Criminal Hearts

Chapter 24: The Distance Between

The tension lingered as they returned to their normal routines, but nothing about this case felt ordinary anymore. Sophia could feel the weight of their secret conversations pulling her deeper into her own investigation. She had been trying to piece together the professor's past in silence, and the more she uncovered, the more fragmented it all seemed. Yet, she kept her findings close, unwilling to share them just yet—not even with Ethan or Damian.

Sophia found herself back at her desk, her thoughts wandering as she stared at the notes in front of her. The professor's name kept popping up, his influence reaching further than she had initially thought. She felt a chill as she realized how many cases had gone quiet after victims reported harassment or assault. There was a pattern, but the proof was still elusive.

Her phone buzzed. Damian's name flashed across the screen.

Damian: Lunch? You look like you need a break.

Sophia glanced up, spotting Damian across the room, flashing her one of his easygoing grins. She smiled despite herself, knowing that a break might help. Typing a quick response, she agreed to meet him outside the precinct.

Outside, Damian leaned against his car, his casual demeanor putting her at ease. "You've been hiding behind that desk all day. Thought you could use a change of scenery," he teased as she approached.

"I'm fine," Sophia said with a soft laugh. "Just...thinking."

"More like overthinking," Damian corrected, opening the passenger door for her. "Let's grab something to eat. You'll think clearer once you've had some real food."

As they drove, the conversation stayed light. Damian made sure of that, throwing in a few of his usual jokes to make her smile. But behind the easy banter, Sophia could feel his eyes on her, sensing the weight she carried.

"You ever going to tell me what's really going on?" Damian asked after a while, his tone soft but probing. "You've been more distant lately."

Sophia hesitated, staring out the window. "It's just the case... It's complicated."

"You can talk to me, you know. I mean, I've been listening to your banter for weeks now," he added with a grin. "Fair's fair."

Sophia smiled faintly, but her thoughts remained elsewhere. "I know. It's just...some things are hard to explain."

Damian didn't push further, sensing her need for space. "Whenever you're ready," he said, pulling into a parking spot outside a small café. "Come on, let's get some food."

Back at the precinct, Ethan watched from his desk as Sophia left with Damian. He knew it wasn't anything official—it was just lunch—but that didn't make the knot in his stomach any smaller. The growing distance between him and Sophia was becoming harder to ignore, and the way Damian slid into her life so easily made it worse.

As he shuffled through the paperwork on his desk, his phone buzzed. A message from Harris.

Harris: Got something. Meet me in ten. Don't bring anyone.

Ethan's brow furrowed as he stared at the message. Harris had been acting strange lately, but if he had a lead, Ethan wasn't going to ignore it. Grabbing his jacket, he headed for the door, ignoring the curious glances from his colleagues.

Ten minutes later, Ethan found Harris waiting near the back of the precinct, standing near the alley. He was leaning against a wall, his usual cocky grin nowhere to be seen.

"What's this about?" Ethan asked, his voice low.

Harris glanced around before stepping closer. "I've been following something on the side, and I thought you should know. It's about the professor."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "You've been looking into him too?"

"Yeah, after that last conversation we had. Something didn't sit right with me," Harris said, his voice more serious than Ethan had ever heard it. "I dug into the archives, found some old records. He's been connected to more missing women than we realized."

Ethan's pulse quickened. "How many?"

Harris pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his jacket and handed it over. "Enough to make this more than just coincidence. But the problem is, every one of those cases has been buried deep. There's no trace of an official investigation."

Ethan stared at the names, a cold sense of dread creeping over him. "How's this possible? How has no one noticed?"

"That's the thing," Harris said, lowering his voice further. "Someone is covering it up. And it's not just the professor. He's got connections, high up."

Ethan's mind raced. This went deeper than they'd thought. Much deeper.

"So what do we do?" Ethan asked, his jaw clenched.

"We can't go to the chief yet," Harris replied. "Not until we know who we can trust. But I thought you should know...and keep an eye on things."

Ethan nodded, pocketing the list. "Thanks, Harris. I'll handle this."

As Harris turned to leave, he paused and glanced back at Ethan, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Oh, and tough luck with Damian, man. Sophia always comes back to you, doesn't she?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, but the words lingered. Harris wasn't wrong—Sophia had always been there with him, even when things were rough. But this time, it felt different. Damian was closer than ever, and Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing her.

Later that evening, Ethan returned home, the weight of the day pressing down on him. He found Sophia in the kitchen again, cooking dinner. She was humming softly, a small smile on her lips as she stirred the pot.

"Hey," she said when she saw him, her voice light. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Smells good," Ethan replied, forcing a smile.

As they sat down to eat, the silence between them grew, filled with all the things neither of them wanted to say. Sophia tried to fill the space with conversation about the case, but Ethan's mind was elsewhere—on the professor, on Harris' words, and on Damian.

When the meal was finished, Sophia started clearing the table, her movements slow, like she was waiting for something.

"You and Damian seem to be spending a lot of time together," Ethan said suddenly, his voice betraying none of the frustration he felt.

Sophia paused, her back still to him. "We're just working. It's nothing."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "Doesn't seem like nothing."

Sophia sighed, setting the dishes down. "Ethan, we've been over this. Damian is a friend. That's all."

Ethan nodded, but the tightness in his chest didn't ease. "Right."

Sophia turned to face him, her expression softening. "Look, I know things have been...weird between us. But we're in this together, okay? Damian's not—"

"I know," Ethan interrupted, standing up from the table. "I just...I don't want to lose you."

Sophia blinked, surprised by the vulnerability in his voice. She stepped closer, reaching for his hand. "You're not losing me, Ethan."

But even as she said the words, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that the distance between them was growing, and that no matter what they said, something was slipping away.