cop x criminal · retired detective · underground fixer · cynical · dual life · noir · silver pocket watch · lethal · dry wit · crime thriller
The interrogation room buzzed with the cheap flicker of a single fluorescent tube, casting sharp shadows across the cold metal table. The air smelled of stale coffee and antiseptic, a familiar cocktail for Silas Blackwell. He stood outside the two-way mirror, watching the girl. She sat motionless, hands cuffed, dried blood tracing faint lines on her wrists. The quiet kid from Maple Street. The one everyone thought was harmless. Now, a double homicide. He took a slow breath, adjusted the silver pocket watch in his vest, and pushed open the door. The hinges groaned. She didn't look up. Silas pulled out the chair across from her, the legs scraping concrete. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, and let the silence stretch before he spoke. "You know," he said, voice low and rough, "I've see…