Page 36 of Cat and Mouse

Captain Harris sits behind his desk, flipping through paperwork like he's too busy to look up at me. He always does this. It's his power move, his way of making you feel like he's got a million more important things to deal with than whatever shitstorm you're walking into his office with.

"Sit down, Liz," he says, still not looking up.

I take the chair across from him, folding my arms, waiting for whatever bad news he's about to drop. I don't say anything, just watch him scan through papers like I'm not about to crawl out of my skin.

Finally, he looks up, eyes narrowed. "I think it's about time we put the Phantom case on the backburner."

I blink. "Excuse me?"

"You've been chasing this case for months, Elizabeth. The leads have run dry, and, frankly, we're wasting resources at this point. The Phantom hasn't struck in weeks. It's time to shift focus."

I stare at him, the words not really sinking in. "Are you serious? We're just going to drop it?"

"We're not dropping it," he says, sounding annoyed. "We're setting it aside for now. If something new comes up, we'll pick it back up. But until then, you need to start focusing on cases that have actual movement. We've got a major drug bust going down tonight. I might need you on that. Stay alert."

I sit there, simmering. It's like a slap to the face, like I've been chasing a ghost this whole time for nothing. But what else can I say? He's right, in a way. The casehasgone cold. Still, theidea of putting it aside... it feels like giving up, like letting the Phantom win.

I nod slowly. "Fine. Whatever you say."

Harris leans back in his chair, watching me. "You've done good work, Liz. But sometimes, you have to know when to stop digging. Not every case gets solved in one go."

"Yeah, sure," I mutter, already standing. "I'll be ready for the bust tonight."

He dismisses me with a wave, and I leave the office, slamming the door behind me a little harder than necessary.

Back at my desk, Matteo raises an eyebrow as I drop back into my chair with a groan.

"What'd Harris say?" he asks, already looking like he knows the answer.

I stare at my now-cold coffee. "He wants me to put the Phantom case aside. Focus on other things."

Matteo nods, sipping his coffee thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Case has been cold for a while now."

"Yeah, well, I don't like it," I snap, the words coming out sharper than I mean them to. "It's like playing a goddamn game of cat and mouse, and I'm the idiot mouse that keeps running into the same walls."

He shrugs. "Maybe the cat's just gone quiet for a while. Doesn't mean it's over."

I sigh, rubbing my temples. "I know. I just hate waiting. It's like I'm hoping for another case to land on my desk just so wecan pick this one back up. And that's fucked up, right? Hoping for more bodies to drop."

Matteo doesn't respond to that, just gives me a sympathetic look that makes me want to punch something. He knows how this job gets to you. He's been here long enough.

The rest of the day is a blur of frustration and dead ends. Matteo tries to get me to take a break, but I'm too wired, too pissed off at everything to even consider it. Instead, I dive into paperwork for the upcoming drug bust. It's a big one, apparently. Major players involved, but it's hard to give a damn when the Phantom is still out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike again.

Later that night, I'm standing in the cold dark alley, my gun strapped to my side, ready for the bust. Matteo is beside me, sipping a thermos of coffee like this is just another routine operation. But I can't shake the nagging feeling that I'm missing something, that this drug bust—big as it is—is just a distraction.

The call comes in. It's go time.

I nod to Matteo, and we move into position. The adrenaline kicks in, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in the action. We breach the warehouse doors, guns drawn, shouting commands. It's chaos, like it always is, but it's controlled.

In the back of my mind, though, there's still that itch, that unsolved case, that shadowy figure lurking just out of reach.

Even as we haul in the drug dealers, even as the cuffs click and the evidence piles up, it's not enough.

It never is.

Back at the station, Harris congratulates the team, pats on the back all around. But all I can think about is how it's just another case. Another box checked off. The Phantom's still out there, and I'm no closer to catching him.

I'm about to head home when Matteo stops me at the door.

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