Sharp enough
1258 Words
FELIX’S POV
It’s a little past eight when I finally sit down at my desk. The house is quiet in the way it always is when my uncle works late. No TV noise, no footsteps, just the soft hum of the fridge somewhere down the hall, I can barely even hear that. I open my laptop and pull up the politics assignment the professor gave us after that debate. It’s supposed to be a critical response, a few pages long. I skim the question once and start typing. The words come easily.
“Pfft it's too easy” I whisper. My fingers move faster than my thoughts, just pasting arguments I’ve already had in my head a dozen times. By the time I glance at the word count, I’m already more than halfway through. I lean back in my chair and sigh. This is so f*****g boring. I stare at the screen for a moment, then my phone on the desk. I already know what I’m about to do. I grab it and dial my uncle’s number. He answers on the third ring.
“What do you want, Felix,” Uncle Callahan says, his voice flat and tired.
“Good evening to you too,” I reply. “I was just checking if my favorite uncle is still alive.”
“I’m busy.”
I grin. “Busy enough to miss me?”
There’s a pause. Papers shuffle on the other end.
“No.”
I roll my eyes. “Come on. What time are you even getting home?”
“Late.”
I spin my chair slightly. “Can… I come to the station?”
“No.”
That was quick.
“Uncleee,” I say, dragging the word out. “I’m bored. I finished my assignment in like thirty minutes. I’ll just sit quietly.”
“No,” he repeats, colder this time. “I’m working on something important, I don’t need you around.”
I frown. “I won’t touch anything.”
“That’s the problem,” he says. “You always touch something.”
I smile. “That’s a compliment.”
“It’s not.”
“Please,” I say. “I promise I’ll behave.”
“You promised that last time.”
“And I did,” I paused. “Mostly.”
There’s a sharp exhale. “Felix. Stay home.”
The line goes dead.
I stare at my phone for a second, then laugh under my breath.
“Stay home? Huh, that's definitely morse code for oh mi gosh Felix my sweet boy come over I miss you so so much and I'll get you candy” I mutter.
Ten minutes later, I’m grabbing my jacket and keys.
The station is way quieter than usual when I walk in. The night shift has a different feel. Lower voices. Tired faces. The smell of old coffee and paper hangs in the air.
“Look who decided to show up,” a voice says.
I turn to see Officer Miles leaning against a desk, arms crossed, a grin already forming.
“Miss me?” I ask.
He laughs. “Your uncle’s gonna lose it.”
“I get that a lot,” I reply.
Another officer nearby chuckles. “You’re back in town already?”
“Never really left,” I say. “College just pretends to own me.”
They laugh again, and I feel a familiar ease settle in. This place feels like home in a strange way. Then I hear my uncle’s voice.
“Felix.” I turn.
Callahan stands near his office door, arms folded, clenching his jaw tight. He looks tired, lines deeper than usual.
“I told you not to come,” he says.
“I know,” I reply easily. “But you hung up on me. That felt rude.”
One of the officers snorts.
Callahan glares at them, then back at me. “You’re impossible.”
“Yet lovable,” I say.
Miles pats my shoulder. “We like him, come on Cal.”
Callahan lets out a defeated sigh, rubbing his temples. “You’re staying out of the way.”
“I always do,” I say.
“That is a lie.”
He hesitates, then waves a hand. “Fine, sit. Do not touch anything.”
I grin and take a seat near his desk.
After a moment, his tone softens. “How was your day?”
“Fine,” I say. “Classes. Same old same old.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Just fine?”
I shrug. “There was a debate in one of my lectures.”
“And?” he says.
“And someone shut me down,” I admit.
He looks at me sharply. “Someone?”
“Yeah. A girl.”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “Oh.”
I groan. “Don’t.”
“You like her,” he says.
“I do not.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I smile at everything.”
He laughs. “What’s her name?”
“I don’t know,” I say quickly. “And even if I did, it wouldn’t matter.”
“Sure it wouldn’t,” he replies.
“Uncle, please,” I say. “Ew.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Mr Sass himself, alright, I won’t push.”
I relax a little. “So what’s got you here so late?”
His expression shifts, the humor fading.
“Paperwork,” he says. “And a small case.”
“What kind of case,” I ask.
“Nothing major,” he replies. “Just strange.”
Well, that gets my attention.
“Strange how?”
He hesitates, then slides a file across the desk. “Missing items. No break ins. No signs of forced entry. Happens in the same area, same time frame.”
I flip it open despite his look. “What, you said don’t touch anything.”
“I said stay out of the way,” he corrects. “I should’ve been clearer.”
I skim the reports quickly. Same neighborhood, different houses, same items taken, nothing valuable.
“They’re not stealing for money,” I say.
Callahan blinks. “What?”
“They’re taking personal things,” I continue. “Photos, journals, old letters. That’s not random.”
He leans closer. “Go on.”
“They know the houses,” I say. “Or the people. This isn’t theft, It’s obsession.”
The room goes quiet.
Callahan slowly straightens. “I missed that.”
I shrug. “I might as well steal your job from you” I joke. “You’re tired.”
He looks at me for a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes.
“You’re sharp,” he says finally.
“I get that from you.”
He shakes his head. “Your parents would’ve been proud.”
The words land heavier than I expect.
I smile anyway. “Yeah. Well. Life’s one gigantic bitch.”
He exhales softly, a sad smile on his face. “Yeah.”
I stand, stretching. “See? Totally worth me coming.”
He nods slowly. “Just be careful, Felix.”
“Always am.”
As I walk down the hallway and step out the door to leave the building, a chill crawls up my spine. For a second, I feel like something unseen is watching.
I shake it off, It's probably nothing. But something about tonight feels off. And I have a sure feeling it’s only the beginning.
- Writer
