Chapter Three: She Takes My Night Shift

“Me, the landlord, and my husband.” “Do you live together?” “We're separated.” The bell rang. Lu Wenchuan stood outside. He looked at the police and evidence bags without surprise. Zhou asked where he had been. He produced records from an interview event across town, with a dozen witnesses placing him there until two. He admitted knowing the code but denied coming over. Then he looked at me. “She went to Nocturne, didn't she?” The room went silent. I pulled him into the bedroom. “How much do you know?” “Enough to know it isn't a sleep clinic.” He played covert footage on his phone. A man entered Nocturne's bronze door. Two hours later, he emerged. Seven minutes after that, an identical man followed.