The night clung to my skin like a cold, wet blanket. I stood in my dark apartment, eyes darting around the shadows. My heart beat like a drum in my chest, loud and fast. I'd found the note from The Puzzler, and now all the walls seemed to close in on me.
I needed to clear my head. I decided to take a shower. Maybe the hot water could wash away the dread that clung to me.
As the warm water poured over my face, I tried to let my thoughts flow away with it. But the fear was like a stain I couldn't scrub out. The Puzzler had been here. In my space. It felt personal, and that unsettled me even more.
Suddenly, I heard my phone buzzing over the sound of the shower. The noise sent a jolt through me. I quickly turned off the water, wrapping a towel around myself before heading into the bedroom. The phone was still buzzing on the bedside table, its glow casting an eerie light in the dim room.
I picked it up, my hands still damp. An unknown number flashed across the screen. My heart skipped a beat.
Hesitating, I answered.
"Hello?" My voice was steady, betraying none of the turmoil bubbling within.
There was silence on the other end. Then, a voice, low and distorted, filled the line. "Enjoying my little gift, Detective?"
I froze. The Puzzler's reach seemed endless.
"What do you want?" I demanded, forcing strength into my voice.
The line crackled, and the voice laughed softly—a chilling sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Just keeping the game interesting."
The call ended abruptly, leaving me standing in silence. The room suddenly felt colder, emptier, as if the shadows themselves were mocking me.
Wrapped in uncertainty and a growing sense of vulnerability, I dressed quickly, my mind churning with possibilities. This called for action, but I needed to tread carefully.
I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every creak and groan of the apartment felt amplified, like hidden eyes were tracking my every move.
Reid's arrival home was marked by the sound of his keys in the lock. The front door creaked open, and he walked in, shedding his coat as he entered the living room.
"Kate?"
"in here," I replied, trying to sound composed.
He entered the room, his expression concerned as he took in my demeanor. He seemed exhausted, the day's events etched into the lines of his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly attuned to the tension in the air.
I hesitated for a moment, the weight of the envelope heavy in my pocket. But I needed to share this, to lift the corner just a bit on the burden that had wrapped itself around me.
"I found a note," I confessed, my voice tinged with an edge of urgency. "The Puzzler was here. In our home."
Reid's eyes widened, shock flickering across his features. "What do you mean? How did they get in?"
I sighed, running a hand through my still-damp hair. "I don't know. But they left an envelope on our bed."
I pulled out the crumpled envelope and handed it to him. He inspected it, reading the words that still sent chills down my spine. As he absorbed the message, a new fire sparked in his eyes—anger intermingled with worry.
"This is getting out of hand, Kate," he said, voice firm. "We need to let more people in on this. You can't handle this alone."
I nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words. "I know. But I wanted to tell you first."
Reid moved closer, wrapping his arms around me in a gesture of protection I desperately needed. For a moment, the world's relentless pressure eased slightly, the storm outside silenced by the comfort of his presence.
"We'll figure this out," he assured, his voice a murmur against my hair.
Together, we stood in the quiet of our shared sanctuary, bound by resolve and mutual understanding. The game had changed, and the threats were closing in, but I wasn't alone in this fight.
Somehow, I'd find a way to confront The Puzzler. We would uncover the truth, one move at a time. And with Reid by my side, maybe—just maybe—I'd win this dangerous game.