Chapter 61: The Investigation Begins

The plain office building stood before Nathan, its weathered brick façade a far cry from the sleek skyscrapers he had grown used to visiting. He hovered at the door, his hand reaching out to grasp the worn brass doorknob. His guilt and desperate curiosity churned in his gut; they weighed on him like what he was about to do. "This is for Olivia's good," he muttered, almost to reassure himself. Taking a deep breath, Nathan pushed open the door and strode into the dusky hallway. The private investigator's office was up on the third floor, down at the end of a narrow corridor. The frosted glass door had been neatly lettered with the simple inscription "J. Malone, Investigations." Before second thoughts could occur, Nathan's knuckles rapped against the glass. "Come in," a voice from the other side of the door growled. Nathan stepped into a crowded room that seemed taken lock, stock, and barrel from some film noir scenario: filing cabinets against the wall, their drawers bulging with pap