Investigation Log – V. Grant, Day 16

A curious thing I learned during this investigation: in Catalonia, many nativity scenes hide a small figure called the Caganer somewhere in the background. The tradition depicts a man quietly relieving himself behind a tree or stable wall, and strangely enough, it is considered a symbol of luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Proof, perhaps, that even the most festive scenes tend to hide something unusual if one looks closely enough.

Today, I walked straight into the criminal’s trap. Careless. Predictable. Exactly what they were counting on.

Had I not been tall enough, I would not have made it out.

The realization settled quickly. They know. They know I have uncovered the drainage route, and they are no longer content with watching from a distance.

This was not a warning.

It was an attempt.

Even the police have begun pressing me to step away from the case. Concern, they say. I hear something else in it. Hesitation. Pressure.

But I am not so easily shaken.

It will take more than a shadow at my back and one failed attempt to end this investigation.

If anything, it confirms I am closer than ever.

I will speak with Jonas Becker next. A man who sees the village from a different angle. Movement, patterns, people passing through.

Perhaps he will help me see what I have missed.