Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKA5C5Y6FVT4ZJXKRTYWCDZ

Rain stitched shadows across Harborview. Detective Mara Quinn arrived late. Sirens faded into gull cries. Yellow tape fluttered like warnings. The pier smelled of iron. Dockworkers watched without speaking, wary. A body lay near moorings. White sheets failed to hide. Blood threaded channels between planks. Tide licked evidence toward darkness. A watch ticked, still strapped. Mara crouched, meeting blank eyes. They mirrored clouds, endless gray. Coroner Patel cleared his throat. He whispered, Councilman Reed confirmed. Wind snapped tape like reprimand. Reporters gathered beyond dripping ropes. Phones blinked, recording private grief. Mara studied footprints between puddles. Two sets diverged toward warehouses. One returned; one disappeared entirely. She marked them with chalk. Salt mist silvered her eyelashes. Her radio crackled with interference. Dispatch mentioned an anonymous tip. Warehouse Seven lights burned overnight. Council budget debates ran heated. Reed chaired contracts with zeal. Enemies multiplied behind pleasant smiles. Mara tasted motives like brine. She rose, raincoat creasing thoughtfully. Patrol lights painted everything marine. A gull screamed, then quieted. Footsteps approached from the ramp. A janitor clutched a mop. His boots shone, recently polished. He wouldn't meet her gaze. She asked about last night. He mumbled, storms scare trouble. Mara noted trembling, not weathered. Patel zipped the sheet slowly. Seaglass clinked inside Reed's pocket. A tiny key followed, glinting. Mara palmed it without comment. She hated cameras catching curiosity. Thunder marched along the coast. Power hummed beneath the planks. Some generator labored, barely holding. Patrolman Chen waved her over. He found fibers on pylons. Blue threads clung like secrets. Council colors favored bright blue. Mara pocketed one, heart steady. The ocean swallowed a confession. It burped diesel and salt. Somewhere, a buoy tolled once. Somewhere else, a phone rang. Warehouse Seven called her name.