when we could be diving

For got_exchange prompt: "Noir AU: Detective Stannis investigates the death of his brother with the help of ex-con Davos and mysterious psychic Melisandre."

He could see the threads of the lies, the plots, tangled and twisted; could almost make out the points of crossover, matching ends, the right strands to pull to unravel the whole mess, just slipping from his fingertips... all so close.

Stannis passed a hand over his face, pressed middle finger and thumb to his temples. He was tired, the boy had been right about that. He'd woken in a sweat most every night since he'd moved out of the old house in Dragonstone, since he'd handed in his badge and gun, and sometimes in the dark it felt like he couldn't catch his breath, keep his footing, like the ground was falling away under him.