Adventure of Dallas Fontaine 2

The study door jerks on its hinges, thudding with a hard, measured rhythm. Ozone hangs in the air like a warning. Dallas grabs the routing ledger from the desk as Professor Dayton backs toward the wall cabinet, pale and rigid.

Murderbone plants himself at the door, teeth bared, every muscle lit for the bite. The handle turns another fraction, slow and deliberate, like whoever is outside already knows the room inside has gone quiet.

Dallas snaps the hidden drawer shut and tucks the bent keycard and ledger under his coat. The filing wall cabinet stands open now, exposed, a second mouth in the room. From the hall, comes the scrape of a tool against metal, then a breathy murmur.