Chapter 41 The police station buzzed with subdued chaos.
Uniformed officers hustled between desks, the low hum of chatter and the clacking of keyboards filling the air.
Amelia sat stiffly on a metal chair beside Ryan, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
Every few moments, her eyes darted to the glass partition separating them from the detectives office, her tension palpable.
Ryan sat beside her, his posture rigid.
The bruises from the park altercation were fading, but the weight of what had happened hung heavily on him.
He glanced at Amelia, her furrowed brow and clenched jaw mirroring his own unease.
Detective Harris entered the room with a folder tucked under her arm.
Her sharp, calculating gaze swept over them as she sat down across the table.
Weve got some preliminary findings, Harris said, placing the folder in front of her.
She opened it to reveal a mugshot of the man Ryan had tackled at the park.
The good news is that weve identified the guy.
Names Tyler Grant.
No priors, no criminal record.
Clean as a whistle on paper.
Amelia leaned forward, her voice tight.
Then who hired him? He didnt do this on his own.
Harris nodded.
Thats what makes this case tricky.
We found a burner phone on him, but its been wiped clean.
Whoever orchestrated this covered their tracks.
She paused, studying their reactions.
This wasnt a random act.

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Someone went to a lot of trouble to make it look that way.
Ryans fists clenched at his sides.
So what youre saying is, were nowhere closer to finding whos behind this? Harris raised a hand to temper his frustration.
Not exactly.
The phone did have traces of communication before it was wipedencrypted messages, all routed through untraceable servers.
This is professional work.
Professional? Amelias voice cracked slightly.
You mean this was planned? Precisely, Harris said, her tone grave.
Your family is being targeted.
Until we can identify whos pulling the strings, you need to remain cautious.
And I mean hyper-vigilant.
Ryans jaw tightened.
Hyper-vigilance wont stop someone from trying again.
Harris fixed him with a hard stare.
Thats why Im telling you bothlet us do our job.
Were coordinating with cybersecurity experts to track the encrypted messages.
But in the meantime, focus on staying safe.
This isnt the time to go rogue.
Amelia exhaled shakily, her thoughts spiraling.
And what about my kids? Are they safe anywhere? Were doing everything we can to ensure their safety, Harris reassured her.
But you should consider private security if its within your means.
As they left the station, the tension between Ryan and Amelia was nearly suffocating.
Outside, the crisp night air was a stark contrast to the oppressive weight of the meeting.
This isnt random, Ryan said, breaking the silence.
Amelia stopped walking, turning to face him.
Her eyes gleamed with determination.
Then lets stop pretending were safe and figure out whos doing this.
For Damien and Debby, we have to.
Ryan nodded, his resolve hardening.
Well figure it out.
Together.
Next Chapter