Detective Rhea arrived at the crime scene before dawn. her expression unreadable as floodlights flickered over the debris.

She moved methodically, almost too calm, noting details almost no one else seemed to catch.

When her partner’s asked how she knew the victims watch had stopped at 2:15, she simply shrugged.

In the evidence tent, she adjusted the photos-subtly, deliberately-to solidify the timeline she needed.

Every few minutes, she checked her phone for a message that never came.

Her partner joked that she could demonstrate guilt better than any suspect they’d ever booked.

Rhea laughed, though it sounded forced.

By the time the tech team arrived, the trail was already cold- incapacitated by her careful misdirection.

She stood at the edge of the caution tape, watching the sun rise over the scene she’d built.

Only then did she allow a small, secret smile- The satisfaction of a plan executed perfectly.