Veronica stood by the board, arms crossed, eyes scanning the photos and timelines pinned in meticulous order. The desk was full of scattered papers, with colorful sticky notes spread across each page. The pressure of the case was finally taking its toll on them. It's been a few weeks since the incident, and no one has been brought in as a suspect. She's got the higher-ups breathing down her neck.

Across the room, Victor sat at the table, sleeves rolled up, tapping his pen against a half-empty mug. The rhythmic sound filled the room like a clock ticking too loudly.

"Let's talk motive for each person," Veronica said finally, her voice steady. "Not speculation. Facts."

Victor exhaled through his nose. "Fine. Facts. River Vigilanco was the last person to see Sehuj alive. No alibi during the time of death. The call logs show no work-related communication after 11:20. And the 'client meeting' he told us about?" He flicked a page. "Doesn't exist."

Veronica tapped her finger against River's photo. "And the others? Jane Park. Ina Lones."

Victor flipped through his file. "Ina Lones was out from morning. She claimed she was at the airport with her friend at the time of death. And Jane Park was at the hospital."

"Have you confirmed their locations?"

Victor paused. Too long. "Well...no."

She sighed, rubbing her temple. "I want you to do that. Immediately." Victor nodded, eyes dropping to the file.

"And while you're at it, cross-check Sehuj's calls and calendar. If that meeting was fake, I want to know who set it up," she asked.

She stared at him for a few seconds too long, making him fidget in his seat. "Yes, ma'am," he mumbled in a quiet voice. "Good," only then did she turn back to the board.

Her eyes flicked up. "Let's continue. Motives..."

Victor clicked his pen. "If we're going off emotions, I guess anger, guilt, complicated relationships—Ina's your best bet.

"That's not motive," Veronica said. "That's noise."

He gave a faint smirk. "You're splitting hairs again."

"I'm paid to split hairs," she replied coolly. "And you're paid to make sure we're not chasing ghosts."

Victor leaned back, crossing his arms. "You think we're chasing ghosts now?"

"I think we're chasing the wrong shadow." She walked to the board and pointed to River's photo. "Everyone sees him as the likely suspect because he's calm, composed, unreadable. But people like that—" she paused, searching for the right word, "—they don't panic when they're hiding something. They panic when they've lost control."

Victor frowned. "You're saying he's innocent?"

"I'm saying calm isn't always guilt. It's a coping mechanism." She turned toward him. "And Ina Lones, her reaction at the hospital, her breakdown, it might not just be grief either. There's something else. Something restrained."

Victor tilted his head. "Like she's holding back?"

"Exactly."

He leaned forward again, his tone soft but pointed. "You think she knows more than she's saying."

Veronica didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked down at the photographs—River, Ina, Sehuj, Jane—all linked by thin red strings, each connection more tangled than the last.

"I think she's protecting someone," she said at last. "And we need to find out who."

Victor let the words hang in the air. Then, almost too casually, he said, "You're finally starting to think like me."

Veronica shot him a look. "Don't flatter yourself," which made Victor smirk.

But as she turned back to the board, Victor allowed himself a small, private smile, the kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes. He had no intention of letting the case slow down. If anything, the pressure was exactly what he needed.

After deep in thought for a few moments, she turned around and looked at him straight in the eye, making him wince.

"If you want me to believe, bring me evidence and a motive that even I cannot deny. Then I will trust your senses."

The light flickered above them once, the hum of the station filling the brief silence.

Two investigators, both convinced they were right. Neither realizing they were being played.

— — 

The next morning, Victor was waiting outside her office before she even arrived.

"Ina was out the whole day and only returned when River called her back," he started as soon as she entered.

Veronica raised a brow. "And Jane?" she asked setting her bag down and looking at the papers.

"And Jane was also out the whole time," he nodded. "Coincidence?" she murmured. He didn't sound convinced.

"Have you confirmed this?" she continued, looking up.

"Yeah, well, according to her statement, she left the house around 10:00 in the morning, just a little while before Jane and River. She met with her friends and went to the airport," he replied, flipping through his notebook.

Veronica's eyes narrowed. "Any proof?"

"Not yet." He winced. She sighed, long and tired.

He rushed to add, "Jane checked into the hospital. Here are the records." He passed some papers to her. "There's a confirmed appointment, proof of her entering the building... and nothing showing she ever walked back out."

"So Ina's movements are unconfirmed," Veronica said flatly, "and Jane disappears inside a hospital?"

"Looks like it." 

Veronica sighed. "You know what to do, right?"

Victor nodded lightly, "Yeah, I will call her in."

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁