Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXQ69XFQMTCDRQQBQE4MEDV

The rain drummed against the cobblestones as Detective Harlan adjusted his coat collar tightly. A flickering streetlamp cast long shadows across the alley where the body lay motionless. The victim’s gloved hand clutched a silver locket, its chain snapped cleanly. Harlan knelt, his breath fogging in the cold as he studied the wound. The coroner arrived, his face grim beneath the brim of his hat. “No signs of struggle,” he muttered, shaking his head slowly. Harlan’s fingers brushed the locket, feeling the faint engraving beneath. A distant siren wailed, cutting through the silence like a knife. The detective stood, his mind racing through possibilities and motives. A single glove lay discarded near the body, its leather damp and worn. Harlan pocketed the locket, his eyes scanning the alley for clues. The rain continued, washing away any traces of the killer’s steps. A shadow moved at the alley’s edge, vanishing into the night. Harlan’s pulse quickened as he turned, but no one was there. The case had begun, and the truth was already slipping away.