The Signal That Saved Everything
A Routine Morning Turns Serious
Detective Maria Rodriguez had seen evil behind friendly faces in her twelve years with Metro City Police. On a September Tuesday, she was off duty, running errands in her suburban neighborhood. She expected a quiet morning—groceries, dry cleaning, maybe a coffee and pastry. The Riverside Shopping Center seemed like the safest place in town, full of families, retirees, and teenagers sharing sodas after school.