Settling nack in...
The hum of the precinct filled the air as Eloise sat at her desk, her eyes scanning over the final report on Kristine Alonzo's case. The girl was home, safe, and her abductor was awaiting trial. But the emotional weight of the case still lingered.
Eloise had done everything by the book, but her mind wouldn't let go of a nagging feeling. Something about the abductor's profile didn't sit right with her. He had been calm—too calm. Almost as if he had been… prepared.
"Thinking too hard again?"
Eloise head snapped up, her focus shattered by that familiar voice.
"Helios," she murmured, her expression neutral, though the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips.
Detective Helios Mikhael Rios leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed and that ever-present smirk plastered on his face. He had the same disheveled charm—tie slightly loose, sleeves rolled up, and the undeniable scent of coffee following him.
"I was hoping you'd take a day off," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped inside.
"And miss all this fun?" Eloise shot back, gesturing to her desk piled high with case files. "I live for this."
"Yeah?" Rios arched a brow, his smirk deepening. "Then I've got something that'll make your day."
Eloise's curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
Rios tossed a thin file onto her desk.
"Meet Patrick Dela Cruz," he said, his tone losing its usual playful edge. "Forty-six. Former journalist. Went missing two days ago."
Eloise brow furrowed as she flipped through the file. "Any ransom demands? Contact from family?"
"None," Rios replied, his jaw tightening. "But get this—his wife reported receiving a text from his phone this morning."
"A text?" Eloise's eyes narrowed. "What did it say?"
Rios pulled out his phone and read aloud.
"Don't look for me. It's better this way."
"Classic misdirection," Eloise murmured, her mind already shifting into analytical mode. "The question is—who sent it?"
☆☆☆
By midday, Rubio and Rios were back in the field, retracing Patrick Dela Cruz's last known steps.
"His wife said he went to meet someone for an interview," Rios said as they walked toward a quiet café tucked between narrow alleyways. "But she didn't know who."
"Why meet at a place like this?" Eloise murmured, her eyes scanning the surroundings. The café was small, cozy, and barely frequented—hardly the place for a high-profile interview.
"Privacy," Rios replied, his gaze just as alert. "No prying eyes."
Eloise stopped, her eyes narrowing as she spotted something. "Look."
A security camera.
"Bingo," Rios murmured.
They wasted no time. The café's owner, an elderly woman with a warm smile, gave them access to the footage.
"Here," Eloise pointed to the timestamp. "That's him."
Patrick Dela Cruz entered the café alone. He sat at a corner table, his eyes scanning the room—nervous, on edge.
Then…
"Pause," Eloise said sharply.
Helios froze the frame.
A man approached Patrick's table. Tall. Slender build. Face partially obscured by a cap.
"Do we have an angle on his face?" Eloise asked, leaning in.
"Let's fast-forward," Rios murmured.
The conversation between Patrick and the stranger was brief. Patrick handed over an envelope—cash.
"Looks like he was paying for something," Rios muttered.
"Or someone," Eloise corrected, her mind spinning with possibilities.
The deeper they dug, the murkier the case became.
Patrick Dela Cruz's financial records showed consistent withdrawals—small amounts, spread out over months.
"He was paying someone off," Eloise murmured, pacing her office as Rios leaned against her desk.
"Blackmail?" Rios suggested.
"Maybe." Eloise's eyes darkened. "But it doesn't feel like typical blackmail. It's too… methodical."
Rios frowned. "You think he was protecting someone?"
"Possibly," Eloise replied. "But who?"
A ping from her laptop interrupted her thoughts.
"Got something," she murmured, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
Encrypted emails.
"Patrick was communicating with someone through a secure server," Eloise murmured.
"Can you trace it?"
"Already on it," she replied, her eyes narrowing as the system decoded the encryption.
Minutes passed…
"Here," she breathed, her pulse quickening.
The emails were cryptic, but one line stood out.
"The truth dies with me."
Rios straightened, his expression grim. "What the hell was Patrick caught up in?"
☆☆☆
Their lead took them to an old printing warehouse downtown. The scent of old ink and rust filled the air as Rubio and Rios stepped inside, flashlights in hand.
"Stay close," Rios murmured, his eyes scanning the darkness.
"Not planning on getting lost," Eloise whispered back, her senses on high alert.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere deep within the warehouse.
"Did you hear that?" Eloise asked softly.
"Yeah," Rios replied, his hand instinctively moving to his holster.
They followed the sound, each step amplifying the tension between them.
A faint flicker of light glowed from behind a partially open door.
Rios signaled for Eloise to stay behind, but she ignored him, staying close as they moved toward the source.
Inside, they found Patrick Dela Cruz—bound and gagged, eyes wide with fear.
"Patrick!" Eloise rushed forward, untying him as Rios covered her.
"Is he okay?" Rios asked, his tone sharp.
"He's breathing," Eloise murmured, her hands steady but her heart pounding.
"Behind you!" Patrick's muffled cry echoed through the room.
A figure emerged from the shadows—a man with cold, calculating eyes.
"Stay where you are," Rios barked, his gun trained on the man.
But the stranger didn't flinch.
"If not?," he murmured, his lips curling into a sinister smile.
Rios' finger hovered over the trigger.
"Drop it," he ordered.
The man's hand twitched toward his side, holding a gun.
"Don't," Rios warned.
Eloise voice cut through the tension.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her tone steady but her eyes piercing.
"Someone who knows the truth," the man replied cryptically.
"About what?" Eloise asked, her mind racing.
The man's eyes flickered with amusement. "Everything."
Rios had had enough. "Get down!" he barked as the man moved—
Bang!
Rios tackled him, pinning him to the ground.
With the man in custody and Patrick safe, the truth finally came to light.
Patrick had been investigating a corruption ring involving powerful figures—people willing to kill to keep their secrets buried.
"He was silenced," Eloise murmured softly as they stood outside the precinct, the cool night air brushing against her face.
"Not anymore," Rios replied, his tone quieter than usual.
☆☆☆
As they watched Patrick reunite with his family, Eloise felt a strange mix of relief and unease.
"Another case closed," Rios murmured beside her.
"Yeah," Amelia replied softly, but her eyes remained on Patrick.