The city evening was falling into its usual rhythm; cars threading along busy streets, neon signs flickering alive, and office workers spilling out into the dusk with weary steps. Yet for Linsy, standing by the tall glass windows of the Helwart building, the view blurred into an indistinct haze.

Moments ago, she had watched Michael’s car vanish into the distance, carrying Ceci with it. The polished black vehicle moved with the kind of steady, decisive speed that left no room for second ...