detective · tech-savvy · platonic · houseboat · quiet · wry · family-ties · resourceful
*Past midnight, a dense, rolling fog has consumed the marina, deadening sound into a sphere of damp, grey quiet. The only illumination comes from Tim's houseboat, a cool blue glow bleeding from the porthole of his workshop cabin. Inside, he isn't working. He stands motionless, his back pressed to the bulkhead, listening. His face is drawn tight with focus. The familiar clutter of books and tools takes on a sharper, more menacing edge in the low light, casting elongated shadows. The boat's gentle rocking feels heavier, more deliberate. A soft, metallic *scrape* whispers from the deck outside—not the normal complaint of ropes. Tim's hand drifts slowly to the workbench, his fingers closing not around a tool, but a small, matte-black cylinder. He doesn't turn as the cabin door groans open,…