Who's the Real Detective Here?

Chief Doyle dragged me straight to the site. Jenna was still soaking up the spotlight, eating every bit of praise.

One of the parents from the trafficking case even waved big, promising to throw a banquet in her honor.

The second I walked in, the whole mood snapped.

Reporters swarmed, shouting over each other.

Chief Doyle raised his hands.

"There's been a misunderstanding between our Bureau's Captain Mercer and Detective Blake of the FPD. I brought her here to clear it up."

He smiled like it was all fine—then shoved me forward.

Every eye locked on me, waiting.

I caught Jenna's smug little smile and laughed cold.

"I've got one question. Since you said we discussed every case—then tell me, what was the key clue in the church murder?"

Chief Doyle's face darkened. Definitely not the script he fed me on the way here.

Before he could blow, someone lunged forward and smacked me across the face.

Alan.

My mentor—same as last life—pointed at me, shaking with rage.

"You disgrace! First you steal Jenna's deductions, now you show up here making a scene?"

My cheek burned, but the shock cut deeper.

Alan drew breath to keep going, but Jenna tugged him back, wearing that perfect mix of hurt and innocence.

"Kate, I don't know why you'd ask me that... Don't you remember? I told you—the killer lined up the hundred-dollar bills from the victim's wallet by serial number. That's how we knew he was a religious fanatic with obsessive tendencies."

My brain went white-hot.

The church case was my first real breakthrough back in school. The killer was high-profile, so nothing ever hit the internet. Every record I had was gone. There was no way Jenna could've known.

But my shock gave me away—and the crowd pounced.

"She thought enough time passed and she could twist it? Gross."

"Get out. Just being near her makes my skin crawl!"

"Yeah, leave!"

Chief Doyle and I got shoved out by the mob.

He was shaking with fury.

"Clean up your own mess. You're on your own."

Then he peeled off without looking back.

I stood frozen. One of the people who'd shoved me out was someone I'd once saved from a serial killer.

I laughed, bitter.

What a joke.

My phone buzzed. One glance—and my eyes went wide.

So that's it... no wonder Jenna always knew what I was thinking.

I let out a sharp laugh, yanked out my badge, and tossed it into a passing garbage truck.

On a giant screen nearby, breaking news flashed: a charred body found in the suburbs. The victim's ID was shocking.

I just arched a brow and kept walking.

Starting now, I'm done being a cop. Let's see how the city's golden detective survives without me.