Chapter 1: Introduction
The apartment was filled with the soft glow of early evening, sunlight filtering through cotton-candy clouds and painting Sarah's bare skin with a warm, golden hue. She was lounging on the couch, a worn-out paperback resting on her lap, her gaze drifting from the words on the page to the window and back again. The air was languid, heavy with the promise of a sultry summer night, yet she couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness that had been gnawing at her since she woke up.
She took a sip of her now-cold coffee, the bitter taste lingering on her tongue as the liquid swirled in the mug, a souvenir from her last trip to New Orleans.
The sudden knock on her apartment door startled her, causing her to jump slightly and spill coffee onto the worn-out fabric of the couch. "Damn it," she muttered, wiping her hands on the side of her camisole. She padded over to the door, her bare feet sinking into the plush rug, and peeked through the peephole.
Standing on the other side was a man she didn't recognize.
He was tall, with broad shoulders that filled the doorway, and the badge on his chest glinted under the harsh hallway light. She opened the door a crack, eyeing him warily.
"Ms. Sarah Davis?" he asked, his voice deep and authoritative.
"Yeah, that's me. What's this about, Officer?" She crossed her arms over her chest, the movement causing her camisole to shift and reveal a hint of the lace bra underneath.
The officer's blue eyes flicked down for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "I'm Officer John, ma'am. We've had some reports of a gas leak in the building.