– "So what exactly happened here thirty years ago?"

Collecting all the bullets into his bag, he took his things and headed to the place where the bodies had been found.

Wandering around for a while, he initially found nothing. Not surprising—so many years had passed. He circled one tree, then another, but there was nothing. Then he stumbled upon an object. Alexei bent down—it was a knife, possibly a hunting knife, with a rusted blade and a handle caked in dirt. He pulled a bag from his pocket and dropped the knife inside. Soon, he found a couple of shell casings as well. That was the end of his discoveries. He walked around the area a bit more but found nothing else.

Then his phone rang.

– "Lyonya, are you coming?" Filatov asked, amid some background noise. It was clear that the initiation party for the new member of the team was in full swing.

– "Lyonya… No, I'm on my way," Alexei realized it was better to agree rather than endure a long conversation with his friend about why he should come to the party.

– "Drop everything and get over here! There's a girl here… I’d totally hit that…" Filatov said, his voice now much quieter over the phone.

– "Fine… I'll be there soon. You dog," Alexei muttered as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Looking around once more, and after a moment of thought, Alexei headed towards the local administration building, asking the villagers for directions along the way.

The administration building was U-shaped and two stories tall, with a recently updated facade. The prosperity of the administration was evident—Mercedes and BMWs were parked all around. Alexei quickly bounded up the stairs and opened the doors. Walking down the long hallway, he approached a door labeled "Reception."

– "Vladimir Vladimirovich is currently busy," reported the secretary, a woman in her fifties. Everything about the place screamed "village administration," from the open window to the wildflowers in a vase on the windowsill and the very modest decor of the room.

– "Following a trend or just a namesake?" he asked, seeing that the secretary was flustered.

He continued, – "Just kidding. I'm from the prosecutor's office. Let him know I'm here."

Alexei had often noticed that the word "prosecutor" had a certain magic to it. Important meetings would end abruptly, encounters with prostitutes at the workplace would be cut short, and all sorts of shady dealings would come to a halt. Soon, a young woman emerged from the office, and Alexei stepped inside.

He was greeted by a man in his fifties, of medium height, full-figured, dressed in a white shirt and tie. He extended his hand and smiled, flashing teeth as white as those in a toothpaste commercial. Though no longer young, Alexei quickly understood the recent departure of the young woman—the man was still attractive, with graying hair that only added to his charm. His firm handshake suggested he kept up with some form of exercise, and although he had a slight belly, it was clear that he remained appealing to women.

Alexei shook his hand, and the man gestured for him to sit down.

– "So, what can I do for… our prosecutor’s office?"

– My name is Alexey Sergeyevich Martynov, about those swamps of yours…

– Ah… – the man didn’t let him finish. – Oh, sorry, – he quickly corrected himself.

– No worries, go on, – Alexey nodded to him in agreement.

– I am Vladimir Vladimirovich, head of the local administration… There was an unpleasant story there… But you'd better talk to the locals. I only know bits and pieces from rumors.