The Midnight Frame
January 11, 2025
The flickering neon sign outside the diner cast a faint blue hue over the crime scene. Inside, the body of Tyler Grant, a local investigative journalist, lay slumped in a booth, a single gunshot wound to his chest. A cup of untouched coffee sat on the table, still warm.
Detective Sarah Blake stood by the doorway, surveying the scene. Her partner, Detective Ethan Cross, crouched by the body, examining the angle of the wound.
“Execution style,” Ethan muttered, glancing up at Sarah. “Whoever did this wanted him dead, no questions asked.”
Sarah’s gaze lingered on the coffee cup. “Or they wanted it to look that way. Tyler wasn’t just any journalist—he was digging into some serious dirt on powerful people.”
Ethan stood, brushing his hands on his slacks. “You’re thinking this wasn’t random.”
“Not a chance,” Sarah replied, walking toward the counter where the waitress, Maggie, was being consoled by an officer. Sarah approached gently. “Maggie, I know this is hard, but can you tell me what happened?”
Maggie sniffled, her hands trembling. “Tyler came in around 11. He always ordered the same thing—black coffee, no sugar. He looked… nervous. Kept checking the door.”
“Did anyone come in after him?” Sarah asked.
Maggie nodded. “A man in a dark hoodie. I couldn’t see his face. He sat at the booth across from Tyler, and they talked for a few minutes. Then…” Maggie’s voice broke. “I heard the gunshot.”
Sarah placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Did you see where the man went?”
“He ran out the back,” Maggie whispered. “I… I didn’t follow. I was too scared.”
Ethan rejoined Sarah, holding a small USB drive encased in a plastic evidence bag. “Found this in Tyler’s pocket. Looks like it might be what he was working on.”
Sarah’s brow furrowed. “If he was meeting someone, they might have handed it to him. Or maybe Tyler was trying to protect it.”
Ethan nodded. “Either way, it’s our next lead.”
Hours later, back at the precinct, the USB drive revealed a folder labeled Project Midnight. Inside were documents exposing a city council member, Richard Hale, for taking bribes to approve illegal real estate developments.
“Bingo,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair. “Tyler was onto Hale.”
Sarah frowned. “And now Tyler’s dead. Hale’s powerful, but is he desperate enough to arrange a hit?”
As if on cue, Sarah’s phone buzzed. She answered, her expression darkening. “It’s the lab. They ran fingerprints from the coffee cup. They’re not Tyler’s or Maggie’s.”
“Who do they belong to?” Ethan asked, leaning forward.
“Richard Hale,” Sarah said coldly.
Ethan’s eyes widened. “He was here himself? That’s bold.”
Sarah grabbed her coat. “Bold or sloppy, he made a mistake. Let’s bring him in.”
Hours later, Hale sat in the interrogation room, his calm demeanor cracking under Sarah’s pointed questions.
“You met Tyler,” she said, her tone icy. “You tried to bribe him to bury the story, and when he refused, you killed him.”
Hale sneered. “You have no proof.”
Sarah slid the evidence bag with the USB drive across the table. “This says otherwise.”
Hale’s confidence faltered.
Sarah leaned in. “You might’ve silenced Tyler, but his story will speak louder than ever. And you’ll pay for what you did.”
Hale’s silence was answer enough. The truth was out, and justice was closing in.