Natalia sat hunched over the microscope, her brow furrowed as she peered through the lens. The evidence from the latest homicide didn’t add up. There was a faint residue on the victim’s fingernails, something she hadn’t seen before. A trace element. A powder. But it wasn’t from any known drug or chemical—at least, not anything on file.

She ran the sample through the lab's database, eyes darting across the screen as the results came back. Nothing. Not a single match.

Her phone buzzed, cutting into her concentration. It was Ryan.

“Nat, you need to see this,” his voice crackled through the receiver. “We’ve got a lead on the suspect. A woman, early thirties, last seen at a local spa.”

Natalia’s fingers hovered over the keyboard as she thought. A spa? This was starting to feel like something bigger than just a random killing.

She grabbed her coat and headed for the spa.