It had been a long week for Officer Maria Di Angelo. Gang busts, late-night patrols, and a domestic call that went sideways had left her drained. Now, rain tapped gently on the windshield of her cruiser as she sat parked outside a corner coffee shop in Little Italy.

The police radio crackled softly, a low murmur of voices and codes, half-muted under the hum of an old Motown playlist. She unwrapped a greasy burger with one hand, the other idly adjusting the dial. Her partner had run in to grab their usual coffees.

She exhaled, leaning back in the seat, letting the warm, salty smell of the food and the rain-soaked streets settle her nerves.

Then—knock knock.

A sharp tap on the driver’s side window.

She didn’t flinch. Just wiped her hand on a napkin, turned her head slowly, and narrowed her eyes at whoever was standing in the rain. Trying to see who was out at this time. She rolled down her window.

“…Can I help you?”