Run: 2026-02-16-01KHM5Y9408PB3JXVYQ1ETPVXE

The rain tapped softly on the windowpane, a steady rhythm masking distant footsteps in the empty street. Detective Harlan Pierce adjusted his trench coat collar, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit alley for any signs of movement. A single flickering streetlamp cast long shadows, revealing a crumpled figure slumped against the damp brick wall. The victim’s face was pale, lips parted in a silent scream, one hand clutching a torn photograph. Pierce knelt beside the body, gloved fingers brushing against a silver locket glinting faintly in the murky light. The locket’s hinge was broken, its interior hollow except for a single drop of dried blood. A faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, out of place amidst the alley’s stale odors. Pierce’s jaw tightened as he spotted a smudged footprint leading toward the alley’s shadowed exit. The clock tower chimed midnight, its mournful toll echoing through the deserted streets like a warning. Someone had planned this carefully, leaving just enough clues to taunt him—but not enough to slip.