It actually took faster than I thought it would.
The investigation, I mean.
I'd expected weeks—months even—of dead ends, deflections, and carefully worded denials. That was how people like Engr. Julio Santos survived for so long. They hid behind paperwork and time, betting on everyone else getting tired before the truth ever surfaced.
But somehow… the wall cracked.
I didn't know that yet, of course. Not when that Saturday morning arrived quietly, unannounced, wrapped in the kind of calm that felt almost suspicious.
---
I woke up to fingers brushing my cheek.
Not shaking me. Not poking. Just… tracing. Slow, deliberate, familiar. Like she was mapping my face from memory.
I groaned, turning my head slightly to escape.
The fingers followed.
I sighed. "You know this won't make me wake up faster."
"That's where you're wrong," Val said softly, amusement threading her voice. "You're already awake."
I cracked one eye open.
