Riddles in the Water

The divorce papers sat on the kitchen table like another dead thing to bury. Outside, rain streaked the windows, turning the world into a watercolor blur. But Elena couldn't look away from the phone in her hand—couldn't unsee what she'd found.

Marcus wasn't just having an affair. He was a spy.

For eighteen months, he'd been selling classified research from Acme Hydrodynamics to their biggest competitor. Elena had been the lead scientist on the water purification project—the one that could bring clean drinking water to drought-ridden regions. The one Marcus had been leaking, drop by drop, to the highest bidder.

The worst part? The code name he'd used for his handler: Fox. Cunning. Sly. Everything Marcus pretended not to be.

Their golden retriever, Buster, nudged her hand with his wet nose, oblivious to the shrapnel of their marriage exploding around him. Poor, loyal dog. He'd greet Marcus at the door tonight with the same tail-wagging devotion, even after everything.

Elena's phone buzzed. Her boss, Kathryn—whom everyone called the Sphinx for her inscrutable expressions and impossible ethical questions—wanted a meeting. Kathryn knew. She had to know.

The rain intensified, drumming against the roof like fingers drumming on a table, demanding answers. Elena thought about confronting Marcus. About pretending she didn't know. About the way he'd looked at her last night over takeout containers and exhausted smiles, the way he'd touched her shoulder like she was something precious even as he sold her life's work.

She realized then that the riddle wasn't what Marcus had done. The riddle was what she would do next.

The Sphinx's message appeared: "We need to discuss your husband. Come alone."

Elena stood up, Buster watching her with soulful eyes. She grabbed her keys. She'd always loved riddles, the kind with answers you couldn't unsee once found. The kind that changed everything.

Outside, the storm had turned the streets to rivers. She stepped into the water and walked toward whatever came next, already half-drowning in what she knew.