Scene 5

Scene 5: The Detective's Proposition

Abigail stared at the phone in her hand, reading the cryptic text message again.

"Meet me at midnight behind O'Malley's Pub. Come alone. I know about the loops."

She had no idea who had sent her this message. The number was blocked, giving no clues as to the sender's identity.

Abigail glanced at the clock on the wall of her lab. 11:37 PM. She still had time to make it to the meeting place if she left now. But could she trust this unknown person? What if it was a trap?

Curiosity overpowered caution in Abigail's logical mind. Whoever sent this seemed to know about the time loops she had experienced. Perhaps they held answers she desperately needed. Answers about the device, about David, about everything.

She grabbed her coat and car keys and headed out into the night. A light drizzle had begun, amplifying the eerie glow of the streetlights along the empty road. Abigail shivered as she approached her car, unsure if it was from the chill rain or her nerves.

The fifteen minute drive to O'Malley's passed in a blur. Abigail parked a block away in the shadows. With a deep breath, she stepped out into the misty night and made her way toward the alley behind the pub.

As she turned the corner, Abigail spotted a lone figure lingering in the gloom. He stood with his back to her, hands stuffed in the pockets of a worn trench coat, gray fedora pulled low over his eyes.

Abigail hesitated, then called out softly, "Hello? Are you the one who sent the text?"

The man turned, revealing a rugged, unshaven face set with piercing steel-blue eyes.

"Dr. Abigail Turner?" His gravelly voice rumbled.

Abigail nodded warily.

The man extended a gloved hand. "Detective Elias. Homicide division."

Abigail's eyes widened in surprise as she shook his hand. This was no trap, but a detective? Her mind spun with questions.

Detective Elias withdrew his hand and fixed Abigail with an intense, searching look. "You've been experiencing time loops."

It was not a question, but a statement of fact. Abigail tensed, shaken by this stranger's knowledge.

"How do you know that?" she asked sharply.

Elias held up a hand. "No need for alarm, Doctor. I've been investigating patterns, anomalies. Evidence has led me to you."

He turned and began pacing slowly, hands still in his pockets.

"Time is like a tapestry, intricately woven," he continued, "but lately, threads have come loose. Events unfolding contrary to their natural order."

He glanced back at Abigail. "Your interventions in the timeline have not gone unnoticed."

Abigail crossed her arms, eyes narrowing behind her glasses. "That's a bold claim, Detective. You'll forgive me if I don't take you at your word."

Elias nodded contemplatively. "Understandable. Extraordinary assertions require extraordinary evidence."

He removed a small leather journal from his pocket and held it out to Abigail. She took it warily and opened it to a dog-eared page filled with neatly printed notes:

Disturbances traced to Dr. A. Turner's laboratory

Timeline fracturing around focal points involving her husband, David Turner

Turner exhibiting tells of time-loop trauma - confusion, obsessive focus, dé·jà vu

Abigail's throat tightened as she scanned the page. This detective had been watching her, documenting the time loops. A chill crept down her spine despite the warm spring night.

"How did you get this information?" she demanded. "Have you been spying on me?"

"Not spying," Elias said calmly. "Observing. We have a shared interest here, Dr. Turner. Bringing order to the unraveling timeline. But I cannot do it without you."

Abigail shut the journal with a snap. "You seem to think you know everything about me, but I don't know the first thing about you, Detective."

Elias studied her for a long moment before replying.

"A fair point. I've been a homicide detective for fifteen years. In that time, I've seen things that defy conventional logic." His piercing eyes took on a distant look. "Impossible killings, patterns that hinted at manipulations of time and space. But always at the periphery, taunting my understanding."

He focused intently on Abigail again. "Until the fractures centered around you, Doctor. You are at the crux of these temporal disturbances. With your help, I can finally make sense of them."

Abigail hesitated, considering his words. She had no reason to trust this man, and yet ... the notes in his journal revealed insights she could not ignore.

Still gripped by doubt, Abigail began pacing as Elias had done earlier. "You talk about order, about logic. But have you considered the human cost?"

She whirled to face him. "My husband has been murdered because of these 'temporal disturbances' you want to study so dispassionately. His life ripped away, again and again."

Abigail's voice shook with emotion. She paused to steady herself, adjusting her glasses.

"So forgive me if I'm not eager to aid your scholarly investigation, Detective," she finished bitterly.

Elias's stony expression softened almost imperceptibly. "Believe me, I understand the profound personal toll this has taken. But you cannot alter the timeline solely on your own terms."

He took a step toward Abigail, holding her gaze intently. "I've been fighting powerful forces I do not yet comprehend. Forces apparently under your control."

Abigail bristled. "I assure you, I do not control any of this. The time device - " she faltered, uncertain how much to reveal.

"The device is the key," Elias said knowingly. "With your knowledge and my investigative experience, we can unlock its secrets. Before greater damage is done."

He extended a hand. "Work with me, Abigail. Together we can find answers."

Abigail stared at his outstretched hand but did not take it. His words resonated with her desire for understanding, yet reluctance still warred within her.

Could she truly trust this stranger? Their goals seemed aligned, and yet, the coolly analytical Detective Elias could never understand the depths of her pain and obsession.

Still, she needed allies. Working in isolation had yielded no breakthroughs. She craved new perspectives on the mystery of the time loops.

Slowly, Abigail met Elias's piercing gaze and clasped his hand in agreement. "Very well. We will collaborate to investigate these temporal disturbances, as you call them."

Elias gave a single, brisk nod. "A wise choice."

He gestured toward the street. "Come. We've much to discuss."

As they walked, Abigail's thoughts churned like gathering storm clouds. She prayed this unlikely partnership would shed light on the time loops, not unleash more chaos.

***

In the following weeks, Abigail met often with Detective Elias to share information about her experiences with the mysterious time device. Though initially guarded, she soon found herself opening up to him in ways she had with no one else. His calm demeanor and methodical nature put her at ease, even as his probing questions and logic-focused theories sometimes clashed with her own obsessive quest to save David.

During one late night working session at Abigail's lab, these differences bubbled to the surface again...

"I want to walk through the timeline of events once more," Elias said, notepad open as he sat across from Abigail. "When did you first activate the device?"

Abigail sighed, weary of this review process. "I've already told you - it was March 12th, at approximately 10 PM when I initiated the particle acceleration and quantum field manipulation sequence."

She recited the technical details emotionlessly, having recounted them several times before.

Elias jotted notes. "And when did you first discover its ability to alter time?"

"Two days later during Experiment Trial 37," Abigail replied. "When I woke up and realized I was reliving the same day over again."

"Hmm." Elias tapped his pen thoughtfully. "And when did you first travel to the past? To ancient Egypt, you said?"

Abigail stiffened. Talking about the time device was one thing, but returning to those vivid memories always unsettled her. The shock of finding herself amidst an ancient civilization, the anguish of watching David murdered before her eyes again and again throughout history...

She stood abruptly, moving to busy herself calibrating the device.

"I grow tired of this ceaseless review," she said, irritation creeping into her tone. "You doubt my account?"

Elias held up a hand apologetically. "Not at all. But we must be thorough. The smallest details could prove enlightening."

He gestured at the intricate machinery surrounding them.

"This technology - we've barely scratched the surface of understanding it. The intricacies of timeline manipulation, causal paradoxes, quantum superposition..."

Abigail whirled to face him. "This is not merely abstract scientific theory! Each loop traps me in an endless nightmare of seeing my husband die."

Her voice caught with emotion. She adjusted her glasses with a trembling hand.

Elias stood and stepped toward her. "You're right. I cannot imagine the trauma you've endured."

His normally hard eyes softened with empathy. "But if we are to solve this mystery, we must examine it from all angles, scientific and emotional."

He gestured between them. "My analytical approach and your firsthand experience complement each other. Together we will find answers."

Abigail crossed her arms with a frustrated huff. "Answers to what exactly? We do not even agree on the questions."

She met Elias's thoughtful gaze. "You wish to understand the time device itself. I only want to save David. Our priorities are not aligned."

Elias nodded slowly. "Fair point. But perhaps the goals are not wholly incompatible."

He began to pace, hands clasped behind his back.

"Understanding the device's capabilities may enable you to rescue your husband. And learning your personal experiences provides insight that no amount of clinical data could."

He stopped and turned to Abigail. "We each hold pieces of this puzzle. Only by working together can we solve it."

Abigail considered this, her rigid posture softening slightly. As much as the detective's cool rationality grated against her fervent desire to save David, she could not deny his logic. They needed each other.

"Very well," she conceded. "I will endure your endless questions if it brings us closer to the truth. But the time device is not merely a scientific curiosity. Each loop causes real suffering."

Elias nodded gravely. "I understand. And I will not lose sight of the human costs in this investigation."

He extended his hand. After a moment, Abigail shook it. Though misgivings lingered, a fresh spark of hope now burned within her. With Elias's help, perhaps she could finally break this nightmare cycle.

***

Over the next several weeks, Abigail and Detective Elias worked steadily to piece together clues about the time device and its connection to David's murder. While Elias approached the mystery from a pragmatic, fact-based angle, Abigail's fervent fixation remained on using the device to save her husband, no matter the larger consequences. This divergence would periodically put them at odds.

During a meeting at the police station where Elias had covertly set up a private workspace, these philosophical differences bubbled to the surface once more...

"I want to go over the list of historical eras you've traveled to again," Elias said, reviewing his notes. "Egyptian antiquity, the Italian Renaissance, Victorian London..."

He glanced up at Abigail. "Is there a pattern we can derive? Some logic to when and where the device transports you?"

Abigail shook her head in frustration as she paced the small room. "I have told you - the device seems to operate randomly. My attempts to control its functions have proven futile."

Elias's brow furrowed. "There must be some governing principle, even if obscure. With more data points, we may find a correlation—"

"I did not ask for scientific analysis!" Abigail interjected sharply. "I asked for your help saving David, not studying temporal mechanics."

She whirled to face the detective. "Each second we waste here theorizing, David is murdered over and over across centuries. Because of me."

Her voice broke with grief and guilt. She adjusted her glasses with a trembling hand.

Elias leaned forward, steepling his fingers on the desk between them. "I understand your urgency, Abigail. But we cannot be rash. Altering the past could have profound unforeseen consequences."

His eyes narrowed intently. "We must proceed systematically. Identify the patterns, deduce the murderer's motives, then intervene surgically."

Abigail crossed her arms. "A convenient position for you to take, as David's life does not hang in the balance each time."

Elias sighed. "Believe me, I want to save him too. But we cannot be reckless. Who knows what damage we may inadvertently cause?"

He met Abigail's defiant gaze. "Imagine introducing modern diseases to antiquity, disrupting future family lineages, setting off a chain of events leading to catastrophe..."

Abigail faltered, troubled by the scenarios he posed.

Elias pressed his point. "I know your priority is David's life above all else. As is understandable. But we must also consider our responsibility to the integrity of history."

"And what of my responsibility to David?" Abigail replied quietly.

Elias had no response as an uneasy silence descended. Eventually he stood and stepped toward Abigail, breaking the impasse.

"I cannot fathom the pain this has caused you," he said gently. "But we must find a solution that accounts for both human and historical factors. That is the only way forward."

He searched her eyes questioningly. "Can we continue on together with that understanding?"

Abigail held his gaze for a long moment before finally nodding silently. Though the desire to save David eclipsed all else in her mind, the detective's caution gave her pause. Could her actions damage more than just David's life? These disturbing questions would continue to haunt her.

***

The next day, Abigail arrived at the police station to find Detective Elias notably absent from his makeshift investigation room. In his place was a uniformed officer who apologetically informed her that Elias had been called away unexpectedly on urgent police business across town. He did not know when the detective would return.

Frustrated at this interruption to their work, Abigail wandered the empty room aimlessly. Files and notes littered the desks, remnants of her collaboration with Elias. She lingered on one wall where he had posted up photos of crime scenes and mug shots connected by a web of string, mapping out suspicious deaths across decades that he believed were tied to the same unknown suspect.

One mugshot in particular drew Abigail's attention - a bald man with pale skin and hollow, sinister eyes. Elias had identified him as their "person of interest" in David's murders and other similar killings across time periods where the loops had transported Abigail. But they had not yet determined his motive or true identity.

Abigail studied the photo intently, as if sheer focus could will answers into existence. Who was this man? Why did he keep murdering David? How was he able to track and kill David throughout all of time and space?

Her obsessive contemplation was interrupted by heavy footsteps entering the room behind her. Abigail turned to see a swaggering man in a cheap suit saunter in, chomping on a toothpick. Something about his arrogant demeanor instantly put her on edge.

"Well, well," he drawled in a gravelly voice, "You must be the doc Elias keeps squirreled away in here."

He leaned against a desk casually. "Name's Detective McMurray. Me and Elias go way back."

Abigail crossed her arms warily. "What do you want, Detective?"

McMurray put up his hands disarmingly. "Easy there, just being friendly. Heard you and Elias were cooking up some pretty wild theories in this little dungeon."

He gestured at the web of photos and notes. "Traveling through time and chasing ghosts all across history. Pretty crazy stuff."

Abigail bristled at his dismissive words. "Our investigation is of no concern to you. Now if you'll excuse me..."

She tried to step past him, but McMurray blocked her way.

"Whoa now, no need to be rude," he said with an oily grin. "I'm just curious what Elias is up to with you. He's always gotten obsessed with the...weirder cases."

Abigail swallowed, unnerved by the predatory look in this man's eyes. She drew herself up resolutely.

"Detective Elias is occupied with urgent police business. Now let me pass."

McMurray held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, keep your secrets. But if you and Elias stir up any trouble with this nonsense..." His expression turned ice cold. "Internal Affairs may need to get involved."

With that thinly veiled threat lingering, he tipped an imaginary hat and sauntered out, leaving Abigail shaken. She would need to warn Elias about his old associate's malicious interest in their investigation. Dangerous forces seemed to be aligning against them, and McMurray was likely just the tip of the iceberg.

***

Later that night, Abigail waited anxiously in the familiar alley behind O’Malley’s Pub, hoping Detective Elias would meet her texted request. Rain pattered softly in the shadows as faint music drifted from the warmly lit establishment.

At long last, she glimpsed the detective’s trenchcoated figure striding down the glistening pavement. Elias gave Abigail a questioning look as they ducked under an awning, escaping the drizzling rain.

"I got your message. What was so urgent?" he asked.

Abigail quickly relayed the unsettling encounter with Detective McMurray at the station. Elias's expression darkened as she described the veiled threats.

"McMurray is dangerous," Elias said grimly. "If he catches wind of our investigation, he could undermine everything."

He paced the alley in agitation before turning back to Abigail. "We need to accelerate our progress and validate our theories before he can interfere."

Abigail crossed her arms against the damp chill. "Easier said than done. We still have more questions than answers about the murder and the time device."

Elias nodded. "You're right. But perhaps it's time we get outside help. Discreetly."

He met Abigail's gaze intently. "I know some trusted experts - scientists, tech specialists - who could study the device safely. Piece together how it works."

Abigail hesitated, instinctively protective of the mysterious technology. But they had hit dead ends trying to unravel it themselves. With a sigh, she conceded.

"Very well. I can share limited data with your contacts. But the device itself stays with me."

"Agreed," Elias said. He glanced around warily before continuing.  "We should also go over McMurray's background, see if any connections emerge to our person of interest."

He began pacing again. "I doubt McMurray is directly involved in the murders, but he may have ties to larger forces, given his eagerness to impede our investigation..."

As Elias continued theorizing potential links, Abigail shook her head incredulously. Each new ally and enemy expanded the web of complexity around David's murder and the time device. But no threads yet tied directly back to definitive answers.

Light laughter from the pub caught her attention, reminding Abigail poignantly of easier times with David, now seeming a lifetime ago. They had shared this alley just like those carefree souls beyond the brick wall. How far she had traveled since, and how much further still to go to bring David back.

Abigail refocused as Elias wrapped up his musings. Despite nagging uncertainty about where this investigation was leading, she could not turn back now. The truth lay buried somewhere in time, and she would unearth it.