The police station buzzed quietly, files stacked on desks, officers moving between offices. Aren sat at his workspace, tracing over a folder detailing recent industrial deliveries. Last night, he had barely touched the warehouse case, when Captain Rethan assigned him a separate task: tracking irregular shipments by Helios Logistics corporation.
He studies the vehicle logs, noting discrepancies in times and routes. Task was discreet; no one outside the captain's office would know. His instincts prickled...someone was hiding something.
Accross the station, Mirelle typed into her computer database, her notebook open beside her. She had taken the warehouse investigation from earlier and was piecing them together--witness reports, photographs and security footage.
After an hour, she grabbed her bag casually. "I am heading to Veydrick for a consult" she said "...you might want to keep an eye on those logs, Aren." Aren nodded, eyes still on the maps. " I'll manage."
Mirelle's steps echoed as she walked toward Veydrick's office. When she entered, he looked up calmly. "Morning" Mirelle said, casually. "Warehouse investigation?" [Veydrick]
"Exactly," Mirelle replied. She put her notebook on the desk. "Witnesses, footprints, delivery schedules...nothing concrete yet. I could use your legal insight."
Veydrick glanced at her for a moment, and asked: "Officer Aren?". "He noticed some patterns earlier, when we reviewed the report again...careful observant," Mirelle said lightly. "But captain Rethan pulled him to another case.", Veydrick nodded, pen hovering over the. Folder: "I see". After a short pause: "okay I will review the legal ownership and transactions; keep me updated if anything critical arises." Mirelle closed her notebook, giving him a casual nod. "Will do." And left
Back at his desk, Aren focused fully on Helios Logistics. The logs showed repeated unregistered routes, minor discrepancies in delivery times, and some vehicles arriving at unusual locations. Tire marks, footprints near one dock, small scuffs on crates—all suggested someone moving items carefully, but deliberately hiding the trail.
Hours passed. Aren mapped every detail meticulously, cross-referencing delivery numbers and routes. Aren noted each anomaly, no matter how small, in his pad. He traced patterns, calculated probable paths, and mentally tagged likely drop points.
By late evening, he left the station with a folder and a small coffee, walking toward the dockside area. The night air was little refreshing. Quiet, except for distant traffic and the occasional siren.
He found Veydrick's office building in the distance and paused. Without any work-related reason, he decided to stop by. He knocked lightly; the door opened immediately. Veydrick, busy working on the legal transactions, looked up because of the door noise.
"Valric" Veydrick said calmly, eyes on him but with a faint, welcoming curve to his lips.
"Evening," Aren said, entering. "I… thought I'd stop by." Veydrick raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the desk. "Just visiting? No work talk?"
Aren shook his head. "No work. Just… wanted to see how you're doing. And the city looks different at night."
Veydrick's faint smile softened the usual calm intensity. "A rare break, then. Sit if you like."
He settled into quiet chairs, watching the distant lights flicker across the rain-slicked street. For a moment, no words were needed. The city, the night, the quiet hum of life—all felt like a pause between chaos.
Aren finally said, casual but thoughtful, "Sometimes I wonder if people notice patterns as much as you do."
Veydrick gave a faint shrug. "Some do. Most don't. That's why careful observation matters."Aren smiled softly. "I'll keep trying."
"Good," Veydrick said, returning to his papers, but not rushing him away. "Curiosity suits you, Valric. Just… pace yourself."
Outside, the night stretched endlessly, but for Aren, it felt like a small anchor—a quiet connection in a city full of hidden truths, waiting to be uncovered.