#1 Whispers in the dark

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Seyon looks away from his computer, hearing a rustling noise. The hour is late. They had been discussing tactics, the slasher case until midnight, and somewhere in the middle moved their desks to hall 57, which will act as their headquarters until this case is solved.

Soham's idea was to stick the desks together, forming a square, so the rest of the hall was airy. He already set up a pin board in a corner, an indoor plant for aesthetics and air purification. A mini kitchenette took life, a coffee brewer and a water purifier on top of an old desk.

"Need the setting and the mood. Our brains won't work unless that," he said.

Mira Thanvesh was in awe of him. "That's a good idea. No need for a trip to the cafeteria for a quick grab of coffee."

"Don't tell me you did that to look cool before the new girl, Soham

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"Don't tell me you did that to look cool before the new girl, Soham." Seyon laughs, recalling the memory. A look to his right, he finds Thiya's seat empty. That rustling noise was her vacating her spot. She might have stepped out for some air.

Her desk is superimposed on his; glued is the word. He didn't mind the proposition. She's his... ex, but... There's no room for awkwardness when eight years have passed, is there? Mira and Soham are chatting over another coffee. A much-needed break.

Seyon's eyes land on the sparse decorations adorning Thiya's desk. A plush penguin miniature, a coffee mug... Of all the things that stand out is a square six-inch framed quote that reads: cheaters never prosper.

He raises a brow, making a silly face, and curls into his seat. Checks his surroundings. Yeah, no one saw him do that. Thiya had always been spunky. Spunky but nice. Like when they first met in that bookstore when they were both 20. Reached for the same book on the shelf, and tore it into two while staking their claim on it...

He stops himself before he can drift off and recall more of that memory

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He stops himself before he can drift off and recall more of that memory. Working with Thiya again means more trips down memory lane. He must be cautious.

Cheaters never prosper... Is that the quote she wants to go with? That's a bit off. He put the little Lord Murugan idol his Amma gifted him just before her passing on his desk, but...

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