Breakfast was quiet.
Not awkward — just... quiet.
Kemu was in his head again, analyzing, running timelines, recalculating everything from the morning.
Marnie was eating her toast,as she was watching him.
Marnie (teasingly):
"Careful, detective. You're making that toast feel interrogated."
Kemu blinked, realizing he hadn't said a word in minutes.
Kemu:
"Sorry. Just... a lot to think about."
Marnie (smiling):
"Mm. I get it. File drama continues, huh?"
Kemu (softly):
"Yeah. I'm going to the office after breakfast. I need to check the backups… again."
Marnie nodded, casually sipping from her cup of coffee
Marnie:
"Well, I'm meeting some friends later. Just coffee and nonsense talk. You know, normal people stuff."
She smiled a little wider.
Kemu watched her a second too long.
Kemu:
"You still make it sound suspicious somehow."
Marnie (grinning):
"That's because I know you'll check anyway. Go on. Play detective. I'll even text you a photo with them, just to make you feel safe."
He smirked. But the doubt inside him didn't quite settle.
---
Later That Day at the office
The building was mostly empty.
Lights dimmed, cleaners humming in far-off corners.
Kemu walked in — calm, methodical, but something gnawed at him.
He nodded at the night security guard, made his way up the stairs.
As he turned down the hallway toward the records room, he paused.
There was someone up ahead — unfamiliar.
A woman. Sharp heels. Shoulder-length red hair. Black suit.
Definitely not from his department.
She walked right up to the secured vault area — where the case files were stored.
Kemu's pulse sharpened.
Kemu (whispering to himself):
"Wrong floor. Wrong place. Wrong time."
He didn't run.
He followed — silently — keeping distance, watching.
She didn't notice him.
Or… maybe she knew he was there, and didn't care.
When she entered the file vault, Kemu waited a few seconds — then moved.
---
Inside the Vault
The woman was at the cabinet.
Not just browsing — she was searching.
Purposefully. Quickly. Like she knew exactly what she was looking for.
Her gloved fingers moved over labeled folders.
One drawer slid open. The backup file drawer.
Kemu (stepping in):
"Turn around. Slowly."
The woman froze.
Then — without hesitation — she shoved the open drawer shut, grabbed something, and ran.
Kemu cursed and Ran after the thief
---
The Chase
She darted through the hallway like she'd rehearsed it.
Elevators were too slow — she jumped the stairwell.
Kemu followed, two steps behind.
His eyes locked on her heels, her hair — that unnatural red. A wig?
As she burst through the stair exit onto the lower level, a janitor's cart crashed to the side.
Kemu slipped slightly but didn't stop.
By the time he turned the last corner… she was gone.
A door still swung gently open — fire exit.
Outside. Into the night.
---
After all the running he couldnt catch the thief
Kemu stood at the doorway, breathing hard.
He looked down.
On the floor — a single folder.
Opened. Pages missing.
Kemu (quietly):
"...fuck. No way."
The official file was gone.
The one with the original statements, time logs, and verified forensic results — stolen, right from under his nose.
Security had no answers. The cameras saw nothing. It was as if someone had known exactly how to move through the system without leaving a trace.
But Kemu didn't panic.
Not yet.
Because he still had the flash drive — his last line of defense.
Now, it was all he could focus on
He choosed to test marnie after all that running and all he was suspicious of her
The next morning, Kemu made breakfast.
He didn't usually... not unless he was worried.
Marnie wandered in, still in her robe, hair a perfect mess, rubbing one eye.
Marnie (mock surprised):
"Did we switch lives overnight, or are you finally trying to seduce me with eggs?"
Kemu (without looking up):
"Just thought I'd change the routine."
He plated the food carefully. Too carefully.
Marnie sat across from him, watching.
Marnie:
"You always get like this when you're planning something."
Kemu (calmly):
"Planning's half the job."
He slid the plate toward her, then sat.
Kemu (casually):
"By the way… What were you doing yesterday around 9am?"
Marnie blinked just for a second then smiled.
Marnie (with mock horror):
"Oh no. Am I under questioning? Should I get a lawyer or just wear something tight and plead emotional distress?"
Kemu (smirking faintly):
"Just asking."
Marnie:
"Hmm... let's see. Oh! That was the night I binge-watched that awful reality show and waited for you to come home and make me feel smart again."
She chewed her toast dramatically.
Marnie:
"Why? Something happen at work?"
Kemu:
"Just trying to track patterns."
He watched her closely.
She didn't flinch. She winked at him.
Marnie:
"Well, let me know if you need an alibi. I'm great under pressure. And in tight dresses."
--------
Later That Day
While she was out shopping, Kemu checked the laundry hamper.
He wasn't proud of it. But something inside him wouldn't let go.
And there it was.
A pair of gloves — soft leather. Wiped clean.
Too clean.
Not enough to accuse. But enough to haunt him.
--------
That Night at Living Room
Marnie walked in from her shower, towel around her neck, loose T-shirt hanging off one shoulder.
Marnie (grinning):
"You've got that look again."
Kemu (without looking up):
"What look?"
Marnie (crossing the room):
"The 'I'm-thinking-so-hard-I-might-solve-gravity' look."
She stood behind him, leaned down, arms over his shoulders, her chest lightly pressing against his back.
Marnie (teasing, low):
"Should I distract you… or help you in anyway?"
Kemu swallowed hard. She always did this.
Kemu (measured):
"That depends. How good are you at solving contradictions?"
She paused just for a breath then kissed his cheek.
Marnie:
"I'm fantastic at lying to myself. That's how I married a man this serious."
She walked off, laughing softly, hips swaying — aware of the effect she had.
Kemu stared at marnie.
Kemu (in his head):
"She's not slipping. Not yet.
But if she's hiding something… she's hiding it in plain sight."
And the worst part was… he still wanted to believe her.