That morning, Marina arrived home with her hair still a little messy from the breeze of the motorcycle taxi. It had been another long day at college, and all she wanted was a cold shower and a bit of peace. But as soon as she pushed the front gate open and stepped inside, she heard the hurried sound of heels in the hallway.
— Mom?
Joana Albuquerque appeared in the living room with her purse over her shoulder, adjusting her white lab coat over a sleek black dress. Her eyes, always alert, turned to her daughter with a soft smile.
— Hey, sweetheart. I'm heading out. They called me in for an important evaluation.
— Another clinic case? — Marina asked, tossing her backpack on the couch.
— Not this time. This one's… different. The police called me — Joana answered, now more serious. — A criminal was transferred today to the city's forensic psychiatric hospital. They want me to assess whether he's mentally competent. His name is Jandison, but…
She paused before finishing:
— …the whole city knows him as The Grilo.
Marina frowned.
— What a creepy name.
Joana gave a slight smile, but her eyes showed concern.
— It is. They say he used to jump from house to house on the same street, like an insect… and he left marks on his victims' bodies. Dozens of holes, as if they'd been bitten by bugs. All while people were sleeping. Anyway… I'll tell you more when I get back. Take care, okay?
She gave her daughter a quick kiss on the forehead and walked out the door. The echo of her heels in the garage was the last sound Marina heard before closing it.
The city's forensic hospital sat on the far north end, isolated by tall trees and gray concrete walls. When Joana arrived, she was greeted by two armed guards who escorted her to the interview room. The atmosphere was cold, disturbingly clean — as if something awful could happen at any moment.
The criminal was already waiting.
Seated in a metal chair, hands cuffed to his waist, Jandison — The Grilo — rocked slowly back and forth. His sunken eyes seemed lifeless, and yet, something about him was deeply disturbing. Joana entered, clipboard in hand, keeping her professional composure.
— Good morning, Jandison. I'm Dr. Joana Albuquerque, a forensic psychiatrist. I've been assigned to evaluate your condition.
Silence.
— Do you understand where you are?
Nothing. Just the slow motion of the chair and the faint clinking of chains.
— Do you know why you're here?
Still nothing. He kept rocking, as if listening to some invisible music. Joana closed her clipboard, frustrated but composed.
— We'll try again tomorrow. — She stood, took a deep breath, and walked toward the door.
But just before she exited, a BANG made her turn suddenly.
Jandison had slammed both hands against the interview room's glass window.
Joana flinched, her heart pounding.
He stood there, eyes locked on hers — no longer lifeless, but intense, wicked. A huge grin spread across his face, stretching from ear to ear, revealing yellowed, crooked teeth. A smile that seemed to say, "I know who you are."
Without saying a word, Joana turned and left with the guards.
But that smile… that damned smile… stayed with her.
Meanwhile, at the Albuquerque house, Marina — fresh out of the shower, her hair tied up in a messy bun — flopped onto her bed with her phone in hand. She scrolled for a few minutes, took a deep breath, and pressed call.
Calling: Felipinho.
— Hello… — he answered, sounding a bit anxious.
— Hey, Felipe… are you busy?
— N-not really! I mean… I was studying. Okay, fine, I was watching cat videos on YouTube, but I can stop. Did something happen?
Marina chuckled on the other end.
— I wanted to know if you'd like to come over later. You know… to study. The literature project.
Felipinho went silent for a second. He choked a little on his own spit before answering:
— J-just the two of us?
— Just the two of us — she said, her voice softer now.
Silence on the line.
— Then… give me a few minutes and I'm already on my bike!
— Bring that blue notebook, okay? And… if you want, bring a bit of that silly charm of yours too — she added with a slightly flirtatious tone.
— Got it. The notebook's gonna be jealous.
They both laughed. Marina hung up smiling, and Felipinho darted around the house, grabbed the notebook, threw on a clean T-shirt, and jumped on his bike like he was on a secret mission.
The midday sun was scorching. On the way, Felipe stopped at a gas station to buy a bottle of water. He was sweating, nervous, excited. But the moment he stepped into the small convenience store, his body froze.
Diegola.
And with him were Alberto, Caçapa, and Diógenes, sitting on plastic chairs, laughing at something Caçapa had just said between sips of beer. Diego's eyes lifted and met Felipe's.
The smile that spread across Diego's face this time was different. Not mocking — curious. As if he already knew exactly where Felipe was going.
— Well, well… where you rushing off to, Felipinho? — Diego asked, arms wide open like he was greeting an old friend.
Felipe swallowed hard, gripping the bottle of water tightly. His heart pounded — and it wasn't just nerves anymore.
It was anger too.
Something inside him had changed.