Criminal Hearts

Chapter 26: Shadows in the Dark

The cold air inside the precinct felt sharper than usual tonight, as if it were biting into the skin. The overhead lights buzzed softly, casting long shadows over the empty desks and scattered case files. Detective Harris sat alone in the conference room, his gaze fixed on a collection of photographs pinned to the corkboard in front of him. The faces of the victims stared back at him—frozen in time, eyes brimming with stories that had been silenced.

He traced his finger over each image, connecting invisible dots that no one else seemed to see. Every woman had been vibrant once, full of life and promise, until something twisted snuffed it out. Their smiles now felt like cruel echoes of what had been taken from them.

Harris leaned back, exhaustion settling deep in his bones. He had spent days reviewing files, pulling strings to get access to old reports that had long since been forgotten. The missing names, the unresolved cases—everything pointed to something much darker, much more sinister than anyone had realized.

But it wasn't just the murders. It was the women who had vanished into thin air, women who had once filed complaints, left frightened messages for friends, and then... disappeared. There were no bodies, no traces. Only the hollow void of their absence and the chilling possibility that they were still out there, somewhere.

With a sigh, Harris pushed back from the table and rubbed his temples. His mind was a fog of half-formed theories and suspicions that refused to come together. Every time he felt like he was getting close, the pieces scattered like dust in the wind. He needed a break. A moment of clarity.

But as he stood and reached for his jacket, his phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up with a notification: Anonymous Tip – Coordinates Enclosed.

His heart pounded as he stared at the message. Coordinates? He hesitated, his instincts flaring. This felt too convenient. But if there was a chance that it could lead to one of the missing women, he couldn't afford to ignore it.

Taking a deep breath, Harris grabbed his keys and headed out the door. The streets outside were quiet, shrouded in the stillness of the late hour. He slid into his car and punched the coordinates into the GPS, the device chirping softly as it calculated the route.

As he drove, the city lights blurred around him, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew he was heading into unknown territory, but the sense of purpose pushed him forward. Whoever was behind this tip knew something—something Harris desperately needed to uncover.

And he would, even if it meant venturing into the shadows where the line between predator and prey blurred until it was impossible to tell who was hunting whom.

The air inside Ethan's office felt heavy, thick with unspoken words. Sophia sat across from him, the dim light casting a soft glow over her features. It was late—far too late for them to still be here, but neither one of them had suggested leaving.

They hadn't been talking about the case for a while now. Instead, they'd slipped into something more familiar, a quiet space where the world outside seemed to fall away. Ethan leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on her face as if trying to memorize every line, every curve.

"You know," he said softly, his voice breaking the silence, "I used to think I knew everything about you."

Sophia glanced up, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. "And now?"

He shrugged, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Now I realize I don't know anything at all."

She held his gaze, her heart twisting with something achingly sweet and painful all at once. Being here with him, like this, felt like standing on the edge of a precipice—one step, and she could fall right back into everything they once had. Everything she'd walked away from.

"I'm not the same person I was back then," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Neither of us are."

"No," Ethan agreed, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "But I still see parts of that girl I fell in love with."

Sophia's breath caught, and she looked away, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. This was dangerous—letting herself get this close, letting the old feelings resurface. But it was so easy with Ethan. So easy to remember the late nights they'd spent talking about dreams and plans, the way he used to hold her as if he could keep the whole world at bay.

"Ethan..." she began, but the words died on her lips as he reached across the desk and took her hand, his touch warm and steady.

"I'm not asking for anything," he said gently. "I just want you to know... I'm still here. I'll always be here."

She looked down at their joined hands, her heart aching with a longing she hadn't let herself feel in years. But before she could say anything more, there was a soft knock on the door, and they both looked up to see Damian standing in the doorway, a playful smile on his lips.

"Am I interrupting?" Damian asked, his gaze flicking between them with a hint of mischief.

Sophia pulled her hand back, clearing her throat as she stood. "No, we were just... finishing up."

"Right," Damian said, his smile widening as he stepped into the room. "I was just about to head out and thought I'd see if you wanted to grab a late-night coffee, Sophia. You look like you could use a break."

There was a pause, tension crackling in the air as Ethan's gaze hardened slightly. Sophia glanced at him, catching the brief flash of something that looked almost like jealousy before he smoothed it away.

"Actually, I think I'll take you up on that," she said, forcing a smile as she turned to Damian. "I could use a break."

"Great," Damian said, his eyes lighting up as he offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Ethan stood, his jaw tight as he watched them. "You two have fun," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "Just... be careful, okay?"

Sophia met his gaze, something unspoken passing between them. "I will," she promised softly, then let Damian lead her out of the office.

As they walked down the hallway, Damian glanced at her, his expression curious. "You and Ethan—there's something there, isn't there?"

Sophia looked away, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "It's complicated."

"Complicated, huh?" Damian chuckled, his tone light. "Sounds like you need a little uncomplicated in your life."

Sophia laughed softly, the sound surprising even herself. "You offering?"

"Maybe," he teased, his gaze lingering on her face. "You know, I've got this amazing ability to make things a lot simpler."

"Is that so?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Absolutely," Damian said with a grin. "All it takes is a cup of coffee and a little company. Come on, let's get out of here for a bit."

Sophia hesitated, glancing back over her shoulder toward Ethan's office. But when she turned back to Damian, she saw only warmth and sincerity in his eyes. Maybe a break was exactly what she needed—a chance to breathe, to forget the weight of everything that had been pressing down on her.

"Alright," she agreed, looping her arm through his. "Lead the way."

As they walked out of the precinct, the night air cool against her skin, Sophia felt a flicker of something she hadn't felt in a long time—hope. Maybe things didn't have to be so complicated after all.

But as she glanced up at the darkened sky, a shiver ran down her spine. Somewhere out there, the shadows of her past were waiting. And no matter how far she tried to run, she knew they would eventually catch up to her.