Some days change you forever—especially the days that begin quietly and end with a vow you can’t ignore.
PROMPT
Kevin Bassi knew every crack in that sidewalk—so when the world suddenly felt wrong, he noticed.
For ten quiet years, retired detective Kevin Bassi walked the same three-mile loop around the neighborhood park, waving each morning to the same female jogger who passed him near the tennis courts. Their exchange was small—a nod, a smile—but dependable, the kind of human rhythm that anchors a life. But today, the courts were empty. No familiar ponytail bouncing toward him, no wave. A knot of unease tugged at Kevin’s gut as he kept walking, his senses sharpening with each step. Two hundred yards later, he saw her—a collapsed figure near the sycamores, beaten, shaking, her breath catching in shallow bursts. He dropped to his knees beside her, calling 911 with the old precision he thought he’d hung up forever. As he steadied her trembling hand, something inside him reignited—the fierce clarity of a man who once made promises to the frightened and the harmed. He whispered, “I’ll find who did this.” And in that moment, Kevin Bassi knew retirement was over.
Reader Question:
What do you think Kevin should discover first—and how far should he be willing to go to keep his promise?