only got eight years. Eight years for a murdered girl, for a destroyed family! And then—early release for good behavior. And now—a new victim."
Anna approached the window, standing next to Granin. A pigeon sat on the windowsill, huddled against the rain.
"Tell me," she hesitated, choosing her words. "Back then… did you notice anything unusual in his apartment? Any strange items or objects?"
"Ah, you mean that…" Granin smiled sadly. "The collection of porcelain elephants. Six of them. During the interrogation, he said he was waiting for the seventh—for complete happiness. We decided it was just a coincidence. Strange, but a coincidence."
Anna was pierced by a sharp sense of foreboding.
"What happened to those elephants?"
"They were included in the case as material evidence. Later, when the case was closed, they should have been destroyed. But…" Granin faltered. "I kept them. All these years, I've kept them. As a reminder that evil can hide behind the most innocent mask."
"I need to see them," Anna said firmly.
Granin nodded: "I knew you would say that. They're at my home. Let's go."
Leaving the archive, Anna cast a final glance at the photograph of young Rogov. The man who had transformed an innocent legend about seven elephants into a terrible tale of shattered lives.
And the rain kept pouring down, washing away traces of the past, but not the memory of it.
Chapter 3: Broken Glass
Mikhail Stepanovich's apartment was in an old building on the outskirts of town. Anna climbed the creaking staircase, feeling each step echo through the hollow stairwell. Somewhere above, a dim light bulb flickered, casting uneven shadows on the walls.
"Come in," Granin opened the massive door. "Just be careful—I haven't cleaned in here for a long time."
Anna looked around. The small apartment was crowded with bookshelves. Photographs of various people hung on the walls, along with newspaper clippings and maps covered with notations. The typical dwelling of an old-school investigator who had never been able to leave his work in the past.
"They're here," Granin approached an old secretary desk and took a key from his pocket. "I haven't opened this drawer in twenty years."
The lock clicked reluctantly, as if resisting the intrusion into the past. On a velvet lining, faded with time, stood six porcelain elephants. White, with gold detailing.
"My God," Anna exhaled, taking out her phone. "They're identical."
"What?"
"The elephants in Elena Andreevna's apartment. The same series, the same manufacturer. Only a different color—blue."
Granin sank heavily into an armchair: "So it really is him. The same signature, the same game."
Anna carefully picked up one of the elephants. On the bottom was a barely visible inscription: "Imperial Porcelain Factory, 1994."
"Did you track his whereabouts after his release?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the figurine.
"I tried. He disappeared. Vanished. Now it's clear why—he was creating a new identity."
Anna's phone vibrated. A message from Dorokhov: "Come urgently."
"I need to go," she carefully placed the elephant back in its spot. "May I come back later…"
"Come anytime," Granin interrupted her. "And be careful. He doesn't like when someone gets too close to his secrets."
The rain had stopped, but the streets still glistened with water. Anna got into her car and turned on the navigation system. It would take about twenty minutes to reach headquarters.
Her memory helpfully conjured an image from the past. Ten years ago. Her first case of a missing child. They hadn't made it in time then. That's when she had sworn to herself that never again…
The ringing phone pulled her from her memories.
"Anna Vitalyevna?" Elena Andreevna's voice trembled. "There's… there's some package that arrived. From him."
"Don't touch it! Don't touch anything, I'm coming right now."
"It's too late. I already opened it. There's an elephant inside. The seventh elephant, Anna Vitalyevna. And a note…"
"What note? What does it say?"
"Now the collection is complete. It's a shame there's no one left to make a wish."
Anna sharply turned the car around.
"Don't go anywhere. I'm on my way to you."
She called headquarters while driving.
"Dorokhov? Send a team to Elena Andreevna's house. And find out how the hell he's managing to send packages from the detention center!"
The navigation showed eleven minutes to her destination. Anna turned on the siren. Every second counted now.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed some movement in the rearview mirror. A gray Toyota Camry. The same one.
"Dorokhov," she grabbed her phone again. "We have a problem. I think there were multiple perpetrators."
Elena Andreevna's building came into view. A patrol car was already parked by the entrance.
And in the apartment on the fifth floor, on the shelf among six blue elephants stood the seventh. White, with gold detailing. Exactly like those kept in Granin's secretary desk.
History was repeating itself. But this time, Anna wasn't planning to lose. Even if victory meant confronting her own demons from the past.
Chapter 4: Web of Lies
The seventh elephant lay in an evidence bag. The white porcelain seemed inappropriately bright under the harsh light of the forensic lab.
"No fingerprints," expert Klimov rubbed his tired eyes. "Whoever sent the package was wearing gloves. But here's what's interesting—the marking on the bottom is the same as the elephants from the old case. Imperial Porcelain Factory, 1994."
"He's been collecting them," Anna said quietly. "All these years, he's been collecting them."
In the adjacent interrogation room sat Elena Andreevna. She had agreed to recount once more how her relationship with Viktor had developed. Every detail could prove important.
"Start recording," Anna nodded to Dorokhov, turning on the voice recorder.
"He appeared in our social circle two years ago," Elena Andreevna automatically adjusted the collar of her blouse. "A mutual friend introduced him as a successful businessman from Moscow. Viktor… he knew how to make an impression. Always impeccably dressed, educated, with excellent manners."
"Tell me about the first warning signs."
"You know what's strange? Looking back now, I can see them. But then… then he could explain everything. Any oddity, any inconsistency." She paused. "For instance, the story about his past. He never showed photographs, never told specific stories. Just general phrases: 'when I lived in Moscow,' 'I had a business.' And if I asked for details, he skillfully changed the subject."
Anna made a note in her notebook. Typical behavior for someone with a false identity.
"And then the elephants appeared," Elena Andreevna continued. "He noticed Sofi's collection and became so enthusiastic. He told her the legend about seven elephants bringing happiness. Sofi became excited about collecting all seven. And he… he encouraged it. Now I understand—it was part of his game."
"How did he interact with Sophia?"
"Perfectly. Too perfectly, you understand? He took interest in her studies, helped her with English. Once I found them talking about music—he was describing classical composers, and Sofi was listening, completely captivated. Back then, I thought: how fortunate that my daughter has such a wonderful stepfather…"
Elena Andreevna fell silent, clenching her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"When