The Missing Link

010. Looming Pasts

Raine returned to the flat, greeted by the usual silence that blanketed her nights. Though her most productive hours often began after dusk, she had a remarkable ability to rise early, tending to her myriad responsibilities without complaint.

But who was Lorraine Adriella de Verra? To those acquainted with her, she was a college professor for four years as well as a researcher immersed in studies of human behaviour and emotion. To her cousin, DI Ferrer, she was a female, modern-day Sherlock Holmes, her sharp instincts and keen observations setting her apart. This reputation had finally propelled her into a new role on the forensics team, fulfilling her aspiration to become a crime investigator—a journey she had only begun in the past month.

But who was she, really? No one truly knew, save perhaps her sister. Raine kept her life tightly guarded, her constant busyness serving as both armour and distraction. She knew that if she stopped for too long, old wounds from a life-altering event a decade past might resurface, unsettling her hard-won stability.

As she entered the common room, it was empty except for Zane Nuñez, the young man she’d only recently met. He sat silently by the long sofa in the far corner, his restless feet stilled as his gaze fell upon her.

"There you are," he said, standing up. "You're lucky Auntie's preoccupied upstairs; she hasn’t noticed you’re still not back at that time."

Raine paused, turning to him with a slight frown. "What? I told you I’d be home."

"Yes, three hours later," he replied, sounding more like a scolding parent than a friend, as he held up his phone, the screen showing 10:10.

"You're just like your auntie, aren’t you?" she replied with a smirk, ascending the wooden stairs, hand gliding along the rail. "Now, be a gentleman and fetch me some tea from the café. I need a rest. Put it on my tab, won’t you? Thanks."

Zane hurried to catch up, barely managing to keep pace. "Alright, first of all, I’m not your personal assistant. Second, I don’t even know who you really are yet. And third, do you always boss Auntie around like this?"

"Don’t forget the sugar," she called over her shoulder, not bothering to turn as her mind drifted back to more pressing thoughts.

Zane huffed, undeterred. "Are you even listening? I told you earlier—I was abducted! That’s right, abducted!" he nearly shouted, voice tinged with frustration.

They walked together down the corridor toward their flat, the cityscape stretching out beyond the line of windows like a sea of lights. Cars zipped along the streets below, glimmering like fish darting through waves.

As they stepped inside, the door clicked shut, and the soft glow of moonlight spilled through the balcony’s glass, casting pale shadows on the floor. “Yes, it's true," Zane insisted. "And I hate to say it, but you might be in danger."

Raine turned toward him, amusement flickering across her face as Zane flicked on the light, illuminating the amber-toned wallpaper that gave the living room its glow. “Danger?” she echoed, a smirk tugging at her lips, though she tried to hide it.

“In great danger, and believe me, you won’t fancy the sensation of being watched by them,” Zane pressed, his tone more intense. “These people know everything about their targets. They even knew my new address.”

“Oh, did they try to buy you off?” Raine scoffed, unimpressed. “A bribe of some grand amount, was it?”

Zane hesitated, glancing toward the hallway as though expecting eavesdroppers. Then, he dropped his voice. “Yes… they did. They wanted me to spy on you.”

Raine’s expression shifted, an exaggerated look of alarm crossing her face as she took a swift step back, her eyes wide with mock fright. “A spy? You’re a spy?” She whirled around and dashed toward her bedroom.