London · Shoreditch
February 8, 2025 · 21:00
After the café closed, the basement door was bolted from within.
Cherry tossed the key onto the table; the metallic clatter reverberated off the concrete walls. The room was small—one long table, four chairs, a laptop, and a bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. Its pallid light washed over every face, lending the air of an interrogation chamber.
Eva sat at one end, the black notebook spread open before her. Opposite, Claire cradled a mug in both hands; the rising steam blurred her expression. Cherry sat before the computer, fingers hovering above the keyboard, motionless.
The fourth chair remained empty.
The door opened. Mia Banks stepped inside. She wore a black trench coat, her hair pulled into a ponytail, her face unadorned by makeup. S
