That morning, Marina arrived home with her hair still a little messy from the breeze of the motorcycle taxi. It had been another long day at college, and all she wanted was a cold shower and some peace. But as soon as she pushed open the front gate and stepped inside, she heard the hurried sound of high heels in the hallway.
— Mom?
Joana Albuquerque appeared in the living room with her purse over her shoulder, adjusting the white coat over a sleek black dress. Her eyes, always sharp, turned to her daughter with a soft smile.
— Hey, sweetheart. I'm heading out. I've been called in for an important evaluation.
— Another clinic case? — Marina asked, dropping her backpack on the couch.
— Not this time. This one's… different. I was called by the police — Joana replied, more serious now. — A criminal was transferred today to the city's forensic psychiatric hospital. They want me to assess whether he's mentally fit. His name is Jandison, but...
She paused for a moment before finishing:
— ...the whole city knows him as The Grilo.
Marina frowned.
— What a creepy name.
Joana gave a faint smile, but there was concern behind her eyes.
— It is. They say he used to "jump" from house to house on the same street, like an insect… and that he left marks on the bodies of his victims. Multiple holes, as if they'd been bitten by bugs. All while the people were sleeping. Anyway, I'll tell you more when I get back. Take care, okay?
She gave her daughter a quick kiss on the forehead and walked out the door. The echo of her heels on the garage floor was the last sound Marina heard before closing the door.
The city's psychiatric facility sat at the far edge of the north side, isolated by tall trees and cold, gray walls. When Joana arrived, she was greeted by two armed guards who escorted her to the interview room. The environment was cold, disturbingly clean — like something awful could happen at any moment.
The criminal was already waiting.
Seated in a metal chair, his hands shackled at the waist, Jandison, the Grilo, rocked gently back and forth. His hollow eyes looked lifeless, yet something about him was deeply unsettling. Joana walked in, notebook in hand, maintaining her professional posture.
— Good morning, Jandison. I'm Dr. Joana Albuquerque, forensic psychiatrist. I've been asked to perform an evaluation on you.
Silence.
— Do you understand where you are?
Nothing. Only the slow rocking of his chair and the faint sound of the chains.
— Do you know why you're here?
Still nothing. He continued moving, as if listening to some invisible tune. Joana closed her notebook, frustrated but composed.
— We'll try again tomorrow. — She stood, took a deep breath, and walked toward the door.
But just before she exited the room, a BANG made her turn suddenly.
Jandison had slammed both hands against the glass window.
Joana flinched, her heart pounding.
He was there, eyes locked on hers — no longer lifeless, but intense, wicked. A huge smile spread across his face, ear to ear, revealing yellow, crooked teeth. A smile that seemed to say: "I know who you are."
Without a word, Joana turned and left the room with the guards. But that smile… that damned smile… stayed with her.
Meanwhile, back at the Albuquerque house, Marina — freshly showered, her hair up in a messy bun — flopped onto her bed, phone in hand. She scrolled for a bit, then took a breath and hit call.
Calling: Felipinho.
— Hey… — he answered, voice a bit anxious.
— Hey, Felipe… are you busy?
— N-not really! I mean… I was studying. Okay, fine, I was watching cat videos on YouTube, but I can stop. Is something up?
Marina chuckled on the other end.
— I wanted to know if you'd like to come over later. You know… to study. For the Literature assignment.
Felipinho paused for a moment. He choked a bit on his own breath before answering:
— J-just the two of us?
— Just the two of us — she said, her voice softer now.
Silence on the other end.
— Then… give me a few minutes and I'm already on my bike heading over!
— Bring that blue notebook, okay? And… if you want, bring a little of that humor of yours too — she added, in a slightly seductive tone.
— You got it. The notebook's gonna be jealous.
They both laughed. Marina hung up smiling, and Felipinho dashed around the house, grabbed his notebook, threw on a clean shirt, and jumped on his bike like he was on a secret mission.
The midday sun was scorching. On the way, Felipe stopped at a gas station to buy some water. He was sweating, nervous, excited. But as he stepped into the little convenience store, his body froze.
Diegola.
And with him were Alberto, Caçapa, and Diógenes, sitting on plastic chairs, laughing at something Caçapa had just said between sips of beer. Diego's eyes lifted and met Felipe's.
The smile that crept onto Diego's face this time was different. Not mocking. Curious. Like he already knew exactly where Felipe was headed.
— Well, well… where you rushing off to, Felipinho? — Diego asked, arms spread wide like he was greeting an old friend.
Felipe swallowed hard, gripping the water bottle tightly in his hand. His heart was pounding — but it wasn't just nerves anymore.
It was anger too.
Something inside him had changed.