Rain needles the office windows, turning Portland into a blur of headlights and wet pavement. Sally and Devlan sit amid case files, cold coffee, and a stubborn clock that seems louder than the storm.
Devlan Mitchel
No leads, no phone calls, no body in a freezer. That is almost suspicious by itself.
Devlan leans back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. He looks tired in the way only a man with too many dead ends can look tired.
Devlan Mitchel
Two weeks since Seattle, and we finally get a quiet day. I forgot what boredom felt like.
Sally flips through the same stack of notes again, then sets them down. The office smells like paper, rain, and old radiator heat.
Sally
The city is loud outside. In here, nothing is happening.
Devlan Mitchel
We could pretend this is normal, for about ten minutes. Maybe eat something that does not come from a vending machine.
A fresh drip lands in the corner bucket. Devlan glances at it, then at Sally, with a faint half-smile that finally softens the room.
Reconnect about their future