapeutic. I've done it at least once a week for years, even though I own many businesses, and this one is hardly my most important or most profitable. It’s simply that I enjoy working with flowers, and with people." Nam’s eyes lost focus as if recalling the scent of blossoms and the stems between his fingers.
"And that Wednesday, after closing up?" Beth pushed gently, bringing him back to the present.
"Right." Nam cleared his throat, the white of his bandages contrasting sharply with his skin. "I was leaving for the night. I walked out the back door, headed toward my car, when it...it came out of nowhere."
"By 'it,' you mean the werewolf?" I asked.
His brown eyes darkened with the memory. "Exactly. The beast pounced on me before I could even react. Just jumped on me and attacked." His hand moved instinctively to the bandages, a protective gesture.
"Did you see it coming or hear anything unusual?" Beth leaned in closer.
"Nothing. It was silent until it was too late."
"Did it seem like it knew you? Like it was waiting?" I asked.
He nodded, his eyes narrowing as he relived the moment. "Yeah, it did. It wasn't just roaming around, it felt personal."
"Personal how?" Beth interjected, intent on Nam’s face.
"Like it came forme," Nam replied quietly. "It didn't chase or hunt. It attacked, then it stopped. Just looked at me and backed off." He paused, clearly puzzled by the memory.
"Stopped? Just like that?" I asked.
"Exactly like that," he confirmed. "As if it had done what it came to do."
"Which was?" Beth prodded.
Nam shook his head, frustration etched into his furrowed brow. "I don't know. But it wasn't random. This thing... it targeted me."
Beth scribbled more notes. We exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing, this attack had a purpose. We didn’t know what it was yet, but we’d find out.
"Nam, if this wasn't random, what could someone want from you?" I leaned forward in the hospital chair. "Do you have any enemies?”
"Enemies?" Nam chuckled dryly, shifting uncomfortably. "In a town like Mystic Hollow? Hard to believe, but no.” He paused, then raised one finger. "Well, except for one."
"Who's that?" I asked.
"Jamur Hede," he said with a slight grimace, and my mind immediately went back to the man in the hall. The name alone seemed to sour the air around us. "He was the man yelling out in the hall earlier."
"Right, we saw security dealing with him," Beth noted. "What's his beef with you?"
"Land," Nam replied in a serious tone. "There's talk about making some areas in Mystic Hollow protected lands, including the Durgins' land, which the man is upset about. It's been a communal effort by the committee, and Jamur doesn't like it. He thinks we're stealing from him."
"Is the land actually his?" I asked, skeptical.
"It was given to his great grandpa in a deal long ago, or so he claims. None of us believe it though. It’s not the first time he’s made claims to something that doesn’t belong to him. But, either way, times have changed, and we can't let personal greed endanger the whole community."
Beth nodded, jotting down something on her notepad. "And this has made him angry enough to cause trouble?"
"Angry, yes," Nam sighed. "But whether he's behind this attack... I can't say for sure." He was quiet for a moment, then Nam shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, despite the pain it surely caused. "Jamur? No, he's not one for getting his hands dirty."
"Surely, he's got motive," Beth pressed, her pen poised above her notepad.
