Run: 2026-02-16-01KHK9N5XT28NVER0SNWQAZYKC

Rain stitched the harbor black. Sirens tangled with gulls' cries. Detective Mara Lake arrived late. Her umbrella bled thin stripes. The pier lamps flickered nervous. Officers guarded a cordoned rectangle. Wet chalk outlined unseen absence. A fisherman watched, knuckles whitening. Mara addressed the shivering fisherman. He nodded, eyes on water. His net snagged something earlier. Thought it debris, not her. Mara crouched beside the sheets. The body waited, quiet accusation. Lotus tattoo circled one ankle. A ring gleamed, cracked glass. Lipstick smeared like sunset rust. Tide whispered private, sibilant secrets. She tagged the scattered footprints. Two sizes, hurried, overlapping directions. Camera flashed; gulls recoiled skyward. The harbormaster approached, smelling diesel. Storm's rising, he warned flatly. Mara studied the broken railing. Fresh splinters pointed seaward, accusing. Boat lights bobbed like lanterns. Somewhere, a dog barked twice. Radio crackled names and addresses. Identify her, someone asked softly. Mara lifted the chipped necklace. Letters hid beneath dark grime. She rubbed, revealing barely initials. L and V, entwined carelessly. The fisherman crossed himself quickly. You knew her, Mara pressed. He swallowed, then looked away. Worked nights at Vesper Lounge. Sang Thursdays, drank after closing. Fought last week with manager. Over tips, and something else. Waves thudded against barnacled pilings. Mara pocketed the fragile necklace. Rain thickened, cloaking every breath. Somewhere, footsteps retreated, then stopped.