Compression socks, canes, and adult diapers aren’t what Viktor expected from a criminal empire. The polished storefront masks something colder, sharper, more dangerous. He wants to infiltrate the gang, but a misstep in the rain exposes more than just his cover. Chai wants to help, but is easily distracted.

Viktor has a plan, barely. Chai has jokes, plenty. But as Viktor waits in a run-down diner for a jittery informant, the noise and crowd feel like they’re pressing in. It’s just a bag of pretzels. Just a booth in a diner. Just another bad lead. But nothing about this case is simple—least of all the voice in his ear or the guilt he’s trying to swallow.

The only thing more fragile than Viktor’s cover is the man he’s here to find. Lenny’s tangled with the gang, the cops, and fear—and he’s terrible at hiding it. Viktor plays his role, but Lenny isn't fooled. And with Chai muttering in his ear, staying in character isn't easy.

A new lead pulls Viktor into a forgotten corner of the city, where the remnants of the gang's past may hold the key to unraveling the present. Something about the place brings Chai into sharper focus and shakes something loose from his cloudy memory. But another dead end begins to tarnish Viktor's hope.

Viktor barely escaped the house with his life, and now he's freezing. If he died here, though, that would be the end of the story. Instead, he confronts his fears to strengthen his link with Chai, stirring up painful memories and doubts about his own mind.

Later, a quiet café meeting with his sibling brings bad news. Through strained conversation and shared silences, Viktor begins to untangle the weight he’s been carrying.

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The Spectral Agent is Jan’s first full-length novel. We’re independent publishers, and this book and podcast are an experiment.

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Viktor spends the day chasing a lead connected to the case. Guided by a voice only he can hear, he follows a trail of vague memories, dead ends, and a reluctant witness.

Viktor learns about a mysterious boy. The details about him are vague, but they are worth investigating. As the day ends, Viktor is left with a name, but he might not live long enough to make any use of it.

Viktor reaches out to his coworker, Zoe, to get information about someone who recently died. The details lead him to think that the case feels off. He investigates an old crime scene, hoping for clarity, but instead finds an ordinary object that triggers disturbing sensations. Curiosity gets the better of him, and a surreal moment challenges everything he believes about what’s real. By the end of the night, he’s no longer alone.

Viktor wakes up disoriented, still burdened by what happened last night. He struggles to explain what he’s experienced to his therapist and questions if his mind is playing tricks on him. A strange feeling follows him as he walks through the city. That evening, something unusual leads him through the streets to an unexpected encounter that leaves him with more questions than answers.

Detective Viktor Levitsky is startled by a scream from his neighbor’s apartment. He finds what appears to be a suicide—but a strange encounter at the scene raises questions he can’t shake. Viktor is unsettled by the police moving to close the case as a suicide. He reports what he saw, but is met with concern about his mental state, and he's forced onto medical leave. Alone, uncertain, and disturbed by what he witnessed, he begins to suspect something deeper is unfolding.