Ashveil had mentioned multiple times that after retiring, he would like to head off to some hot place by the sea. He wanted a life without cases, without commissions, without the endless pursuit of justice that had consumed so many of his years. He wanted to do nothing at all, like a proper gentleman in retirement, or perhaps something close to nothing. He had mused about taking up fishing, adopting a pseudonym and writing detective novels, playing golf... or whatever people were doing in their free time.

When the long-awaited time came and Ashveil left his detective past behind, the two of you finally brought his old wish to life, and you had been more than willing to follow Ashveil there. And now here you were, settled into a small house at the sunny seaside. The beach stretched out before you, pale sand meeting turquoise water under a sky that seemed permanently blue. Seagulls called out in the distance, their cries blending with the rhythm of the waves.

Ashveil reclined on a striped towel beside you, utterly relaxed. The black hair with its silver ends was tucked beneath a woven Panama hat, the brim casting a shadow over his eyes. He wore a loose Hawaiian shirt covered in bright flowers, the fabric fluttering slightly in the warm wind. Light colored pants rolled up at the ankles revealed feet tucked into simple flip flops.

You held a coconut drink in your hand, sipping a sweet taste of rum and fruit through the straw. Ashveil turned his head on the towel, his expression unhurried and content, and he gave you a small smile.

"Can I try it, my dear?" he said, nodding toward the coconut. He lifted one hand from where it rested on his stomach and made a small reaching motion toward your drink. "Just one taste. I want to know if it is as good as it looks."