Chapter 8
Detective's Doubt
Detective Brandt investigates Finch's disappearance. He views Elara's obsession with Sudoku as peculiar, a potential distraction from a more grounded reality.
Detective Brandt’s trench coat, perpetually damp from the city’s insistent drizzle, hung heavy on his broad shoulders. He stood in the hushed quiet of Elara’s apartment, the air thick with the scent of old paper and something vaguely floral, a scent he couldn’t quite place. It was a stark contrast to the sterile, metallic tang of the precinct. His gaze swept over the room, a meticulous cataloging of the life of the woman who had, in his professional opinion, lost her grip on reality. Books were stacked precariously on every surface, mathematical equations scrawled on stray napkins, and the ubiquitous Sudoku grids, like a strange, geometric infestation, adorned the walls, the floor, even the coffee table.
“Ms. Vance,” Brandt began, his voice a low rumble, cutting through the silence. He held up a small, worn notebook, its pages dog-eared and stained. “This belongs to Dr. Finch, correct?”
Elara, perched on the edge of her armchair, her fingers steepled beneath her chin, nodded. Her eyes, usually sharp and piercing, held a distant, almost haunted quality. “Yes. It’s his. I found it.”
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