Day one

Day one
Astrid POV

We all gathered around the dining table again, but this time… the silence felt heavier.

Not the comfortable kind.

The kind that sits in your chest and refuses to move.

I tapped my nails lightly against the table, the sound sharp enough to cut through whatever thoughts everyone was drowning in.

“Okay,” I finally said, exhaling. “That was a lot, yeah?”

A few nods. A few tired sighs.

Killian leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck like the tension had physically settled there. “Yeah… but at least now we have something we didn’t have before.”

“Suspects,” Jason added, stretching his arms like this was some sort of game night.

“Not a game,” I muttered under my breath.

I turned to Sable. “What do we have?”

She was already prepared, of course she was. Notebook out, pen in hand, posture straight like she’d been waiting for this moment her whole life.

Archie leaned over the table with a grin. “Ah yes, Detective Sable. Please enlighten us.”

She didn’t even look at him. “Five suspects,” she said calmly.

That wiped the grin off his face.

“From the bottom,” she continued, “we have the lecturers.”

Killian frowned slightly. “Why exactly are we suspecting them again?”

Zora answered before I could. “Because all four of them had interactions with Ellie before she died. Private interactions.”

“And we don’t know what was said,” I added, folding my arms. “That alone puts them on the list.”

Jason scoffed lightly. “So what? We walk up to a lecturer and go—‘Hey, quick question, did you murder a student?’”

A few dry chuckles.

“Exactly,” Killian said. “So questioning them is out.”

“Then we don’t question,” I said, leaning forward slightly. “We watch.”

That got everyone’s attention.

“We stalk them,” I continued. “Observe patterns, movements, behavior. We’re not amateurs. We’ve done worse.”

Jason’s lips curled into a grin. “Now that sounds fun.”

“Of course it does to you,” Dove muttered.

Sable scribbled something down. “Next—officials.”

A collective groan.

“Six of them,” Odin said, already doing the mental math. “That’s… annoying.”

“Not impossible,” I replied quickly. “We split. Rotate days if we have to.”

“I’ll take some,” Damon said, cracking his knuckles.

“Same,” Riven added.

“I’ll pair with you,” Odin said to Riven with a nod.

“Perfect,” I said. “That’s handled.”

Hera, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. “But… does it even make sense? An official killing a student?”

I shrugged slightly. “Not directly. But accidents happen.”

“And people cover them up,” Zora added.

“Exactly,” I said, pointing at her. “If something went wrong… panic, fear… making it look like drowning isn’t far-fetched.”

Odin leaned back. “Still feels thin.”

“It is,” I admitted. “Which is why they’re not top priority.”

“Next,” I said, nodding at Sable.

“Shawn.”

Silence.

Dove exhaled slowly. “Now that one… makes sense.”

I tilted my head. “Explain.”

“He hits her,” Dove said simply. “We all heard it. He’s aggressive, unstable. That alone—”

“—doesn’t make him a killer,” Riven cut in.

“But it gives him motive,” Zora added. “If she pissed him off enough…”

“Or if Fiona got involved,” Odin said.

“Exactly,” Zora snapped her fingers. “he could want to get back on Ellie maybe because his girl asked..or you know”

Killian frowned. “Then what was that whole act on the bus?”

Archie shrugged lazily. “People fake things all the time. Especially when they think someone’s watching.”

I didn’t say anything.

Because my mind was already moving ahead.

“Next,” I said quietly.

Sable looked up. “Fiona.”

Hera let out a soft scoff. “Miss influencer herself.”

“Beauty queen,” Riven added.

“Walking brand deal,” Jason muttered.

I leaned forward slightly. “What do we actually know about her?”

“Not much,” Odin admitted. “Except that Ellie argued with her.”

“And that matters,” I said immediately.

They all looked at me.

“People like Fiona?” I continued. “Their image is everything. One wrong move, one scandal—everything collapses.”

“So you think Ellie had something on her?” Dove asked.

“I think it’s possible,” I replied. “Something big enough to threaten her reputation.”

“And she silences her,” Sable finished.

I nodded once.

Killian leaned back again, thinking. “Fiona… I’d give her… fifty percent.”

“Officials?” I asked.

“Thirty.”

“Lecturers?”

He hesitated. “Forty.”

“I’d pull that lower,” I said immediately. “I saw them that night.”

That made everyone look at me again.

“They were quiet,” I continued. “Nothing serious happening, discussing work stuffs, all that.”

“Noted,” Sable murmured, writing it down.

Then she paused.

Looked up.

“Last on the list…”

I already knew.

“Gracie.”

The table went completely still.

Dove blinked. “We’re… seriously doing this?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation.

Her brows furrowed. “But she’s the one who came to us—”

“And?” I cut in sharply. “That clears her?”

“No but—”

“She lied,” I said flatly.

That shut everyone up.

Riven frowned. “About what?”

I leaned forward, my voice sharper now, more focused.

“She said the argument she had with Ellie before bed was ‘nothing serious.’”

Silence.

“But it wasn’t,” I continued. “When I pressed her… when I really pressed her… I had to compel so she could speak, I knew she was lying and she said it was serious enough to matter.”

Killian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, you guys weren’t eavesdropping when I stopped her” I snapped, then forced myself to breathe. “She downplayed it. That alone is suspicious.”

“Or she was scared,” Dove argued.

“Scared of what?” I shot back immediately.

“Of being blamed!”

“For what?” I pressed harder. “If she’s innocent, why hide details?”

Dove opened her mouth—then closed it.

Exactly.

I leaned back slightly, crossing my arms.

“She stalled,” I continued. “You all saw it. Every answer—careful. Measured. Like she was choosing what to say and what not to say.”

“Or she was grieving,” Dove tried again, softer this time.

“And grieving people don’t tell half-truths?” I asked.

Silence.

“I’m not saying she did it,” I added, voice calmer now, but still firm. “I’m saying she’s not clean.”

Odin exhaled slowly. “Percentage?”

“Ninety,” I said without hesitation.

That hit hard.

Jason let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

Riven rubbed his jaw. “That’s… high.”

“Because it fits,” I replied. “She’s the only one who knew Ellie could swim. The only one.”

“Which also makes her story believable,” Dove countered weakly.

“Or convenient,” I shot back instantly.

That landed.

No one spoke for a moment.

Then—

“Alright.”

Killian’s voice cut through everything.

I looked at him.

“Enough,” he said calmly, but there was weight behind it. “We’re not convicting anyone yet.”

I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax.

He was right.

…even if I hated it.

“We have our list,” he continued. “We move smart.”

Hera finally straightened in her seat, eyes focused now—clearer than before.

“I’ll take Gracie,” she said.

All eyes turned to her.

“I’ll watch her,” she added. “Closely.”

I held her gaze for a second… then nodded.

“Good.”

Because something about Gracie?

Didn’t sit right.

And I wasn’t going to ignore that feeling.

Not this time.

“We try to find something in a few days,” I said, pushing my chair back as I stood. “But today? Day one.”

The words settled over the table like a quiet command.

I scanned their faces one after the other. No hesitation. No doubt. Just focus.

Good.

“You guys picked who you’re watching, yeah?” I asked.

A few nods.

Elsie lifted her hand slightly. “The boys—except Archie and the twins—are taking the officials.”

“Zora and I will handle Fiona, the influencer,” Dove added, already sounding like she was about to turn it into a whole undercover mission.

Killian leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. “Jason and I will watch Shawn.”

Of course they would.

I nodded once. “Good.”

Then I exhaled.

“I’ll take the lecturers.”

There was a small pause—just enough for them to register that.

“Alone?” Riven asked, brow raised.

“I’ll be fine,” I replied simply.

Archie stretched lazily in his seat like none of this concerned him. “And I,” he said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest, “will be at home… with Zora’s cat… awaiting your glorious updates.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course you will.”

Sable snorted softly.

“Support system,” Archie added, completely unserious.

“Sure,” I chuckled, shaking my head.

I looked around one last time.

“That’s it. Mission starts today.”

~~~

I didn’t waste time.

Upstairs. Door shut. Closet open.

If this was going to be messy, I needed to be ready for it.

I pulled out a fitted black top, light, breathable. Easy to move in. Paired it with black tactical pants, snug but flexible. Boots next, soft sole, no noise.

Hair? Tied up. High. Clean. Out of my face.

By the time I stepped back from the mirror… I didn’t look like someone going to school.

I looked like someone going to hunt.

Perfect.

~~~

When I got downstairs, I paused for a second.

Because everyone else?

Same energy.

Black. Comfortable. Ready.

Jason leaned against the wall, spinning car keys around his finger. Killian stood beside him, arms folded, already in full focus mode. Dove and Zora were adjusting their sleeves, murmuring something between themselves. Odin and Riven looked like they were about to go break into somewhere—not just “observe.”

Hera?

Already watching everyone like she was ten steps ahead.

I smiled slightly.

“Nice,” I said as I stepped forward. “We all understood the assignment.”

“Always do,” Jason smirked.

I stood in front of them, my expression turning serious.

“Listen,” I said.

That got everyone’s attention immediately.

“No matter what happens out there—no mistakes.”

Silence.

“We don’t get caught. We don’t get sloppy. And we don’t get emotional.”

My eyes flicked briefly to Hera.

Then back to everyone.

“If anything feels off, you pull back. You reach out. No solo hero moves.”

Jason raised a brow slightly. “You saying that for me?”

“Yes,” I said without missing a beat.

A few quiet laughs.

But I didn’t smile.

“This isn’t just about finding a killer,” I continued. “If we’re right… then someone out there is smart enough to make murder look like an accident.”

That wiped the humor clean off their faces.

“So we move smarter.”

A beat.

Then,

“We’ve got this,” Killian said quietly.

I nodded.

“Yeah. We do.”

~~~

“Good luck out there,” Sable said from the side, arms folded but her tone soft.

“Don’t die,” Archie added lazily from the couch.

“Very motivating,” Dove muttered.

Zora rolled her eyes. “Ignore him.”

Elsie stepped forward just as we were about to head out.

“Wait.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black box.

“Before you go.”

She opened it.

Inside—tiny devices. Sleek. Almost invisible.

“Trackers,” she said.

That got everyone’s attention again.

“You plant one on your target,” she continued. “Clothes, bag, car—anywhere discreet. Once it’s on, we can monitor their movements from here.”

Jason took one, inspecting it. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

Elsie smirked slightly. “I like being prepared.”

“Show us,” I said.

She nodded and quickly demonstrated—tap, activate, sync.

“Once it’s on, it links automatically. You’ll see the signal on your phones.”

“Got it,” Killian said.

One by one, we each took one.

This just got better.

~~~

Outside, the air felt… different.

Sharper.

Like the world knew something was about to shift.

Some headed toward their cars.

I didn’t.

I walked past them… straight to my bike.

Black. Sleek. Fast.

I swung a leg over it, grabbing my helmet.

Before I could start it, Hera walked over.

I looked up at her.

“You’ll be careful,” I said.

She laughed lightly. “Astrid, I’m watching Gracie, not fighting a war.”

“You don’t know that,” I replied, voice quieter now. “Just… be careful.”

For a second—just a second—her expression softened.

Then she nodded.

“Always am.”

I reached out, pulled her slightly closer… and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

“Good.”

I pulled back, putting on my helmet.

“Keep me updated,” she said.

“Same.”

~~

Engine on.

A low, powerful growl beneath me.

I revved once.

Twice.

Then—

I took off.

And just like that—

Day one began.