Falling into Shadows

Chapter 3

**Tatum's Point of View**

The morning sun filtered through the blinds of my modest apartment, casting a warm, golden light across the room. I rolled out of bed, shedding the last remnants of sleep as I changed from my pajamas into the crisp uniform of a police detective. The transition is routine yet always served as a reminder of the double life I led—Detective Tatum Wolfram by day, Guardian by night.

Arriving at the precinct, the familiar cacophony of activity greeted me. Officers bustled about, phones rang incessantly, and the aroma of strong coffee mingled with the scent of paper and ink. The precinct was a hive of activity, everyone moving with purpose.

"Morning, Wolfram!" shouted Mark, a co-worker known for his irreverent humor. He leaned against the desk of a nearby cubicle, his grin wide. "Didn't see you out and about last night. Did you finally meet someone special or just have another run-in with your friendly neighborhood criminals?"

I gave him a wry smile. "Oh, just the usual suspects. You know how it is."

Mark chuckled, his laughter mingling with the sounds of the bustling precinct. "Right, right. Well, if you ever need a wingman to cover your back or a distraction, just let me know."

"Noted," I said, heading toward my office. I appreciated Mark's light-heartedness, even if his comments were sometimes a bit too on the nose.

Inside my office, I wrapped up the last of the case notes from a hit and run we'd solved earlier in the week. It had been a tense investigation, but we had managed to bring the perpetrator to justice. As I typed up the final details, my mind briefly wandered to the other cases awaiting my attention. There was always more work to be done, but at least this one could be closed out with a sense of resolution.

My phone buzzed with a new assignment notification. Lieutenant Harris had paired me with Detective Alex Ramirez for our next case. I couldn't help but think about my last partner, who had recently transferred out of the precinct. We had developed a good rhythm, and I wondered how things would go with Alex. As I made my way to the meeting room, the familiar sounds of the precinct surrounded me—the steady hum of conversations, the clatter of keyboards, and the occasional burst of laughter from the break room. It was business as usual, but the weight of another case and the uncertainty of a new partnership already settled on my shoulders.

When I walked into the meeting room, Alex was already there, flipping through some files. He looked up as I entered, standing to greet me. He was tall, with a lean, athletic build that suggested he was no stranger to physical activity. His dark hair was neatly trimmed, and his sharp brown eyes conveyed both intelligence and a hint of weariness that came from years on the job. He had a confident but approachable demeanor, and his handshake was firm.

"Tatum Wolfram," I introduced myself, meeting his gaze.

"Alex Ramirez," he replied, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I've heard good things about you."

"Likewise," I responded, appreciating the directness in his tone.

We both took our seats, and Ramirez quickly got down to business. He laid out his findings, his voice steady and clear. "We've traced some of the financial transactions related to the recent heist. It looks like this is part of a larger criminal organization."

As I nodded, listening intently, Ramirez paused, his expression shifting slightly. "By the way, did you catch the news last night about Guardian? They were really laying into her for how she handled that robbery."

I frowned, feeling a familiar frustration bubble up. "Yeah, I saw it. It's like they completely ignored the fact that Guardian stopped the robbery and saved people's lives. Sure, some things got broken, but those are just belongings. You can replace stuff, but you can't replace people."