Chapter 21 THE PRESENT, THE PAST
"He's the big deal. Apparently, someone at the top seriously wants this man arrested for a crime that happened twenty years ago. It might even involve a murder, although there's no concrete evidence yet. But I'm hoping we can dig up something," the head officer said, his voice steady.
But my mind was elsewhere-on the picture lying in front of me.
It's him.
The man I want nothing more than to pull a gun on.
No... I want to kill him in the most painful way imaginable.
"Nancy?"
I looked up, startled. The head officer was watching me closely, his brows furrowed in concern. I had completely blacked out for a moment-the noise around me had faded, like I'd been thrown into a tunnel of silence. I could barely make out his words.
"Detective Nancy!" he called again, firmer this time. That snapped me back.
"Why are you zoning out on me?" he asked, clearly confused.
"I'm sorry... What were you saying?" I asked, quickly composing myself.
"Are you in on this case?" he repeated. "It's top secret. You'll be assigned your own special team."
He sounded more excited than I felt. Of course he was. I already knew this was about money. Whoever wanted this guy captured was willing to pay handsomely-and he wanted in.
"I'll take the case," I said, my voice firm. "But I have a condition. I'll be working with my team, and if we successfully solve this case, you better give us the promotion we deserve."
He didn't hesitate. A slow, satisfied smile crept onto his face as he slid my resignation letter back toward me.
"Deal. Your special team will be at your disposal whenever they're needed."
I wasn't sure how to feel-relieved that I was finally getting a real opportunity to take down the man I had painted in red in my crime diary... or anxious about the trap I might be walking into. I could have turned it all down, stuck to my own investigation, worked in the shadows. But the truth was, I hadn't made much progress alone.
So maybe this is it.
Maybe this is my only shot.
And wait-did he just say murder?
"What murder case was he involved in?" I asked before realizing I'd spoken the thought out loud.
The head officer sighed deeply, picked up the photo again, and studied it for a second before speaking.
"Ravyn Vale is an orphan. No family. Left to fend for himself at an early age. His file says he was practically abandoned by the world-and he carved his own dark path. From his time in the orphanage to the moment he vanished, no one ever wanted to adopt him. Each place kept transferring him because of his aggressive behavior toward other kids."
He paused, shaking his head.
"When he was twelve, he beat another boy so badly the kid had to be hospitalized. His life hanging by a thread. Ravyn's been in and out of juvenile prisons. By eighteen, he was already deep in the system. His entire life... a mess."
He slid another photo toward me.
"Eventually, he joined this guy."
I looked down at the image. The man's face sparked something in me-familiar, but I couldn't place it.
"That's Falcone," he continued. "The mastermind behind it all. But if there's one thing Falcone knows how to do, it's keeping his hands clean. Every time, he erases every shred of evidence. Leaves us with nothing to hold on to. But I know something's out there. Something we can use to finally bring them down."
His voice lowered as he leaned closer.
"Ravyn Vale-he goes by Grave now-is working under Falcone. He's involved in drug trafficking, contract hits, kidnappings... even murders. But like I said, we've got no solid evidence."
I sat still, tension crawling over my skin.
"But he might be our way in," the head officer added. "They used to run a loan shark business in Brookleigh, which spread into a few other towns. Then, five years ago... they went completely silent."
No one has heard from these two, but their loan shark companies are still operating. I have a feeling they stirred up another storm-something serious enough to force them into hiding until the dust settles.
But regardless, these two are our main targets, especially Ravyn Vale.
I stared at the photo of the man whose name I had been unable to uncover-until now.
I'm going to make him pay for what he did to me.
"Thank you, sir, for considering me for this case. I'll take back my resignation letter... at least until this case is solved," I said, rising from my seat as I picked up the letter he had left for me.
"But there's one thing I want to know." I met his eyes. "Who's sponsoring this case-and why?"
The shift in his expression gave him away. He wasn't going to tell me.
"Someone, Detective Nancy," he replied. "Someone you'll come to know about very soon."
I nodded and turned toward the door, my heart suddenly heavier. I couldn't even begin to define how I felt-anger, purpose, fear, and something else I couldn't place.
I went in search of Linda and found her in the office with Anna and Jacob. They were buried in a pile of documents, looking exhausted yet focused.
For a moment, I just stood there, watching them-watching my team-before lightly tapping the door to get their attention.
They all looked up, and in that instant, smiles spread across their faces like sunrise breaking over a stormy night. I hadn't realized how much I missed them until now.
"Hey, guys," I greeted as I walked up to the desk.
Anna rushed toward me, her arms flying around me in a tight embrace.
"I honestly thought you abandoned us," she said, squeezing tighter. "Since you left, our lives have been miserable."
Her words pulled a smile from me, but also a guilt I couldn't ignore. Because the truth was-I had abandoned them.
When Brianna offered me the chance to work with her and Dax in their newly launched crime-fighting firm, I didn't hesitate. I wanted to matter. And in that moment, leaving everything behind felt like the right move.
"I'm sorry, Anna," I whispered when we finally pulled apart.
"It's okay. Now that you're here, I believe everything will be alright. I cannot wait to dump all these files back where they belong-on the desks of the people who think we're their slaves," she said with a groan, her frustration clear.
"Welcome back, Detective Nancy," Jacob said warmly, pulling me into a hug next. "Our team's been leaderless for a while now, and because of that, we've been treated like pushovers."
As Jacob released me, I noticed Linda sitting at her desk, glasses perched on her nose, a heavy frown creasing her face as she reviewed the last document in front of her.
She didn't even look up when she spoke.
"Tell me about it. Someone ditched us and went off to have fun in Austin," she said with feigned indifference.
I could hear the irritation in her voice-and she had every right to be mad.
"I'm sorry, guys. I really am. There's no point lying-Austin was fun. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it there. But I'm back now. And I promise-I will make it up to you, one way or another."
I looked toward Linda, hoping for even a small reaction.
And finally... she looked at me.