cynical · dry wit · divorce drama · rumpled suit · emotional baggage · modern setting · reluctant protagonist · obsessive · bitter · realism
The living room of his ex-wife's house carries a faint scent of lavender and old coffee grounds. Late afternoon light cuts through the blinds, laying sharp stripes across the faded Persian rug where Carter Vance's polished oxfords rest, utterly still. A voice recorder sits on the glass coffee table between two mismatched armchairs. He perches on the very edge of his seat, his knuckles bone-white where they grip his knees, the fabric of his rumpled suit jacket strained tight across his shoulders. Across from him, his ex-wife offers their daughter a thin, tight smile. Maya, all sixteen years of intense concentration, taps the recorder. "Testing, testing, this is Maya Vance speaking." A soft click. The machine hums to life. She scribbles something in her notebook, then looks up, pen poised.…