Chapter 1: Evidence Room Shadows (Lauren POV)

The fluorescent lights in my office hummed their familiar tune as I spread Marcus Valdez's case file across my desk for what had to be the hundredth time. Eleven PM on a Tuesday, and I was still here, still chasing the ghost that had haunted me for five years.

"Finally got you, you bastard," I whispered to the surveillance photo clipped to the inside cover. Marcus Valdez stared back at me with those cold, dead eyes that had watched three people die.

My phone chimed. A text from my neighbor: Your lights are still on. Go home, workaholic.

I ignored it and flipped to the evidence inventory. Everything was there, locked away in Evidence Room C: the murder weapon with Valdez's prints, the blood-spattered jacket found in his apartment, the witness statements that painted a clear picture of premeditated murder. Tomorrow morning, I'd walk into that courtroom and watch them put him away for life.

Five years. Five years of following dead-end leads, of watching him slip through legal loopholes, of nights like this when I couldn't sleep knowing he was still walking free. But not anymore.

Most detectives would have gone home hours ago, content to let tomorrow take care of itself. But I'd learned the hard way that cases could fall apart overnight if you weren't careful.

"Henderson, Morrison, Blackwood," I muttered, tracing connections with my finger. "What's the pattern?"

All three cases involved high-profile defendants with expensive lawyers. All three collapsed due to evidence tampering or witness intimidation. All three suspects walked free to commit more crimes.

But Valdez was different. His case was airtight. I'd triple-checked every piece of evidence, interviewed every witness multiple times, documented everything with obsessive precision. Nothing could go wrong this time.

My coffee had gone cold hours ago, but I drained the cup anyway. The bitter taste matched my mood perfectly.

A sound from the evidence room corridor made me look up. Footsteps? But the night security guard had already done his rounds an hour ago.

I checked my watch: 11:23 PM. The evidence rooms were supposed to be locked down for the night, accessible only with special authorization that had to be logged with security.

Another sound; definitely footsteps, soft and deliberate.

My hand moved instinctively to my service weapon as I stood and walked to my office door.

"Hello?" I called softly.

Silence.

I stepped into the hallway, every instinct screaming that something was wrong. The evidence room corridor branched off to my left, and as I approached the corner, I could see light spilling from underneath the door to Evidence Room C.

That was impossible. The rooms were supposed to be dark unless someone was inside, and the access logs would show any entry.

I pressed my back against the wall and peered around the corner. Through the reinforced glass window of Evidence Room C, I could see movement—a dark shape shifting between the evidence shelves.

I drew my weapon and moved closer to the door. The electronic lock showed a red light, sealed and secure. But inside, the shadow continued its impossible dance through my carefully organized evidence.

"This is Detective James," I called through the door, my voice steady despite the adrenaline flooding my system. "You're in a restricted area. Come out with your hands visible."

The movement stopped.

For a heartbeat, everything was perfectly still. Then the lights in Evidence Room C went out.

"Shit." I fumbled for my flashlight with one hand while keeping my weapon trained on the door with the other. The beam cut through the darkness inside, revealing empty aisles between evidence shelves.

Empty.

But that was impossible. I'd been watching the only exit.

I swiped my access card and heard the lock disengage with a soft click. The door opened smoothly, and I stepped inside, flashlight sweeping the room in careful arcs.

"Chicago PD! Show yourself!"

The lights slammed back on, flooding the room with harsh fluorescence. I spun around, weapon raised, and found myself face-to-face with someone I recognized.

"Lauren? What the hell are you doing in here?"

Detective Alex Henderson stood in the doorway, his hand still on the light switch. His dark hair was slightly messed, like he'd been running his fingers through it, and his usually pristine shirt was wrinkled. Even disheveled, he managed to look like he'd stepped off a recruitment poster.

"Alex?" I lowered my weapon slightly but didn't holster it. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "It's almost midnight. Shouldn't you be home getting beauty sleep before your big day tomorrow?"

"I saw someone in here. Movement through the window. How did you get in?"

He held up his access card. "Same as you, I assume. I was working late on the Richardson case when I heard voices from this direction. Thought I'd check it out."

I studied his face, looking for any sign of deception. Alex had been my partner for six months, assigned after my previous partner retired. He was competent, reliable, and had a way of staying calm under pressure that I envied. But right now, something felt off.

"You didn't see anyone else? A dark figure moving between the shelves?"

Alex looked around the evidence room, his expression carefully neutral. "Just you, Lauren. Are you feeling okay? You've been putting in a lot of hours on the Valdez case."

"I know what I saw."

"I'm not saying you didn't see something. Maybe it was shadows from the security patrol outside, or..."

"It was inside the room, Alex. Moving between the evidence shelves like..." I trailed off, realizing how insane I was about to sound.

"Like what?"

I holstered my weapon and turned back to the Valdez evidence box. My hands shook slightly as I opened it, praying that everything would be exactly where I'd left it.

The box was empty.

"No." The word came out as barely a whisper. "No, no, no, this can't be happening."

I frantically searched through the box, as if the murder weapon and blood-stained jacket might somehow be hiding in the corners. But there was nothing, just empty space where my case should have been.

"Lauren?" Alex moved closer, his voice gentle with concern. "What's wrong?"

I stared at him, at his worried expression and his rumpled clothes, and for the first time in six months of partnership, I wondered who Alex Henderson really was.