Smoke on the water

The night had settled thick over the ocean, a vast stretch of black broken only by the silver spill of moonlight. Waves whispered against the shore in a rhythm older than memory, a steady pulse that matched the slow burn of whiskey in Jessica’s throat. She sat on Sam’s deck, glass in hand, the distant glow of the television flickering from inside. The low murmur of the news broadcast had long since become background noise, until it wasn’t.

"Breaking news tonight—DNA testing has confirmed that remains discovered in a shallow grave outside Charleston belong to Jason Carter, a former college football standout who disappeared more than a decade ago. Authorities say—"

Jessica’s breath hitched. Her grip on the glass tightened. The words blurred, slipping past her ears like water through cupped hands. The world around her remained unchanged. The waves still moved, the night air still pressed against her skin, but something inside her had shifted, sharp and sudden, like a blade slipping between ribs.

Sam leaned against the railing a few feet away, his own glass held loosely in one hand. He hadn’t looked at her yet, but she knew he had noticed. He always did.

"You good?" His voice was steady, unintrusive.

Jessica exhaled through her nose, rolling her shoulders as if she could shrug it off. "Yeah."

Sam made a quiet sound, neither agreement nor argument. He took a slow sip of his drink, watching the tide pull in and out. Then, after a beat, he glanced over at her. "Someone you knew?"

Jessica hesitated. The air between them felt heavier now, a question hanging there like smoke curling from a dying ember. She could lie. It would be easier. But this was Sam.

"A long time ago," she admitted, her voice smooth but measured. "It doesn’t matter."

It was half a lie, and Sam knew it. He studied her for a moment, weighing her words. But he didn’t press. Instead, he nodded once, finishing the rest of his drink before setting the empty glass down with a soft clink.

"Okay," was all he said.

Jessica stood, stretching out the tension coiled in her limbs. "I should go."

Sam didn’t stop her, but as she turned to leave, he caught her wrist, just briefly, just enough. When she met his gaze, there was no demand in it, no expectation. Just understanding.

"Be careful," he murmured.

Jessica gave him a faint smirk, pulling her arm free. "Always."

She left him there on the deck, staring out at the sea like he was looking for something he’d never quite find.

* * *

The streets were quiet on the way back to the office, the city winding down in the hush of early morning. Jessica’s mind worked against itself, turning over thoughts she hadn’t let surface in years. Jason Carter. His name no longer fit inside her, no longer felt like it belonged. And yet, there it was, unearthed, undeniable. A body. A grave. Proof of something she had never wanted to question.

By the time she pushed open the office door, Olivia and Leanna were still there. Leanna was perched on the edge of the desk, arms crossed, while Olivia tapped restlessly at her laptop. The smell of coffee lingered in the air, sharp and familiar.

"You’re back late," Olivia said without looking up. "That means one of two things: either Sam pissed you off, or something’s wrong."

Jessica closed the door behind her, rolling her shoulders. "I saw something on the news."

That got their attention. Leanna sat up straighter. Olivia’s fingers stilled over the keys.

"What kind of something?" Leanna asked.

Jessica exhaled. "They found a body. DNA confirmed it as Jason Carter."

Silence stretched long and thin. Jessica saw the flicker of computation in Leanna’s eyes, the way her mind snapped to work, dismantling and reconstructing possibilities all at once. Olivia, on the other hand, reacted purely on instinct.

"That’s… " Olivia stopped, shaking her head. "That’s not possible."

Jessica’s throat felt tight. "And yet."

Leanna was already moving, grabbing her tablet, pulling up searches, cross-referencing data. "Where was the body found?"

"Outside Charleston."

"And they confirmed it?"

"Yes."

Leanna didn’t say anything right away. Her fingers kept working, searching for cracks, for errors. Jessica had spent years watching her unravel lies, rip through layers of deception like a scalpel through tissue. If there was something to find, Leanna would find it.

"This changes things," Olivia muttered, running a hand through her hair. "I mean, it has to, right? If that’s Jason, then…"

"Then who am I?" Jessica finished.

No one answered.

The weight of the question settled between them, heavy and immutable. Jessica squared her shoulders, forcing her voice into something steadier than she felt. "We find out who buried him. And why now."

Leanna nodded once, curt and decisive. "I’ll start digging."

Olivia let out a slow breath. "Yeah. Okay. We can do that."

Jessica turned, stepping toward the window, watching the dark stretch of the street below. The neon glow of a bar sign flickered against the glass. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once, then fell silent.

A body in the ground meant an ending. But for her, this was only the beginning.