The air in the dimly lit office was thick with

the awful scent of tobacco smoke, curling toward the ceiling. Shadows danced across the walls, flickering in the faint light of a single desk lamp that lightened a cluttered workspace.

In the corner, a figure sat hunched over, the aura dark enough to make your stomach churn. He took a long drag from his cigarette, before he exhaled a cloud of smoke that hung in the air like a shroud. His voice was low and gravelly as he spoke into an old phone, the receiver pressed tightly to his ear.

“How’s Christine settling into her new job?” he asked, his...