The cool night air hit Sophie's face as she and Miles stood on the sidewalk, the lights of the city casting long shadows across the street. The moon hung high in the sky, pale and distant. Miles shifted on his feet, nervously glancing at the phone in his hand as Sophie stared at the row of houses in front of them. Miles told her earlier that since the recorder was not in her house, it'll most likely mean that he left it at one of the houses he visited after he grabbed it so they were going to have to visit everywhere he's been that night.
"Why do I have the feeling we're going to be doing this all night?" Sophie muttered, her arms crossed, exhaling sharply. She was still angry at him—angry at him for letting himself into her place in the first place.
"Relax. I'm sure we'll find it. It'll most likely be lying on a couch somewhere."
"I really hope you're right because I've had a stressful day at work. I wouldn't want to stress myself today again only to yield nothing."
"You were stressed today? what happened? Mrs. Hart made you run an errand that wasn't in your job description again?"
"It's not that. If it was,I wouldn't be complaining. I've already gotten used to that."
"You're definitely going to tell me all about your day when we finally get our hands on your tiny recorder."
They started at Sam's house—the first place Miles had gone after pocketing the recorder. It was a small, one-story bungalow at the end of the street, the porch light casting a dim yellow glow over the front yard.
Miles knocked on the door twice, and after a few seconds, a voice from inside shouted, "Who is it?"
"It's Miles!" he called back. "I need to ask you something." The door creaked open, revealing Sam's shaggy-haired head peeking around the corner.
"Not now, man," Sam groaned, rubbing his eyes. "i was finally falling asleep after hours of trying. Why are you interrupting my sleep? Do you have something against rest?"
"We're looking for something important. Did you see anything weird earlier today? Like a small recorder or, I don't know, gadgets that looked... out of place?"
Sam's eyes widened slightly, a bit too quickly. "No, no, I didn't see anything like that."
With a grunt, Miles shrugged. "Thanks, Sam," he said, and without waiting for a response, he turned to Sophie. "Next place."
They made their way to the next house, which was down the block. This one belonged to Mark, another one of Miles' friends. The house was quieter, the streetlights reflecting off a row of cars parked outside. Miles knocked again, but no answer came immediately.
"Come on, Mark," Miles muttered, his hand gripping the handle of his backpack tightly. He knocked harder this time. "Open up, man!"
After a few more moments, the door cracked open to reveal Mark, who had a wary look in his eyes. "What's up, dude?" Mark said, clearly annoyed.
Miles didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Have you seen a small recorder? It's super important, and I need to know if it's here."
Mark blinked at him, his expression flat. "Why do you think I'd have a recorder? I don't mess with your stuff."
Sophie watched Mark's eyes dart to the side—subtle, but enough to catch her attention. "You're hiding something," she muttered, stepping forward. "I'll ask you again: Have you seen it?"
Mark shifted nervously. "No, I—"
"Look, we're not messing around," Miles cut him off, his voice low but insistent. "You're going to tell me where it is. Now."
Mark let out a breath, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. Yeah, I saw it earlier. Thought it was some kind of high-tech spy gadget or something. I didn't want to mess with it, so I left it on my desk." He pointed down the hall behind him. "It's in there."
Sophie stepped forward without hesitation. "Thanks," she said curtly, brushing past him. She didn't care about the weak excuses or the nervous glances—what mattered now was finding the recorder.
The room Mark had pointed to was a small office, barely furnished, with papers scattered across the desk. The recorder sat in the center, exactly where Mark said it would be. Sophie grabbed it quickly, her fingers closing around it tightly as if afraid someone would take it from her.
"Finally," she breathed, turning back to Miles. "We've got it."
"Look, I didn't know it was yours. If I did I would've returned it. It looked cool and most cool things are really expensive. Are you looking to sell?"
Miles turned to Sophie who replied. "No, we're good."
Miles and Sophie walked slowly back to the house. They were already exhausted. Sophie had work in the morning and she was here skipping sleep. Just when she thought the night couldn't get any worse, it did. Some men saw them and approached them. They tried to grab her purse and run off but she was holding it too tightly for it to be collected so easily.
Miles cursed under his breath, pulling Sophie toward him, but it was already too late. One of the men lunged forward, knocking Miles aside as he reached for Sophie. "Give us the bag," the man barked. "Everything. Now."
Sophie gripped the recorder tighter, holding it to her chest. "Stay back," she shouted, her heart pounding. "I'm not giving you anything!"
The man's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll just take it from you."
The second man, taller and stockier, grabbed Sophie's purse, wrenching it from her shoulder. Sophie fought back, using every ounce of strength she had. She twisted, kicked, and elbowed him, but he was too strong, and he threw her to the ground.
But she didn't let go of the recorder.
"Come on, let's go!" the first man shouted, turning to the other one. "Just take her phone, we have to go."
Sophie could barely see straight, her vision blurring from the pain as the second man ripped her phone from her hand. "No," she hissed through gritted teeth.
The robbers didn't hesitate, retreating into the night, leaving her bruised and panting on the pavement.
Miles rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'll be fine. I've survived worse."
"So do you care to explain what's so important about that recorder that made you risk your life for it?" Miles asked, eyebrows raised. "I know it's probably expensive but it definitely can't cost more than your phone. There's something you're not telling me."
Sophie sighed before speaking, obviously still trying to catch her breath. "Miles, there is something I have to tell you."