The Circuit Riders

In a sweltering August afternoon that clings to Pittsburgh’s hills, the city’s pulse is measured by a strange, flickering board in the East Liberty precinct. The lights on the deAngelis display pulse like restless hearts, each flash hinting at hidden passions and looming crimes. Amid the heat, a drunken old man drags himself home, his empty stare mirroring the vacant glow of the board, while police, reporters, and an audio controller go about their routine, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension.

When the board’s reds and pinks surge into the seventies, the new operator, Charlie Blaney, notices a pattern that refuses to be ignored. A sudden spike to 87 and a steady climb to 77 suggest a “hot‑head” and a “citizen with righteous indignation” are about to collide. The precinct’s ordinary chatter gives way to a quiet, uneasy anticipation as the lights hint at a case that could ignite the city‑jungle’s simmering conflicts.