The alarm blared insistently, the siren's piercing wail cutting through the dense smog-laden air. Rain pattered against the grimy windows of the old flat. Detective Marrow stirred, a rumpled figure emerging from a tattered blanket. Bleary-eyed, he silenced the alarm with a rough motion. The defining exhaustion carved into his features spoke volumes of sleepless nights. A quick, hot shower and three cups of strong black coffee commenced his day.