Chapter 209: Help

The office smelled faintly of old leather, paper, and something sharper — maybe Jonathan’s cologne or the ghost of a cigar smoked long after hours. The walls were lined with shelves heavy with thick, somber books: criminal law, forensic psychology, procedural codes. A single window let in a reluctant wash of late afternoon light, smudged by city grime.

Ethan sat in the boss’s chair.