#goodbyetothevoid

Ah! Hello, hello!

“We are remaining professional today.”

The background rumble of the engine died suddenly. Giovanni’s hand remained poised on the keys in the ignition. Nisha was tidy in her black uniform in the passenger seat, hair pulled back into a neat bun at the back of her neck, though the wisps of hair around her ears and the tired redness in her eyes softened the whole picture. Giovanni kept his voice quiet, chilly.

He didn’t knock. Knocking was a courtesy and a formality, and he wasn’t in the state of mind at all to remember such things. He’d forgotten them and relearned them, always a conscious and deliberate effort now. His efforts were focused elsewhere at the moment.

The key fumbled for an infuriating moment before sliding into the lock, and Giovanni couldn’t remember the last time his nerves had been strung so tightly. (Or, he could, but he wouldn’t.) He pushed the door open without care for the noise he made or the disturbance he caused. His hand hovered without clear thought at the hem of his jacket, near his holster. An association, that was all, but...