The room was still thick with silence when the officer rushed in, the sound of the door slamming open still echoing. Every head turned toward him. The sweat on his face, the panic in his eyes—it said everything before he even spoke.
Chief Lawton narrowed his gaze, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.
"What now?" he muttered under his breath. "What is it this time?"
The officer didn't say a word. He walked straight past the sea of frozen faces, past the stunned detectives and elite team leaders, straight to the far side of the room where the massive wall-mounted television stood dark and cold.
He grabbed the remote with trembling hands and turned it on.
The screen blinked to life.
Every head turned. Every breath held.
BREAKING NEWS flashed across the screen in bold red letters.
A news anchor appeared, her face grave and heavy with tension.
