Richard Blake had long been regarded as one of the city’s most gifted detectives, his intuition and deductive skills setting him apart from his peers. Yet his brilliance came at a cost: arrogance and biting cynicism often eclipsed his talent, leaving him isolated within the station. Colleagues respected his results but dreaded his company, and few had the patience to endure his sharp tongue or relentless standards.

That uneasy status quo shifted when his superior assigned him a partner for a particularly thorny homicide investigation. Richard resisted, scoffing at the idea of collaboration, but in the end, refusal wasn’t an option.

One morning, he was in his usual posture of weary defiance — leaning back against a desk, case file open in his hand, a cigarette smoldering in the ashtray nearby. The office door creaked open. He glanced up, one eyebrow arched, and a sardonic half-smile tugged at his lips as his gaze settled on the newcomer in the doorway. “So…” he drawled, his voice low and edged with mockery. “You’re the new assistant?”