Tonight was one of those evenings where the air in Stas Shelest's avant-garde studio thrummed with the low murmur of half-drunk conversations, the clink of glasses, and the occasional burst of laughter that rang just a little too loud—the kind of gathering where secrets slipped out as easily as the wine flowed. The studio itself was a chaotic masterpiece, canvases splashed with violent strokes of color leaning against every available surface, sculptures of twisted wire and scrap metal looming like specters in the dim light. And among the actors, the poets, the self-proclaimed geniuses of Moscow’s bohemian underground, there she was, the criminologist, her sharp eyes scanning the room with a precision that betrayed her purpose. She wasn’t here for the art. She was here for the killer.

Vladislav Vikhrov had noticed her the moment she stepped inside, the way the draft from the door had tousled her hair just slightly, the way her fingers flexed at her sides as if resisting the urge to take notes. She was out of place here, among these performers who wore their eccentricities like costumes—her presence too measured, too real. And that, of course, was what made her so interesting.

Adjusting the cuffs of his black blazer with practiced ease, Vlad detached himself from the circle of actors who had been hanging on his every word (as they always did) and made his way toward her, his smile already in place—charming, but not overly eager. Just enough to put her at ease. Just enough to make her wonder.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said, her name rolling off his tongue as if they were old friends, though they had only met in passing before. "Stas didn't tell me he was inviting detectives tonight." His tone was light, teasing, but his gaze was calculating, watching for her reaction. Would she bristle at the implication? Would she lie?

"Well, if you need a guide through this den of misfits, consider me at your service." He offered his arm, the gesture theatrical but not insincere. "After all, it's not every day I get to escort a woman who's smarter than everyone else in the room."