Daniel kept the photograph in his hand for almost a full minute.

He didn’t move.

He didn’t breathe normally.

He simply stared at it.

Three men beside the railway bridge.

Jonathan Reed.

Daniel.

And the stranger in the dark coat.

The photograph was impossible.

Daniel had no memory of being there.

But the expression on his younger face was unmistakable.

He looked terrified.

Not surprised.

Not confused.

Terrified.

Maya came outside and stopped beside him.

“Give it to me.”

Daniel handed her the photograph.

She studied it.

“Where did you get this?”

“It was outside.”

“Who left it?”

“The man.”

“Did you see his face?”

“No.”

Maya looked toward the road.

“He wanted you to find it.”

“I know.”

“Then we’re already doing what he wants.”

Daniel looked at her.

“What if that’s the point?”

“What?”

“What if we’re supposed to think we’re investigating him?”

Maya frowned.

“What are you saying?”

Daniel looked at the photograph again.

“Maybe he’s investigating us.”

They returned to the office.

Daniel locked the conference room door.

Maya closed the blinds.

For several minutes neither spoke.

Finally Daniel said,

“I want the entire file.”

“You already have it.”

“No.”

He pointed at the archive computer.

“Everything. Deleted records. Old emails. Internal reports. All of it.”

Maya hesitated.

“Some of those records aren’t accessible.”

“Then find someone who can access them.”

“Daniel…”

“Please.”

Something in his voice made her stop.

She sat down.

For the next hour they searched.

Old articles.

Archived emails.

Police reports.

Internal newspaper files.

Most of the material was useless.

Then Maya found something.

A folder with no title.

It contained only three files.

The first was a photograph.

The second was a scanned document.

The third was an audio recording.

Maya clicked the document.

A page appeared.

At the top was a date.

October 13 — 11:02 PM

Underneath was Jonathan’s handwriting.

Maya began reading.

Then stopped.

“What?”

She looked at Daniel.

“This is addressed to you.”

Daniel took the screen.

The message was short.

Daniel,

If you’re reading this, then I failed.

You won’t remember our conversation tonight. That’s intentional.

Do not trust the police.

Do not trust the newspaper.

Most importantly, do not trust the person who tells you that you killed me.

Daniel stared at the final sentence.

“What does that mean?”

Maya scrolled.

There was more.

At 3:17, the truth begins.

Then the document ended.

Daniel looked at her.

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Open the audio.”

Maya clicked the file.

Static filled the room.

Then a voice.

Jonathan.

Daniel recognized it immediately.

The recording was quiet.

Jonathan sounded exhausted.

“If this recording is being heard, something has gone wrong.”

A pause.

“I don’t know who will find this.”

Another pause.

“But Daniel, if it’s you…”

The recording crackled.

Jonathan continued.

“Listen carefully.”

Daniel leaned closer.

“Your memory was altered.”

Daniel looked at Maya.

The recording continued.

“You were there the night I died.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“You saw what happened.”

Static.

“But you didn’t kill me.”

Daniel opened his eyes.

Maya stared at him.

Jonathan continued.

“Someone wants you to believe you did.”

The recording suddenly became distorted.

Then Jonathan said something almost too quietly to hear.

“Find the woman at Station Nine.”

The recording ended.

Silence filled the room.

Daniel replayed it.

Again.

And again.

“Station Nine,” he whispered.

Maya searched the internet.

“There are dozens of stations.”

“Railway.”

She searched again.

Nothing.

Daniel suddenly remembered something.

“Old Central Railway.”

Maya looked at him.

“Why?”

“Jonathan used to meet sources there.”

“When?”

“Before he died.”

Daniel stopped.

“I think I remember.”

A flash entered his mind.

A railway platform.

Rain.

A woman in a red scarf.

Jonathan handing her a folder.

Someone watching from the end of the platform.

Then the memory vanished.

Daniel gripped his head.

Maya stood.

“What happened?”

“A woman.”

“What woman?”

“I don’t know.”

“What did she look like?”

“Red scarf.”

Maya searched the old newspaper archives.

She found nothing.

Then she searched Jonathan’s private notes.

One name appeared.

Evelyn Shaw.

Maya looked up.

“Found her.”

Daniel walked over.

“Who is she?”

“Former government accountant.”

“What did she do?”

“Apparently she disappeared.”

“When?”

“October 14.”

The same day Jonathan died.

Daniel stared at the screen.

“Maybe she was the last person to see him alive.”

Maya nodded.

“Maybe she knows who the man in the coat is.”

Daniel took his phone.

“Where does she live?”

“She doesn’t.”

“What?”

“She disappeared ten years ago.”

Daniel looked at the clock.

12:46 PM.

“We have to find her.”

Before Maya could answer, Daniel’s phone rang.

Unknown number.

He didn’t answer.

The call stopped.

A message appeared.

YOU FOUND EVELYN.

Another message.

NOW STOP.

Daniel’s blood ran cold.

A third message arrived.

OR SHE DIES TOMORROW.

Daniel showed Maya.

She whispered,

“They know what we’re doing.”

The phone vibrated again.

3:17 TONIGHT.

Then another message.

COME ALONE.

Daniel looked at Maya.

“No.”

“What?”

“I won’t go alone.”

“You heard the message.”

“I don’t care.”

“Daniel, whoever this is knows where we are.”

“Then we’re already in danger.”

Maya stared at him.

“What are you planning?”

“I’m going to find Evelyn.”

“And then?”

“Ask her what happened.”

The search took them six hours.

Evelyn Shaw had vanished from official records.

No bank accounts.

No employment records.

No current address.

It was as if someone had erased her.

But Daniel found one clue.

A hospital record.

Ten years earlier, Evelyn had been admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital after a traffic accident.

She had been treated under another name.

Elena Ward.

Daniel and Maya went there.

The old hospital had been abandoned.

The main entrance was locked.

They entered through a broken side door.

The corridors smelled of dust and damp concrete.

Daniel switched on his flashlight.

“This place feels wrong.”

Maya looked at him.

“Everything about this case feels wrong.”

They reached the old records department.

Most of the files had been removed.

But one cabinet remained.

Daniel opened it.

Inside were hundreds of patient records.

Maya searched alphabetically.

“Ward.”

Nothing.

“Shaw.”

Nothing.

“Elena.”

She stopped.

There it was.

Elena Ward.

Daniel opened the file.

The photograph attached to the record showed a woman in her thirties.

Dark hair.

Pale face.

A small scar above her eyebrow.

Daniel recognized her.

“She was the woman from my memory.”

Maya stared at the photograph.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Daniel turned the page.

There was a doctor’s note.

Patient repeatedly claims someone is trying to kill her.

Another note.

Patient refuses to identify attacker.

Then a final note.

Patient disappeared from hospital at 3:17 AM.

Daniel looked at Maya.

“3:17.”

Maya nodded.

The room suddenly became silent.

Then they heard footsteps.

Slow.

Heavy.

Coming from the corridor.

Daniel turned off his flashlight.

Maya covered her mouth.

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

Someone was standing there.

Daniel could hear breathing.

Then a man’s voice.

“You shouldn’t have come.”

Daniel recognized it.

The same voice from the phone.

Jonathan.

Daniel’s heart slammed against his chest.

He stepped toward the door.

“Jonathan?”

No answer.

He opened it.

The corridor was empty.

But a telephone was lying on the floor.

An old black telephone.

It was ringing.

Maya whispered,

“Don’t.”

Daniel picked it up.

“Hello?”

Static.

Then the voice.

“Daniel.”

“Where are you?”

“You’re getting close.”

“Who are you?”

“You know.”

“No.”

“You will.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because you asked me to.”

Daniel froze.

“I never asked you.”

“You did.”

“When?”

“Ten years ago.”

Daniel’s breathing became shallow.

“What did I ask you to do?”

The voice answered.

“To make sure you never remembered.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“What did I forget?”

A pause.

Then the voice said,

“Who really killed Jonathan.”

Daniel’s eyes opened.

“Tell me.”

“You’re not ready.”

“Tell me!”

The line went silent.

Daniel looked at the phone.

A message appeared.

LOOK BEHIND YOU.

Daniel turned.

Maya was gone.

“Maya?”

No answer.

He ran into the corridor.

“Maya!”

Nothing.

He searched the rooms.

Nothing.

Then he saw her phone lying on the floor.

The screen was still lit.

One message was open.

IF YOU WANT HER ALIVE, COME TO THE BRIDGE AT 3:17.

Daniel’s hands went numb.

He ran.

By the time he reached the railway bridge, rain had begun falling.

The city lights reflected on the wet road.

The bridge was empty.

“Maya!”

No answer.

Daniel walked toward the center.

A figure appeared beneath the bridge.

A woman.

Red scarf.

Daniel stopped.

“Evelyn?”

The woman looked at him.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then she whispered,

“Jonathan was right.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“Where is Maya?”

“She isn’t here.”

“Then where is she?”

Evelyn looked toward the darkness.

“He took her.”

“Who?”

She looked directly into Daniel’s eyes.

“The man you forgot.”

Daniel felt a sudden pain in his head.

The memory returned.

A gunshot.

Jonathan falling.

Daniel screaming.

A man in a dark coat standing behind him.

And Maya.

Maya was there.

She was holding the gun.

Daniel staggered backward.

“No.”

Evelyn caught his arm.

“You remember now.”

Daniel looked at her.

“Maya killed Jonathan.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“No.”

“Then why was she holding the gun?”

“Because Jonathan wasn’t the target.”

Daniel stared at her.

“Who was?”

Evelyn looked at the clock tower across the city.

The time was approaching 3:17.

Then she said,

“You.”

A phone began ringing somewhere in the darkness.

Daniel looked around.

The ringing grew louder.

3:16.

Evelyn whispered,

“Don’t answer.”

Daniel’s phone rang again.

The screen showed one word.

JONATHAN.

3:17.

Daniel answered.

A man’s voice whispered,

“Tomorrow, Daniel, you will kill someone.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“Who?”

The voice replied,

“Yourself.”

The call ended.

Behind Daniel, Evelyn screamed.

He turned.

She was gone.

Only her red scarf remained on the wet ground.

And beneath it was a photograph.

Daniel picked it up.

It showed Maya.

Tied to a chair.

Alive.

On the back were six words.

ONE DAY LEFT TO SAVE HER.