《Murder in Heliopolis: A Solarpunk Mystery》


 1. The All-Seeing Eye of PATET

    Laith Alazraq was not a particularly busy man. As a detective on the homicide department of the Heliopolis Police, his days mostly consisted of long hours at his desk, reading up on the latest research and developments or trying to solve cold cases from the pre-Heliopolic era. He supposed it was a good thing that he wasn''t a busy man. Homicide was not something they wanted in the city, and the fact that it didn''t occur was a very, very good thing. His wife reminded him of that every time he complained that he was bored at work, and that he had nothing to do, and that he was wasting his life away at a desk.


    The PATET system took care of most of the crime-solving and prevention in Heliopolis, anyway. Nobody could steal a pin without the PATET recognizing their actions, identities, and sending word to law enforcement before the store-owners themselves knew anything had happened. It was the perfect system, and because it was so effective, crime rates had decreased drastically since its launch.


    In fact, there hadn''t been a murder in almost five years ¨C until Detective Laith Alazraq was given his first ever case, ironically coinciding with his submission of a request for transfer. He had just pressed the Submit button on the screen of his desktop when a small tune rang out through his office. The sound of an alert was so foreign to him that he wasn''t entirely certain what it was until he saw the flashing red flame symbol on his desktop screen. He tapped on it curiously, heart beating with a strange kind of excitement and nervousness.


    Homicide reported at No. 23, The Hills, South Heliopolis. Report to crime scene immediately.


    Laith was frozen for a moment, not quite understanding what it meant. When it finally crashed down on him, he didn''t need to be told twice. Despite the fact that his day was literally minutes away from ending, he knew this meant he would be working overtime today. He pushed a flat white panel on his desk, and the panel receded to reveal his weapon and a synthetic leather holster. He grabbed both, and when he had pushed his weapon securely into place, he grabbed his Slate from its dock.


    His Slate showed him the case progress thus far ¨C which he looked at right after he sent a quick audio message to his wife to let her know he would be late. It presented the information as it was logged, creating a live feed he could refer to.


    3:47 PM ¨C HPD informed of possible crime at No 23, The Hills.


    3:48 PM ¨C HPD Officers Mal Greenwood and Officer Lily Bahhar assigned.


    3:53 PM ¨C HPD officers arrive at scene; determine homicide.


    3:55 PM ¨C HPD Forensic Team contacted; Chief Forensic Investigator Florenz Jardin and Forensic Investigator Vie Izuba assigned.


    3:55 PM ¨C HPD Homicide contacted; Detective Laith Alazraq assigned.


    Currently, a team of forensic investigators were on their way to the crime scene, where they would undoubtedly collect all of the necessary data for PATET to run through its databases. Chances were, the system would know what had happened to the victim and who had killed them before Laith even finished making his preliminary investigation of the crime scene. He had to remind himself again that that was a good thing, and not at all a reason to be disappointed.


    Laith tapped a quick command into his Slate, requesting for the autopilot system in his vehicle to bring the car around for him as it usually did at the end of the day. He rushed out of his office and down the corridor, passing by the many narrow floor-length windows that bathed the space in sunlight and through the automatic doors that slid open upon sensing him. His office ¨C indeed, his whole department, which was little more than three homicide detectives that never got to do much of anything other than hang out in their offices or the lounge ¨C was located on the ground floor, and he soon found himself in the grand lobby, the old tree standing proudly in the middle dwarfing almost everything and everyone in its presence. He passed by it, just as he had every day for the past two years, and nodded in greeting to his colleagues, who were in their way home. As he passed the security checkpoint, he waved a quick goodbye to Luce, the security guard he always saw entering and leaving the building. She nodded back at him, her face as expressionless as always.


    His car ¨C an unimpressive but well-loved Camino Forest that had been provided by the Heliopolis PD ¨C ambled to a stop just as he reached the road, and he placed his hand on the handle, allowing it a second to recognize his print before unlocking. "Welcome, Detective Alazraq," the AI voice said as he slipped into the vehicle. "Where to?"


    "Responding to possible homicide at Number 23, the Hills," he said, strapping in. "Quickly," he added.


    "Understood," came the reply. The autopilot pushed the car to life, and he was soon on his way, through the open-lawned spaces of the Official Quarter, and then the cluttered but homely blocks of the Forest, and finally he spotted the rolling green waves of The Hills.


    4:10 PM ¨C Forensic Team arrives at crime scene, No. 23, The Hills, Southern Heliopolis.


    The entire trip had taken about twenty minutes, and it was certainly helpful that he had access to the Authority Lane during work hours. That homicide rates were practically nonexistent in Heliopolis had resulted in one Homicide Department, the office of which was located directly in the Official Quarter, and though the Official Quarter was in the middle of Heliopolis, it took time to reach certain parts of the supercity. The Authority Lanes, which everyone simply referred to as the A-Lanes, were a set of roads reserved only for authorized use ¨C law enforcement, government officials, health services, and so on. Designed like tubes, they ran alongside the regular roads and sometimes dipped below ground to allow faster access to certain parts of the city. Before long, but much too long for comfort, he, too, had arrived in The Hills, passing through the automatic gates that kept The Hills as exclusive as they were known to be.


    The high-end residences of the sprawling suburbia were shaped like hills, giving the area its name. Rich vegetation grew over and around them, completing the image. From an aerial view, one would not think this was a place full of homes. Instead, all they would see was greenery, a large hilly field with perfectly emerald lawns and eco-parks where residents could walk, play, and enjoy nature. Solar trees, turbine trees, and real trees were dispersed over the land, and here and there well-maintained flower beds gave the place a splash of radiant colour.


    It was here that the homicide had taken place, at residence No. 23, and Detective Alazraq, who had never had an occasion to visit this part of Heliopolis before, shuddered at the thought that within this idyllic landscape of mounds and knolls, someone lay murdered.


    The car passed smoothly around the homes, and finally came to an easy stop in front of one of the houses.


    4:23 ¨C Det. arrives at crime scene, No. 23, The Hills, South Heliopolis.


    An old-fashioned, decorative post box stood beside the front door, the number 23 painted on its side. Laith stepped out of his car, immediately noticing the other guest vehicle parked nearby. It was a small rounded blue van, with the words ''HPD Forensic Team'' prominently displayed on the side. His hand pressed against the warm solar roof of his car, he steeled himself for the job ahead. His first homicide. The thought made him very nervous.


    Detective Alazraq took a deep breath and made his way into the hill-shaped building.


    ?? ?? ??


    The woman lying dead on the ground of this luxurious home created an image that was completely incongruous. Certainly, Laith had seen photographs of old crime scenes, some of which had been particularly gruesome and had made him quite nervous, but he realized now that standing in a crime scene and seeing a photograph of a crime scene were two very different experiences. His stomach reeled at the sight, and he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes on the body.


    The residence was lovely from the inside. Spacious and beautifully furnished, there was a homeliness to the place that made it feel less like a museum and more like a peaceful refuge of relaxation and familial warmth. Curved half-walls outlined different areas of the house, like the living room made with all beiges and browns, and the kitchen, which featured rich earth tones mixed with a lovely cerulean accenting. Potted plants that were obviously well-cared for were scattered throughout the space, some hanging like curtains around the concave windows and others sprouting from pots set on polished surfaces.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Family photographs, mostly of a happy couple, hung on the artisanally carved wooden pillars that supported the structure from within, and other decorative pieces made the whole place look positively luxurious but warm. And perhaps it would have been for Laith ¨C if it weren''t for the woman lying dead in the middle of the open space between the foyer and the living room.


    She was face-down, a knife planted squarely between her shoulder blades. Hands outstretched before her, she looked as though she had tried to crawl away from her assailant, but to no avail. The forensic team, which consisted of two people, were already hard at work taking samples and photographs and uploading them to the PATET system via their handy PATET Analysis Cases.


    Laith pulled up the NoteDeck on his Slate to get started, but hesitated to step forward, nausea creeping up his torso and resting in his throat. He didn''t really want to have a closer look at the corpse; instead, he wanted to go outside and retch up the contents of his wife''s nutritionally packed and hearty lunch. He gulped nervously, hoping that he could keep it down long enough not to make a fool out of himself in front of his peers.


    "Anything of interest?" Detective Alazraq asked as he approached them. "Cause of death is the stab wound, I''m guessing?"


    One of the forensic investigators, whose name tag held the name and title "Florenz Jardin: Chief Forensic Investigator," turned stood and turned towards him, clasping together his gloved hands. With his broad shoulders and tall, athletic stature, Laith guessed Jardin was the picture of easy confidence. Today, however, he looked pale and unsettled, and the Detective didn''t blame him.


    "Detective," he greeted him with a nod, keeping his hands together. Perhaps he was trying to ensure he didn''t touch anything that might contaminate his crime scene. "Seems to me that this woman was stabbed in the lower back, and that the blade probably went through her kidney. She bled out, as you can see from the blood on the floor. A lot of it seems to have been absorbed by this carpet here. Then she was stabbed again in the upper back, between the shoulders. We''re just about finished entering the data into PATET. You might want to wait for a moment and see what it tells us."


    "Of course," Detective Alazraq replied assuredly. He had little doubt that PATET would give them the answers they needed, and so he busied himself looking around the home while the two forensic analysts took DNA samples, finger and hand prints, retinal scans, oral swabs, and more from the victim. All of these were then placed into vial-like containers in the PATET Analysis Cases, which allowed for the direct investigation and upload of the evidence into the PATET system under a new case file. A full body scan would be carried out and uploaded wirelessly to the system. Then, they would give the go for PATET to start analysis, and the answers would be mere minutes away.


    Laith noticed the blinking green light on the ceiling ¨C either the forensic analysts had already set up a camera to record the proceedings of the investigation, or the police officers that had arrived earlier had. It would record an audiovisual of everything that happened here today. This would be helpful ¨C it created a record of the goings-on that he could access later on when creating his report. And, given that this was the first murder the city had seen in years, he had no doubt the Captain would be eagerly awaiting his report.


    The woman was facing away from the kitchen, which might have meant that her assailant took the knife from the kitchen and attacked her from behind, perhaps when she wasn¡¯t expecting it. There were no prints on the floor as far as Laith could see, but he would leave that to the Jardin and Izuna to determine for certain. The foyer, where he was currently standing, was a charming little space with a small round table in the middle. On the wooden table ¨C a rich, polished mahogany ¨C there was a bowl which held a set of keys with a small, faux fox tail keychain.


    ¡°May I have a pair of gloves?¡± Laith asked, and Izuna brought him a set of the same antibacterial biodegradable skin-tight gloves they were provided by the government. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, putting them on and getting back to the bowl in the middle of the foyer. He took the keys and tried them on the front door. They fit perfectly, despite not actually having any effect whatsoever on the door itself.


    The door didn¡¯t need a set of keys to keep it locked. Equipped with Slate-activated sliding bars, it was as secure as it could possibly have been. In fact, the lock and its corresponding key looked relatively untouched, and Laith wondered if this was one of those little statements that people sometimes enjoyed making ¨C having old bits and bobs around the house from decades past as a little memento and curiosity for guests to enjoy. Nevertheless, what Laith noticed was that it obviously hadn¡¯t been forced open. Which meant that neither the assailant nor the medics who arrived first on the scene had needed to break the door open in order to enter. It had already been unlocked.


    A door like this would close and lock automatically once you¡¯ve passed through, Laith thought, running his hand over the smooth white wood. In that case, she must have opened the door for her assailant, and they must have used her Slate to open it again and leave the house without raising any alarms.


    He avoided looking at the woman''s dead body, and instead pulled out his Slate and accessed the residential information for The Hills in the PATET database. He pulled up the household members of No. 23 and stared at the small portraits of its two occupants: a Mr. Aster Lockwood and a Ms. Cassia Grove. A married couple that had a clean background, as far as criminal activity went.


    Cassia Grove ¨C that was the victim. Her mass of curly black hair was difficult to mistake. Grove was undoubtedly a beautiful woman, with a straight, prominent nose and a direct, challenging gaze. She was 48 years old, owned her own business, and had earned her Heliopolitan citizenship only three years ago.


    Her husband, a certainly successful businessman in his own right, owned the Greenland Farm. That fact alone placed him among the most wealthy and most powerful people in Heliopolis. Aster Lockwood was 52 and owned this residential property completely, though the ten most recent social payments had been made by Ms. Grove. Laith thought this interesting, and took a note of it on his NoteDeck for later on, in case it turned out to mean anything other than the fact that Ms. Grove paid all the bills around here.


    She was fully clothed in a comfortable pair of pyjamas, which probably meant whoever had done this to her hadn''t been expected, or might have possibly been someone who always saw her in her pyjamas ¨C and someone who she was comfortable enough around to turn her back to. The former would point to¡­ anyone who came up on her unexpectedly. The latter would point to her husband.


    "Where is the husband ¨C Lockwood?" Laith asked from across the room. "I''d like to speak with him."


    "No sign of him," Jardin called back, tapping away on the screen of his PATET Analysis Case. "We''re not sure where he is."


    "He''s not the one who called it in?"


    "No," his assistant, Vie Izuna, replied, holding up Ms. Grove¡¯s limp arm to show a familiar device wrapped around her wrist. "PATET called it in to the emergency health services first when the pulse became erratic and updated them when there was no pulse. When they got here and saw this, though..."


    Laith''s lips pulled into an understanding frown. No doubt it had been their first time coming upon a murder scene. He made a note to check who the response team was, and if maybe they noticed anything as they pulled in or entered The Hills. He also added: Check front door logs. If the killer left the house as Laith suspected, then the Slate would have been used after PATET had alerted medical authorities of Grove¡¯s deteriorating condition.


    First, however, he would need to call Mr. Lockwood and see what he had to say.


    He had his Slate contact details in the residential information he had pulled up, so he didn''t waste any time. Laith tapped on the small symbol in the shape of communication devices from centuries past and waited for Mr. Lockwood to respond. Maybe this would be his first time hearing about it. Laith would need to pick his words carefully. He prepared himself mentally for that possibility, for the chance he might be the one breaking the news to Ms. Grove¡¯s husband, but the call was never answered. He tried again, but to no avail. Another note: Find Mr. Aster.


    A missing husband. Laith brought a hand up to his trimmed beard and stroked it thoughtfully. He didn''t want to jump to conclusions. There could be a number of reasons why the man wasn''t here, why he hadn''t noticed his wife''s silence, why he hadn''t already returned home when the end of the workday had long since passed, why he couldn''t answer his Slate. Besides, a man as successful as Aster Lockwood probably pulled longer hours at work, given how important his work was. Still, Laith contended, the sooner he secured him, the better.


    He passed through the foyer and into the rounded door on the right. It led to a small hallway that had three doors ¨C one on either side, and one at the end. A quick pass through the hall showed Laith that the door at the end led to the bathroom, which was spotlessly clean. Both the other doors in that hall led to offices. One belonged to Mr. Aster, which was obvious due to the hanging portraits of the Greenland Farm, recognizable for its helical structure and the waterfall-like ivy cascading down from its sides. The other must have belonged to Cassia Grove; it certainly held a more feminine touch when compared to her husband¡¯s grey-blue color scheme. What really sealed it with certainty, however, was the nameplate on her desk: CASSIA GROVE, written in rose gold lettering that glinted in the light.


    Nothing seemed amiss in any of these rooms. Laith moved on to the bedrooms. There were two, and both seemed to have been well-used. Since only the couple lived in this house, he wondered if the two of them used separate bedrooms. It certainly wasn¡¯t unheard of, but it did paint a bit more of a vivid picture for Laith. It was, of course, entirely possible that the two of them simply had different sleeping habits, and that the practical answer had been to have separate bedrooms. But it could have also pointed to a rift between husband and wife. Whatever the case, he would find out when he spoke to Lockwood.


    A little tune rang out through the house; PATET had completed its analysis. Laith strode back into the foyer.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Izuna said, clearly perplexed, and Jardin hummed in agreement, his mouth setting into a confused frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Laith asked, watching the two forensic investigators as they studied the information.


    ¡°Well, this is certainly a first for me,¡± Jardin told him, turning the screen of the case towards Laith. ¡°PATET doesn¡¯t have an ID to match these prints with.¡±


    Laith blinked. ¡°What?¡± he managed after a moment, not quite believing his ears ¨C or his eyes. There, on the screen, was a small message that read:


    No match detected. Sample from unknown source.


    ¡°How can that be?¡±


    Izuna turned the case back towards her and began tapping away while Jardin stood, arms crossed. ¡°Not sure, to be honest,¡± he told Laith, the wrinkles on his face becoming more defined as he furrowed his brow. ¡°PATET is supposed to know everyone in Heliopolis. Nobody can get in otherwise. Plus, the fingerprints aren¡¯t smudged or damaged in the least. And yet...¡± He gestured at the case helplessly. ¡°PATET doesn¡¯t lie.¡±


    Laith¡¯s finger hovered uncertainly over the screen of his Slate as though to do something ¨C but what? What was the procedure for an unknown suspect? Was it even possible for someone to get past PATET¡¯s all-seeing eye?


    Every single person who stepped foot in Heliopolis was introduced to PATET¡¯s system. PATET practically ran the megalopolis ¨C it watched and monitored, identified and reported, managed communications and various public processes, and so much more. Everyone was connected to PATET, one way or another.


    So how could it be that the fingerprints on the hilt of the knife belonged to an unknown entity?


    What was going on here?

 2. A Visit to Greenland Farm

    As tempting as it was to stand there and puzzle over whatever strange series of events had caused such a strange outcome, Laith had to move quickly. Whether PATET recognized the fingerprints or not, there was still the matter of Aster Lockwood. As far as Detective Laith was concerned, he was his first and only lead so far.


    And he wasn¡¯t answering his Slate.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find the husband,¡± Laith told the two forensic analysts. Even if he wasn¡¯t the killer ¨C the prints would have been matched to him otherwise ¨C then at the very least, he might be able to shed some light on his wife¡¯s murder. Maybe he knew her enemies. Maybe she¡¯d told him something important prior to her murder. Even the smallest clue could lead to big breakthroughs. ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯d appreciate it if you ran those fingerprints again, just in case. Maybe there¡¯s a glitch in the system. If it still doesn¡¯t come up with anything even then¡­¡± Laith felt his jaw set. If it didn¡¯t come up with anything even then, they¡¯d be dealing with a range of equally terrible possibilities.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you know,¡± Izuna said, nodding.


    Laith thanked them for their work and left them to search the rest of the house for any forensic clues he may have missed in his cursory investigation of the premises. He slipped into his trusty Camino Forest, with its heavily secured panels that made it look a bit clunky but feel extremely safe, and gave it a new order: ¡°Take me to Greenland Farm, please.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± it replied, and soon they were on their way again, the autopilot making use of the most efficient route based on its analysis of PATET¡¯s live traffic monitoring system. They dipped into one of the A-lanes once they had left the beautiful gated community that was The Hills, and as they went below-ground, Laith was plunged into a tunneled world of passing lights and peaceful silence.


    And then he was above ground again, the Camino Forest making its way towards the area known to most as The Farms, with farm after farm stretching out towards the sun in a range of striking vertical arrangements of lush greenery. It¡¯s always a feast for the eyes, Laith thought, admiring the view. These so-called farms rarely, if ever, used completely natural organisms anymore, but he enjoyed the sensation he had when he gazed upon them from below. These towering green giants were one of the many parts of Heliopolis that made it what it was ¨C the sustainable, eco-friendly megalopolis that it had been created to be. Compared to the cities of old ¨C what were now collectively termed the Ruins ¨C Heliopolis, along with its sister cities, was a marvel.


    Greenland Farm was easy to pick out from the group of vertical farms. Its helical structure, which made use of the curves and spaces of its shaping to create a set of floral falls all the way up its length, was impossible to mistake. Not to mention it was an integral part of the company¡¯s branding ¨C its logo itself was a green helix, a reminder of the company¡¯s promise to create only the best genetically modified organisms ¨C fruits, vegetables, and herbs ¨C with the most effective nutritional value, taste, and at the best size. It also sold its produce at an affordable price, so that many residents of Heliopolis found its offerings extremely accessible. In fact, Greenland Farm made quite a splash a while back, if Laith remembered correctly. Something about bursting onto the scene with low prices and great produce to match, essentially forcing other farms to lower their own prices in order to compete. That had ruffled some corporate feathers, for sure.


    Laith didn¡¯t particularly mind that. He, along with the rest of the inhabitants of Heliopolis, was grateful for the decrease in food prices. The other farms had been, up until the introduction of Greenland Farm, serving up their genetically modified produce at relatively high prices, making it harder for the general population to afford buying too much. Instead, Laith remembered that he and his wife, along with many of his friends and relatives, used to purchase cheaper, more filling foods as their staples ¨C ingredients for home-made breads and cakes, pastas and noodles, and various pre-made sauces to go along with everything. Now that they could get more fresh food for less money, it was easier to have a balanced diet, and he¡¯d noticed his own physical condition improving significantly as a result ¨C not to mention his receding waistline. So, as far as he was concerned, Greenland Farm had done a great thing in forcing the other farms to lower their prices in order to stay competitive and keep consumers interested. They could ruffle those feathers all they wanted, if the outcome was going to benefit the general populace.


    The car drove him right underneath the building, deep into the underground parking where it would be waiting for him. He stepped out near an elevator and waved his Slate in front of the call button. He wasn¡¯t a registered employee, which meant the security desk would be notified of his presence, and they¡¯d have to give him clearance. The Slate relayed all relevant information for that, so he placed it back in his inner jacket pocket and pushed his hands into his pants pockets, glancing around as he waited. There weren¡¯t many vehicles left; most employees would have already gone home.


    Access granted. Welcome, Detective Alazraq. The words hovered on the glass elevator doors for just a moment before they opened before him with a soft whish, and Laith stepped inside, feeling a bit giddy to see the inside of the farm itself. He¡¯d seen photographs, of course ¨C pictures from the company¡¯s website and news reports ¨C but he was certain that it would be different to see the place from within. He¡¯d always been a bit of a farming aficionado, and vertical farms were a fascinating feat of agricultural engineering. Everything about them was intriguing, and Laith knew almost everything there was to know about many of the designs in Heliopolis.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Take the Greenland Farm, for example. He knew that atop the helical building, there was a condensation collection facility, which helped the farm collect about 10 million gallons of water per year ¨C water that the farm then used in its aeroponic, hydroponic, and aquaponic systems. Given that vertical farms already used up much less water than their horizontal counterparts ¨C over 70 to 90 percent less water, in fact ¨C that setup was nothing to scoff at. Laith had even read somewhere that Greenland Farm generated excess water, which it gave away for use in various industries.


    As the elevator ascended the levels smoothly, Laith saw flashes of the different landings, almost all of which gave him glimpses of rows and rows of greens and browns. He wondered if he could possibly ask them for a tour of the place sometime, and if they¡¯d be willing to oblige. Farms usually kept their territories under strict lockdown ¨C only verified employees and guests could enter their premises. The reason for this was that each farm invested a great deal of money into research and development efforts, continuously trying to put out the most delicious and aesthetically pleasing produce at prices that would remain competitive. This included some genetic modification, and each farm had its own ways of getting their fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to grow how they wanted them. They didn''t exactly like sharing that information with one another.


    It was not until he reached the forty-third level that the elevator stopped, and he was greeted by a young man with sunken eyes and a bored look about him. ¡°Detective, welcome to Greenland Farm,¡± he said, his voice a quiet monotone. The kid sounded exhausted, and the hand that held the tablet seemed to have a bit of a tremor ¨C the kind one gets when their muscles are fatigued. He obviously needed to go home for the day, and Laith almost felt bad for making him stay a little bit longer. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Mr. Aster Lockwood. Is he here?¡± Laith asked, stepping out of the elevator.


    ¡°Mr. Lockwood left about five hours ago,¡± the young man said. ¡°If you would like to leave a message, I can make sure he gets it when he arrives tomorrow morning. Can I ask what this is about?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t share information with external parties,¡± he replied, a bit irked with the young man¡¯s passiveness. ¡°Are you sure your boss isn¡¯t still somewhere around here?¡±


    ¡°Positive, Detective,¡± the young man replied. ¡°You¡¯ve just found me in the process of doing a final check before heading home myself. There¡¯s nobody else in the building except for the security detail.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± Laith said, updating his case log. ¡°Please tell him I was here looking for him if you do see him. I have some questions to ask him regarding an incident that took place earlier this afternoon. And ¨C one more thing. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The man seemed to straighten a bit at the question, eyeing Laith warily. ¡°My name is Toma Pom,¡± he told him. ¡°I am Mr. Lockwood¡¯s assistant. I help manage the facility.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Detective Laith said, noting this down. ¡°That will be all for now, but please do call the HPD if you see Mr. Lockwood.¡± When he stepped back into the elevator, a bit disappointed at not having had the chance to explore more of the farm he¡¯d read so much about, Laith took a moment to contact Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate again, but to no avail. ¡°PATET, search for Aster Lockwood¡¯s vehicle. Is it still here?¡± Laith asked his Slate.


    For a short moment, PATET worked to check. Then the response came: The car registered to Aster Lockwood is not present in the Greenland Farm parking garage.


    ¡°Find it, please,¡± Laith said as the glass doors before him opened and he stepped inside. ¡°And locate Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate, too.¡± The sooner he found him, the better.


    ?? ?? ??


    Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate has been located. Please open map marker.


    Laith tapped on the map marker on the screen of his Camino Forest¡¯s internal monitor, eager for some new information on what was turning out to possibly be his lead suspect. He was on his way back to the office, and somehow he¡¯d felt he¡¯d wasted his time so far, given how little he had been able to figure out. As soon as the map opened, however, Laith¡¯s heart sank at the location of the Slate in question. Lockwood¡¯s Slate was located out in the Ruins ¨C outside of the limits of Heliopolis, and certainly outside of his jurisdiction ¨C but just close enough that PATET could still pick up its signal. That, of course, was the least of their concerns.


    The Ruins were well-known for being a dangerous place rife with outlaws that shunned the order and discipline of the Heliopolis and its sister cities. The Ruins were all that was left of the old cities ¨C those grey, somber places where nature was almost impossible to find and people lived in dense, suffocating urban structures. All of them had been abandoned when the eco-cities began to be established, and for good reason. But this also meant that PATET did not exist there, and thus the hapless inhabitants of the Ruins remained outside of its watchful surveillance, outside of its control. Most of the people there were criminals on the run, while others were outlaws who wanted to live their lives of crime without succumbing to a system that would make that otherwise impossible. In short, the Ruins were a lawless place, full of rundown buildings overrun with dangerous wildlife and various environmentally unfriendly items.


    What in the world was Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate doing out in the Ruins? How did a man like him get out there ¨C or, at least, how did his Slate get that far outside the city¡¯s boundaries? Slates were extremely important and valuable. It was highly unlikely that its existence out there at this very moment meant anything good.


    A host of different possibilities clamored for attention in Laith¡¯s already-busy mind, and he worked hard to put them aside for now. Conjecture wouldn¡¯t help him so early on in the case. He needed more evidence, and he needed to find out if this new development had anything to do with Cassia Grove¡¯s murder ¨C and, if so, how the two were connected.


    ¡°Track the signal of Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate in case there is any movement,¡± he ordered the AI, and PATET accepted the request. Live tracking initiated. Notifications of movement activated.


    If Lockwood¡¯s Slate is out in the Ruins, then it certainly doesn¡¯t bode well, Laith realized with a grim frown. This case continued to surprise. He wondered what else he might uncover throughout his investigation into Cassia Grove¡¯s murder.

 3. Nymphaeales on the Floats

    His next stop for the day ¨C and, with the sun beginning to set over the horizon, quite possibly his last stop of the day ¨C was Cassia Grove¡¯s establishment in the Floats. Located on the shores of Heliopolis, the Floats was a region mainly reserved for recreational experiences, many of them extremely expensive. Here, one could find various underwater restaurants, spas, and other establishments, along with floating hotels and resorts. It was in the Floats that Cassia Grove¡¯s club, Nymphaeales, was located.


    Almost as soon as he arrived and stepped out of his car, Laith could see how exclusive her recreational club was. He¡¯d taken a look at its page online, and had found that it boasted a membership that was both powerful and extremely wealthy. Politicians, business leaders, and members of the founding families of Heliopolis were just a few of the kinds of people one could rub shoulders with at the stylish and elite Nymphaeales. Cassia Grove was doing quite well for herself, business-wise, which made her death all the more interesting. Could there have been a business-related motive for her murder?


    The club itself was a sight to behold. From afar, it was easy to spot the main builting. Almost completely fashioned of thick photovoltaic glass in the shape of one giant radiant jewel half-buried in the ground, Nymphaeales shone and glimmered in the sun with an inviting, luxurious glint. The property was surrounded by high-reaching walls, ensuring the privacy of its members, so Laith had never seen the inside before. What he did know was that Nymphaeales spanned more than just the size of its principle building. It boasted tennis courts that used subsurface irrigation, moss-filtered natural swimming pools, fitness centers made entirely of recycled and repurposed materials, a well-known natural spa, a well-stocked library, fine dining areas, lounges, boardrooms, and even a ballroom for larger events. He¡¯d also read that it had numerous underwater areas, though there were no images readily available of such spaces, and had to admit he was quite curious.


    He hadn¡¯t previously warned them of his visit, but they received warning nonetheless when he was stopped at the gates and had to go through the usual process of gaining official clearance to enter the premises. Once inside the property, a serious young woman in a white clean-cut suit introduced herself as Fleur Verdi, Cassia¡¯s assistant. Unlike Lockwood¡¯s assistant, Verdi looked sharp, alert, and very much in control of her life. ¡°How can I help you today, Detective? Would you like to take a seat by the water garden? I¡¯ll have someone bring you a freshly-squeezed juice.¡±


    She was already leading the way, and Laith was too interested in the club to dissuade her. ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s kind. I¡¯ve come to ask you some questions regarding Ms. Grove, if you don¡¯t mind. As her assistant, I am hoping you can shed some light on some matters for me.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but let his eyes wander about as he spoke, taking in the lush greens and bright reds, oranges, and pinks of the gardens they passed through. He noticed tree-like structures with solar plates atop their branches scattered throughout the property, just about blending into the natural background. The stepping stone pathways Ms. Verdi was leading him through ultimately took them around the side of the self-branded ¡°Jewel of the Floats¡± and into a peaceful water garden. The subtle sounds of running water had an almost immediate soothing effect, and the cheerful calls of birds came in waves, as though they were calling back and forth to each other in pleasant rhyme.


    ¡°Please, take a seat, Detective,¡± Verdi said, gesturing towards a wicker recliner facing a serene pool of water filled with various thriving plants, each contributing its own vibrant splash of color. There was one other person there, on the other side of the garden ¨C an older man who seemed to have nodded off on another recliner, his hat covering his face. He looked as though he might have been deep in sleep. ¡°Can I ask what this is about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d rather appreciate it if you could keep it to yourself for a while, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Laith replied hesitantly. He didn¡¯t have much choice; he had to ask Cassia¡¯s acquaintances, friends, and colleagues for any and all information that might help him solve a murder that was quickly becoming one big three-dimensional puzzle. He inhaled deeply. ¡°Your employer. Ms. Cassia Grove, was found murdered earlier today.¡±


    Fleur Verdi¡¯s eyes widened with shock, and she fumbled with her slate, almost dropping it into the water. ¡°Did you say murdered?¡± she asked breathlessly. Laith nodded, and Fleur took a seat on a wicker recliner next to his, winded by his abrupt revelation. He imagined there wasn¡¯t any good way to tell someone that someone they knew had been murdered, in any case, but nevertheless, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling a bit guilty. "But she was just here - she left a few hours ago. Are you sure?"


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to tell you so abruptly,¡± Laith apologized sincerely. ¡°It must come as quite a shock, and I can see that. Would you be willing to answer some questions about Ms. Grove for me? It would help us tremendously if we could get an idea of what kind of a person she was. If she had any enemies. That sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Enemies?¡± Fleur repeated, still slightly reeling from the information. ¡°I don¡¯t think she had any enemies...¡± She shook her head, setting her Slate down beside her on the chair. ¡°No, she had competitors, and fierce ones at that ¨C the Floats aren¡¯t easy, you know ¨C but I would have never thought she¡¯d have any enemies among them.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Laith replied, making sure his Slate was recording everything. ¡°Can you tell me what she was like? Was she a good boss?¡±


    ¡°She was fair, I suppose,¡± Ms. Verdi replied. ¡°Very professional, very business-oriented. She doesn¡¯t exactly make friends with her employees, but I suppose that¡¯s quite normal, given the nature of this environment. We all try very hard to make sure Nymphaeales remains a top establishment on the Floats. Business is pretty much all we discuss here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that makes sense,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°Are there any employees that were recently fired ¨C anyone who might harbor a grudge against Ms. Grove?¡±


    ¡°No, not that I can think of,¡± Fleur replied, shuddering. ¡°No, I¡¯m quite certain of it. Ms. Grove is ¨C was ¨C very thorough when it came to her workers. She took care of the hiring process herself, and she was quite tough on them. Only the ones who passed her rigorous testing could become employees. And she was very good at choosing them. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s had to fire anyone at all ¨C at least, not since I¡¯ve been here, and I¡¯ve been here for a few years now. Besides, everyone is happy with the working conditions here, and the pay is quite good, if you don¡¯t mind me saying.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s important to make sure the staff here are only the best of the best,¡± Laith offered. ¡°To keep the clientele happy, of course.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fleur agreed. ¡°We do quite a lot to keep the members satisfied with their experience here at Nymphaeales. All things above board, of course. Cassia wouldn''t have it any other way. But it¡¯s not always easy. There are two other similar clubs on the Floats, and like I said, competition can be a bit fierce between the three of us.¡±


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    ¡°Do you think I could take a look at her office?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to see if there¡¯s any evidence ¨C anything that might help with the investigation.¡±


    Fleur Verdi seemed to consider his request for a moment, uncertainty etched on her defined features. ¡°You have a warrant?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Laith admitted. ¡°Will it really be necessary?¡±


    ¡°I would rather you returned with a search warrant, Detective,¡± Verdi said carefully. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ There¡¯s nothing to hide, of course, but I hope you don¡¯t mind me saying, I still have to keep the company¡¯s best interest at heart. It wouldn¡¯t go down very well with our executives if I allowed such a thing without it being absolutely necessary, and as none of them are currently here, I would feel more comfortable if you came back with a warrant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Laith said, though it wasn¡¯t entirely ideal. ¡°It¡¯s completely within your rights, of course. I would ask that you try to keep the office empty and untouched ¨C exactly how it is at present.¡±


    ¡°Nobody will enter the office,¡± Fleur agreed. ¡°It is set up so that only Cassia¡¯s Slate can unlock it, in any case, and a complete reset would be required in order to open the doors without it.¡±


    Just then, a staff member balancing a small black tray with a tall glass of orange-to-red juice came to a stop beside them, and the conversation came to a halt as he placed the colorful drink on the little table beside Laith¡¯s chair. As the man walked away, Laith took a sip of the mixed juice. ¡°Delicious,¡± he said, savoring the drink. ¡°I imagine it¡¯s easy to get the best produce when Ms. Grove¡¯s husband runs Greenland Farm.¡±


    Fleur Verdi looked confused for a moment, tilting her head to one side. Then, she straightened her neck and shook her head. ¡°Oh, no,¡± she said. ¡°We don¡¯t work with Greenland Farm. Cassia insisted upon it. She said it was a ¨C a conflict of interest, or something, I think. All of our fresh ingredients come from Emerald Farm, with a few other elements sourced in from other farms.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    Back at home, Laith exhaled as he sank into the comforting folds of the wrinkled soft-mink sofa. Traveling from one side of the city to the other had been surprisingly draining, and he felt altogether exhausted and weary. But he managed to pull himself up after a few minutes and head to the bathroom to wash up for his prayers. He had missed a couple while he was moving back and forth from one location to the next, and a quick glance at the clock told him it was almost time for the next one.


    When he was finished, he shuffled into the kitchen and started making himself some dinner. His wife had left him an audio earlier on in the day that explained she had an unexpected late shift at the hospital tonight, so he¡¯d been hoping to make her dinner, and despite his late return home and his buzzing mind, he was determined to go through with his plan. As he chopped the Greenland Farm onions and processed them, however, and as he saut¨¦d them in the pan over his biomass stove, and as he went about getting the rest of his homemade spaghetti sauce prepared, his mind kept returning to his case. His first ever homicide case.


    He didn¡¯t quite know what to make of everything he had learned today. There were perfect prints on the murder weapon, but PATET somehow couldn¡¯t match them to anyone in its database. There were no signs of breaking and entering, which meant it had to have been someone the victim had been comfortable around in the house ¨C in her pajamas. The most fitting match would be Aster Lockwood, but Cassia Grove¡¯s husband was missing, and his Slate had been traced to the Ruins, of all places. And ¨C whether it said something or not ¨C the perceived relationship between husband and wife didn¡¯t sit right with him, either. Something felt off about their marriage, and he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what exactly it was. He would have to dig a little deeper to find out.


    A soft pressure against his calf snapped him back to reality, and he looked down to see ever-lovable and mischievous Saba rubbing against him. ¡°Hello, there,¡± he greeted him, crouching down to give him a quick head-scratch, to which Saba purred happily. ¡°Did you just get back, too? How was your day?¡±


    Saba padded over to his bowl across the room and meowed expectantly. ¡°That bowl was full when I left the house this morning, and there¡¯s only one cat roundabouts that could have emptied it, my friend,¡± Laith said, pointing at him with a fork. ¡°You¡¯re not getting any more until tomorrow.¡±


    With an insistent meow, Saba sat down next to the empty bowl and stared at Laith, his big round eyes boring holes into him. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Laith muttered, avoiding the long-haired orange cat¡¯s gaze. ¡°The vet said you¡¯re obese. If we want you around for longer, we¡¯ve got to get you on a diet. So, I¡¯m doing this out of love, really, and you can¡¯t be mad at me for that.¡±


    Saba didn¡¯t seem convinced, though, and Laith sighed, eyeing the refillable bag of cat food hidden away on one of the shelves. Maybe just a little bit more wouldn¡¯t hurt...


    The arrival of his wife shook him out of his moment of weakness ¨C and just in time, too. The spaghetti was boiled just right, the sauce was ready to go, and he started setting the table as he listened to the familiar sounds of Warda putting her giant purse away, taking off her comfortable shoes, and hanging up her shawl. She hummed loudly as she padded through the hall and towards the kitchen. ¡°Something smells great!¡± she called, and before long she was popping her head into the room with a big grin. ¡°Salaam!¡±


    ¡°Wassalaamu 3alayki, habibati!¡± Laith responded in greeting. ¡°You¡¯re just on time for dinner.¡±


    They sat down at their small, two-person dining table looking out over the park beside their apartment building and engaged in pleasant chit-chat for a while, until it became very obvious that Laith was still all too preoccupied with his case, at which point Warda asked him if he wanted to share his burden. He couldn¡¯t tell her sensitive information about the murder case or the investigation, but he decided it was alright to share one intriguing little tidbit.


    ¡°I learned today that there might be people in Heliopolis who aren¡¯t recognized by PATET,¡± he told her, reaching over for seconds. ¡°It just surprised me, I guess. PATET is supposed to be air-tight. They go on and on and on about the all-seeing eye and yet...¡±


    ¡°PATET isn¡¯t all-seeing,¡± Warda replied after a moment¡¯s consideration. ¡°It¡¯s very effective, and it¡¯s very smart, but it¡¯s human-made, too. So it can¡¯t possibly be all-seeing. It can only see what we tell it to see.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Laith agreed, mixing the tomato sauce into his second helping of spaghetti and sprinkling some toasted garlic flakes ¨C courtesy of Spice Wise, a subsidiary of Emerald Farm which processed its natural produce, namely its herbs. ¡°You¡¯re right. But then, what does it mean if someone isn¡¯t in the system? Everyone who¡¯s ever stepped foot in Heliopolis is automatically introduced into the system. Everything is recorded. People can¡¯t hide from PATET. They need it for ¨C for payment and banking and education and legal issues and medical matters¡­ How can someone live in Heliopolis ¨C exist in Heliopolis ¨C without PATET recording them?¡±


    Warda shrugged as she thought this over, her brown eyes lingering on the park below as she chewed her spaghetti and mulled over his question. ¡°Is it possible for someone to smuggle themselves into Heliopolis? People in the Ruins might have found a way in; I imagine many of them aren¡¯t in PATET¡¯s system.¡±


    ¡°Some of them are, because they used to be citizens, but many of them aren¡¯t,¡± Laith replied, considering this seriously. ¡°People who were born in the Ruins or never made it to Heliopolis in the first place. That¡¯s certainly a possibility, and one of the more probable ones. But I can¡¯t imagine PATET allowing someone through its borders without the correct security and identification procedures. It even registers visitors that come for a day and never return. Unless this particular person is exploiting a weakness we don¡¯t know about yet. A weakness that even PATET hasn¡¯t encountered in its diagnostics and scans? Or maybe one it wouldn¡¯t know to warn us about? How strange...¡±


    Add to that the fact that this person would have had to have some kind of reason to kill Cassia Grove, and it made the theory all the more unlikely. Unless¡­ Unless this was somehow linked to Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate being in the Ruins. Perhaps his wife was right, and there was a connection there ¨C one that they simply weren¡¯t aware of yet.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a glitch,¡± she offered. ¡°A bug or something like that. Maybe it was a one-time fluke.¡±


    A one-time fluke that led to a murder suspect being completely impossible to trace through PATET? If that were the case, it would have to be a pretty big coincidence¡­


    One Laith wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to believe just yet.

 4. Cassia Groves Slate

    The next day, Detective Laith Alazraq was called in by Captain Olivia Fox for a report. He stepped into the elevators and listened to the soft music as he ascended to the fifth floor, where her office was, and went through what he had been able to learn so far. But it wasn¡¯t much, and he was worried it wouldn¡¯t be enough to satisfy the Captain.


    Captain Olivia Fox was a stout, stern woman with no room for nonsense. She was grumpy on the best of days, and a downright nightmare to be around on the worst. Or so Laith had heard. Luckily for him, he hadn¡¯t had to deal with Captain Olivia Fox on her worst days, given that he¡¯d never had to actually investigate a case before ¨C apart from the cold cases, and there wasn¡¯t much expectation there. Maybe his luck was about to change, though. A homicide of this nature¡­ He was already feeling the pressure to solve the mystery.


    Cassia Grove¡¯s Slate contents available for investigation.


    Laith checked the notification on his Slate, a small trickle of relief making its way through him. At the very least, he had his next step. Going through Cassia¡¯s Slate would take hours.


    Outside the Captain¡¯s office, he knocked and waited, pulling his Slate out and navigating to his NoteDeck. He had a short few seconds to take a look through it all ¨C he knew it all by heart, anyway ¨C when Captain Olivia Fox¡¯s door slid open. ¡°Come in, Detective,¡± she called from within, and he stepped inside her spacious office to find the Captain seated at her desk, signing off on some document and sending it away immediately.


    Captain Olivia Fox¡¯s office overlooked the long lawns leading up to the Heliopolis Police HQ, its floor-length photovoltaic windows tinged with a subtle blue. It had recently been repainted, the walls now enjoying a brand new coating of non-toxic paint that held the light scent of lavender. All corners of the room held groupings of potted plants, and her desk itself existed under a canopy of verdant ivy that crawled up the small trellis against the wall and over the wooden-frame awning above, finally dangling over the edges in a well-trimmed arc. For all of her grumpiness, Fox had a definite green thumb.


    She placed the stylus beside a small set of succulents on the table as he approached, and motioned for him to take a seat. ¡°Tell me, Detective. What¡¯s the latest on the homicide case?¡±


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been many developments, to be honest,¡± Laith said, and he watched her open the case log on her desktop surface. ¡°As you may already be aware, Cassia Grove was found stabbed to death in her home in the Hills yesterday afternoon. There were clear fingerprints on the murder weapon, but PATET didn¡¯t recognize them.¡±


    This made Captain Fox¡¯s head snap up, her blue eyes narrowing. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°PATET did not recognize the fingerprints on the murder weapon, Captain,¡± Laith repeated. He didn¡¯t mind having to do it ¨C he¡¯d also been shocked to learn of PATET¡¯s failure to identify the perpetrator the day before. ¡°We¡¯re not quite sure why that is, but I¡¯ve asked the forensic team that was on the scene to look into it.¡±


    Captain Fox smoothed back her short black hair as she let his words sink in. He could tell this development confused her, which translated into a deeper furrowing of her ever-furrowed brow, and decided that it was better to let her have all of it before she decided if she was going to venture our into fabled nightmare territory today.


    ¡°I checked out her business out on the Floats ¨C the club called Nymphaeales. They wouldn¡¯t let me search her office unless I returned with a warrant, so I guess this is me officially requesting that. The sooner the better, but I don¡¯t think it should be too much trouble given that this is a homicide investigation.¡± When Captain Fox nodded her assent, he continued. ¡°The victim¡¯s husband is Aster Lockwood of Greenland Farm. I haven¡¯t been able to get in touch with him at all thus far,¡± Laith said. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to contact his Slate and visited the farm to check on his whereabouts. Normally, I¡¯d assume he was out and about ¨C busy people usually are ¨C but he didn¡¯t return home at all last night, or PATET would have alerted me.¡±


    ¡°You think he killed Grove?¡± Olivia demanded, interjecting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Laith admitted. ¡°If he was the one who killed her, his prints would have been easily identified by PATET. That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, but his disappearance is concerning, especially given the fact that PATET tracked his Slate all the way out to the Ruins.¡± Laith had checked its location again this morning on his way to work, but the Slate hadn¡¯t moved.


    ¡°So, we could potentially be looking at a second victim in Mr. Lockwood,¡± Captain Fox said, leaning back in her chair. ¡°Or a man on the run.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a slim chance he simply lost his Slate or had it stolen, and he¡¯s elsewhere in the city, completely unaware of his wife¡¯s death,¡± Laith offered, though even to him it seemed an extremely slim chance. The whole situation reeked of something bad.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Captain Fox replied with a wave of her hand. ¡°Either way, we have to find him. And we have to get our hands on his Slate before something happens to it. I¡¯ll order a Rinvestigator for you. Take it out as soon as it gets here and bring back that Slate. It might include information relevant to the case, given his coincidental disappearance.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Laith said. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ve gained access to Cassia Grove¡¯s Slate and plan to get through that today. It might shed some light on who might have harbored grudges against her.¡±


    He got up to leave, but Captain Fox¡¯s sturdy voice called out once more, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to look at the woman and was met with a deep frown. ¡°What¡¯s this I hear about a transfer request?¡±


    ?? ?? ??


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    Cassia Grove¡¯s Slate had been left with the forensic team the day before. It had been in her pajama pocket when she was found, so Laith couldn¡¯t have taken it with him even if he wanted to. Instead, he had been waiting for PATET to download all of the Slate¡¯s contents and send them to him in a package he could access from his surface desktop, and now, as he sat down at his desk and got ready to delve into the Slate¡¯s contents, Laith was all too aware of the sheer amount of information he would be sloshing through.


    Slates were used for everything. They were all connected to PATET, which made them the perfect personal devices for managing anything and everything a person might want. They could lock and unlock doors, vehicles, and safes. They allowed for efficient payment and money transfer. They kept updated health and medical records, as well as academic and professional records. They could hold inventories and libraries, home databases and contact books. They connected to emergency authorities when needed, and allowed people to complete official documentation remotely ¨C legal matters, documents that needed preparing for government agencies, and more could simply be managed through the Slate. It was each person¡¯s little hub, and thus an extremely powerful ¨C and personal ¨C device.


    Decades ago, people might have been frightened to be walking around with such an item in their pockets. They could be stolen by criminals in dark alleys or pick-pocketed in busy locations. Now, these things no longer happened so easily. PATET, which tapped into surveillance feeds city-wide and had the ability to match faces to databases and locate anyone it needed to, saw almost everything, and soon enough, all criminals were caught. In the past ten years, PATET had assisted Heliopolis in retaining a 100% solve rate for all crimes committed within its limits.


    Laith realized that if he didn¡¯t solve this case, that perfect record would be blemished forever.


    No pressure at all.


    He pressed down on the screen and released, watching the surface screen rise out from its place in his desk until it became almost vertical. Then he tapped on a few buttons and entered Cassia Grove¡¯s Slate. Where to begin? he wondered, stroking his chin. He supposed it would be best to look at her most recent messages with her contacts. Perhaps it would show him how her relationships with the people around her were.


    The first messages he was interested in were those between husband and wife. Laith suspected they would reveal more about their relationship, which was already a big question mark. A quick read through their most recent conversations, which took place in the week previous to the murder, seemed to reinforce Laith¡¯s suspicions of a distanced couple.


    <u>27/10/2111</u>


    AL: Won¡¯t be home tonight.


    CG: Ok.


    <u>29/10/2111</u>


    CG: Tell your assistant to stop calling the house.


    CG: It¡¯s irritating.


    <u>30/10/2111</u>


    AL: Call your mother back.


    CG: Why are you talking to my mother?


    AL: Why aren¡¯t you?


    AL: I can¡¯t tell my in-law to lose my number. So call her.


    CG: Not your business.


    At the very least, it painted a picture of a particularly dysfunctional relationship. If these were their messages to each other, what were their phone calls and conversations like? Did they argue often? Did it ever get physical? Were there ever any threats exchanged? It was possible that this particular couple only messaged each other when something was happening ¨C and to complain ¨C but that they were otherwise happy. It just didn¡¯t seem very plausible, given what Laith had already learned. He moved back another week.


    <u>20/10/2111</u>


    AL: Are you meeting him today?


    CG: No. It¡¯s over.


    AL: Are you sure?


    CG: Yes. Stop bringing it up.


    <u>21/10/2111</u>


    CG: You¡¯re supplying a competitor?


    AL: Which one?


    AL: We supply a lot of businesses.


    <u>24/10/2111</u>


    AL: Won¡¯t be back tonight.


    CG: Whatever.


    Laith sighed, shaking his head. They certainly didn¡¯t play nice with each other. It seemed like there was a lot of tension in their relationship, and given what he¡¯d read so far, he wondered if the two of them were even faithful to one another at all. And ¨C if not ¨C what in the world was the merit in staying together? He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around wanting to stay in a relationship when both parties were irritable, on edge, and argued all the time. Put simply, based on the information he had obtained so far, the relationship between Cassia Grove and her husband seemed cold. Icy, even.


    He moved on from her messages with her husband and looked for the other conversations she had on her Slate. There was one with her assistant, Fleur Verdi, but it was relatively normal. Lots of business talk, very professional, almost cordial, and not nearly as cold as Cassia¡¯s messages with Aster. Then there were her messages with her mother, which seemed quite natural up until several days ago, where the messages became a bit tense, as though the two had had an argument, and Cassia stopped responding to her mother altogether. Finally, there were a few messages between her and someone called Afan Ayyash. A quick search told Laith that Ayyash was Grove¡¯s business partner, and the messages between the two were respectful and professional.


    She didn¡¯t have any other active messages, it seemed, which probably also meant she didn¡¯t have much of a life outside of her job and her home. She didn¡¯t have any friends ¨C unless he counted Fleur, which he didn¡¯t. Though she seemed a kind enough person, the woman was Cassia¡¯s employee. She was practically paid to be nice to her. That, and the fact that Fleur had spoken of Cassia in very professional terms, had told him the two weren¡¯t all that close at all. But given everything he¡¯d seen in her messages, Fleur might have been the closest thing the dead woman had had to a friend in Heliopolis.


    What did that tell him about Cassia? Was she a good person? Was she nice? Or would the people who knew her personally characterize her as a difficult person to be around? Why didn¡¯t she have any friends? Was she a loner, or socially inept, or simply someone who enjoyed her solitude? Was she a workaholic who didn¡¯t allow herself the chance to meet new people?


    Laith moved on to Cassia¡¯s agenda, looking through her most recent appointments. One in particular caught his eye immediately. On the day of the murder, Cassia Grove had a meeting with her business partner, Afan Ayyash.


    That was as good a lead as any.

 5. Underwater Dining at Aquarius

    Nymphaeales was as beautiful as he remembered it being the day before, and with the sun shining radiantly over Heliopolis as it almost always did, Laith felt he was stepping into a holiday resort, despite the weight of his business here. Afan Ayyash, Grove¡¯s business partner and one of the executives of the club, was still on the premises, according to Ms. Verdi, and Laith was determined to interview him. But the man was also about to have his lunch, and apparently, Ayyash always dined in style.


    So it was that Fleur Verdi, wearing the same immaculate white suit she had been wearing the day before, led Laith into the giant jewel-like structure that served as the main building of Nymphaeales, and for the third time this case Laith was able to peek behind the curtain and into the world of others, taking it all in with a healthy curiosity and a deep-seated hope to one day bring Warda here, if even for a meal. Though it might cost me half my month¡¯s salary, he thought to himself.


    They passed through the small lobby, and a receptionist seated at a moss-grown desk and dwarfed by two giant potted ferns smiled warmly at them, giving Fleur a nod. With the entire structure made of glass, even from within, Laith could see into various parts of the building, noticing a couple of lounges and the library before Fleur came to a halt in front of a sleek elevator shaped like a jewel cut into the marquise style. ¡°This elevator is actually one large synthetic diamond,¡± Fleur told him, admiring it. ¡°We had it made at one of the laboratories in Novus Atlantis and shipped here. It is their largest product to date, and one of a kind.¡±


    She waved her Slate over the sensor and stepped into the compartment, motioning for Laith to follow. He¡¯d never ridden a diamond elevator before, but there was a first time for everything, he supposed. How much did a synthetic diamond the size of an elevator cost? He didn¡¯t really want to know.


    ¡°Mr. Ayyash is dining in Aquarius today,¡± she explained as she pressed a button and the elevator started going down. ¡°It is one of our finest and most sought-after restaurants,¡± she explained. ¡°He would very much appreciate it if you would join him for lunch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of him,¡± Laith replied, wondering what in the world made this restaurant so great. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to stick around for a full meal, though. He also wasn¡¯t entirely sure that that was ethical ¨C to enjoy a meal with a person of interest. ¡°I just have a few questions for him, and then I¡¯ll be off. Have you told him what this might be about?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Fleur admitted, crossing her arms. ¡°He knows it has something to do with Ms. Grove, of course. She didn¡¯t come into work today, and she hasn¡¯t been responding to his attempts at contacting her. He suspects there must be something wrong.¡±


    The elevator came to a smooth stop and whished open. Fleur stepped out, and Laith followed her through a long tube-like corridor. It took him a moment to realize they were underwater, and as they reached the entrance of Aquarius, their surroundings lost their darkness and took on a lighter tone, as if there were some source of illumination outside that lit up the water. He saw a small group of silver-scaled fish flitter through the water, disappearing out of sight almost as soon as they¡¯d arrived.


    Inside, Aquarius was a marvel. He realized now why they had had to walk through a tunnel to get to it ¨C the underwater restaurant was located apart from the main building, off to on side so that its thick glass roofing could allow for guests to enjoy the sights above ¨C and what sights they were! Schools of fish swam about above and around the restaurant, flashes of brilliant colours and beautiful creatures going about their lives. Long cables fashioned with glowing underwater lights lifted away from the roof of the restaurant and reached up, up, up towards the surface, where they attached at last to large, lily pad shaped solar panels floating atop the surface of the water. For a moment, it was all Laith could do to stand there and stare at this lovely scene, completely awe-struck.


    ¡°Detective?¡± Fleur Verdi said after a moment. Laith dragged his eyes away from the roof and back to her. ¡°Please,¡± she said with a small smile. ¡°Mr. Ayyash is right this way.¡±


    As they walked over the black-tile floor, Laith watched the space around their footfalls light up with a bright blue glow. As soon as he lifted his foot, the glow would fade back into darkness. Pressure-activated bioluminescence? he wondered as he watched the same happening under Ms. Verdi¡¯s shoes. Very cool.


    Afan Ayyash was a heavy-set man with a particularly shiny bald head and a suit that probably cost more than Laith made in a month. He sat comfortably positioned in a polished wooden chair, leaning back, one leg folded over the other, reading something on a tablet and tapping his thick fingers on the glass surface of the dining table. As they approached him, Laith realized there were two couples in the restaurant, enjoying an early lunch within the exclusive bubble that was the Nymphaeales.


    Clearly, he¡¯d gotten into the wrong business. What would life be like for Warda and him if he was one of these people, making oodles of money to spend on a membership that could feed three families for a month? He shuddered at the thought and shook his head. As nice as this place was, he was perfectly content to be where he was now, in his cozy apartment in the Forest, making enough for them to live on and a little more to spare. He didn¡¯t need more, and to want it seemed excessive. In fact, it almost seemed to go against much of what Heliopolis stood for. But then, theory and practice often diverged significantly.


    ¡°Mr. Ayyash,¡± Fleur said, catching the man¡¯s attention. ¡°This is Detective Alazraq, from the Heliopolis Police Department,¡± she introduced him.


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Ayyash said, reaching out to shake Laith¡¯s hand. He had a firm grip, but his hand was cold. In fact, this whole restaurant was a bit on the cold side. ¡°Please, sit down and join me, Detective. You¡¯ll have to excuse me, but I¡¯m on a bit of a time crunch, and I need to get some food in before my next meeting. What can I help you with?¡±


    Laith took a seat as Ms. Verdi left the two of them alone, and it wasn¡¯t a moment later that a server came by with a salmon fillet and roasted potato side for the businessman. ¡°Would you like to order something to eat? It¡¯s on me, of course.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Laith said. As appetizing as his meal looked ¨C and certainly halal, which was a must for him ¨C Laith had a perfectly delicious lunch waiting for him in his office, courtesy of Warda¡¯s gifted hands. ¡°I¡¯ll have a glass of water, though, if you don¡¯t mind. I won¡¯t be staying long. I just have a few questions for you concerning your business partner.¡±


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    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Afan admitted with a sigh. ¡°We were supposed to have a meeting earlier this morning, and when she didn¡¯t show up, I knew something was wrong. What has she gotten herself into? If you¡¯re here, then this must be serious enough to affect the company.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Laith said, and for the second time, he broke the news of Grove¡¯s death to yet another colleague. ¡°Mr. Ayyash, your business partner Cassia Grove was found murdered in her home yesterday afternoon. I am the detective assigned to this case.¡±


    To his credit, Afan Ayyash blanched a bit at the news, completely taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¨C did you say she was murdered? In her own home? How¡­?¡± He trailed off, setting his fork down with a clatter. ¡°Do you know who did it?¡±


    ¡°We have a couple of leads,¡± Laith said, purposefully keeping his response vague as he watched the man¡¯s reactions closely. So far, he wasn¡¯t acting like a particularly guilty man, despite being the last person to see Cassia Grove alive. That we know of.  ¡°I wanted to ask you some questions about Ms. Grove, if you don¡¯t mind. How would you describe her character?¡±


    Afan rubbed the back of his neck, slightly pushing the plate of food away from himself. ¡°Well, there is not much to say, really. We are business partners, so our relationship is purely professional. I have known Cassia was a good businesswoman from the first time we met. She had her head screwed on straight, and she always knew what she was doing. Very straightforward, too. I¡¯ve always admired that about her. She didn¡¯t mince her words; she said it like it was, and that is a great deal more than I can say for a lot of those so-called business yahoos running companies these days. She didn¡¯t look at her bottom line; she looked at the company¡¯s bottom line. A good businesswoman.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Laith said. Both Ayyash and Verdi seemed to have a professional respect for Cassia ¨C he imagined that would be hard-won if she had an unpleasant personality to go along with the straightforwardness her business partner seemed to admire. ¡°Would you say the two of you were friends?¡±


    Mr. Ayyash tilted his head to one side, his skin retaining its paler pallor. ¡°No, not quite,¡± he admitted. ¡°Like I said, we have a purely professional relationship. In fact, I think she preferred it that way.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday afternoon, you and Ms. Grove had a meeting before she left the club,¡± Laith said. ¡°Can you tell me how she was at the time of the meeting?¡±


    ¡°I can tell you how she was throughout the whole day,¡± he replied, straightening his navy suit jacket. ¡°She was bothered by something, and it was obvious. She kept looking at her Slate and zoning out. She even stayed away from all of the guests. It wasn¡¯t like her at all.¡± Laith raised a questioning brow at that final comment, and Mr. Ayyash quickly explained. ¡°Cassia liked to check in on guests herself. She made rounds a few times a day, and it always took up a good chunk of her time. She would talk to them, sit with the more important guests for a while, and try to strengthen their emotional and personal bond with the club. I even think she enjoyed it. But yesterday, she did not speak to a single guest. It was completely out of character.


    ¡°When I asked her what was wrong, she told me it was a family matter ¨C some relatives from back home were getting on her nerves about something or other, but she insisted it was not a big deal.¡± He brushed an invisible piece of lint off his trousers with a shake of his head. ¡°It was evident to me that whatever it was that was bothering her, it was more important than she was letting on. But, like I said, we were not friends. I didn¡¯t have any reason to get involved in her personal matters. So, I let it be and hoped that by the time our meeting rolled around, she wouldn¡¯t be as distracted as she obviously was.¡±


    ¡°And was she?¡± Laith asked, picking up on the possibility of a new lead.


    ¡°No, to my relief, she was not,¡± Mr. Ayyash said, playing with the hem of the folded napkin on the table, his food probably cold by now. ¡°If anything, she was back to her usual self. Whatever it was seemed to have been resolved. Business continued as usual. And that was the last time I saw Cassia. It¡¯s such a shame, to think that she¡¯s...¡± He trailed off, looking out at the ocean above with a troubled expression. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone who would despise her enough to want her dead.¡±


    Laith decided to change his line of questioning. ¡°Have you ever met Ms. Grove¡¯s husband?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Lockwood,¡± Afan said, turning back to Laith. ¡°Only one or two times, I think. He does not come here often. In fact, I have it on good authority that he has a membership in all of the other clubs on the Floats, but avoids Nymphaeales. I could never quite understand why that is.¡± He shook his head, crossing his arms. ¡°The couple of times that I did see him, though, I had the distinct impression that he and Cassia were not¡­ Well, that their marriage was not faring very well. But I do not know either of them well enough to know that for certain ¨C it was only an impression based on a couple of meetings,¡± he added quickly.


    Yes, Laith had gotten that very same impression very early on in the case. That Mr. Ayyash was seconding it meant that it wasn¡¯t entirely Laith¡¯s own bias or a conclusion he was clinging on to. There was most probably something not quite right about their marriage, and he wanted to know whether or not that had any bearing on Cassia Grove¡¯s murder.


    It seemed more and more likely that Aster Lockwood was the best suspect he had. The only thing standing in the way of that conclusion were the unknown fingerprints on the murder weapon¡­


    ?? ?? ??


    The drive back to the Official Quarter led Laith back through the pleasant landscapes and vistas that Heliopolis had to offer, but he could hardly enjoy them. He was too busy swinging through theories in his mind.


    If I assume that Lockwood killed his wife and ran off, it may explain his Slate being in the Ruins and his disappearance so close to the time of Cassia Grove¡¯s murder. Laith could imagine Lockwood returning home, getting into some kind of heated argument with his wife, grabbing a knife from the kitchen and stabbing her in the back. He wouldn¡¯t even need to use her Slate to get out of the house; he would simply use his own. He would need to check the logs on the door to see whose Slate had been used to open the front door at the time of the murder ¨C something he was now downloading from PATET ¨C and see if his theory held any water.


    The matter of the fingerprints kept nagging at him, however. Whose fingerprints were they? Could they have been false prints ¨C fakes, like the kind the [Robber Name] used when trying to steal various luxury vehicles? But why go through all that trouble if you¡¯re going to make a run for it and escape the city limits, anyway? It didn¡¯t make much sense.


    Laith rubbed his eyes tiredly and checked the logs, the download now complete. He opened them, focusing on the entries starting from when Cassia Grove returned to her home in the Hills that day and beyond.


    16:24 ¨C Slate: Cassia Grove ¨C E ¨C U/L


    16:37 ¨C Slate: Cassia Grove ¨C I ¨C U/L


    16:47 ¨C Slate: Aster Lockwood ¨C I ¨C U


    The records showed that Cassia Grove had unlocked the door externally ¨C from the outside ¨C and closed it shut behind her, setting off the automatic locking mechanism. About 13 minutes later, she unlocked the door from the inside ¨C presumably to answer it and see who was outside, Laith supposed. It had to have been Aster Lockwood, because ten minutes later, his Slate was used to unlock the door from inside, and from there it was left open, which corroborated the fact that the emergency medical response team had not needed to break down the door or force unlock in order to enter the house and attempt to assist the victim.


    Laith was beginning to think that Aster Lockwood had indeed killed his wife and managed to disappear before anyone could find him, leaving behind the fake fingerprints in order to throw the police off long enough for him to escape Heliopolis. He could be anywhere in the Ruins now.


    Laith hated to think that the man had gotten away with murder. As his car rolled to a smooth stop at the front of the Heliopolis Police HQ, Laith checked to see if the Rinvestigator Captain Fox had requested for him had arrived yet.


    R-Investigator 24955: Access granted. Awaiting instruction.


    Thank God. At the very least, I can try to locate him before the day is through, Laith thought grimly as he made his way into the building.


    It was time to go hunting in the Ruins.

 6. Expedition to the Ruins

    R-Investigator 24955: Connection established.


    Holding the controllers in each hand, and with the sleek black helmet fitted snugly over his head, Laith tried to remember what he¡¯d learned from his training sessions with the Rinvestigators a few years ago. It had been a while, but he was pretty certain he still knew the important pieces of information about controlling a Rinvestigator and getting what he needed. Still, he had to admit, he was a bit rusty and out of practice.


    Truth be told, he¡¯d been due for a refresher course more than six months ago, but given the slow-moving pace of the homicide department at the Heliopolis Police, nobody had really thought it an urgent matter. Other departments usually got prioritized in weapons and equipment training, given that they saw a lot more action that the homicide department ever seemed to. We¡¯ll probably never get to use one, anyway, his colleagues had said with a shrug, and Laith had allowed himself to agree with them and neglect his training.


    A small twinge of regret made its way into his mind, but now was not the time to feel disappointed or sorry for himself. Besides, these things were relatively easy to control, if memory served, and they interfaced with PATET¡¯s artificial intelligence to create a smooth and intuitive experience for the controller. All he needed to do, really, was nudge it in the right direction.


    Welcome, Detective Laith Alazraq of the Heliopolis Police Department Homicide Division.


    Please wait while connection to audiovisual feed is established.


    The screen in his helmet visor came to life to present a direct feed of the Rinvestigator¡¯s field of vision, which at first consisted of complete darkness. Then the doors to the Rinvestigator¡¯s pod opened, and Laith began controlling the robot remotely, leading it out of the small structure ¨C one of dozens lined up in neat rows, row atop row. His Rinvestigator was on the second row up, and so when it left its pod, it jumped and landed, its legs bending mechanically to lighten the impact. He led it out of Rinvestigator Hold #67 and into the sun-drenched street, heading for the nearest border checkpoint.


    The Rinvestigators were located on the inner perimeter of the city, which made it easier for them to be commanded remotely for investigations or expeditions that required journeys out of the safety of the limits of Heliopolis and into the lawless expanse that were the Ruins. The retrieval of Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate was one such journey.


    If Laith was lucky, that would be where he could find Lockwood, too ¨C though he was highly doubtful of that possibility, as the slate hadn¡¯t moved at all since he¡¯d first asked PATET to track it. Nevertheless, it was worth it to go out there and retrieve the Slate. If it was still being picked up by PATET, then it might still be functional, and he could learn more about Lockwood and Grove.


    He had reached the checkpoint at the outer limits of Southern Heliopolis, and passed through it without any trouble. PATET acknowledged that a Rinvestigator could only be taken out with clearance from the relevant authorities, but every Rinvestigator was linked to the system, and at all times PATET knew what each Rinvestigator was up to and why.


    Laith sucked in a deep breath, officially on the other side of the three-layered checkpoint now and in the Ruins. Even though he was sitting in the safety of his office and was controlling the robot remotely, it was unsettling to be outside of the city. He had heard so many stories ¨C stories on the news and stories starring a friend of a friend and stories told by fellow colleagues ¨C that painted a very hazardous image of the realm beyond the eco-cities of the world. The Ruins were a frightening place to be, in person. Would Aster Lockwood even be alive, out here on his own?


    The better question, Laith reminded himself, was why he was out here ¨C if he was. The presence of his Slate didn¡¯t necessarily equate to his presence as well. He might have dropped it off and ran. Or it might have been stolen. Laith always tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Things looked pretty bad for Aster Lockwood, but maybe he really was innocent. And maybe he was just another victim.


    As he tilted the controllers forward, moving the engineering feat that was the Rinvestigator through the grim and cluttered landscape of the Ruins, he wondered what life had been like for people here, once upon a time. What was the name of this place? He¡¯d read it somewhere in a book, but couldn¡¯t remember now.


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    The Rinvestigator passed through the crumbling buildings, overrun with moss, ivy, and a range of persistent wild weeds, and Laith had the strange feeling that something was moving in the corner of his vision. He turned to survey the area ¨C the buildings, many of which sported broken windows and hollow, cave-like interiors, were empty. But the growing sense of anxiety would not let him be.


    Move forward, he told himself, swallowing hard. Find the Slate and go home. That was all he had to do.


    The path he was taking was one of the old roads ¨C streets made of asphalt concrete, all cracked and battered, weeds poking out of the fissures that time had long since created. Old-fashioned cars, rusting and abandoned, littered the sides of the street ¨C back when everyone seemed to require a car of their own, and purchased vehicles that belched harmful pollutants into the air. Those days were long gone; the cars of the here and now were nothing like their predecessors in that respect. Completely run on clean energy and made to ensure that they didn¡¯t dispel dangerous substances into the air, the vehicles used in Heliopolis and its sister cities were nothing short of environmentally unobtrusive. Nevertheless, Laith had a bit of an urge to try some of them ¨C to see if they still ran and, if so, what it felt like to drive one of these relics.


    Instead, Laith passed by them, taking in the sorry sight that was once a city renowned throughout the world, a center of commerce and finance, a hub for the wealthy and powerful. None of that remained now. All that was left were the ruins of a capitalist civilization rendered obsolete by the requirements of human progress. Hollow buildings and broken roads against the ravages of time.


    And there was garbage. Lots of garbage. Laith realized now why the Heliopolitan outlook was to clean up the areas surrounding the city and slowly but surely rehabilitate them. It was as much an act of kindness and healing for the earth as it was a necessity for them all. This could not be left the way it was. And, if he''d heard correctly, they were actually planning on repurposing Rinvestigators - or creating robots that worked in the same remote way - for the clean-up efforts, so that workers would not be endangering themselves. Laith wondered when they were planning on getting started. A few minutes in the Ruins and he''d already realized that the sooner this place was cleaned up, the better.


    A glance at the small map provided by PATET showed him that he was nearing the location of the Slate. So far, the Rinvestigator had been traveling through the Ruins at a steady pace, which Laith had chosen specifically for its stealth benefits. If there was any truth to the stories he had heard ¨C and he supposed that there was always some truth to be found in such stories ¨C then he didn¡¯t want to let any inhabitants of this particular area know of his arrival. He didn¡¯t want any trouble.


    Not that there seemed to be much of it to be had, with the Rinvestigator doing all the work. Its reinforced, armored exoskeleton left little vulnerability to exploit, unless one knew exactly where to look, and it had a range of weapons hidden within its frame that could be used in tricky situations. Laith did not want to use them if he could help it. He¡¯d never felt right about deadly weaponry. All those times during training when he¡¯d been working on his shooting and weapon-related skills, he¡¯d felt wrong. He knew it was important to work on these skills, but he¡¯d always been determined that he¡¯d never have to use them.


    500 meters to destination.


    Laith glanced at the map. He turned right down a long, narrow street, and the audiovisual feed picked up on some kind of clattering noise. He looked around, but there was nothing to be found. His unease at the situation grew, but he squashed it down and tried to focus on the task at hand, making his way down the street and turning right at the very end.


    400 meters to destination.


    And so it went. Turning this way and that through a maze of streets using a map of the city prior to its abandonment and dilapidation, he made his way towards the location, the notifications from PATET letting him know that he was getting closer and closer to Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate. Finally, he reached the destination.


    It was an old-fashioned car park, with only a handful of empty spots. Arranged in uneven rows, dozens of cars filled the parking lot, and Laith navigated his Rinvestigator through them all as he honed in on the Slate¡¯s location. He found the item lying conspicuously on the ground in one of the few empty spaces on the lot, and from what he could tell, the screen had been shattered. Perhaps it had fallen. Perhaps it had been left there on purpose. Whatever the case, Laith had located Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate, and it was time for him to take it back with him.


    He took panoramic imaging of the scene, careful to keep the Rinvestigator still as he did so, and waited for a moment while the images rendered and uploaded to the PATET system. Just like the Slate, the Rinvestigator was close enough to the limits of Heliopolis that PATET could still interact with it. It helped, too, that it was fitted with additional signal amplification systems to allow for longer-reaching communication. It didn¡¯t take more than a couple of minutes for the process to be complete. Then, he had the Rinvestigator pick up the slate carefully and place it in its chest compartment ¨C an area of the robot that was kept for storing small pieces of evidence for later analysis.


    With the Slate safely tucked away behind the Rinvestigator¡¯s exoskeletal armor, Laith began to guide it back to Heliopolis. Mission accomplished, he told himself with relief. Let¡¯s get this back home and see how Lockwood fits into this whole mess.


    He barely made it out of the parking lot when a loud set of cracking noises filled the air, echoing loudly through the empty streets and buildings surrounding him. Wincing, Laith turned down the volume from the audio feed, slightly disoriented by the sudden shock the noise had given him.


    Almost immediately, the screen became tinged with red ¨C a warning sign. He read the message that popped up on his helmet¡¯s visor, the sense of unease hurtling into full-blown panic as the flashing words registered in his mind.


    Warning: You are under attack.

 7. The Gunman in the Rubble

    Warning: You are under attack.


    The message continued to blink furiously at him, flashing brighter in a rhythmic heartbeat, its urgency punctuated with the thunderous cracking of gunshots and the reddening of the edges of his visor. Suddenly the Rinvestigator buckled, and it took it a second to right itself once more.


    Warning: Vulnerabilities under attack.


    Laith looked around frantically, trying to find the culprit, but the raucous sounds of gunfire continued relentlessly, and though he couldn¡¯t feel it, he knew his Rinvestigator was going to take heavy damage if he stayed put any longer. The bullets were being aimed the vulnerable areas of the robot ¨C mainly the joints ¨C and if he lost the Rinvestigator to the Ruins, he¡¯d lose the Slate, too. He considered for only a second before he made his decision. He had his Slate; there was nothing more for him here, anyway.


    He started to run.


    Weaving his way through the old cars in the parking lot, he set his jaw and tried to focus on getting his Rinvestigator back inside Heliopolis, where it would be secured and external threats could not penetrate. Small pieces of debris were crushed under the robotic legs of the Rinvestigator, its automatic stabilizing system keeping it balanced in an uneven terrain. ¡°Calculate shortest distance back to the city,¡± he ordered the system.


    PATET responded with a readjustment of the route on the map, and he followed it through streets new to him and alleys that made his stomach twist with anxiety at the thought he might find himself at a dead end. Behind him, the sounds of gunfire followed, and with them the resulting noises of glass shattering, bullets digging themselves into bricks and cement, and ricocheting off of the metallic lampposts of old. Every few seconds, it seemed one of the bullets reached him, and the same message would come up on his screen:


    You have been shot.


    Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and even though Laith couldn¡¯t see who was behind the onslaught of firepower aimed at him, he had the feeling that it was only one person. He engaged his retrovisor and finally saw the culprit: a man clad in all black, his head hidden underneath a helmet, a large gun in his arms. He was ¨C surprisingly ¨C following him on foot, and seemed very familiar with the terrain, jumping over hurdles and avoiding obstacles as he aimed the gun and kept firing. But he was only on foot.


    Laith sped up, pushing the Rinvestigator to its third speed setting, and began to extend the distance between himself and his attacker. It wasn¡¯t long, as he went down this road and that, until the mysterious man was lost to him altogether. And it wasn¡¯t long until he was back at the outskirts of Heliopolis, coming up on the checkpoint he had come out of. He made for it without stopping, hoping that whatever damage had been done to the Rinvestigator could be fixed ¨C and that the Slate would be alright.


    By that time, his visor had returned to its usual state, the red highlights around the edges long gone, and the man ¨C whoever he was ¨C left behind in the jumbled up rubble of a city that once was.


    ?? ?? ??


    ¡°Perhaps it was a trap,¡± Captain Olivia Fox said, her chin resting on her entwined fingers. ¡°Seems like they might have been waiting for you ¨C or whoever ¨C to show up for the Slate.¡±


    Laith shifted in the armchair across her desk and run his hands through his hair, smoothing it back. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he sighed. ¡°This case becomes increasingly complex the more I dig into it, and despite everything I have learned, I am still not any closer to identifying Cassia Grove¡¯s killer. And now we have another potential suspect.¡±


    ¡°The gunman,¡± Fox agreed, nodding. ¡°Yes, it would seem he might be related to the case. But, to take a page from your book, there is also the slim chance that he might have simply been there and decided to take advantage of an opportunity. A Rinvestigator can be taken apart and sold for a great deal of money in the unofficial markets of the Ruins. I can imagine it would tempt any common bandit or thief with the kind of firepower that man had. And you didn¡¯t see his face at all?¡±


    ¡°No, he was wearing a helmet,¡± Laith said. He glanced out of the window, trying to remember if there was any other relevant information he could share about the gunman, but nothing came to mind. The sun was beginning to set, and he realized that the day had passed him by again. How many days had that been? Only two since Cassia¡¯s murder? It felt like ages.


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    The tell-tale expression the Captain wore when an idea formulated in her mind came over her, and she tilted her head to the side, considering it. He waited patiently for her to speak. ¡°Do you think he might have had something to do with Aster Lockwood¡¯s disappearance?¡± Olivia Fox wondered curiously. ¡°If the man was lying in wait in the parking lot, looking out for whoever might come after the Slate, perhaps he knew whose Slate it was all along.¡±


    ¡°People from the Ruins aren¡¯t on PATET¡¯s systems,¡± Laith pointed out, remembering his previous conversation with Warda. ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible that someone from outside of Heliopolis managed to smuggle themselves into the city, killed Cassia Grove, kidnapped Aster Lockwood, and left the city again. Possible, but extremely unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, rubbing her temples. ¡°Highly unlikely. Then again, so is the complete confoundment of PATET.¡± She leaned back in her chair, her direct gaze boring into his eyes. ¡°Your theories are as good as any,¡± she said, mild frustration working its way into her voice. ¡°Keep them in mind for now. In the meantime, continue your investigation as you have been. Find out what¡¯s in Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate when PATET finally sends its contents over. Also, you¡¯re due back at the Nymphaeales tomorrow. The warrant came through. Search Cassia Grove¡¯s office and find out if there¡¯s anything of interest over there.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Laith said, trying to force the determination back into his bones. There was still a great deal of work to be done.


    ?? ?? ??


    Laith rubbed his forehead, finally winding down from his most recent and almost fruitless adventure. It was one thing to search for someone in Heliopolis, and another thing altogether to search for someone out in the lawless Ruins. Were it not for the fact that this was a matter that directly affected a citizen living under the protection of Heliopolis, he would not have ventured out to the Ruins at all. Anything that happens there stays there.


    He was certain he could also attribute the expedition to the fact that this was Heliopolis¡¯s first murder in many years, and to that end, there were many people in powerful places that wanted to see it solved successfully. If it meant sending out a Rinvestigator or two, they could live with that. It was, after all, what the Rinvestigators were made to do. At the very least, he was thankful that they existed at all. He shuddered to imagine what might have happened to him if he had been in the Ruins in person, and a vision of him lying in the decaying streets, riddled with bullets, washed over him with a creeping dread.


    Anyone and everyone knew to stay away from the Ruins, unless they were crazy, had a death wish, or were criminals themselves. So what was Mr. Aster¡¯s Slate doing out in the middle of the badlands? Did it mean the man ¨C the business magnate at the head of one of the most successful of the Farms ¨C had traveled there? Or had it simply been stolen by someone who had somehow gotten past PATET¡¯s detection systems, as improbable as that was, and then taken back out to the Ruins? Or ¨C even more improbable ¨C had Aster Lockwood truly been kidnapped by someone who had managed to somehow sneak their way past PATET, and to what end?


    Laith imagined that there were many reasons why someone would want to steal a Slate. Not only was it a valuable item, due to how difficult it was to replace, but it was also a very personal item, which also made it very difficult to replace. And if someone could get their hands on the Slate of a powerful or wealthy man and somehow bypass the biometric security measures¡­ They might be able to ask for almost anything in return, given the sheer amount of information that was contained within.


    Perhaps this had been a case of blackmail. After all, it was well-known that bandits living out in the Ruins stole and sold various items from people foolish enough to wander out that far, or travelers passing through. To get their hands on a powerful man¡¯s Slate...


    And if it was a question of kidnapping, Laith could only imagine how much more money someone could squeeze out of a man¡¯s loved ones if they threatened his life and well-being. He opened his Slate and jotted down yet another note: Monitor Aster Lockwood¡¯s bank and financial activities.


    Then, after a small moment of hesitation, he added: Monitor Cassia Grove¡¯s bank and financial activities.


    With a sigh, he continued to massage his throbbing head. The light-footed steps of his wife approached him, and he felt her hands on his shoulders, sliding down his torso as she leaned over him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°You¡¯re in your head again.¡±


    He placed a hand on hers and leaned his head back. ¡°Just thinking about this case,¡± he said. ¡°Bit of a challenging one. I¡¯m not really sure what to do next.¡±


    She hummed, running a hand through his hair. Her perfume - jasmine this time - filled his head like smoke. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out,¡± she told him. ¡°You¡¯re good at solving mysteries, Detective.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to tell her that he felt remarkably out of his depth here. Instead, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her fingers raking gently through his hair for a moment. ¡°What about you?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been very quiet since you got home. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We lost a patient today,¡± she told him. ¡°A lovely woman. She was in and out of the hospital these past couple of months, and even though I¡¯m not supposed to have favourites, she was one of my favourites. I always looked forward to seeing her. And today I went in to chat with her during my lunch break and they told me she¡¯d passed away the night before.¡± Her voice wavered slightly as she explained, and he squeezed her hand gently.


    ¡°Allah have mercy on her soul,¡± Laith said quietly, opening his eyes.


    ¡°Ameen,¡± Warda replied with a sigh. For a moment, there was only silence. Then she seemed to snap out of it and straightened up. ¡°I need to call my mother back before she registers me as a missing person,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to call her back all day. She must be worried. Have you called your mother recently?¡±


    Laith had not. It had been a few days since he¡¯d last spoken to her. ¡°I¡¯ll call her right now,¡± he promised, and took out his Slate. He paused before pressing the Call button next to his mother¡¯s contact.


    Grove¡¯s mother had left things on a bit of a cold front with her daughter before the murder, if Laith had understood correctly from the messages between mother and daughter found on the victim¡¯s Slate. And what had Ayyash said about Grove¡¯s behaviour the day of the murder? Something about family members from back home in Novus Atlantis bothering her? Not just bothering her, Laith reminded himself. Bothering her enough to throw even a serious businesswoman like Cassia Grove off her game. It must have been something significant¡­


    He made another quick note on his phone before calling his mother: Check into Cassia Grove¡¯s relatives in Novus Atlantis.

 8. The Office Unsealed, A Threat Revealed

    With Aster¡¯s Slate undergoing PATET¡¯s scans and fixes in preparation for his investigation, Laith focused on tracking down the Cassia Grove¡¯s relatives. It was early morning still, and he had a good couple of hours before the club opened. He wanted to dig as much up as he could before dropping by Nymphaeales to search Cassia Grove¡¯s office now that the warrant had arrived. What was it that had her so distracted and bothered on the day of her murder, according to her business partner?


    A quick search revealed that all of her relatives currently resided in Novus Atlantis, her place of birth. Their details were not listed on the PATET database, considering they had never traveled to Heliopolis, and Laith would have to request that information from the Novus Atlantian authorities, should they be willing to comply. There was little doubt they would be, in any case. One of their own murdered in Heliopolis, widely hailed as the safest city in the world, was certainly to capture their attention and curiosity. They would want answers, and he needed this information to give them those answers.


    At least, he hoped it would help. He sent a request for the full range of information on Cassia Grove, trying to cover all of his bases just in case.


    Detective Laith Alazraq


    Homicide Division


    Heliopolis Police Department


    City of Heliopolis


    Private Citizen Information Request


    To assist in the investigation of the murder of Novus Atlantian citizen and Heliopolitan resident Cassia Grove, we request the following information about the deceased:


    ¡ó Biographical history: Cassia Grove


    ¡ó Criminal record: Cassia Grove


    ¡ó Financial history: Cassia Grove


    ¡ó Contacts for living relatives: Cassia Grove


    ¡ó Medical and health records: Cassia Grove


    Please be advised that this is an ongoing murder investigation. The information requested herein would be best provided as soon as possible. More details pertaining to the case have been attached to this request, and must be handled with discretion. For further information, please contact Captain Olivia Fox of the Heliopolis PD Homicide Division.


    With that out of the way, Laith moved on to more pressing issues. Nymphaeales would open soon, and he wanted to be there when it did, now that he had clearance based on the warrant he¡¯d been provided. He was eager to search her office and see if he could find anything, so he wasted little time in calling his Camino Forest to the front of the building and rushing out to meet it. The Floats were closer than the Hills, but still a good quarter of an hour away from the police headquarters.


    He arrived just as Nymphaeales was opening for business. He found it odd that a recreational club with such an exclusive clientele opened so late in the morning; surely, there would be some members who would prefer to visit it before heading off to work? Or perhaps it was the lunch hour that was most popular for the club. Either way, when Laith stepped out of his car and watched it roll off into the heavily forested parking lot, he noticed that he was quite alone.


    Fleur Verdi, as usual, was present. It seemed she spent most of her time at Nymphaeales. Did she have a life outside of her work? There had been a wave of workaholism earlier in the century, but that had quickly been squashed in favor of more sustainable working practices. Some people, of course, simply would not be told. Others worked jobs in which they had naturally long hours when the need arose. Nevertheless, it was a law that all employees be allowed to head home after a five-hour working day. It was a law Laith suspected Fleur Verdi often disregarded ¨C possibly why she got along with her former boss.


    ¡°Welcome back, Detective,¡± she greeted him at the front gates. ¡°We received word this morning that you have a warrant to search Cassia Grove¡¯s office. I expected you¡¯d be here bright and early. Please, follow me,¡± she said, gesturing for him to follow her into the giant radiant-cut jewel half-buried in the grass. ¡°Her office is on the topmost floor,¡± she explained as they stepped into the same elevator that had led them downstairs into Aquarius just the day before.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Are all the walls made of glass?¡± he wondered as they passed the levels.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ms. Verdi replied with a quick nod. ¡°It creates a sense of walking within a giant diamond, with light cascading in from all corners of the building. But the glass does provide some privacy and division, as I think you might see. Some of the glass walls are thicker than others, and light refracts differently through them. Not everything is visible through these walls, and each was positioned carefully in the designing and construction of this building to ensure that there are still barriers keeping spaces divided from one another.¡±


    They stepped out of the elevator and into a wide hall littered with armchairs with tiny side tables. In the middle of the hallway was a receptionist¡¯s desk, yet again another moss table, this one adorned with blooming flowers of red, pink, and orange. Fleur Verdi continued to explain as she gestured for him to follow.


    ¡°In fact,¡± she was saying, the clack of her blue heels somehow a touch more distinct in this hallway, ¡°the different refraction indices of each surface allow for us to store different amounts of energy. The thicker the glass, the more energy can be stored. Of course, the glass used is not simply any photovoltaic material; it was specially made for the purposes of this building. It also creates a naturally heated environment, and since the climate in Heliopolis is quite Mediterranean in nature, we use much of the additional heat harnessed as energy in its own right ¨C outside of winter months, of course. These are two ways the building remains energy self-sufficient.¡±


    ¡°It sounds very efficient,¡± Laith commented as he strolled along behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve always enjoyed learning about the creative ways in which so many structures in Heliopolis remain self-sufficient and sustainable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is is fascinating,¡± she agreed. She slowed to a stop at the end of the hall, in front of a sealed glass door. The words engraved on the door read: CASSIA GROVE.


    ¡°So, this is her office. Has anyone been inside?¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Verdi said with a shake of her head. ¡°None of the offices can be opened with anything other than the Slate of the person to whom they belong. Or ¨C in this case ¨C if they are overridden by PATET in special circumstances.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re quite certain that there is absolutely no other way in or out of this office otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Yes, quite,¡± Verdi replied confidently. ¡°It was a security measure created to ensure that no wandering guests would find their way into our administrative floor and carry information out to our competitors. Cassia was very particular about this point. She wanted the security of the company to be extremely effective.¡± She adjusted her glasses and nodded at the door to the office beside Cassia¡¯s. ¡°That one is my office. If someone truly did make it up to this floor, they would have to avoid being detected by the receptionist, any of the other employees in their offices, and myself. And even then, they would not be able to gain entry into Cassia¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Laith said, pulling out his Slate. ¡°The office is just as she left it, then.¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± Ms. Verdi replied as he waved his Slate in front of the office door sensor. ¡°I shall leave you to your investigation, Detective. Should you have any further questions or need my assistance, I will be in my office next door.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Verdi,¡± he said as the door was infused with a green light. The muffled click of the lock being automatically opened could barely be heard, even in such a quiet environment. Pulling on a pair of gloves, he pushed the door open, and Fleur Verdi disappeared into her own office.


    ?? ?? ??


    Cassia Grove¡¯s corner office was similarly decorated to her home office ¨C apart from the glass walls that overlooked the splendid gardens, tennis courts, and outdoor natural pool of Nymphaeales. He could imagine her sitting at her desk every day, surveying her little kingdom from atop her throne. She had a good vantage point to see almost half the club from where she sat, and he supposed that was a purposeful decision.


    It was also very neat. Nothing seemed out of place at first glance. The desk, which looked like one solid block made of polished wooden planks from the front, had on it, very neatly arranged, a tablet like the one Fleur Verdi walked around with, a stand for a Slate, and a decorative inkwell from which a rose gold stylus sprang out. There was what seemed to be a panel in the middle of the desk ¨C possible for Cassia¡¯s surface computer ¨C and Laith pressed it gently, watching the screen reveal itself as the panel receded into some hidden place within the desk.


    Laith walked around the side of the desk and found two drawers on either side of the area in which the chair slid into. He opened them, one by one, and searched their contents. The first included a set of headphones with a music hub, a neck massaging device, and a wound-up adjustable skipping rope. The second below it had a solar-charged power bank that was still in its box, a range of Slate-activated locks, and a packet of bio-degradable sanitary wet wipes. On the other side of the desk, the top drawer had a pack of sanitary pads, a folded-up handwoven tote bag, and a toothbrush and toothpaste set. But it was the bottom drawer that had the most interesting find.


    At first, there wasn¡¯t much out of the ordinary with the fourth drawer. It had a spare change of clothes, an unopened tub of refillable hand cream, and a small refillable bottle of painkillers with only three pills left. Laith lifted the clothes out of the drawer to get a better look at the rest of it, and saw a small, black, rectangular item in the very back of the compartment. He reached in and pulled it out.


    The object was immediately identifiable, though he was surprised to find one here, of all places. An X-letter was a means of communicating with someone completely outside of the system. In other words, communicating with someone without PATET reading, listening, or watching what you¡¯re saying. I was a small device the size of one¡¯s thumb, but could play audio messages, project written messages, and even, in some cases, a video or image. They ran almost completely on body heat.


    Laith scrutinized the X-letter, turning it over in his hands. No identifying marks or names. The companies that made these items often didn¡¯t want to stamp their logos or names on them, for the simple reason that it had become well known now that anyone who used X-letters was using them because they were up to something they didn¡¯t want recorded. There were always the few that just wanted to have some privacy, but he¡¯d heard from his colleagues that X-letters were the primary ways through which criminals would communicate with each other, send word to each other. They were easily destroyed, the messages were easily erased and recorded over, and each X-letter had a self-destruction mechanism that had them quick-degrade after just a few years.


    And Cassia Grove had one in her desk drawer, hidden away from sight.


    Curiously, Laith wrapped his hand around the small device and waited patiently for his own body heat to power it. He didn¡¯t know how old it was, but he hoped it still contained whatever message it had originally contained. It could point him towards a new lead.


    After a few minutes, he released the X-letter and tapped the little button jutting out from one side. The little device lit up, and a small light projected from its rectangular surface. Laith turned it over so that the projection was facing the table. A message was revealed, and he read it carefully.


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    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 100%">


    I know the truth.


    A deal¡¯s a deal. Same date, same time, same place.


    Or everything goes public.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 9. Meetings with Invidia

    Cassia Grove was being threatened. Why? Who was the person in the photograph? Were they the one threatening her, or was it someone else? Theories flew through Laith¡¯s mind, pushing him this way and that, and now he began to wonder if everything was linked together by blackmail: Grove¡¯s murder, Lockwood¡¯s disappearance, the Slate in the Ruins. And, if so, what exactly the blackmailer wanted from Cassia Grove.


    The most common answer would be money, of which Grove and her husband had no shortage, being the successful business owners that they were. A quick check into Cassia¡¯s financial history in Heliopolis showed no particularly strange patterns. She withdrew a great deal of money on a regular basis, but he supposed it was normal for someone who liked living in the lap of luxury to spend quite a lot on a day to day basis. It wasn¡¯t as though there were sudden spikes in how much she withdrew from the bank, and as a result, he wondered if it truly was money the blackmailer was after.


    Or perhaps it was Lockwood who paid. A quick look through his financial history was just as illuminating as Cassia¡¯s: no unusually large amounts of money were being withdrawn relative to his regular withdrawal amounts.


    The photograph looked to be at least a handful of years old. Cassia Grove looked younger. The energy she exuded in the photograph clashed with what he¡¯d learned about her character so far; she seemed warmer, happier, and friendlier. But perhaps it was simply due to the company.


    ¡°What date was this photograph taken?¡± Laith asked PATET after uploading the image into the system. ¡°Is there any identifying information linked to the photograph?¡±


    It took only a moment for PATET to present its findings to him on the screen of his Slate.


    Name: X6630GG6


    Image Type: PNG


    Date Taken: Unknown, Unknown, 2105


    Location: Unknown, Novus Atlantis


    Dimensions: 200 x 133


    Size: 15.5 KB


    Device of Origin: Unknown


    Owner: Unknown


    While the specific date was unknown, at the very least Laith could see that it was taken six years ago in Novus Atlantis. The man in the photograph was not Aster Lockwood, but he wasn¡¯t anyone else Laith could identify, either. PATET¡¯s system drew up a blank when he tried to run facial recognition, so it seemed likely the man had never stepped foot in the city before. So, it was almost certainly someone from her past. From Novus Atlantis. Someone she used to know. Perhaps someone she used to love?


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    It was quite normal for people to have had relationships prior to getting married. If this was an old beau, he couldn¡¯t understand why Cassia Grove would be threatened with his picture. Perhaps there was much more to the story than Laith was seeing. He sent yet another request to the Novus Atlantian authorities, requesting information on the man photographed with Cassia.


    Laith spent the rest of the afternoon combing through Cassia¡¯s Slate and surface computer for any relevant information, but he was disappointed to learn little else. There was one piece of information that had piqued his curiosity, and he turned it around in his mind for a while. Cassia Grove¡¯s agenda had included monthly meetings with someone she referred to as Invidia. The name was a pseudonym ¨C there was nobody in Heliopolis with such a name, nor was there any establishment with that title ¨C and Laith was certain that it meant these meetings were meant to be discreet. The only problem was, the meetings stopped a few months prior to Grove¡¯s murder.


    Upon questioning, neither Flaur Verdi nor Afan Ayyash knew who this mysterious Invidia was. It made sense, of course, what with the name being an obvious pseudonym. Nevertheless, it was yet another lead to add on to his scant selection. It wasn¡¯t as though Cassia Grove had many friends. This could potentially open up another part of her life to him that would otherwise remain hidden.


    ¡°But I remember those dates,¡± Fleur had added quickly after he¡¯d asked her about Invidia and showed her the dates on Cassia Grove¡¯s agenda. ¡°It was a regular engagement she had, and she never missed it. In fact, if memory serves, she left the club quite early on those specific days. I remember thinking it quite strange, given how serious she was about managing Nymphaeales.¡± She adjusted her glasses, holding the tablet closer to her chest. ¡°About five months ago, I think, she forgot her Slate here at the club. She seemed to be in a rush. Anyway, she asked me to bring it to her, and I remember feeling a bit annoyed at having to run errands for her when I was supposed to be assisting her with the management of the club.¡±


    She¡¯d sighed, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Well, in any case, nothing like that happened since, so I¡¯ve put it out of my mind since. That day, I took her Slate and went to meet her at some small restaurant in the Forest. Nice place, but I remember thinking it wasn¡¯t a place that I¡¯d imagine Cassia would choose to eat at. She had a bit of a taste for the more expensive and luxurious places. It was also on the other side of the city, and took quite some time to get to.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the name of this restaurant?¡± Laith had asked, pulling out his Slate to jot it down.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fleur Verdi had replied. ¡°It was called Platano Maduro. I remember the name because it was a bit of an exotic-looking place. The smell coming out of it was heavenly, though. I¡¯ve wanted to try it out ever since, but haven¡¯t had the chance yet.¡±


    ¡°And when you brought her her Slate, was she alone?¡±


    ¡°She was waiting for me outside of the establishment. I¡¯m certain she was meeting with someone there, but it almost seemed to me like she didn¡¯t want me knowing who it was. Felt quite secretive, in fact.¡± Verdi had shrugged slightly and looked away, through the many layers of glass between them and the outdoors. ¡°I don¡¯t get involved in my employer¡¯s personal life. Whoever it was she was meeting, I didn¡¯t really want to know. I like my job, and I do not want to endanger it. So, I gave her the Slate without any questions, and she said thank you ¨C quite abruptly ¨C and left me out on the street.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you were so annoyed by the whole ordeal,¡± Laith had offered, his mind whirring with possibilities. ¡°That whole episode seems a bit outside of her usual character, though, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Fleur had considered this for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really know. I didn¡¯t know her well enough ¨C personally, I mean ¨C to know if this was the sort of thing she did often. Professionally speaking, yes, it was very much outside of her usual character. She seemed a bit frazzled, as if I¡¯d caught her in a lie or doing something wrong. It made me feel quite awkward at the time, but I brushed it off and moved on. None of my business.¡±


    Leaning back in her ergonomic bamboo chair, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. The time on the wall opposite him ¨C a light pattern made from a small projection the source of which was hidden well enough in the ceiling that Laith could not spot it ¨C told him that it was well past six in the evening. It was time for him to go home for now. He¡¯d already made good headway while searching the victim¡¯s office, and tomorrow he would have a plethora of information to rifle through.


    He made one last note to check Platano Maduro¡¯s surveillance records, and called it a night, eager to get home. As he used the A-lanes to quickly find his way back to his apartment building in the Forest, he leaned back, closing his eyes against the rhythmic presence of the white lights in the tunnels, powered by the kinetic energy of vehicles passing over the road. It was an almost hypnotic rhythm, and for a moment he wondered why he¡¯d ever wanted to do more than simply sit at his desk. Like Warda had told him time and again, it had been a good thing when he wasn¡¯t needed. Now, he was beginning to feel the stress and pressure of handling a murder case, and it was taking its toll in its own little ways.


    He had no doubt that toll would become larger and larger the more time he spent on this case.

 10. Crime Runs in Their Blood

    ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t just an old beau?¡± Captain Olivia Fox crossed her arms, leaning against one of the narrow windows in her office. A nearby palm tree threw shade against her person, protecting her from the rising morning sun. ¡°What if Cassia Grove was still seeing him? That might explain her strange monthly meetings. Invidia could be her lover. It would make sense with the threat in the X-letter, too. If she was being unfaithful to her husband, it would certainly make it easier for someone to blackmail her.¡±


    Laith shook his head, supporting himself on the back of the chair in front of her desk. ¡°PATET doesn¡¯t recognize the man at all. Facial recognition brings up nothing. Unless it¡¯s a long-distance relationship, I don¡¯t think the man in the photograph was Grove¡¯s lover.¡±


    ¡°PATET also doesn¡¯t recognize the fingerprints on the murder weapon,¡± Captain Fox noted.


    Laith had already considered what she was implying ¨C the implication being that Invidia, the lover and blackmailer, was also the man who killed Grove in her home. Something felt amiss about that theory, though, and try as he might, Laith couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what it was that bothered him so much about this interpretation.


    ¡°If this Invidia person is in fact Cassia Grove¡¯s ex-lover, it¡¯s quite possible that he simply couldn¡¯t let her go. Or couldn¡¯t accept defeat or rejection or however it was that he saw it. Betrayal?¡± Fox mused, still lookout outside at the flat emerald lawns that characterized the towering plateau where the Official Quarter was located. ¡°Maybe she broke it off, and that¡¯s why they haven¡¯t met in a few months. Maybe he didn¡¯t like that, and he decided to kill her and her husband as a result.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible Cassia Grove had a lover,¡± Laith conceded, his fingers wrapped around the back of the chair. ¡°It is true that her relationship with her husband seemed icy at best. You should see the messages between the two of them. You wouldn¡¯t think they were a married couple. And, I suppose, in such a circumstance, both could have been seeing other people. Lockwood often stayed the night away from home.¡± When he got his hands on the contents of the man¡¯s Slate, he intended to find out where it was that he would stay.


    ¡°But even if she had a lover, it doesn¡¯t mean he was Invidia,¡± he continued. ¡°The two could be separate. I¡¯ve sent the photograph to the Novus Atlantis Police Department, and hopefully they will let us know who the man in the photograph with Cassia Grove was. But I agree that the possibility is certainly there. He could be the lover, the murderer, and Invidia, all wrapped in one. I¡¯m more inclined towards the first two at the moment, given how PATET could not identify the man in the photograph. It certainly fits with the unidentifiable fingerprints.¡±


    ¡°So, what is it that¡¯s bothering you so much about this theory?¡± the Captain asked, looking back at him with her trademark direct, challenging stare. ¡°What is it that makes you hesitant?¡±


    ¡°Apart from the fact that we don¡¯t have a shred of solid evidence, you mean?¡± Laith asked with a small smile. He pushed away from the chair and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Cassia Grove doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to have had a lover. I don¡¯t know how faithful she was as a wife, but she certainly comes off as too much of a workaholic to be able to sustain an entire relationship with someone other than her husband. According to her assistant, she was almost always the last person out of the club at the end of the day. She wasn¡¯t someone who had a lot of friends ¨C or any friends at all, really. And meeting someone once a month for barely an hour in a restaurant also doesn¡¯t inspire a romantic attachment. Sounds more like a regular business or club meeting to me. So when and where was she meeting this supposed lover? Were those brief meetings enough to sustain an entire relationship? I think it''s hardly likely.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so let¡¯s forget the lover angle for a moment and assume that Cassia Grove was faithful,¡± Fox said at last, considering his words. Laith wanted to point out that they had no solid evidence to point to any reason that would make them think otherwise. She might have had a bad relationship with her husband, but that didn''t automatically mean she was looking elsewhere for a romantic attachment. ¡°What else is there?¡±


    ¡°I think the man in the photograph is someone from her past,¡± Laith replied. ¡°I think whatever it was that she was being blackmailed or threatened for, it was something that happened before she moved to Heliopolis. It probably does have something to do with the man in the picture, but I won¡¯t know for certain until I get the records back from Novus Atlantis. I¡¯m still waiting for them.¡±


    Right on time, his Slate came to life with a notification alert, with two more coming right after:


    Private Citizen Information Received


    Surveillance Footage of Platano Maduro, 233 South, The Forest, Central Heliopolis


    Aster Lockwood Slate Contents Available


    ¡°I¡¯ve just got them,¡± Laith told his superior, placing in Slate in his back pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll go see what they can show me. I¡¯ll update you when I have more information, Captain.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    Novus Atlantis Police had given him everything he needed, with a request to be updated with any relevant information on the case. Laith figured it was less a request and more a demand, and the Heliopolis Police would have done so anyway, but he didn¡¯t blame them for wanting to know where the case was at any point in time, and what was being done to bring justice to one of their own citizens. If the situation had been reversed, the same would be expected.


    He decided to get started with the Private Citizen Information package that they had sent him, complete with every element he¡¯d listed.


    Profile: Cassia Grove


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    Name


    Cassia Grove


    </td>


    <td style="border-top: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: none; padding: 0.04in 0 0.04in 0.04in" width="33%">


    Date of Birth


    August 4, 2063


    </td>


    <td style="border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); padding: 0.04in" width="33%">


    Place of Birth


    Orichalcum District Hospital, Orichalcum, Novus Atlantis


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    Age


    48


    </td>


    <td style="border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: none; padding: 0 0 0.04in 0.04in" width="33%">


    Sex


    Female


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    </td>


    <td style="border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); padding: 0 0.04in 0.04in" width="33%">


    Blood Type


    AB-


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr valign="top">


    <td style="border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: none; padding: 0 0 0.04in 0.04in" rowspan="2" width="33%">


    Current Occupation


    Business Owner


    (Nymphaeales Recreational Club, The Floats, Heliopolis)


    </td>


    <td style="border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: none; padding: 0 0 0.04in 0.04in" width="33%">


    Marital Status


    Married


    (Aster Lockwood)


    </td>


    <td style="border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); padding: 0 0.04in 0.04in" rowspan="2" width="33%">


    Education


    F.M. in Vertical Farming from the Agricultural University of Heliopolis


    T.B. in Business Management from Novus Atlantis Business College


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr valign="top">


    <td style="border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); border-right: none; padding: 0 0 0.04in 0.04in" width="33%">


    Address


    No. 23, The Hills,


    Southern Heliopolis,


    Heliopolis


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He read through her history with a quick eye, focusing on the more recent elements that might be of interest. According to the Novus Atlantian records, Cassia Grove traveled to Heliopolis in 2099 to study vertical farming, which was presumably where she met Aster Lockwood, since a quick foray into Lockwood¡¯s own history revealed that he was at the same university at around the same time, studying the same subjects. Two years later, she returned to Novus Atlantis, where she began working at the Emerald Farm headquarters. In 2108, she and Aster were married in Novus Atlantis before returning to Heliopolis as a couple. Only a year later, she opened Nymphaeales.


    ¡°And two years later, she¡¯s murdered,¡± Laith mumbled as he took in the details of her past. It was tragic, to think that everything came to an end as soon as she seemed to really be making something of herself and living her life. Her own club, a deep well of wealth, and the world at her fingertips. The ambitious and hard-working Cassia Grove probably never thought her life could end so abruptly, so suddenly.


    Financially speaking, Cassia had lived comfortably in Novus Atlantis, but had always been on the edge of falling into a more precarious financial situation, given the amounts of money that went into her family¡¯s legal fees. It seemed they had frequent conflicts with the authorities ¨C he would learn more about that when he looked into their profiles and records. Apart from this, her financial trail was clean. She sometimes sent money back to her mother, and she sometimes had a habit of withdrawing large amounts of money despite not needing to ¨C the Slate could take care of payments at almost all establishments, and cash payments were just as easily traced as payments made via the Slate ¨C but these were all quite normal things.


    And she was diabetic, which explained the medical monitor wrapped around her wrist - the same monitor that would eventually bring the emergecy medical response team to her home the afternoon of her murder. Evidently, her medical condition didn¡¯t impact her life too much. She hadn¡¯t had hospitalizations or any serious complications, though she checked in with her doctor every six months and sometimes adjusted her medications as a result. She had no other health issues or medical areas of interest.


    He dove into her family and their own records. These weren¡¯t as deeply detailed as her own were, but he suspected that was due to privacy laws. He wouldn¡¯t be given more information unless he could prove that he needed it and it was relevant to the case. He doubted he would find anything by digging into her family, though. They were too far away and his gut told him that he was looking in the wrong place. Still, he decided to keep at it in hopes of finding something he could use.


    She didn¡¯t have many living relatives, apart from her mother and a first cousin. Patina Grove was a retired widow with a comfortable situation. She received her own pension and her late husband¡¯s. Contact information for the woman was sparse, however, with only an old landline setup and an address. He wouldn¡¯t be able to contact her via his Slate unless he did so via the Novus Atlantis Telecommunications Authority. He might try that later on, he reasoned as he moved on to Cassia¡¯s cousin. Kalkos Mogador was the son of Patina Grove¡¯s only brother, also deceased. He had the same address as Grove¡¯s mother and was listed as both her emergency contact and caretaker.


    The living relatives had clean records, as did Cassia. That wasn¡¯t true of the deceased relatives, however. Orum Grove, Cassia¡¯s father, had a sizable set of indictments, mainly to do with fraud and theft. Patina¡¯s brother, Jebel Mogador, seemed to have been one of his accomplices, his own set of crimes almost mirroring that of Orum¡¯s. There were a slew of deceased uncles, aunts, and even family friends, who carried criminal records of the same nature. None, however, had anything to do with murder. It seemed they were mostly con-men and thieves, and their crimes were mostly petty in nature, and they were not even in the vicinity of what Laith would call big-time crooks.


    There was no PATET in Novus Atlantis. They had their own AI system that aided in the smooth operations of the city, but it did not have nearly enough access to the framework at large. The people voted against such a measure in order to maintain their privacy, but at the cost of constantly struggling with a crime rate that was difficult to keep down. It certainly didn¡¯t help that Novus Atlantis wasn¡¯t the tightly-controlled area that Heliopolis was, with strict border control working to keep the criminals in the Ruins outside their limits.


    In that way, Novus Atlantis was a bit more old-fashioned. He¡¯d never been there, but he¡¯d watched documentaries about the place from the comfort of his apartment, and he¡¯d learned quite a lot about their way of life. He¡¯d even learned that the people of Novus Atlantis didn¡¯t have a Slate equivalent. Things were kept separate, and he imagined that might make life a bit more complicated. They¡¯d explained in the documentary that it was for security concerns, but Laith had reasoned that if they had something like PATET keeping their city safe and secure, they wouldn¡¯t need to have such concerns at all. Still, privacy was a very important value to the Novus Atlantians, and to them, an interconnected world such as the one found in Heliopolis was the antithesis to privacy. Every step you took outside of your own home was monitored, every action watched.


    Laith had never really minded that. It wasn¡¯t as though he¡¯d been doing anything wrong. Besides, PATET was not passively watching them in their homes or recording their private conversations through their Slates, as some conspirators had tried to claim a few years back. It was a good system, created with checks and balances. It was an ethically balanced system. Everyone was taught that in school, and Laith had seen no reason to suspect PATET¡¯s capabilities and ethical conduct in all the years he had been alive.


    Besides, he had to admit that PATET¡¯s constant supervision and monitoring did have its advantages. For example, it made it quite easy for him to do his job when all of the information he could need was at his fingertips. Well ¨C almost all of the information. He was still trying to figure out the whole fingerprints debacle. The whole thing didn''t sit right with him, even if it was a glitch or an error. Especially if it was a glitch or an error. How many other errors did PATET make on a day to day basis? How could they be certain that they were arresting the right people if PATET made mistakes with identification? What if it glitched on any of the critical systems PATET took care of - like water and electricity?


    Laith pushed the thought out of his mind for now. These were all valid questions, but he had a slightly more pressing matter to attend to: solving a murder.


    ¡°PATET, bring up the requested surveillance footage from Platano Maduro,¡± he said.


    Almost immediately, the system presented him with a two lists of footage links ¨C one list from the street outside the restaurant and another from inside the restaurant itself. Each link corresponded to the time that Cassia had on her agenda for the meetings, and every link was exactly one month apart ¨C just like the meetings with Invidia had been. PATET had bookmarked every single meeting with Invidia, of which there had been seven in total. That meant that Invidia had begun blackmailing Cassia Grove about ten months prior to her murder. Laith could scroll back and forth as needed, but as soon as he clicked on a link, it would take him to that specific time at that specific date. He opened the first one and settled in to watch the footage carefully.


    It took him about half an hour of watching the videos at high speed and scrolling back and forth to check the people who entered the restaurant at the designated time of Cassia''s monthly meetings with Invidia to realize that there was something wrong. It might make sense for someone like Invidia to want to hide themselves, but Cassia herself wasn¡¯t appearing on any of the videos ¨C not outside the restaurant, and not inside, either. Could it have been possible that the meetings weren¡¯t taking place at Platano Maduro? And, if so, where else could they have been taking place?


    ¡°PATET, search for Cassia Grove¡¯s locations in the Forest at the dates and times listed in the footage request,¡± he ordered. ¡°Focus on the vicinity of Platano Maduro. Use facial recognition to find her through public surveillance cameras,¡± he added, hoping that would make things a bit easier for him. PATET would need some time to do this, so Laith took a small break as he waited. He opened the news on his surface computer and leaned back in his chair, trying to relax his tense muscles and moving his head from side to side to stretch his neck.


    But relaxing seemed out of the question today.


    There, on the screen, he took in the headline for the top story of the day:


    Woman Murdered in Hills Home, Killer Still at Large.

 11. Aster Lockwoods Slate

    ¡°Great,¡± Laith muttered with an exasperated sigh, and ran his hands back and forth through his hair, completely messing it up as a result. This was just what they had needed: media attention on the murder. Normally, the media didn¡¯t catch wind of such a story so early on. There were strict and rigid procedures in place making sure of that. It hadn¡¯t even been a full four days yet since the murder, and generally speaking, the media wasn¡¯t contacted with any information until the crime had been solved. And yet, there it was, plain as day on his screen.


    Woman Murdered in Hills Home, Killer Still at Large.


    He glanced at the door, half-expecting Captain Olivia Fox to barge in at any moment, demanding to know how the media had caught attention of his case and how they were going to deal with the resulting spotlight. He didn¡¯t know the answer to either of those two questions, so he rather hoped she wouldn¡¯t show up. Besides, he was relieved to know that no particulars had been shared with the media, or so it seemed. They knew that a murder had happened, and that the killer had not been apprehended. All of their other material focused on who the victim was and the fact that her husband is also missing, possibly a victim or a person if interest in the case. All things considered, that wasn¡¯t so bad. It could have been a lot worse if the mystery prints had also been included in the report. He hoped that that, at least, would keep Captain Fox¡¯s fury at bay. All he could do now was continue on as he had been doing, and try to figure something out in this mess of a case.


    There was Cassia Grove¡¯s murder, Aster Lockwood¡¯s disappearance, fingerprints that couldn¡¯t be identified by PATET, a threatening X-letter with a photograph, Lockwood¡¯s Slate in the Ruins, and a mysterious person under the name of Invidia. How did it all fit together? Did it fit together, or was he looking at separate things?


    With a long sigh, Detective Laith Alazraq moved on to the third item on his list: the contents of Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate. They had been copied into a package file and downloaded into his computer by PATET. While it worked to find him the footage he needed from the area around Platano Maduro, he decided to check up on the missing man¡¯s Slate and what he might have to add to the mystery.


    First, Laith wanted to investigate his possible presence in the Ruins. Was there any reason for a business magnate like Aster Lockwood to be out there, in that lawless wasteland? It seemed hardly likely. A quick set of searches through his device contents highlighted a range of files pertaining to the Ruins:


    List of Wild Organic Compounds Within 30-Kilometer Radius of Heliopolis


    Wild herbs in the Ruins and their uses: Cytisus scoparius, Delphinium, Phalaris canariensis


    Wild herbs in the Ruins and their uses: Acanthus ilicifolius, Valeriana officinalis, Gentiana lutea


    Wild herbs in the Ruins and their uses: Nicotiana glauca, Dittrichia viscosa, Cannabis ruderalis, Erigeron bonariensis


    A Primary Study of Ruderal Botany in the Ruins


    Fruit Trees in the Ruins: Cydonia oblonga,


    Risk Assessment: Procurement and Recovery of Organic Material in the Ruins


    He wasn¡¯t going to pretend like the plant names meant anything to him. Some held familiar connotations to him, but he didn¡¯t understand the importance of these particular plants for Greenland Farm or Aster Lockwood. Perhaps he could inquire about it to the man¡¯s assistant, though it hardly seemed relevant. What was relevant, however, was that last document ¨C the risk assessment. Was Lockwood thinking of sending people into the Ruins to retrieve the plants found there? He hadn¡¯t heard of any of the other farms looking to the Ruins for procurement. Then again, that might be why Lockwood would want Greenland Farm to get there first.


    He opened the document and did a quick read-through. It looked as though Greenland Farm was interested in improving their genetically modified crops by moving back towards naturally growing hardy crops found in the Ruins. Preliminary investigations had found these crops to be hardy species with numerous naturally occurring variations that would help improve crops grown within the vertical farms of Greenland Farm. They also had a range of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications, which could potentially help Greenland Farm grow into those markets.


    So, perhaps that was why Lockwood was out in the Ruins that day, or why his Slate was here. Perhaps he traveled there to survey the area and get a first-hand look at the wild plants he¡¯d been given reports on in order to ascertain whether this was a good investment or not. And perhaps that¡¯s where he got attacked.


    Still, it made little sense to think of him deciding to go into the Ruins alone, unprotected, when he could have just as well gone through the official channels to request a drone or other type of surveying machine that could be remotely accessed. Apart from the fact that it might tip off his competitors ¨C he was certain word got around quickly in the highly competitive arena that was the Farms ¨C it seemed the logical thing for a man like him to do. He didn¡¯t even have any weapons or armor to defend himself with.


    Next, Laith moved on to the messages. His messaging history with Cassia was already known, given that Laith had read everything from her Slate. But Aster Lockwood had more contacts on his Slate. Granted, many of them seemed to be work-related contacts, but at the very least he was giving Laith much more to work with than Cassia¡¯s four or five contacts.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Most of the messages were unassuming ¨C business talk that meant little to Laith and didn¡¯t seem at all relevant to the case at hand. Then he came across Lockwood¡¯s messages with his assistant, Toma Pom.


    <u>27/10/2111</u>


    TP: Mr. Lockwood, have you looked into the suspicious financial activity I highlighted?


    TP: I don¡¯t want to bother you, but it seems to be a critical matter.


    TP: 15% of our revenue is allocated towards Farm Hands Machines.


    AL: Thank you for your diligence, Toma.


    AL: You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with this matter.


    AL: I¡¯m personally investigating the issue alongside a team of professionals.


    AL: We¡¯ll get to the bottom of it.


    I wonder what that¡¯s all about, Laith thought to himself, flicking through previous messages between the two. There was no other mention of this issue. Curiously, the exchange took place on the same date that Lockwood had told his wife he would not be returning him that night. Was there a connection between the two? Was Lockwood staying nights at the farm ¨C or elsewhere ¨C to investigate some kind of critical corporate matter? How critical were they talking?


    Laith did a quick search for the company that had been mentioned: Farm Hands Machines. There was only one business with that name, and it wasn¡¯t in Heliopolis. Farm Hands Machines was a small garage that built and fixed farming equipment for vertical farms around the world. It just so happened that its clients included some of the biggest names ¨C Emerald Farm and Greenland Farm. Perhaps Greenland Farm was allocating a large chunk of its revenues to Farm Hands Machines in order to get more equipment made, but even Laith could see that 15% was too large a chunk for a business that made as much money as Greenland Farm. No wonder they¡¯d wanted to look into that.


    ¡°PATET, I need to get a look at the financial records of Greenland Farm,¡± he requested, glancing over at his Slate. ¡°Do I have clearance?¡±


    Please state a reason for clearance.


    ¡°I think it might be connected to Aster Lockwood¡¯s disappearance, which might be connected to Cassia Grove¡¯s murder. It seems there were some financial inconsistencies that Aster was investigating in the time leading up to his disappearance.¡±


    For a moment, PATET considered his request, the small swirling graphic on his phone turning round and round in an almost hypnotic fashion. Then:


    Access to Greenland Farm financial records denied.


    Suggested course of action: Alert the Corporate Crimes Division of the Heliopolis Police Department of the potential crime.


    ¡°But it could be related to my homicide investigation,¡± Laith protested. ¡°Requesting access to Greenland Farm financial records on the basis of connection with the murder of Cassia Grove.¡±


    This time, it didn¡¯t take nearly as long.


    Access to Greenland Farm financial records denied.


    Suggested course of action: Alert the Corporate Crimes Division of the Heliopolis Police Department of the potential crime.


    A growl of frustration ripped out of Laith¡¯s throat before he could stop himself, and he considered his options. There was no reasoning with an artificial intelligence. It was programmed a certain way and would not function outside of its confinements. So, he¡¯d have to work around them himself. He knew some of the detectives on the Corporate Crimes Division. Maybe they¡¯d work with him and let him know if they find anything of interest.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed, and selected a range of files and the message history between Aster Lockwood and Toma Pom. ¡°Alert the Corporate Crimes Division of this potential crime. Send selected files for preliminary review.¡± Then, quickly, he added: ¡°Request Detective Ulv Lebben if available.¡±


    When the request went through, Laith sighed with relief. At the very least, Lebben was a friend. He would be more likely to be transparent with Laith when he needed, and in return, Laith would be more than happy to tell him what he¡¯d learned already about Aster Lockwood and Greenland Farm.


    Feeling slightly less disgruntled with PATET¡¯s rigid protocols, Laith returned to the contents of Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate and pulled up his personal history. There wasn¡¯t much to go through that seemed to be of any interest. His history fit along with what he¡¯d learned of Cassia Grove¡¯s history.


    Aster had studied vertical farming between 2100 and 2102 at the Agricultural University of Heliopolis, during which time he¡¯d met Cassia Grove. He moved to Novus Atlantis in 2104 for a training position with Emerald Farm ¨C ironic, that he would later become one of their biggest competitors ¨C and returned to Heliopolis in 2106. Two years later, he went back to Novus Atlantis again, this time to marry Cassia Grove and take her back with him to Heliopolis.


    As he studied his records, scrolling through past travel passes and records, Laith realized something was missing.


    ¡°PATET, show me all of photographs of Aster Lockwood between 2100 and 2106.¡±


    The results confirmed Laith¡¯s suspicions. Aster Lockwood¡¯s profile didn¡¯t include any photographs of him prior to 2106 ¨C the very year he returned to Heliopolis from his training at the Novus Atlantis branch of Emerald Farm. How was that even possible?


    ¡°PATET, show me all photographs of Aster Lockwood prior to 2106.¡±


    No results found for your search.


    ¡°Search again,¡± he ordered, not quite believing his eyes.


    No results found for your search.


    Florenz Jardin¡¯s words from the crime scene floated back into his mind. PATET doesn¡¯t lie.


    ¡°But this is ridiculous,¡± he whispered, staring at the blank results page. Not a single photograph of Aster Lockwood before 2106? Is that even possible?


    No, it wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t possible, and it wasn¡¯t likely to be a glitch in the system, either.


    With a creeping sense of dread, Laith realized what this might mean:


    Someone was manually messing around with PATET.

 12. PATET, Cerebrum of Heliopolis

    PATET HQ was a city unto its own. An ever-expanding field of server towers on the secure and fortified outskirts of Heliopolis, it featured tall cylindrical structures, completely encased in high-efficiency solar panels and photovoltaic glass. These towers, which gleamed under the fierce sunlight, each had four wind turbines atop them, which also gathered energy for the running of the servers within. Of course, the solar panels, wind turbines, and photovoltaic glass wasn¡¯t enough to power all of the PATET machinery and equipment all on their own.


    Below the expanse of land allocated to the PATET HQ, water rushed over several screw-like turbines, generating enough electricity to meet a whopping 95% of the headquarters''s energy requirements. It has been noted somewhere that even one of those turbines would have been enough to power over two-hundred homes, or a handful of small apartment buildings.


    And how many are there beneath us now? Laith wondered as he passed over the flat slates of rock that made up the path to the administrative tower. Fifteen? Twenty? He¡¯d heard in some interview or documentary that PATET HQ was always growing because of the increasing population of Heliopolis, and as a result new servers were being added ¨C and new towers ¨C along with new turbines in its corresponding underground hydroelectrical plant in order to ensure that energy requirements were always comfortably met. Even now, as he walked, he could hear ¨C almost feel ¨C a faint humming vibration coming from below.


    As he neared the entrance to the administrative building, the circular structure surrounded by palm trees that seemed to stretch towards the sun in competition with the surrounding towers, Laith spotted two people standing within, watching him. It was unsurprising. He had called ahead the day before, when he had realized that someone was actively manipulating PATET, and told them he¡¯d be needing to talk to someone knowledgeable about the AI system. He didn¡¯t tell them what it was about, however.


    The doors opened as he approached, and he was met by an older man ¨C in his fifties, if Laith had to guess ¨C and a young woman who looked to be just out of university.


    ¡°Detective Alazraq?¡± the man asked, holding out his hand to shake. Laith shook the man¡¯s hand with a nod. ¡°My name is Grot Antrum. I¡¯m a senior PATET Specialist here at the HQ. I¡¯ll be answering any questions you might have about the system.¡± He took a step back, gesturing to the woman beside him. ¡°This is Audra Haize, an assistant Specialist working on my team. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I¡¯ve brought her along. She is quite eager to learn more about the system herself.¡± He said this as though he wasn¡¯t particularly happy about it.


    Laith greeted Audra with a hand on his chest and a polite nod, and she gave him a friendly smile in return. He noticed two silver piercings on her lips, like tiny rings, glinting in the light.


    ¡°Please, Detective, come with us to the courtyard,¡± Grot Antrum said, leading the way. ¡°It is generally empty at this time of morning, and quite lovely. You can conduct your interview there.¡±


    Laith followed, through the curved halls of the building, the walls made of beautifully polished wood and accented by hanging plants. They made it to a small inner sanctum, which revealed that the building had a large, cylindrical space at its core, stretching all the way through the top. It was a place for employees of the PATET HQ to take breaks and breathe in some fresh air, Laith guessed, and it really was quite lovely, just as Antrum had said. Platforms stuck out almost randomly at all heights, complete with couches, chairs, and tables for employees to use. Each platform overlooked courtyard, which boasted a small garden with robust trees from which a pleasant scent was emitted. Below these trees were benches. It was here that Antrum gestured for Laith and Audra to take their seats.


    ¡°Tell me, Detective,¡± Grot Antrum said, sitting down with a silent oomph! As his stern gaze turned towards Laith, he could not help but feel the man did not want him here. Perhaps he had a lot of work that needed doing, and Laith was keeping him from it. Or maybe he was simply having a bad day. Whatever it was, Antrum had the look of one who was going to be rather impatient. ¡°What is it you want to know about the PATET system?¡±


    ¡°As you know, I am part of the Homicide Division over at the Heliopolis PD, and we¡¯re currently working on a particularly sensitive case,¡± Laith began.


    ¡°Ah ¨C yes ¨C the woman who was killed in her home, was it?¡± Antrum interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s become quite the topic of conversation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one,¡± Laith said, slightly frustrated at the mention of the news. Once again, he had absolutely no idea how they could have gotten hold of the story. He certainly hadn¡¯t been blabbing to anyone, and he couldn¡¯t imagine Captain Fox ever talking to the media unless absolutely necessary. But really, it could have been anyone who had been even remotely connected to the case. The media weren¡¯t about to list their sources for the whole world to see.


    ¡°The case encountered a few obstacles with PATET, and I was wondering if I could pick your brains about the system in order to get some possible explanations, if that¡¯s alright with you,¡± Laith continued. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot give you the details of the issues or the case, so you¡¯ll simply have to humor me and answer the questions to the best of your ability.¡± He pulled out his Slate. ¡°I¡¯ll have to record this, of course. It¡¯s part of the investigation.¡±


    Antrum stared at the Slate as though it was a dirt stain on the otherwise pristine bench surface, but otherwise did not comment. Haize stepped in instead with a chipper comment: ¡°I¡¯ve never helped a detective solve a crime! This is very interesting. Please, ask us anything you¡¯d like to know more about. Mr. Antrum has been here for many years. He seems to know the system inside-out!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s very kind,¡± Laith said, ignoring Antrum¡¯s behaviour. ¡°My first question has to do with glitches. Have you ever had to deal with glitches, bugs, or any other type of issue with PATET? Can they get in the way of the smooth running of certain operations and sub-systems?¡±


    ¡°Glitches, as you call them, are certainly within the realm of possibility,¡± Antrum replied, pushing his wiry glasses up his nose with a chubby finger. ¡°They are by definition a failure in the system that keeps it from performing its intended function. They result from errors in the code, which can be common. With something as large and ever-expanding as PATET, you can imagine how challenging it can be to keep everything in order. If a glitch is to happen, it may take quite a while to locate the problematic error that is causing it and rectify it, depending on the location in the code and the effects of such an operation.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Laith was just about able to keep up with the man¡¯s explanation. ¡°I assume, if they¡¯re as common as you make them sound, that you¡¯ve had to deal with these before?¡±


    ¡°A few,¡± Antrum admitted hesitantly. ¡°Nothing too major. We have an excellent team of Specialists here at the PATET HQ. Only the best of the best, as they say. All new code is run several times through before it is pushed into the PATET framework. It¡¯s easier to ensure that there are no mistakes that way. But, every now and then, a little problem sneaks its way into the system. Like I said, however: nothing too major.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Laith said, leaning back against a tree trunk. He considered the man¡¯s words for just a moment before asking his next question. ¡°Are glitches always errors in the software itself?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Grot Antrum replied. ¡°Well, almost always. In some cases, a glitch occurs in response to user error. But, if you ask me, that is also an error on the side of the programmers. It is our job to make sure that our system is as user-accessible as possible. We work very hard to keep it that way. PATET is the most user-friendly urban control system on the planet. We did that.¡±


    ¡°And it shows,¡± Laith said, sensing a small twinge of indignation in the man. He didn¡¯t want to come off as being accusatory in any way, but it seemed like Grot Antrum was a bit touchy. ¡°Would you be able to identify a glitch as soon as it happens?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Grot said confidently. ¡°We have numerous processes in place to notify us of situations in which PATET fails to carry out its work.¡±


    ¡°So, the Specialists can alter and adjust the programs whenever needed?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Grot replied, though he seemed to bristle a bit at this question, crossing his arms and leaning ever so slightly away from Laith in the process. ¡°Whenever a fix is required, Specialists must use their skills to ensure that PATET continues to work efficiently.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about the Specialists,¡± Laith said, changing directions slightly. ¡°Do they all have clearance to work on PATET directly? I¡¯d imagine the less experienced Specialists would need a great deal of training before they can take the reins on something as expansive and complex as PATET and its subsystems.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Grot pushed up his glasses again. ¡°Ms. Haize here is a good example. She¡¯s relatively new to the team ¨C has been working here for about a year now. She was chosen from a pool of over one hundred applicants from around the world, many of whom were quite skilled and talented at what they do. But, you see, we have very rigid qualification requirements. Even then, Ms. Haize will not have clearance to work with PATET itself until her supervisor deems her ready. Most new recruits take a good year or two just to familiarize themselves with all of the processes that PATET supports and carries out, of which there are hundreds.¡±


    ¡°Sounds quite challenging,¡± Laith remarked, glancing over at Audra Haize.


    ¡°It is,¡± she replied, nodding. ¡°There is certainly quite a lot to learn! But, I am determined. I spend as much time watching and learning from my team members as I do practicing in the PATET Simulator. I¡¯ve been improving my skills every day.¡±


    ¡°With still a very long way to go,¡± Antrum added. ¡°Do you have any other questions, Detective?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just a couple more, if that¡¯s alright,¡± Laith said. ¡°Can PATET be hacked externally?¡±


    Antrum scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°With the strongest firewalls and security measures, I¡¯d like to see anyone try!¡± he said. ¡°Do you have any serious questions?¡±


    Laith ignored his last remark, pushing on with his line of thought. ¡°What about an internal hacker? Someone who is able to use their access to PATET to hack into parts of it that should be locked to them?¡±


    Grot Antrum just about rolled his eyes at the suggestion. ¡°Anything is possible, I suppose, but PATET isn¡¯t just a stationary system. Its artificial intelligence allows it to be dynamic, reactive. Anything of that sort would be immediately flagged. If PATET is unable to keep the hacker away, it will at the very least ensure that the Specialists are notified. In the worst case scenario ¨C which we have never experienced, by the way ¨C the decision might be made to completely lock down and shut down the system that has been penetrated, keeping the hacker from advancing any further.¡±


    ¡°And, if I may add, a hacker can¡¯t hide their identity with PATET. No matter what they do, PATET would know who it was,¡± Haize said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s stealing money or trying to change records, their identity would be recorded. It can¡¯t be hidden. At least, not if they¡¯re an internal user with access to PATET.¡±


    ¡°Can someone hide from PATET?¡± Laith asked. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    Audra seemed to consider this for just a split second before responding. ¡°I suppose, theoretically, they could ¨C with the right access and knowledge of the system, they could keep themselves hidden from PATET¡¯s detection. I suppose that¡¯s why the public isn¡¯t privy to the specifics of how PATET works, though. To keep people from potentially using that knowledge to exploit the system to their advantage.¡±


    Antrum was already shaking his head. ¡°Nobody can hide from PATET,¡± he grumbled, glaring at Audra as though she¡¯d just offended him personally. ¡°Ms. Haize is still rather inexperienced, and doesn¡¯t know quite as much about PATET as she evidently thinks she does.¡± At this, Audra Haize¡¯s face crumpled into confusion and hurt. ¡°PATET is a very powerful system. It was made with all of these considerations in mind. Nobody can hide from PATET ¨C that¡¯s the whole point. You can¡¯t escape detection. And, quite frankly, Detective, my team and I have a lot of work to complete by the end of the day, so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to stop this interview here.¡±


    Laith watched as the man stood, straitened his off-white shirt, and fixed his trainee with a hard stare. ¡°Come along, Ms. Haize,¡± he said. ¡°Lots to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if Ms. Haize would walk me out, Mr. Antrum,¡± Laith said quickly, giving him his most disarming smile. ¡°You have been quite helpful, and I hope I can ask Ms. Haize a few more questions about how one becomes a Specialist, if you don¡¯t mind. I have a niece who¡¯d love the opportunity,¡± he added, and hoped that Antrum was buying it.


    He grumbled something under his breath and pointed a finger at Audra. ¡°Five minutes,¡± he said, and all but stomped off into the building.


    As the two of them left the building and walked across the stone path, Laith decided to come clean. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a niece who¡¯s interested in becoming a Specialist,¡± he told her. ¡°But I had a bit of a feeling that your boss wouldn¡¯t want you to keep talking to me. He seemed to take everything pretty personally. Do you really think someone could hide from PATET?¡±


    Audra Haize¡¯s face went from surprised to intently attentive. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, tucking her black hair behind her ears. ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯ve been learning so much ¨C I know that I¡¯m no expert, like Mr. Antrum, but I¡¯m no idiot, either. I¡¯m sure there are ways for someone to hide from PATET if they know how to do it.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°Is your suspect hiding from PATET?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet,¡± Laith admitted. ¡°I just want to check all possible explanations. You don¡¯t have time right now, but do you think we can meet again this evening? I have a few more questions to discuss with you, if you¡¯re up for it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Audra said brightly. ¡°This is actually kind of cool! I¡¯m like an expert consultant for a murder investigation right now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Laith gave her a tight smile. ¡°Something like that,¡± he said. Only it wasn¡¯t really all that cool, with a dead body and a missing person and the possibility of someone covering their tracks using holes in PATET¡¯s system. But he didn¡¯t want to burst her bubble. ¡°I¡¯ll send you an address. Meet me there tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there!¡± she replied, giving him a mock salute and jogging back into the building.


    Laith walked back to his Camino Forest, shaking his head.

 13. Corporate Secrets Among the Farms

    When Laith got back to the Heliopolis Police headquarters, it was almost lunchtime, and he could see a few early birds already out of their offices and heading to the cafeteria before the bigger crowd came. He spotted Detective Ulv Lebben of the Corporate Crimes Division in the lobby speaking to an officer Laith did not recognize. His gaze met Laith¡¯s, and Ulv waved to him from across the large space, said a few more words to the young officer with him before patting him on the shoulder, and jogged over to where Laith was standing, weaving around the old tree in the middle. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Lebben said with an easy smile. ¡°How have you been? What¡¯s the news?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s the same old, but I actually have a case I¡¯m working, believe it or not,¡± Laith said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard,¡± Ulv replied. ¡°Apparently, Lin¡¯s livid the case went to you and not to her.¡±


    Lin ¨C the nickname everyone called his fellow Homicide Detective Lingasa Flax ¨C had been as completely un-busy as Laith had been, and he couldn¡¯t blame her for wishing she had gotten her hands on the case. He¡¯d felt the same restlessness before ¨C before he¡¯d actually gotten the case. Now, he continued on out of a sense of duty and justice, but yearned for the peaceful quiet of his days before Cassia Grove had been found murdered in her home.


    ¡°I have closed more cold cases than her,¡± Laith pointed out. He didn¡¯t know if that had had anything to do with Captain Fox¡¯s decision to hand the case over to him, but he did have a sneaking suspicion that it might have played at least a small role. He¡¯d also done pretty well in the semi-annual evaluations, but he imagined Lin would have had to do well, too, to keep her job.


    ¡°Oh, we told her the same thing,¡± Ulv said, patting Laith on the back as they began walking in the direction of the cafeteria. Ulv had always had a bit of a limp, and it was always more obvious when he was walking as opposed to when he was running or jogging. One day, Laith had asked him about it, and Ulv had pulled up his pant leg to reveal a prosthetic. ¡°But she claims that you chose all of the easy cases and she could¡¯ve solved them, too. Just never got the chance, apparently.¡±


    Laith frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. We were all working on the same sets of cases,¡± he said, shaking his head. He¡¯d just happened to solve some of them first. There was no need for Lin to make comments such as those ¨C it was unprofessional at best, and painfully envious at worst ¨C but Laith couldn¡¯t bring himself to take much stock of her words. She must have been extremely frustrated. ¡°Besides, this one¡¯s really taking it out on me. I¡¯m confused more than I actually have answers, and that¡¯s saying something.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much,¡± Ulv said. ¡°After all, most cases are solved by PATET in under twenty-four hours. Even at my division, it¡¯s become a running joke that PATET¡¯s the detective, and we¡¯re just the grunts that do the leg work,¡± he added, chuckling. ¡°Anyway, what can you do, right? It is what it is, and that¡¯s a good thing, in the end.¡±


    Unless PATET makes mistakes and provides the wrong solutions, Laith thought grimly. The more he learned about it, the more he thought that PATET wasn¡¯t as air-tight as the people had been led to believe it was.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a case, too, don¡¯t you?¡± Laith ventured. ¡°The Greenland Farm case. I specifically requested you for it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ulv said, reaching one of the picnic tables in the open air cafeteria and awkwardly climbing over the bench to take a seat. ¡°Thank you for that one, by the way. Somehow, PATET hasn¡¯t figured it out yet, so I actually get to, you know, do my job. Crazy stuff.¡±


    ¡°Find anything so far?¡± Laith inquired curiously, taking a seat across from him and leaning forward. A large rosemary bush grew on the ground beside them, and Laith noticed a wasp buzzing around it, searching for something. ¡°I was hoping we¡¯d share notes. I think it¡¯s related to my case, too.¡±


    Ulv¡¯s ears might as well have perked up in attention. ¡°Oh?¡± he asked. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Aster Lockwood¡¯s missing,¡± Laith said, snapping off a bit of rosemary and rubbing it between his hands. The scent wafted up to meet him. ¡°I found his Slate out in the Ruins. But his Slate was also used to unlock the door and leave the home he shared with his wife right after she was killed.¡±


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    ¡°And how does that connect to whatever financial crime Greenland Farm might be committing?¡±


    ¡°The contents of his Slate show that he was apparently investigating the matter himself. You¡¯ve seen them, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ulv nodded, and Laith continued. ¡°So, if Aster Lockwood was investigating what might actually be one of the biggest financial crimes of the decade, and suddenly goes missing without a trace right after his wife¡¯s murder¡­¡±


    ¡°You think someone got to him to keep him quiet,¡± Ulv guessed, stroking his clean-shaven chin. ¡°But what does that have to do with his wife?¡±


    Laith shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± he admitted. ¡°His disappearance is linked to her murder, I¡¯m sure of it. It¡¯s too coincidental otherwise. But I have too many leads going nowhere. It could have been a case of blackmail gone bad, or maybe Lockwood got into an argument with his wife and killed her, or maybe he got involved with something in the Ruins and it followed him home, or maybe ¨C maybe someone who figured out he was onto them at Greenland Farm decided to get rid of him and ended up killing his wife, either by accident or because she ended up witnessing or hearing something she shouldn¡¯t have.¡± He threw his hands into the air with an exasperated sigh. ¡°The truth is, your guess is as good as mine at this point in time. I feel like I¡¯ve opened up a can of worms with this case. I just want to be as thorough as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got your hands full with this one,¡± Ulv said. ¡°But I see your reasoning. It¡¯s possible the two cases might be connected. Unfortunately, though, we don¡¯t have anything solid yet.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t find anything at all?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Ulv admitted with a small, confident smile. ¡°I did some digging into that company ¨C the Farm Hands Machines place ¨C and found out that they had ties to both Greenland Farm and Emerald Farm. Those two are the only farms they work with, which struck me as a bit odd, for a variety of reasons. First, it didn¡¯t make sense that two giants like Greenland Farm and Emerald Farm would do business with a tiny garage like Farm Hands. They don¡¯t even have particularly high quality equipment, either, and a look into their location showed me that their warehouse and factory were pretty small, too. Not exactly something that inspires confidence that the company would rise to the demands of these two Farms.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was a cheap solution they used for specific areas of their farms,¡± Laith suggested. It certainly wouldn¡¯t be the first time companies had cut corners to ensure their profits, though he sincerely doubted farms like Greenland Farm and Emerald Farm needed to cut corners anywhere.


    ¡°I thought about that, too,¡± Ulv said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense, either. That¡¯s my second point, by the way. The numbers don¡¯t add up. According to Lockwood¡¯s assistant Pom, fifteen percent of their revenues were going to Farm Hands Machines. That¡¯s a heck of a lot of money, Laith, and for what? Some average quality tech they could get at garages that could do a better job meeting their demands for a much lower price? It¡¯s completely out of proportion.¡±


    ¡°Nepotism?¡± Laith asked. It was possible that someone who knew the owner of Farm Hands Machines was giving them business just because they could.


    ¡°Would be a huge oversight if it was,¡± Ulv replied, then shook his head, rapping his knuckles against the wooden surface of the table. ¡°No, I think something¡¯s definitely up with this whole situation. I spoke to Toma Pom yesterday, and he told me Aster Lockwood was a control-freak and a stickler for company policy and security. Ran a tight ship. Not the kind of guy who¡¯d overlook something as blatantly harmful to his business as that. And, if what I¡¯ve heard about Fraser Zamarad is true, he wouldn¡¯t let his Emerald Farm get suckered by this kind of ploy, either. So, I did a little more digging. I have a contact over at Novus Atlantis, so I was able to get some speedy results.¡±


    Ulv leaned in, as if the information was particularly sensitive, and Laith listened intently. ¡°Apparently, Farm Hands Machines is owned by a subsidiary of Emerald Farm.¡±


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    Laith stared at himself in the mirror, taking in the haggard look on his face. He hadn¡¯t been sleeping very well ever since he¡¯d started looking into this case. It wasn¡¯t so much that it was haunting him ¨C what he¡¯d seen that day at the crime scene was terribly tragic and horrible, but he¡¯d seen photographs of various crime scenes that were a great deal gorier and harder to look at while he¡¯d worked the cold cases from the pre-Heliopolic era. What was keeping him up at night was his mind, always buzzing with theories and questions, always telling him that he shouldn¡¯t be sleeping, shouldn¡¯t be resting, because every moment that he wasn¡¯t working was a moment where the killer was roaming the city, completely free to do as they wished.


    He washed his hands mechanically, staring into his bloodshot green eyes. He supposed it was normal to feel this way. They¡¯d been warned about such feelings in their training, and his handbook ¨C which he still had, tucked away somewhere in one of the bookshelves in his apartment ¨C had an entire chapter dedicated to mental wellness for detectives and officers dealing with cases of a particularly sensitive or difficult nature. He imagined some of his other colleagues, which dealt with assault, harassment, and violent cases, often referred to that. There were also a small group of counselors for employees of the Heliopolis Police Department to speak with if they were facing difficulties. Laith had never had reason to consider speaking to them.


    Breaking eye contact with himself, he cupped water in his hands and washed his face a few times, trying to give himself a little fresh jump. The day was still long, and he had quite a lot to do. In about four hours, after the work day was over, he¡¯d be meeting with Audra at a restaurant in the Forest, and only afterwards would he be able to head home and relax. Maybe sleep. He was looking forward to it.


    A notification alert rang through the bathroom, and he wiped his hands on the paper towels and pulled out his Slate. It was a follow-up from the Novus Atlantis authorities regarding the man in the photograph that he had found in Cassia Grove¡¯s office the day before last. As he read its contents, Laith felt a shiver run down his spine. He rushed out of the bathroom and into his office, taking a seat as he dove into the information they had sent. Once. Twice. Thrice.


    The man in the photograph had been identified, but Laith couldn¡¯t quite believe his eyes.


    According to their records, the man¡¯s name was Aster Lockwood.

 14. The Bone Bouquet Cafe & Eatery

    The restaurant was busy at this time of the evening, but not with people Laith often saw in his everyday life. Naturally, people were dining out before returning home, or picking up their dinners on their way back to their houses or apartments, eager to turn in for the night. Normally, Laith disliked being in crowded, busy areas. He preferred visiting restaurants, shops, and public spaces when he knew there would be less people around. But he¡¯d decided to grin and bear it this time around. He needed to learn more about PATET.


    The Bone Bouquet Cafe & Eatery wasn¡¯t a place he¡¯d ever been to, and not a place he imagined the people he knew ¨C his colleagues, friends, and relatives ¨C ever frequented. In fact, he¡¯d suggested another place entirely, but Audra Haize had not-so-subtly implied that it might be more comfortable for her to meet here, and so he¡¯d obliged, given that she was doing him a favor by helping him out. It was completely unfamiliar territory, though. He stared at the name banner from outside on the street, leaning against the large cylinder of white light that functioned as a light post. The banner consisted of three planks of recycled wood pyrographed with the words ¡®Bone Bouquet Cafe & Eatery¡¯ ¨C complete with little skulls for the Os and a long bone underlining the title. It was easy to recognize that this was one of those heli-goth establishments, and the clientele, being largely teenagers and young adults, seemed to reinforce that this wasn¡¯t a place Laith would normally hang out in.


    The heli-goth movement, sometimes referred to as solar goth, was a largely peaceful one, and not quite as seemingly morose as he¡¯d learned previous evolutionary stages in the sub-culture had been. While the heli-goths still looked to discussing and understanding themes of existentialism, tragedy, the human condition, nihilism, and other intriguing topics, if Laith was to believe the books and articles he¡¯d read for a report back in high school, the current movement had taken a more hopeful turn. Just as society had looked to the revitalizing and stabilizing effects of nature, so had the heli-goths. They looked to the sun, to the trees, to the rich earth and that which grew upon it, and to the tireless cycle of life. Finding ways to reconcile these environmental considerations with traditional gothic themes, the young men and women who claimed membership to this community simply continued a movement that had always focused on helping them identify who they were and where they fit into the changing world around them.


    The gothic sub-culture might have had its day in darkness, but it had been born anew, changed into a healthier, sunnier version of its former self. Or so he¡¯d read. It helped, of course, that many of the vices that had been so easily available in the pre-Heliopolic era were no longer so freely tempting. Recreational use of dangerous drugs, which had been a big concern for the public (and not just within the gothic scene), was almost nonexistent in Heliopolis, and the Drug Crimes Division worked alongside PATET to keep it that way. All that remained, then, was ideology and aesthetics, music and art ¨C all of which were much more docile and sensible when not mixed with the vices and prejudices of old. Now, more than anything, they celebrated life and death equally, took a healthy interest in what it meant to be a human in this day and age, and what their responsibilities to the Earth and the environment were.


    That his interviewee had chosen this, of all places, told him something more about her that he hadn¡¯t previously known. But Audra Haize was apparently running late, and the place seemed to get busier and busier as the minutes passed by. It would be better to get in there and grab a table before the place was too full.


    Laith pushed open the wooden doors and stepped inside, keenly aware of the fact that he stood out in this establishment, his usual detective garb of a button-down shirt and black pants not at all similar to the fascinating hodge-podge fashion of the heli-goth enthusiasts that littered the eatery. Their self-designed clothes were mostly monochromatic, like they had been so long ago, only this time they bore bright accents in the forms of blooming floral motifs, shining suns, luminous moons, and more symbols of an environmental nature. One adolescent girl even wore a crown in the shape of the sun. When she blinked, her eyelids revealed a gibbous moon, with the dark side of the moon serving as a dark, thick eyeliner. Rose-shaped earrings hung from her ears like droplets of blood, glinting in the light.


    He¡¯d told Warda not to wait for him for dinner, because he was meeting an expert consultant, but she¡¯d stubbornly promised she would, anyway, so he wasn¡¯t going to order anything. The booths in the back of the restaurant were the most private, and that area seemed the quietest as well. Laith pulled back a curtain of Ceropegia woodii, also known as chain of hearts, and slid into the booth it concealed, the warm lighting lending an inviting touch in the small wooded compartment with its pyrographed floral designs featuring bones littered here and there.


    While he waited, he perused the touch screen menu set on a wooden stand, almost leaning against the wall, wondering if he should order a drink. There was a small note that told him all of their offerings were halal, so at least he wouldn¡¯t have to puzzle out which of the options he could choose from. There were a range of interesting sounding appetizers, meals, and desserts to be had, like the Stuffed Marrow Flowers, Floating Chrysanthemum Soup, and Living Skull Cake. The last one sounded particularly intriguing, and he made a note to try it out sometime with Warda. This wasn¡¯t their usual scene, but they enjoyed trying new things out together. He dragged his eyes down the list of drinks and settled on a Black Rose Tea, which was described as a rich infusion of black pearl and black ice roses. He didn¡¯t really enjoy the taste of rose water, finding it somewhat overpowering, but he supposed he could try rose tea and see if he liked it.


    Just as he sent in his order, the curtains drew back and Audra Haize slipped into the seat across from him. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± she said breathlessly, and gave him an apologetic smile. She had changed her Specialist uniform, which Laith had noticed consisted of an off-white shirt and navy trousers, in for a black dress with puffed out sleeves and maroon roses embroidered on the shoulders. It had a hand-made, tailored feel to it. ¡°I was halfway home when I remembered we¡¯d agreed to meet. I don¡¯t know where my head was!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Laith said. ¡°Do you want to order anything?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± she replied enthusiastically, and took the menu from its stand to enter her order, seemingly familiar with the options. ¡°I love their blood moon biscuits,¡± she said as she tapped away. ¡°And their Pure Chocolate Death drink ¨C it comes with a few bone-shaped honey tablets that you can drop into your hot chocolate to sweeten it.¡± She sent in her order and placed the tablet back on its stand. ¡°So, Detective, what was it you wanted to ask me about?¡±


    ¡°I have a few more follow-up questions about PATET, if that¡¯s alright with you,¡± he began. ¡°Mr. Antrum didn¡¯t seem all too pleased to answer my questions earlier today,¡± he added dryly.


    Ms. Haize¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°Yes, it was a bit strange. We¡¯re always busy, but I¡¯ve never seen him act like that,¡± she admitted. ¡°But he was right, you know. I still have much to learn about the system. I¡¯m not sure if I could be of more help than he can. He¡¯s been around much longer, after all, and seems to know an awful lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Laith said. ¡°I just want to know a little more about your theoreticals. Earlier, you said that it was theoretically possible for someone to hide from PATET. Can you tell me how that might work? How would someone go about concealing their identity?¡±


    ¡°Well, to be completely honest with you, I might have misspoke,¡± she said sheepishly.


    They paused for a moment as the curtain was pulled back and a smiling waitress placed their drinks on the table. They both thanked her and claimed their drinks, and Audra Haize insisted on paying for both of them ¨C in cash, which was surprising for Laith. Most people used their Slates these days, because most people were paid directly to their accounts, which were linked up to the devices for an easy payment and money transfer method.


    In fact, cash was really only used when someone didn¡¯t want the payment to be recorded. Gamblers often dealt in cash, and often because they didn¡¯t want any family members or significant others to find out about money transactions moving in and out of joint or minors¡¯ accounts. People also dealt in cash when they were buying something they thought might be embarrassing to have logged on their purchase history. Sometimes, that was as innocent as something like lice shampoo or diarrhea medications. Sometimes, it was something a bit less innocent. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t always mean that something shady was happening.


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    Audra Haize didn¡¯t strike him as the kind of person to be embarrassed about sitting here and purchasing delicious treats for herself. Then again, maybe she just liked the feel of cash in her hands, even if those were some pretty big bills she¡¯d pulled out of her wallet. ¡°Keep the change,¡± she told the waitress. If she noticed his curiosity, she didn¡¯t let on, and Laith didn¡¯t question it further, deciding that it was none of his business what a young Specialist did with her money and turning his attention instead to his drink. Laith¡¯s was a mug of steaming tea that smelled heavily of roses, like a bottle of perfume, and featured a single floating black pearl. He took a tentative sip of the sweetened tea, and realized with some surprise that it wasn¡¯t as terrible as he¡¯d expected it might be. The rich aroma of Audra Haize¡¯s chocolate drink battled for prominence over that of his rose tea, and he watched as she took a small golden-brown capsule shaped like a bone and plopped it into her drink, where its coating dissolved to release the sweet honey within. She added a couple more and mixed her drink together with enthusiasm, her eyes glinting.


    ¡°So, you were saying something about having misspoke?¡± Laith prompted after she¡¯d taken what looked to be a very satisfying first gulp of her Pure Chocolate Death. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said, tucking her inky black hair behind her ears and wrapping her fingers around the hot mug. ¡°Well, I started thinking about what Mr. Antrum said, and he¡¯s not wrong. You can¡¯t hide from PATET. At least, not in real-time. So, I might have given you the wrong impression there. But, theoretically speaking, you could potentially erase yourself.¡±


    ¡°Erase yourself?¡± Laith wondered, intrigued. ¡°How would one go about doing that?¡±


    ¡°Well ¨C keep in mind that this is a very hypothetical situation, since we¡¯re speaking theoretically ¨C I suppose it could be done by a Specialist,¡± she said, taking another gratifying gulp of her rich chocolate drink. ¡°To be fair, it would go against all protocols, and it goes against what we are taught to do, but technically speaking, Specialists do have the power to manually enter and alter data and information within PATET¡¯s framework of databases and programs. Sometimes, in special cases, we do that in order to fix errors or manually override little bugs that have caused certain malfunctions.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s only natural that the Specialists would need to be able to manually adjust things from time to time,¡± Laith said, tapping his fingers against his mug of rose tea. ¡°Are you telling me that any Specialist can go and do whatever they want in the system, though?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± she replied quickly, shaking her head. ¡°Well, not really. You need to earn clearance, and that comes with being promoted into senior and executive roles. I couldn¡¯t mess around with PATET, for example, because I¡¯m still an assistant Specialist. My pass only allows me superficial permissions ¨C I couldn¡¯t change much of anything, even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°But someone in a senior position could?¡± Laith asked, and she nodded her head in confirmation. ¡°Someone like Grot Antrum?¡±


    Haize¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah ¨C well, I suppose, theoretically, yes.¡± She tilted her head, as though considering something. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t really make sense, because we¡¯re just one of hundreds of teams working on various different parts of PATET¡¯s systems. Even at his level, Mr. Antrum doesn¡¯t have access to the entirety of PATET. We work on specific solutions, upgrades, and fixes, but everything is sent higher up in the chain, and there are Specialists at much higher levels that will then integrate it all. If there¡¯s anyone who could mess around with PATET on a significant scale ¨C say, erasing all traces of someone committing a crime ¨C it would be someone much higher up the chain of command, so to speak.¡± She held up a finger and added: ¡°Also, I should emphasize that I am not trying to say that there is someone who has been messing about with PATET. This is all just hypothetical.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Laith said, taking a sip of his tea. ¡°Okay, so spell it out for me a little more. How does that relate to my earlier question?¡±


    She had one bone-shaped capsule left, and she played with it, poking at it with her finger, while she responded. ¡°It¡¯s not really too far of a stretch, in my opinion, to enter, delete, or change information about a certain person, place, or thing. With the kinds of permissions that someone higher up the chain has, a Specialist could do most anything they wanted. It might take some time and a great deal of knowledge ¨C PATET is very complex ¨C but theoretically speaking, it¡¯s possible, I think.¡±


    Laith imagined that, given what Antrum had said about their competitive hiring methods and rigorous long-term training, all of the Specialists at PATET HQ were potentially quite capable of doing whatever they wanted, should they have the opportunity to do so. The idea didn¡¯t settle well in his stomach. He¡¯d read stories about cities of the past, when they¡¯d tried to automate their systems, and how easily many of them had suffered sabotaging at the hands of hackers or even disgruntled members of their communities. Sewage systems that had been re-set to drain raw sewage into residential areas, dams that had suffered explosions from remotely-altered turbine settings, and banks being robbed blind of the personal and financial information of their clients, which were then sold ¨C all of this and much more had taken place at the hands of people who had been undoubtedly resourceful but morally and ethically corrupt. To think of something similar happening via PATET made his stomach twist in anxiety, and he pushed away his mug of tea.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s a fail-safe, though?¡± Laith asked. ¡°I mean, they can¡¯t just let Specialists do whatever they want without any consequences. I¡¯m sure they have some kind of protection against rogue Specialists fiddling around with what they shouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Haize agreed, swallowing yet another big gulp of her hot drink. ¡°The hierarchy itself is a security of sorts. At the very least, it can be easier to identify where an issue might have happened when analyzing the nature of the issue at hand. If it crosses multiple areas of PATET¡¯s operations, then it¡¯s a pretty sure thing that it had to have been someone in a higher position who would have had access to all of those areas. Smaller teams like mine only really deal with one small project at a time.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no other security measures in place?¡± Laith asked, surprised. ¡°None at all?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is one thing. But we¡¯re not really supposed to know about it.¡± Ms. Haize took another sip of her drink, this time looking particularly interested in it.


    ¡°Not supposed to know about it, or don¡¯t know about it?¡± Laith prodded.


    Audra Haize gave him a mischievous smile. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I know of some methods that PATET HQ might be using to keep an eye on things. Theoretically, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Laith said. ¡°And theoretically, what kinds of methods would those be?¡±


    ¡°The most relevant, when it comes to identifying a specific party, is the use of hidden logs,¡± Haize explained. ¡°The log will track every single Specialist¡¯s actions. If you click on something, it tracks it. If you write a word and then erase it, it tracks it. So, it stands to reason that if a Specialist were to dishonestly mess around with particular parts of the system, all of that would be tracked, too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, that¡¯s something, at least,¡± Laith murmured, unconvinced. ¡°But the logs are only relevant after the matter, aren¡¯t they? Anything to stop someone in their tracks?¡±


    Ms. Haize finished her drink and set it aside, still playing with the last bone-shaped capsule. ¡°PATET has some security measures in place, especially around the more sensitive and delicate of systems, but generally speaking, anyone with enough skill and knowledge could work their way around those walls, so I think the log is your best bet. I know it seems a trifling thing in comparison to the kind of damage that could hypothetically be done at the hands of a rogue Specialist with the right permissions, but that¡¯s also why PATET HQ has such a challenging hiring experience,¡± she explained, frowning as the coating of the capsule melted against her finger and released the honey.


    ¡°There were a range of tests, many of them aimed at determining our skill levels and abilities, but there were also a few that had to do with the more ethical and moral implications of becoming a Specialist. They gave us several hypotheticals, some of which didn¡¯t have much to do with PATET itself, and asked us what we would do in those situations. No options to choose from. No answers already prepared. We just had to answer with what we honestly thought was the best way to react.¡± She shrugged and popped her finger into her mouth, unwilling to let the honey go to waste. ¡°Even now, we trainees still have semi-annual evaluations of our skills and ethics. I think, if there was someone who was so ethically or morally corrupt that they might do something of the magnitude of what you¡¯re implying, they would have been weeded out a long time ago, in the application and training stages.¡±


    Laith wanted to ask her straight-out whether someone could remove their entire identity from PATET ¨C whether they could essentially become an unknown ghost, floating through the city and doing whatever they wished without being identified or brought to justice. But he knew that he couldn¡¯t; to do so would alert her of the real reason behind all of his questions. He suspected that she had already somewhat guessed what he was looking for through his line of questioning, but he didn¡¯t need a civilian to know any more than she needed to.


    They sat there for a little while more, and he asked her a few other questions about training, how promotions worked at PATET HQ, and a some aspects of the workplace that he wasn¡¯t all that interested in ¨C mainly in an attempt to throw her off the mark slightly, though he got the impression that Audra Haize was much more cunning than she let on under her chirpy attitude. It wasn¡¯t long before he was thanking her for her help, and they were parting ways.


    On his walk home ¨C the cafe was only a handful of blocks from his house ¨C he shuddered at the thought that the entire city of Heliopolis and all of its systems were potentially at the mercy of the Specialists. One corrupt individual could sabotage everything that made the city what it was.


    He hoped the Pure Chocolate Deaths he¡¯d ordered to go for Warda and himself would stay warm enough for them to enjoy at home, but the idea of everything being so easily destroyed kept him from having much of an appetite anymore.

 15. One of Two, But Who Is Who?

    The morning of the sixth day was particularly grueling. Laith had been giving Captain Olivia Fox his report for a good hour, and the woman had been in her full nightmare form. It didn¡¯t help that the business with Aster Lockwood¡¯s identity and the Farm Hands Machines investigation only complicated matters. But she was adamant that he close his investigation as soon as possible, because the media were beginning to wonder what was taking so long, and why the killer was still roaming freely within the confines of their fair city.


    ¡°People are breathing down my neck about this,¡± she¡¯d grumbled, gesturing to yet another article about Cassia Grove¡¯s murder on her tablet. ¡°It reflects badly on the force, and my supervisors are putting pressure on me to get it solved, which means I¡¯m officially putting pressure on you to get it solved, Laith. I suspect that there are people that are putting pressure on my own supervisors in all of this; it''s not like them to rush it otherwise, and I don''t like to think what''s happening in the background. Get it done, please, and quickly. We have suspects ¨C hunt them down and arrest them. I¡¯m willing to bet that her husband is behind all of this, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t bet,¡± Laith had replied absentmindedly, and she¡¯d let out what could only be described as an exasperated snarl in response, as though his mere existence was frustrating her at that moment, which it very well could have been.


    ¡°Listen, the media is already questioning us, and pretty soon, that¡¯s going to transform itself into full-blown panic. People are going to be scared. I won¡¯t have a killer on the loose at our expense. Do your job, Detective.¡±


    Though he agreed that having a killer on the loose was a frightening thing, catching him ¨C no, just identifying him ¨C was easier said than done. After all, she wasn¡¯t the one trying to wade through the knee-deep muck of a mess he¡¯d been dropped into. Cassia Grove¡¯s death was perplexing in and of itself, and when viewed in relation to her husband¡¯s ominous disappearance, there were more questions than answers to be found. He¡¯d honestly told Captain Fox that he would continue to do his best, but even Laith was beginning to wonder if he had been the right choice for this case. Maybe Lin would have made a better choice. Or even Roman. Maybe the number of cold cases he¡¯d solved didn¡¯t mean anything in the face of real, live detecting.


    He sat at his desk with a deep sigh and pushed his face into his hands, rubbing his forehead and temples in an attempt to stimulate his brain. This was not something he was used to. There was frustration in trying and failing to solve a cold case, but that wasn¡¯t the same thing as trying to solve a fresh murder case ¨C something that had just happened.


    It had just happened. How could the perpetrator get away so easily, and evade all of their detection methods? How had this even happened in the first place? It went against everything he¡¯d known about PATET for it to allow for such a huge crime to be committed without even the slightest of a lead. It had been more common, before the establishment of Heliopolis, for such things to happen. People got away with crimes all the time, including crimes as terrible as murder. But it just wasn¡¯t something that happened in Heliopolis. Not under the watchful eye of PATET.


    Or so they¡¯d been told, anyway.


    He sat there for a while, willing an answer to appear before him, praying for it, until finally his Slate rang and pulled him out of his stupor. His wife was calling him. He took a deep, calming breath and answered her call.


    ¡°Laith ¨C you have to come down to the hospital as soon as you can,¡± Warda said, her voice strained with some kind of anxiety. ¡°We¡¯ve found your victim¡¯s husband. We¡¯ve found Aster Lockwood.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    The hospital that Warda worked in, simply called the Central Hospital of Heliopolis, was one of the largest in the city. It was located on the outskirts of the Forest, making it an ideal location for people who lived there as well as those in its surrounding neighbourhoods. It was also just adjacent to the Official Quarter, where Laith worked, though the Quarter was located on a high plateau, while the Central Hospital stood at the base of the plateau. Like many buildings in Heliopolis, it was largely self-sufficient, with a veritable field of wind turbines lined up in rows on its roof, reaching out into the sky and spinning with the wind. They rose out of the verdant lawns like giant flowers, and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for patients to head to the roof for small picnics and walks in fresh air.


    Laith found his wife waiting for him near the entrance, and he kissed her cheek in greeting. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked her as they walked together towards the ward Aster Lockwood was being kept in. ¡°Why is he here?¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°He was found near the hospital, badly beaten,¡± she said. ¡°Someone brought him in ¨C just a passer-by who was on their way to work, I think. He was completely disoriented, bruised all over. He has a concussion. Couldn¡¯t stand up straight, very sluggish, and didn¡¯t seem to know where he was or what he was doing here,¡± she explained as they turned a corner. ¡°We¡¯ve put him in a private room for now.¡±


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s him?¡± Laith asked curiously.


    ¡°Fingerprint identification,¡± Warda replied, pushing through a set of double doors. ¡°He couldn¡¯t remember his name, so we had someone get a fingerprint scanner and identify him. When I saw his name, I decided to call you right away.¡±


    ¡°Is he doing any better?¡± With any luck, Laith could start questioning him right away. Aster Lockwood was quite possibly the closest thing to a witness and a suspect that he had for this case, and he was itching to get some answers from him. ¡°Can I speak to him?¡±


    Warda shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve had to sedate him,¡± she said. ¡°He became quite irritable earlier, and it was made worse by his confusion. He lashed out at a nurse, so we had to calm him down. It was all the concussion¡¯s effects and symptoms, of course, but it¡¯ll be hard to get anything coherent out of him now.¡±


    At last they reached the private room Aster Lockwood had been placed in, and the two of them entered to find him in bed, dozing calmly under the effects of the sedative. He had green-tinged bruises on his face, and going by what Warda had told him, Laith expected that his whole body was riddled with more bruising. His arms, which rested at his sides, not covered by the blue blanket, presented more of the yellowish-green bruising, but what really caught Laith¡¯s eye were the bruises around his wrists, as though they had been tied up.


    ¡°Can I get you to give me a report of all of his wounds and injuries?¡± Laith asked his wife. ¡°I need the details for my case files.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Warda said quietly. ¡°There¡¯s something else. Those bruises ¨C the color of them ¨C it means that they¡¯re anywhere from five to ten days old. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯ll mean more to you than it will to me, but I thought it might help.¡±


    It did help. It meant that Aster Lockwood might have well been abducted the same day as his wife¡¯s murder, possibly for reasons in connection with Grove¡¯s killing. With all of the bruising, he certainly didn¡¯t look like a suspect. He looked like a victim, though why the killer would have thought to abduct him and beat him ¨C possibly hold him somewhere, by the state of the man¡¯s wrists ¨C instead of doing away with him along with his wife, Laith couldn¡¯t quite understand. It must have had something to do with the blackmail. Or his investigation into Farm Hands Machines. Or something to do with his identity. Nevertheless, he would have to wait patiently for the business magnate to awaken in order to question him.


    ¡°Can you place him in a more secure room?¡± Laith asked his wife. ¡°He could be a witness or a suspect, and either way, I want him in a secure location. I¡¯ll get a couple of officers sent up to guard his door.¡±


    ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Warda said, and have his shoulder a gentle squeeze. ¡°We¡¯ll take good care of him until he can speak to you. Whether he can give you more information about the murderer or he is the murderer, you¡¯ll get it out of him soon.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Laith murmured wearily.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some rest in my office?¡± she asked as she pulled up Aster Lockwood¡¯s file on her tablet. ¡°You haven¡¯t been sleeping very well lately. You toss and turn so much, I can barely sleep myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll try. But first, I¡¯d like to see him placed in a secure room. I¡¯ll stay with him until the officers arrive.¡±


    Warda didn¡¯t argue with him. She understood that he needed to see to it that his most important lead yet ¨C a live witness, victim, or suspect ¨C wasn¡¯t going anywhere. He waited as she made arrangements, and soon a couple of nurses came in to help her roll Aster Lockwood¡¯s bed to another ward, while Laith followed a few steps behind, trying to keep out of their way.


    The whole thing didn¡¯t take very long, and despite being jostled a bit, Aster Lockwood didn¡¯t once rouse from his sleep. He dozed away almost serenely, and if the dark circles under his eyes and the sickly pallor of the man¡¯s skin were anything to go by, he probably hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s rest in a long time, either. Soon, he¡¯d been settled into his room, and Laith waited for the officers he¡¯d requested to arrive as he stood outside, trying to piece together everything he knew so far.


    I know so much now, but none of it fits together, he thought to himself, watching the sleeping man from the window in the door. It was like playing a jigsaw puzzle with a thousand pieces and realizing he only had half of them in his hands. Too much was missing in this dreadfully obscure picture. He worried that it pointed to something much bigger than he had originally thought he was investigating.


    Perhaps this wasn¡¯t just a simple murder. Perhaps it was connected to something larger, something he couldn¡¯t see yet, but that had always been there, right beneath their noses and hidden away from PATET in plain sight. Every piece of evidence he found ¨C every clue or new revelation ¨C seemed to lead him farther away from Cassia Grove. And yet, somehow, it was all linked. Somehow, the answer was staring him in the face and he just couldn¡¯t see it.


    His head thrummed with an aching pain that had been slowly growing ever since earlier that morning. When the officers came and relieved him of watch duty, he admitted defeat and trudged to Warda¡¯s office, where he curled up on her armchair and tried to rest his eyes, if only just for a moment.


    He¡¯d told the officers and nurses to tell him as soon as the man was awake and coherent enough to question, and now he wondered if it was better to wait here or to go back to the office to try and do a little more digging into Aster Lockwood and his wife ¨C and the Novus Atlantian Aster Lockwood, whose presence in the photograph with a younger Cassia Grove had caused Laith a frustrating amount of confusion.


    The man before him was the Aster Lockwood he knew ¨C the one that came up on PATET¡¯s database and records. But the man in the photograph was the Aster Lockwood that the Novus Atlantis authorities knew ¨C the one that came up on their database and records.


    Both of them couldn¡¯t be Aster Lockwood.


    One of them wasn¡¯t who he said he was, but which one was it?

 16. A Rogue Comes Out of the Woodwork

    Two long and uneventful hours had passed, with Laith having decided to stay at the hospital and commandeering the small coffee table in Warda¡¯s office. Utilizing the projector screen feature on his Slate, he had created a virtual corkboard complete with hastily-made flashcards and was looking at various pieces of information pertaining to the case at once. For all intents and purposes, this coffee table was now his workspace, and he tried very hard to go through all of the material he had so far. There were a lot of white strings ¨C possible connections that hadn¡¯t been uncovered yet ¨C and not a lot of red strings, which he used to signify a solid connection. Solid connections required proof. Proof he didn¡¯t have.


    In fact, about the only solid connections he could prove were between Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate (not even Aster Lockwood himself) and the crime scene, the unidentified killer¡¯s prints and the murder weapon lodged into Cassia Grove¡¯s back, and the threatening X-letter and Cassia Grove. All of the others seemed to float on the board, not quite tied down to anything, the connections unclear. He¡¯d used white lines to link them, but those only symbolized his own theories, and they didn¡¯t clarify much.


    Was Invidia the blackmailer? The assumption had been that they were, since Cassia referred to them via a pseudonym on her Slate. But it could have just as easily been a code name for a lover, if Captain Fox¡¯s theory was correct. Laith¡¯s gut told him it was the former, because everything he¡¯d learned about Grove led him away from the idea that she would have been able to maintain a long-term romantic relationship outside of her own marriage. And, if Invidia was the blackmailer, what was it that they knew about Grove that would have given them leverage over the woman? How did it connect to Aster Lockwood ¨C the one in the photograph and the one lying in the hospital bed now?


    Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate had gotten Laith¡¯s Rinvestigator shot at that day in the Ruins. What was the connection between the Ruins, the Slate, and the gunman? There had to be something, but the white lines meant just that: there was some potential connection, but it was unclear what it was. And then there was the suspicious issue of the farms. How did that play into everything?


    His Slate alerted him of an incoming call, and the name on the screen read Audra Haize. He turned off the projector and answered the call. ¡°Ms. Haize?¡± he asked by way of greeting. He was surprised she was calling him. ¡°Good afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Detective! Hi!¡± came the chirpy reply. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not calling at a bad time.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Laith said politely. It wasn¡¯t as though he was any closer to solving the case, anyway, he reminded himself, and Aster Lockwood was still out cold. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more like the other way around,¡± Haize said, and he could hear the tell-tale singing of birds in the background, telling him that she was likely sitting outside in order to speak with him. ¡°I got to thinking after our conversation last night, and I did a little digging.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to do that,¡± Laith said with a frown. ¡°Such actions could get you into a lot of trouble at your workplace. If Mr. Antrum finds out you¡¯ve been snooping around...¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Haize assured him quickly. ¡°I was very careful. Besides, I think I found something very important. Something that you¡¯ll want to know about. It¡¯s related to what we were talking about last night, and I figure it¡¯s better to tell you instead of keeping it to myself, now that I know.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked, his curiosity piqued. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°You remember that hypothetical security measure we spoke about yesterday?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The hidden log? Yes, I remember.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I¡­ hypothetically managed to get a look at it,¡± she confessed, a guilty lilt to her voice. ¡°Or, I guess, not so hypothetically.¡±


    Laith guessed that that was against PATET HQ policy, but he decided to let it slide, more interested in learning what she knew. ¡°And did you see anything useful?¡± he prodded patiently.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually a little bit confusing,¡± she admitted, and her voice took on a hushed tone. ¡°The logs show that there were recently a range of changes made to a variety of different systems in PATET, including the Heliopolis Internal Identification Registry and some strange meddling in the Heliopolis Monitoring and Surveillance System, among others. Seems a bit fishy, since some of this stuff includes completely erasing information manually. Plus, I got a bit curious and tried to figure out what it was this person was trying to do with the Monitoring and Surveillance System, and by taking into account locations and cameras that were being accessed, I think it looks like they were trying to erase something or someone moving through the city. That was just the impression I got,¡± she added, sounding very pleased with herself.


    ¡°I see,¡± Laith said, making a few notes on his Slate. It recorded all of his conversations, anyway ¨C a handy tool for a Detective ¨C but he wanted to have important highlights ready for him to access without having to listen to the entire conversation again. ¡°And who exactly was this person?¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°According to the logs, it was Mr. Berch who made these changes within the past week or so.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this Berch?¡± He had to stop himself from asking her to send him a copy of these logs for his own records ¨C it wouldn¡¯t have been legally acquired, and such evidence could put his entire case in jeopardy.


    ¡°Mr. Berch is Mr. Antrum¡¯s boss¡¯s boss,¡± she explained quickly. ¡°He¡¯s the one we send all of our finished work to, and he and his team then carry out integration with the PATET system.¡±


    ¡°You did mention that Specialists higher up in the chain would be the most likely culprits,¡± Laith reminded her. ¡°What¡¯s so confusing about that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I stand by what I said. Absolutely. With the permissions and access they have, this kind of thing can only be done by Specialists in higher positions. But that¡¯s not the issue here,¡± she said. ¡°The issue is the fact that Mr. Berch has been on leave for over a week now. He couldn¡¯t have possibly made these changes because he hasn¡¯t been here. Which means we have another problem, I think.¡±


    Laith was starting to see the picture. ¡°You think someone was able to use his account to gain access to the systems while he was away,¡± he guessed. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    There was a small hesitation on the other end of the line, and Audra Haize sucked in a deep breath. ¡°I guess it is, yeah,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But¡­ if that is the case, how will you know who did what?¡±


    ¡°Well, if your logs can¡¯t tell me, and you don¡¯t have any other security measures...¡± He trailed off, trying to consider his options. He could potentially cross-reference the time stamps on the changes recorded in the logs with the days that certain employees were at PATET HQ. Would someone be able to access Berch¡¯s account without needing to access his station? If they needed access to his computer, then it would be much easier to try and find surveillance footage or simply figure out who wasn¡¯t doing anything at the time that those changes were being made, since they would have had to physically step away from their workstation. But if they didn¡¯t need access¡­ Well, his options would be very limited.


    He made a note to call and inquire about this matter while he waited for Aster Lockwood to wake up. He didn¡¯t want Audra Haize getting more involved than she already had, and if the murder of Cassia Grove and disappearance of Aster Lockwood had anything at all to do with this ¨C which he very much suspected would be the case ¨C then Haize would be potentially getting herself into a dangerous situation by snooping around.


    ¡°Listen, I have to go now,¡± he lied, glancing around Warda¡¯s office. ¡°I¡¯ll think about what you¡¯ve said. Thank you for your assistance. But I really should stress, Ms. Haize, that you don¡¯t do anything like this again unless you are specifically requested to do so.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said, and it sounded like a lie. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help. Let me know if you need any more help with¡­ whatever it is you¡¯re looking into.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Laith replied. ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¨C one more thing!¡± she added hastily before he ended the call. He waited patiently, and she asked, ¡°Do I get paid or something for this information?¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    Laith just about managed to catch Captain Olivia Fox at her office before she left, and then very easily managed to convince her to stay and listen to what he¡¯d learned today. She¡¯d known, of course, that Aster Lockwood had been found, and that he was at the hospital, but she listened very intently as he explained everything he¡¯d learned from Audra Haize about PATET and how easily it could be manipulated and altered by Specialists with the right position in the PATET HQ hierarchy. The more he spoke, the more concerned she became.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that easy,¡± she said after a moment of silence. ¡°PATET runs everything. It can¡¯t be that easy to just¡­ do whatever you want with it.¡±


    ¡°Well, apparently, it is,¡± Laith said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is related to the case, but consider this: If someone had an insider at PATET HQ who could change information up for them at will and manipulate the system to that person¡¯s advantage¡­ Well, it¡¯s not too far-fetched to imagine that this would be something many people ¨C probably wealthy and powerful people ¨C would want to take advantage of.¡±


    ¡°In all this time, Heliopolis hasn¡¯t had a single issue related to the manipulation of PATET,¡± she said, shaking her head.


    ¡°That we know of,¡± Laith added with a frown. ¡°How would we know, if it¡¯s that easy to get someone to make PATET look the other way or erase information from a database that someone doesn¡¯t want there? We would be none the wiser. PATET would be none the wiser. As intelligent as it is, it¡¯s still only artificial. Made by humans. Beholden to human commands. Reliant on human maintenance. And it is possible, you know. People can be tempted easily. Money. Material gain. Whatever the reason, the PATET Specialists are only human, and humans can be led astray.¡±


    Captain Fox rubbed her temples, trying to consider the magnitude of what he had just told her. ¡°How does nobody else see an issue in this? Why has nobody else brought this potential city-wide security risk to attention? It¡¯s such a large oversight.¡±


    Laith shrugged. ¡°You said yourself ¨C PATET works. Nobody will complain as long as they don¡¯t see any issues arising from the way that they¡¯re running the system. But imagine what could potentially be happening in the background, and what could have been happening all this time, right under our noses. Audra Haize just so happened to look at the log of her own initiative and saw that some rogue Specialist was doing something they shouldn¡¯t have been doing. But why wasn¡¯t it flagged before? I¡¯m assuming the logs aren¡¯t actually referred to or checked unless something happens and they want to know who or what was responsible. If she hadn¡¯t taken a look, this Berch person ¨C or whoever was using his account ¨C could have gotten away with it without being noticed at all. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±


    He needn¡¯t have asked. It was clear that Captain Fox understood all too well the gravity of the situation. ¡°If you give me official permission to check into PATET HQ, I could learn more. We could have Haize working for us more officially ¨C and we could find out how many times something like what she¡¯s uncovered has happened in the past. I can investigate and--¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Captain Fox¡¯s reply was definitive. ¡°No, you have the murder to solve. I can¡¯t have you distracted by this. Besides, it¡¯s not your job. Something like this doesn¡¯t fit under the Homicide Division¡¯s jurisdiction.¡± She stood and began to pace, hands clasped tightly behind her back. ¡°I¡¯ll get a team on this ¨C a few subtle detectives who can look into things without riling anyone up. The last thing we need is to get the public asking questions and panicking. If they lose faith in PATET, it¡¯ll be a nightmare.¡±


    Laith set his jaw, unhappy with her decision. To be fair, however, she was right. This wasn¡¯t something he should be investigating. But the murder case had led him to question PATET, and he knew that whatever was happening in PATET HQ was somehow linked to his investigation. He leaned against the wall of her office and crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of it for now,¡± he agreed, ¡°but if they find anything with relation to Aster Lockwood or Cassia Grove, I need to know as soon as possible. I still think this is related to the case, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let them know to contact you if anything is found,¡± Fox said with a curt nod. ¡°In the meantime, just focus on Cassia Grove. Her killer still hasn¡¯t been caught, and PATET manipulations aside, we have to find this person, one way or another.¡±

 17. The Erasure of Information

    ¡°Alright,¡± Laith said aloud in the empty office, trying to focus. He always spoke out loud when he needed to think through something important. It helped him pay attention, almost as though he were holding a discussion or a lecture and needed to make sure his progression through his thoughts made sense and everything lined up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s run through those theories one more time. Cassia Grove is killed in the afternoon, soon after returning to her house, stabbed by a knife from her own kitchen, with fingerprints that PATET can¡¯t identify¡­ Possibly linked to tampering in the PATET system¡¯s databases?¡± He stared at the virtual cork board projection and rubbed his chin. ¡°Aster Lockwood¡¯s Slate is recorded opening the door to exit the crime scene, placing him at the scene¡­ and yet, his Slate is then located in the Ruins, and Aster Lockwood stumbles into a hospital days later. It¡¯s possible he wasn¡¯t at the crime scene at all, and that his Slate was stolen and used by the true killer.¡±


    Laith considered the other elements on his board, tapping his fingers on the slim wooden planks of his wife¡¯s coffee table. ¡°Cassia Grove was being threatened by someone, probably blackmailed, and had been meeting someone called Invidia once a month up until a few months prior to her death. Invidia could be the person threatening her, but they could also be someone else entirely. Although¡­ if Invidia is not the blackmailer, then why would Cassia go out of her way to use a pseudonym? Why would she need to protect their identity? I¡¯m thinking the person who sent the X-letter and this Invidia are probably the same person. There¡¯s no evidence to prove that this blackmailer was her killer¡­ But something tells me they¡¯re connected to this crime, one way or another. The fact that Invidia has a photograph of Cassia Grove with a man that Novus Atlantis identified as Aster Lockwood cannot be a simple coincidence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume that the blackmailer is Invidia and Invidia is the killer. The fact that the meetings stop a few months before Cassia¡¯s murder could point towards her having decided that she would no longer pay the blackmailer. It¡¯s possible the decision to kill Grove would come about as a result of no longer being able to threaten her into paying in whatever form Invidia was expecting. Standing up to someone like that would take a lot of courage, though. Then again, Cassia Grove was known to be quite straightforward to those who worked with and around her. She was, by all accounts, a no-nonsense kind of person. So, maybe she was brave enough to tell Invidia to beat it.¡± It made sense, but how did Grove¡¯s husband and his Slate fit into it?


    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s move on. Aster Lockwood is missing, his Slate was out in the Ruins, and the facial recognition software used in Novus Atlantis was able to match the photograph of the man ¨C who doesn¡¯t bear any particular resemblance to the Aster Lockwood in PATET''s database ¨C to their city''s records of Aster Lockwood. So, either their facial recognition software made a mistake, or one of them isn¡¯t really Aster Lockwood. I think the latter is more probable. Which leads us to the fake Aster Lockwood. It might be the one right here. Could that be why the fingerprint identification failed? Or, maybe this links to what I recently learned about PATET¡¯s systems and how they can be manipulated¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why Invidia was blackmailing Grove. But does that make sense? Would Grove have known? Is it even possible for someone to go that far, and for PATET not to notice?¡±


    Laith ruffled his hair with both hands and let out a frustrated groan, loud in the quiet, serene confines of Warda''s office. Nothing made sense.


    He checked the time and realized that dawn would only be hours away. He had spent all day and all night in the hospital, and even when Warda had gone home, he¡¯d stayed behind, using her office''s coffee table as his interim office desk while he waited. He hadn¡¯t wanted to be away from Aster Lockwood in case he woke up and could be questioned. But the hours passed by uneventfully, and the doctors and nurses had told him ¨C every single time that he¡¯d asked ¨C that there was no knowing when the man might wake up. The body responds on its own time. And so Laith was settled into Warda¡¯s office, working on Aster Lockwood¡¯s clock as he tried to figure out what he did and didn¡¯t know.


    Apparently, there was a lot more of the latter than the former. He stood and stretched his muscles, walking over to his wife¡¯s surface computer. From there, he¡¯d been able to log into the Heliopolis PD¡¯s systems and access his files on a larger, more visually comfortable screen. Beside her surface computer, a small set of plants with reactive pots sat side by side. Beside them was a white ceramic jug. Laith noted the color of the pots, which changed whenever the plants needed something, and realized that they had not been watered in a while. Perhaps Warda had forgotten. More likely, she''d steered clear of her office to give him the space and quiet he''d need to work. He stepped outside her office and made his way to the neared water dispenser, where he filled up the ceramic jug and returned to water the plants.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    These regular motions made him feel better, though he didn¡¯t know why, exactly. Maybe it was the fact that the case had thrown his life into a state of constant stressful change, and he hadn¡¯t allowed himself the chance to really slow down, calm down, and breathe. He wasn¡¯t taking care of his own mental well-being, something that went against the grain for him. Since childhood he had been taught that his own health was priority, and everything else came afterwards. As a little boy, he had found that an easy enough lesson to learn. Why wouldn¡¯t someone prioritize their own health? Now, with the case, he began to realize what made people neglect themselves. His pursuit of truth and the stress that came with it were beginning to affect him physically, too. He poured himself a cup of water from what remained in the jug, wondering when he¡¯d last had a drink of water. His body answered for him, and he gulped the cool liquid down greedily. It was almost as though someone had completely erased his need for water until that very moment ¨C the moment the water touched his tongue and revived his thirst again.


    Erased.


    He paused, empty cup in hand, and stared blankly at the light green walls of his wife¡¯s office. ¡°Erased,¡± he muttered, his brain suddenly kicking into overdrive.


    The unidentifiable fingerprints.


    The missing footage from Platano Maduro.


    The missing photographs of Aster Lockwood pre-2104.


    The answer had been in front of him all along, hadn¡¯t it? Ever since he¡¯d spoken to Audra Haize, the answer had been staring him in the face, and he¡¯d been too preoccupied to see it, too distracted, too busy trying to think of it. Everything had been erased. It was as simple as that!


    And now, he moved on to the most obvious question: Why had it been erased?


    The obvious answer there was that someone wanted to hide their identity from PATET ¨C from law enforcement. Whatever it was they were doing, it wasn¡¯t a simple matter of wanting privacy. Besides, there were many ways to avoid PATET''s facial recognition and detection processes. There were masks, head gear, jackets, gloves, and more accessories that helped a person keep their identities from PATET. It was never one-hundred percent perfect, and most of the time, no matter what they did, people who needed to be found were found regardless, but these were options if someone just wanted to have their privacy. If they don''t like the idea of Big Brother watching over them.The force has dealt with a few of these people before, but most don''t care enough to go out of their way to hide their faces, body shapes, and identities from PATET''s detection.


    No, it wasn''t just about keeping themselves from being detected. They wanted to completely hide from the system for a much bigger reason. Whatever that reason was, it was probably connected to Aster Lockwood ¨C and almost certainly connected to Cassia Grove¡¯s murder.


    The next most obvious question, then: Who is trying to hide from PATET¡¯s watchful eye?


    ¡°Who benefits from these missing fragments of the puzzle?¡± he wondered aloud, still staring at the wall, as though the answers would materialize there for him.


    In the case of the fingerprints, it was obvious: the killer was escaping justice by ensuring the crime couldn¡¯t be traced back to them.


    In the case of the missing footage, it might have been Invidia¡¯s identity that was being protected, not Cassia Grove¡¯s. She wouldn¡¯t have asked Fleur Verdi, her assistant, to meet her out front otherwise, would she? It made more sense that Invidia, who was either already protecting their identity with a pseudonym or being protected by Cassia, was the one who benefited most from that missing surveillance footage.


    And in the case of the missing photographs of Aster Lockwood¡­


    Laith finally sat down in the undisturbed two-seater across the room from the armchair he had taken up residence in. Leaning back, he rested as he tackled that final puzzle. It was admittedly a bit more of a challenge. Why would Aster Lockwood want to erase all photographs of himself before a certain time period? If the photographs were Aster Lockwood¡¯s, then was it him that benefited from that erasure? Laith couldn¡¯t see why or how that might be possible, but he kept an open mind. If that was the case, then he had two or three suspects involved in PATET manipulation, either directly or indirectly: Invidia with their hidden identity. Lockwood with his missing photographs.


    And the killer, who might have been Invidia or Lockwood.


    Perhaps the picture is finally coming together at last, Laith thought as the exhaustion of the day finally crashed against him. With the small sense of hope that perhaps he¡¯d effectively narrowed down his pool of suspects and was on the right track, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

 18. A Hospital Room Interrogation

    Laith awakened with a gasp, leaping up in an effort to distance himself from the nightmare that had caught him in its insidious snare, wrapping itself around him until finally he had not been able to breath or speak or do anything but pray for it to end. And it had, eventually.


    ¡°Bismillah,¡± Warda¡¯s voice said, slightly startled. She was just settling into her desk, her jacket hung on the back of her chair and her purse on the smooth table. Her eyes, round with worry, watched him from across the room. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Laith took a moment to adjust, tugging at his crumpled up shirt in an attempt to fix it. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said groggily. ¡°Bad dream, that¡¯s all. I think it¡¯s just all the stress of this case. It¡¯s getting to me.¡± He didn¡¯t even remember what the dream had been about; just that it had scared him, and he¡¯d been conscious for the last part of it.


    Warda pulled a fabric lunch bag out of her purse and set it on the table. ¡°Nothing that a good breakfast won¡¯t help with,¡± she said with a warm smile, and he moved to take the breakfast gratefully, opening the bag to find a bread and cheese sandwich wrapped in a hand-sewn napkin and a boiled egg in a small cylindrical bamboo container. A bright yellow vacuum flask of hot tea stood alongside them. His stomach growled in approval, and he took a seat on the sofa again, digging into the sandwich with its thick and delicious Edam cheese slices, though not before giving her a thankful kiss on her cheek.


    ¡°You look like you need some more rest,¡± his wife told him, her chin resting on her palm as she watched him scarf down his breakfast hungrily. ¡°You need to take better care of yourself, you know. Try to make it home tonight, okay? Oh, and before I forget, I also brought you a change of clothes, so make sure to get changed. We have showers, too, if you want to wash up.¡± As she spoke, she pulled out a familiar indigo shirt ¨C which he¡¯d made himself, and was very proud of ¨C and a pair of pants he¡¯d had a seamstress make the year before.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, feeling extremely fortunate to have such a caring person to share his life with. ¡°Is it okay if I stay here until Lockwood wakes up?¡± he asked. ¡°I want to be the first to speak to him ¨C any information he might have may be extremely important.¡± That was true, but there was also another reason he didn¡¯t want to go back to the Heliopolis PD¡¯s headquarters: Captain Fox was not going to be in any better a mood today if it was true that higher-ups in the chain of command were breathing down her neck about the case, and he didn¡¯t need her intense glare and direct questions right now. He was onto something, he was sure, but he wouldn¡¯t know exactly what it was until he spoke to Aster and tried to get everything to make more sense.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Warda said, checking the time on her watch, which was powered purely by body heat. ¡°I have to go now, though. I have some rounds to make, patients to check in with. Are you going to be okay, or do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± Laith said lightheartedly. ¡°Go do your job and save lives, Dr. Daher. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t,¡± she replied with a wide smile. ¡°You just make sure you¡¯re home in time for dinner this time around, and I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Left to his own devices, Laith locked the office door and quickly got changed, folding his shirt and pants and leaving them on the sofa to take home later. Then he took a moment to wash up in the bathrooms before returning to Warda''s office to complete the morning prayer - as well as the evening prayer he''d missed the night before - using the prayer mat his wife kept in her office. It came as a welcome moment of peace, a much-needed balm for his spirit, and when he was finished, it was back to work again.


    He¡¯d learned yesterday that PATET had also detected Aster Lockwood a couple of hours before Warda had called him with the news. If he¡¯d checked all of his notifications ¨C which he had meant to do as soon as he was seated in his office and ready to face the day ¨C he would have known about the man¡¯s presence in the hospital, either way. But that wasn¡¯t what concerned him.


    What concerned him was the fact that PATET recognized Aster Lockwood ¨C something he¡¯d completely overlooked in his exhaustion the night before. This man had been recognized as Lockwood. Not the one in the photograph. His fingerprints. Which meant that Aster Lockwood couldn¡¯t possibly be the one whose fingerprints were on the murder weapon, because PATET would have recognized them, even retroactively, assuming that it was possible to erase someone¡¯s fingerprint identification and then reinstate it at a later time. And so it left little doubt in Laith¡¯s mind that Lockwood did not kill his wife, despite how cold as their relationship seemed.


    Well, maybe. He¡¯d have to ask someone about the whole retroactive recognition thing, but he was pretty sure he¡¯d heard about it in one of his school lessons about PATET. Everyone studied the main elements of the system in broad detail in school, and he¡¯d been no different as a child. Some even went on to do specialized studies in PATET and what it entailed ¨C and many of those followed the path to PATET HQ. Whoever wasn¡¯t taken was still knowledgeable enough to be hired in other cities, trained to work with other systems. But Laith hadn¡¯t specialized. He¡¯d only learned what everyone else knew, and it had been so long since he¡¯d needed to recall that information that he wasn¡¯t entirely certain his memory could be trusted. Maybe Haize could give him some more insight, if he got the chance to speak with her again.


    Besides, with Captain Fox¡¯s insistence that he get his hands on a suspect as soon as humanly possible and find the killer ¨C two things that he was beginning to feel she thought of as synonymous ¨C Laith was concerned that despite his potential innocence, Lockwood might go down as his wife¡¯s killer regardless. Unless Laith found evidence pointing to the opposite.


    No pressure whatsoever.


    But it didn¡¯t change that something strange was going on with him, and Laith¡¯s gut instinct told him to keep picking at it. He was on the verge of something groundbreaking. He knew it. He just needed to keep digging, keep working on it. Whatever it was, it was something huge.


    ?? ?? ??


    It was about an hour after he¡¯d woken up that Warda returned to her office with the news. Aster Lockwood was awake ¨C and coherent. Coherent enough to maybe answer questions.


    That was all he needed to hear. Laith sprang into action and rushed to the secure room they were keeping Lockwood in, greeting the guards stationed outside with a quick jumble of words he¡¯d completely forgotten by the time he was inside, the door closing silently behind him. Aster Lockwood was awake, and a nurse stood over him, checking his vitals on the monitor and jotting down some notes on a hand-held tablet. The notes, Warda had told him, were a backup measure in the off chance that PATET went offline for whatever reason, or in case there were errors in the data collection that human nurses and doctors could pick up on.


    The nurse hardly looked at him as he came in, and he took a seat on an armchair that had been positioned just a few feet away from the patient¡¯s bed, meeting the man¡¯s curious but groggy gaze. Laith watched the man, took in everything he could about the man¡¯s features, his behaviour. Despite being tired and weary, Aster Lockwood¡¯s eyes held an alertness that reminded Laith of the look in Saba¡¯s face when he heard something interesting but wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was yet, frozen mid-motion, watching to see what might happen. Maybe Aster Lockwood was waiting to see what would happen to him here.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    When the nurse finally left, Laith decided to get started, making sure his Slate was recording what might be his most important interview yet. ¡°My name is Detective Laith Alazraq, from the Heliopolis PD. Do you know who you are?¡±


    There was a small moment of hesitation, as though the man was considering his words. ¡°Aster Lockwood,¡± he croaked at last. ¡°My name is Aster Lockwood. But I imagine you already know that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you suffered a concussion, according to the doctors, and you weren¡¯t very coherent yesterday,¡± Laith explained. ¡°I just want to make sure you¡¯re thinking clearly enough now to answer my questions. Do you know why I¡¯m here?¡±


    With a deep, resigned sigh, Aster nodded his head, his straight brown hair set aflame by the sunlight streaming in from the window curved above the head of his bed, the bright light making the strands almost looked red. ¡°I think so,¡± he said, ¡°but I can¡¯t help you much, Detective. I don¡¯t know who kidnapped me. I don¡¯t remember much of anything.¡±


    Laith had to keep his brow from raising. Kidnapped. That was new.


    ¡°Can you tell me what you do remember?¡± Laith asked curiously.


    Aster Lockwood cocked his head and leaned back, falling against the pillows. Above him, the curved glass window showed him the sky above, bright and blue and awe-inspiring. ¡°I was leaving work,¡± he began, and his tone made it clear that he was trying to recall the incident. ¡°I walked to my car, but when I got there¡­ That¡¯s really all I remember of that moment. I guess someone attacked me, probably from behind. Never saw them coming.¡± He shook his head, still staring at the sky, the sun now throwing a rectangle of light on his legs, covered by the thin hospital blanket. ¡°They must have got me good, because I don¡¯t remember much of anything at all after that. Flashes here and there. A dark room, I think. There was food and water ¨C I figure I must have eaten or drank something, or else I wouldn¡¯t be alive now, several days later. I just don¡¯t remember doing any of it. It¡¯s all a haze.¡±


    He turned his head, meeting Laith¡¯s inquisitive gaze again. ¡°I remember a locked door, though. I couldn¡¯t get it open. In my mind, it feels like I was there forever. I don¡¯t remember how many days, exactly, and I didn¡¯t know for sure until the nurse told me what day it is today. Whoever it was that took me was keeping me alive, but I have no idea what they wanted out of me.¡± He inhaled, as though to add something else, but thought better of it, closing his mouth shut for just a moment before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I can¡¯t tell how I got out, in the end. I just did. That¡¯s all a haze, too. I must have stumbled my way to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anyone who might want to harm you?¡± Laith asked.


    Aster Lockwood seemed to find the question somewhat amusing. ¡°Well, I have a lot of competitors, but I¡¯d like to think they¡¯re above kidnapping me to get me out of the picture,¡± he said, then seemed to remember something. ¡°Have you spoken to my wife?¡±


    Laith leaned back, clasping his hands together. ¡°Mr. Lockwood, in truth, I am not here because of your kidnapping,¡± he admitted. ¡°Well ¨C your disappearance has been of great concern, but my main priority is something else. I am a homicide detective. On the day that you went missing, Ms. Cassia Grove ¨C your wife ¨C was found murdered in your home. That is what I am currently investigating.¡±


    The color drained from Aster Lockwood¡¯s face. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he asked, almost choking in the process. ¡°Cassia was killed? By who?¡±


    ¡°That is what I am trying to find out,¡± Laith replied. His shock seemed real, but it came with something else ¨C something that unsettled Laith. As if there was a kind of¡­ recognition in the news. Something not entirely expected, but not entirely unexpected, either. ¡°Did your wife have any enemies?¡±


    Lockwood hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said, his eyes shifting away. ¡°Not that I know of.¡±


    Something told Laith that Aster Lockwood was not being completely honest with him. His instincts were screaming at him, but he could also see that the man was keeping something. Either he was horrible at it, or this was something that had caught him so off-guard that he wasn¡¯t prepared to face it. Whatever it was, Laith resolved himself to keep digging until the man told him what he knew.


    ¡°But you do have enemies,¡± Laith said. ¡°You might not know who they are, but someone was ready to hit you over the head and lock you up somewhere, and probably for a reason. It¡¯s possible whoever did that to you also attacked your wife.¡±


    ¡°It must have been just some criminal,¡± he muttered quickly, looking up at the sky. ¡°Just some guy looking for some easy money. Maybe they were going to hold me for ransom.¡±


    ¡°Would your wife have paid the ransom?¡± Laith ventured.


    Narrowing his eyes, Aster Lockwood glared at Laith, his gaze challenging. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± he demanded. ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    Laith held up his hands. ¡°Calm down, Mr. Lockwood,¡± he said patiently, noting his defensive tone. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to insinuate anything. I simply have to ask all of the pertinent questions. If someone was going to hold you for ransom, I imagine it¡¯s your wife they¡¯d contact, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lockwood didn¡¯t respond, and Laith continued. ¡°If it was your wife, then what would have had to happen for her to get murdered so soon after your kidnapping? Maybe she didn¡¯t want to pay, and whoever it was that attacked you also attacked her.¡±


    Lockwood seemed to release some of the tension in his muscles as he considered Laith¡¯s words. ¡°Maybe something went wrong,¡± he admitted grudgingly. ¡°Cassia and I had our problems, but she wouldn¡¯t have withheld ransom money. We¡¯re partners, after all. She wouldn¡¯t let them do this to me. Maybe she thought they were bluffing. Or maybe they wanted too much, and she couldn¡¯t get it to them.¡±


    Laith studied the man in the bed carefully. He was readily going along with his theory, which was somewhat surprising. How did he know it was someone who¡¯d held him for ransom, in the first place? That hadn¡¯t been established. It had been a suggestion ¨C his own suggestion, come to think of it ¨C and yet here he was, speaking as though that had always been the case. That, in and of itself, was telling. Laith figured that Lockwood was probably hiding something, and he was trying to throw Laith off the scent by leading him astray.


    He¡¯d also noted how Lockwood had spoken about his wife. The two of them were partners. The way he¡¯d said it, Laith didn¡¯t get the implied ¡°romantic partners¡± ¨C only partners. It felt¡­ Sterile was a word that came to mind. Bland was another. As if they were partners in a group project, or partners at work. Not lovers, or a couple, or husband and wife. Lockwood¡¯s tone had kept it all very matter-of-fact. But it wasn¡¯t an observation he could use. It was more perception than anything else, and Laith couldn¡¯t trust that his own biases against the man weren¡¯t at work, readily painting the picture for him. After all, he had read the messages between Lockwood and Grove on her Slate. He¡¯d made a pretty solid picture of what their relationship was like back then. Maybe that was bleeding into how he perceived Lockwood now.


    ¡°Tell me, Mr. Lockwood,¡± Laith said, changing tactics completely. ¡°I was looking into your profile and information on the PATET databases recently, and there seems to be a bit of an interesting... anomaly there. Photographs missing before a certain date. Would you happen to know anything about that?¡±


    Lockwood retained his pale pallor, and Laith noticed that by now his brow had excreted a thin sheen of sweat. Pressing his lips together, Lockwood shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I do,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s probably just some kind of glitch, right?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Laith said, nodding. ¡°But there have been some other issues related to your identity. Someone else was recently identified as Aster Lockwood, too. Someone who looks nothing like you.¡±


    At this, the man¡¯s face positively blanched. This time he said nothing, though Laith could see his hands ball into fists under the covers, the tension once again returning to his body so that he lay rigid like a statue. The minutes passed. Clearly, Lockwood had no intention of telling him anything more, despite his evident fear.


    ¡°Mr. Lockwood, please understand. Your wife has been murdered, and I have found an alarming set of discrepancies related to your identification. That, along with the fact that your Slate places you at the crime scene at the time of the murder itself, places you in a very difficult position.¡± Laith watched the man as he spoke, trying to see whether he was ready to crack or not. ¡°It¡¯s obvious you know more than you¡¯re letting on, which also doesn¡¯t bode well for you. Tell me what you know, and perhaps it can exonerate your ¨C provided that you are, in fact, innocent.¡±


    ¡°You think I killed Cassia?¡± he demanded, sitting up quickly and turning his body to face Laith. ¡°You think I killed my wife?¡±


    ¡°I think that it could be seen as a very real possibility,¡± Laith said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t murder her!¡± Lockwood all but yelled, his voice a half-growl of desperation. Whatever thin veneer of control was finally cracking, and Laith could see it in his eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kill her. If anyone killed her, it¡¯d be that bast--¡± He cut himself off with a start, his eyes widening. His eyes fell to Laith¡¯s Slate, still recording, and he seemed to reconsider his words. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her,¡± he muttered, deflated, and his voice trembled slightly, his dark eyes staring at the floor. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You are withholding information, Mr. Lockwood,¡± Laith said curtly. ¡°I should warn you, that doesn¡¯t bode well for you, either.¡± When the man didn¡¯t respond, choosing instead to cross his arms and look away, Laith heaved a sigh. ¡°Well, then, the least you can do is tell me what you know about Invidia.¡±


    At this, Lockwood¡¯s head swiveled around again. ¡°What did you say?¡±

 19. Destruction of Evidence

    ¡°You know something,¡± Laith attempted again for the fifth time. ¡°Tell me who Invidia is. Tell me something to help me find Cassia¡¯s killer. Don¡¯t you want justice for your wife?¡±


    Still, Aster Lockwood remained tight-lipped, silent since the moment Laith had asked about Invidia, and unwilling to speak to him anymore. There wasn¡¯t much else he¡¯d be able to ply out of him for now. Unwilling to let him go, given that he obviously knew something he wasn¡¯t telling, Laith decided to keep Aster Lockwood where he was for the moment, at least while he healed. The guards would be stationed outside, so there was no chance of him slipping away and running off. Not that he¡¯d make it very far, but Laith didn¡¯t want to take any chances. When he was ready to leave the hospital, he¡¯d be taken to the Heliopolis Police Department¡¯s HQ in the Official Quarter, where he would stay until the investigation was completed.


    As he stepped back into the hall and gave his orders to the guards stationed there, he remembered that thought he¡¯d had earlier ¨C that idea of retroactive detection. Could PATET do something like that? Was it safe for him to ask Haize about it without drawing her deeper into what seemed to be a potentially dangerous conspiracy within the PATET HQ?


    He decided against it. ¡°PATET,¡± he said aloud, his Slate in hand. ¡°Pull up the identifying fingerprints taken from Aster Lockwood at the Central Hospital and run them against the fingerprints on the murder weapon found at the crime scene.¡± That should settle it.


    There was a moment of silence before PATET¡¯s response came. Laith stared down at his screen, fully unprepared for the response that came:


    Fingerprint matching failed. Source CGH-001 cannot be located for analysis.


    He¡¯d expected for the fingerprints to not match. Heck, he¡¯d have been surprised but happy if they had matched. But this ¨C he hadn¡¯t even thought this was an option.


    Source CGH-001. The CGH-001 was an evidence tag that referred to the murder weapon at the scene of the murder. What PATET was trying to tell him was that this particular piece of evidence could not be located. Which was ridiculous, because it had been documented, recorded, and uploaded to PATET¡¯s databases at the crime scene itself. Laith had been there while the forensic investigators had done their jobs. PATET had run a search against those fingerprints on the hilt of the knife.


    So, something was very wrong here.


    He¡¯d always believed that PATET was a helpful presence in Heliopolis. It facilitated everything, automated many processes, and actively took care of important systems that helped the city run. Everything from water management to energy efficiency to banking and financial institutions. Heck, even schools used the system to manage their students'' records, grade reports, and administrative information. Everyone - every single person in Heliopolis - relied on PATET to do its job and not make mistakes.


    ¡°Try again,¡± Laith ordered, and his frown only grew deeper as the same message was returned:


    Fingerprint matching failed. Source CGH-001 cannot be located for analysis.


    ¡°Where is CGH-001?¡± Laith demanded.


    Source CGH-001 cannot be located.


    ¡°Show me the logs pertaining to the use of CGH-001.¡±


    A brief moment passed, and then the entire log was presented before him, a long list of dates, times, and explanations. PATET had even included the knife¡¯s life prior to the murder, mentioning the manufacturer, the date it was purchased by Aster Lockwood, and more. This was not relevant to him at the moment, and he scrolled through quickly, trying to find the information he needed.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    CGH-001 uploaded to PATET EVIBASE by Forensic Analyst Florenz Jardin.


    CGH-001 analyzed by PATET IDREC, b.r. Forensic Analyst Florenz Jardin, for matching fingerprint.


    CGH-001 analyzed by PATET IDREC, b.r. Forensic Analyst Florenz Jardin, for matching fingerprint.


    CGH-001 analyzed by PATET IDREC, b.r. Forensic Analyst Florenz Jardin, for matching fingerprint.


    It seemed quite normal, given the situation. Those three analyses must have been Jardin¡¯s attempts at re-analyzing the fingerprints to check and see if PATET had simply glitched out on them or if PATET¡¯s response was a reliable one. It was the last couple of log entries that bothered him, though. Dated just that morning, they read:


    CGH-001 relocated to PATET EVIBASE Archives.


    CGH-001 selected for Expedited Elimination.


    CGH-001 eliminated at INCFAC 11.


    Laith¡¯s stomach squeezed with anxiety as he realized what it meant. The evidence was gone. It had been destroyed. Incinerated. It couldn¡¯t be accessed or analyzed anymore. It didn¡¯t exist anymore.


    Someone had gotten rid of it.


    ?? ?? ??


    His most important piece of evidence. Gone. In the space of a couple of hours, it had been transferred to the archives, put away, labeled TBI ¨C To Be Incinerated ¨C and destroyed. Turned into little more than ash at the bottom of an incinerator somewhere in the bowels of the Heliopolis Police Department¡¯s main building. The same building where his office was located. Destroyed right under everyone¡¯s noses.


    All while he¡¯d been sleeping, then having breakfast, then speaking to Aster Lockwood in his hospital room.


    Laith¡¯s mind swirled with possible explanations ¨C possible suspects ¨C possible threats. All of it led him back to PATET HQ, to Audra Haize¡¯s words, to that hidden log and Berch and everything else he¡¯d learned about. Did Specialists really have that much power? Could they truly control everything ¨C manipulate information, erase and destroy evidence? Evidently, they could. And, just as evidently, there was someone who was doing that very thing, and nobody seemed the wiser. Maybe it''s more than one person.


    Almost immediately, Laith contacted Captain Fox.


    ¡°Detective,¡± she greeted him flatly. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve found our killer.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Laith replied quickly, ¡°but I have more information about¡­ what we were discussing. About PATET.¡± For some reason that felt ridiculous to put into words, Laith didn''t want to spell out the purpose of his call for PATET to detect. If someone was out there, manipulating it, they might be listening to know if anyone was onto them. Couldn''t they?


    There was a hesitation before Captain Fox responded, her tone more cautious, her voice lowered slightly. ¡°I told you to stay out of that, Detective. It¡¯s not your case. I¡¯ve already gotten a team working on it ¨C unofficially, I might add, so they¡¯re going dangerously out of their way to check this out for us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I just found out that my evidence was destroyed,¡± Laith told her, checking over his shoulder self-consciously. ¡°The knife that had those big, perfect, beautiful prints from our murderer? The one lodged into Cassa Grove¡¯s back? It¡¯s been incinerated. The fingerprints that were lifted from it have been erased. And I didn¡¯t give the order. I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t, either. In fact, nobody gave the order, according to the logs, which isn''t possible, is it?¡±


    Captain Fox hissed out a string of swear words best not repeated, and Laith rubbed his brow, glancing around to make sure he was alone as he made his way back into Warda¡¯s office. ¡°That was the only solid evidence we had for this case, Detective. You sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t make mistakes that big,¡± Laith replied impatiently, then took a breath to steady himself. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m telling you ¨C there¡¯s something going on here, and it¡¯s got to do with this case. Someone doesn¡¯t want this person identified. Someone¡¯s messing with the evidence and the information. Surveillance footage has been erased, fingerprints are left unidentifiable, Invidia¡¯s identity is completely protected, evidence is destroyed, and I have a hunch that something¡¯s up with Aster Lockwood¡¯s identity, too. There are only so many coincidences and glitches we can allow ourselves, Captain. Someone¡¯s using PATET to cover their tracks.¡±


    Back in Warda¡¯s office, Laith took a seat on her comfortable sofa while Captain Fox considered what he¡¯d told her. He hoped, for her sake, that the team she¡¯d put together ¨C the identities of whom she wouldn¡¯t share with him ¨C were taking this seriously.


    ¡°Alright, Laith, I¡¯ll make sure the team looks into that as well,¡± Captain Fox said. ¡°In the meantime, where are you at with the case?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere good,¡± Laith replied with a sigh, ¡°but I¡¯m getting closer. Aster Lockwood knows something. He¡¯s keeping information from me. I¡¯ll find out what it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trusting you with this, Laith,¡± Fox said. ¡°Let me know when you learn anything new. In the meantime, we keep Aster Lockwood as the main suspect. He''ll be apprehended as soon as he''s ready to leave the hospital, unless a more likely suspect comes along. His Slate placed him there at the time of his wife¡¯s murder. It¡¯s still the closest lead we have.¡±


    Laith agreed that Aster Lockwood was the closest lead they had. Only, he thought it might be for a very different reason.

 20. Interview with Patina Grove

    Three days. That¡¯s how long he¡¯d been side-tracked by Aster Lockwood and whatever strange events were happening to him. Three days - at least. That¡¯s how long he¡¯d neglected Cassia Grove, stubbornly convinced that whatever was going on with Lockwood would be the key to who had killed Cassia. Entire days, wasted focusing on someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to be the main priority of this investigation.


    Cassia Grove was killed. He needed to find the killer. That was all.


    It didn¡¯t matter to him who kidnapped Lockwood if it had nothing to do with Grove¡¯s murder. That wasn¡¯t his jurisdiction.


    It didn¡¯t matter to him what was going on with the two Aster Lockwoods that had been identified if it had nothing to do with Grove¡¯s murder. That wasn¡¯t his jurisdiction.


    It didn¡¯t matter to him what corporate irresponsibility was taking place at the Farms if it had nothing to do with Grove¡¯s murder. Again: that wasn¡¯t his jurisdiction.


    And so far, there was no evidence to connect her murder to any of these three things, except for Aster Lockwood, which might have been a coincidence, for all he knew. Even if his gut was screaming at him that everything was connected, the fact remained that someone killed Cassia Grove. That was the target of his investigation. Whoever that person was, that was who was supposed to be under the microscope here.


    Warda''s report had made it very clear: Aster Lockwood''s wounds had not been self-inflicted. They were dangerous wounds. He was lucky he didn''t have permanent brain damage. So maybe he was telling the truth about him having been attacked and kidnapped. Which put Laith back at square one. He felt like he was standing in Grove''s house again, standing over her body, just as clueless has he''d been on Day 1.


    I¡¯ve been wasting time, he scolded himself as he went back to the basics, looking through all of the interviews he¡¯d had with Grove¡¯s colleagues. He needed to focus on Cassia Grove again, not her husband. He needed to find out who killed her. That was his job.


    The interview with Afan Ayyash caught his attention, reminding him that there was one lead he hadn¡¯t followed through on. He¡¯d forgotten to note it down on his Slate, and has a result it had completely slipped past him. Yet another mistake. It seemed he wasn¡¯t as ready to be a detective as he¡¯d thought he was. This case was making that painfully clear to him now. With a shake of his head, Laith tried to focus more on the task at hand and less on beating himself up for his errors.


    Ayyash had told him about some family issues that Cassia was having. In his words, Cassia was suffering from ¡°a family matter ¨C some relatives from back home were getting on her nerves about something.¡± Her only relatives were her mother and cousin. Given that Cassia¡¯s Slate corroborated some kind of an argument with her mother, it made sense that she would know more. Laith got in touch with the Novus Atlantis Telecommunications Authority and requested that they put him through the one Ms. Patina Grove of the Orichalcum District, then waited while the request went through the official channels.


    A Novus Atlantis Police official got on the phone with Laith, introduced himself as Leo Riviera, and let him know that, as this pertained to a crime related to one of their own, the call would be recorded. Laith had figured as much, so it wasn¡¯t surprising. He was also going to be recording this call. When all of that had been cleared up, they put him through to Patina Grove¡¯s landline, connecting him. He could hear an old-fashioned beeping noise, letting him know that the phone was ringing.


    Laith squashed down a sense of nervous anxiety as it rose through him. Patina Grove would have been told of her daughter¡¯s murder automatically, as soon as the case had been opened by the Heliopolis Police Department. When it pertained to non-Heliopolitan citizens, the system was set up to notify the requisite authorities of the case almost immediately. The Novus Atlantis PD would have then notified the next of kin. So, it wasn¡¯t like Patina Grove didn¡¯t know that her daughter was dead, and he would be springing the news on her. Nevertheless, he felt completely remiss for not having contacted her earlier, if only to offer his condolences and introduce himself as the detective in charge of her daughter¡¯s case. Despite the distance and barriers between them, Patina Grove, he was certain, would have wanted to hear from him.


    On the fifth ring, a gruff male voice came onto the line. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello. This is Detective Laith Alazraq from the Heliopolis Police Department,¡± Laith said, introducing himself. ¡°Can I please speak with Ms. Patina Grove?¡±


    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± came the reply, and a set of sounds Laith couldn¡¯t really make out filled his ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The voice was brittle, wobbly.


    ¡°Ms. Patina Grove?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Kalkos told me you¡¯re a detective from Heliopolis?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ms. Grove,¡± Laith replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be contacting you so late into the case. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been waiting to hear some news, but I¡¯m afraid your daughter¡¯s case has been a bit complicated. I was hoping that you could give me some more information about Cassia.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be much help,¡± Patina said uncertainly. ¡°I didn¡¯t speak with her often. As soon as she married and moved to Heliopolis, she distanced herself from us.¡±


    ¡°Was there a specific reason for that?¡± Laith asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure there was,¡± Patina Grove replied. ¡°You see, Cassia¡¯s father made a bit of a reputation for himself out here. She never liked that much. She was as law-abiding as they came, but as soon as people found out who her father was, and who she was related to, they had her pegged as more trouble than she was worth. It affected everything for her ¨C her schooling, her studies, her work.¡± She sighed deeply. ¡°I know she was always looking for a way out. A way to stop dragging all of that with her.¡±


    ¡°But she spoke to you,¡± Laith noted. ¡°You sent messages back and forth.¡±


    ¡°I spoke to her,¡± Cassia Grove¡¯s mother said with a note of sadness. ¡°She never initiated any conversations. If I didn¡¯t send her a message, she wouldn¡¯t speak to me. If it was anyone else ¨C if it wasn¡¯t my own daughter ¨C I would say good riddance and stop trying to start up a conversation. But she was my daughter. So I kept reaching out to her first. At least, that way, I knew she was doing alright.¡±


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    ¡°I understand,¡± Laith said. ¡°Was there an argument that the two of you recently had?¡±


    A moment of silence, and then Patina Grove cleared her throat. ¡°Yes, there was,¡± she told him. ¡°I recently learned something¡­ Well, it had to do with her marriage. I always found it strange, you know, that she married so quickly and left so soon after ¨C within a span of a few days, she was married and on her way to Heliopolis. It wasn¡¯t like her to move so quickly like that. Up until that moment, our relationship was good. After she made the decision to marry, everything seemed so strained. She didn¡¯t want her husband to meet me and Kalkos. She didn¡¯t want to tell us when and where the wedding was taking place. She closed up.¡± Ms. Grove sniffled and cleared her throat again. ¡°I knew she hated the legacy her father had left behind, but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d want to push me out of her life so...¡±


    ¡°That must have been a very confusing and emotional time for you,¡± Laith said.


    ¡°That¡¯s about the gist of it,¡± Patina replied quietly. ¡°Since then, messages are the only way I could stay in touch with her. I used one of the portal cafes in town to connect with her. Kalkos taught me how to create an account and find hers so that I could message her. If he hadn¡¯t done that, I wouldn¡¯t have ever heard from her again, I think.¡±


    ¡°You said earlier that you¡¯d argued with her about ¨C about something regarding her marriage,¡± Laith said. ¡°Can you tell me what exactly that issue was?¡±


    There was a shaky exhale, and Laith could almost imagine the older woman trying to prepare herself, to steel herself for whatever it was she needed to tell him. Finally, she spoke.


    ¡°Cassia didn¡¯t tell us much about her husband,¡± she explained. ¡°She told us his name ¨C Aster Lockwood ¨C and she told us that they¡¯d met while she was studying in Heliopolis. Later on, she said he took a job here in Novus Atlantis or something along those lines, and they reconnected. Apparently, they fell in love. But his time here was up, so he had to go back to Heliopolis. And that was the reason she gave us for why she had to marry him and move so quickly. They couldn¡¯t stay apart from each other. That was their solution.¡±


    It made sense, from a practical perspective. As the wife of a Heliopolitan citizen, Cassia Grove would have been automatically given a residency permit to live in Heliopolis. She would have gained her citizenship later on, after some time had passed. Maybe they were in love ¨C though it certainly didn¡¯t seem like that love had lasted. Or, maybe she was a young woman eager to get a fresh start in a place where nobody knew who her father was and why they should avoid her and her family of criminals, Laith thought, stroking his chin. She saw an opportunity with Aster Lockwood and took it with both hands.


    ¡°I believed that for a long time,¡± Patina Grove continued. ¡°I was not blind to my daughter¡¯s frustrations and the pain she went through because of her lineage. And I can well see why someone young would throw everything to the wind for someone they fell in love with. I¡¯d done the same when I¡¯d married my husband ¨C much to my family¡¯s disdain and disapproval. I understood that very well, Detective. But Cassia and I had always been close, so I never truly accepted it. And then one day, I learned that it was all a farce. A trick.¡±


    Oh? Laith wondered, intrigued. He sat up straighter, his body rigid with anticipation.


    ¡°Not two weeks ago, a man came to visit me,¡± she said. ¡°He wore shabby clothes, and looked like something the cat drug in. But he told me his name was Aster Lockwood. The real Aster Lockwood. He talked about how he¡¯d met Cassia in Heliopolis, what he¡¯d been studying at the time, and how he¡¯d thought he¡¯d found someone who finally understood him. He talked about how he¡¯d gotten himself a job with Emerald Farm here in Novus Atlantis just to be able to see her again, in hopes that they might reconnect, since she was working in the same company. We didn¡¯t really take to that all too well, you know. The idea of a man following my daughter back to her home and purposefully choosing a job at the same company where she worked¡­ It concerned us. Kalkos almost lost his temper. He¡¯s always been very protective of Cassia and myself, seeing as how we¡¯re the only relatives he has left in the world.¡±


    ¡°I can understand why that would concern you,¡± Laith said, mentally urging her to go on with her story.


    ¡°Yes, well, that was hardly the most concerning thing he told us that day,¡± she replied dryly, a tinge of bitterness to her voice. ¡°You see, he admitted that he might have overstepped his bounds by coming to Novus Atlantis in hopes of rekindling some kind of connection with Cassia, but he was happy to know that she did seem interested in getting to know him better and spend time with him. According to this Aster Lockwood, though, towards the end of his time in Novus Atlantis, Cassia revealed herself for what she truly was. She and her friend ¨C some man he didn¡¯t know the name of ¨C had plotted against him. Using our family connections, they had managed to take away his identity somehow. He said something about them taking a Slate? And that they had attacked him and left him for dead. Apparently, it had all been a ruse. Cassia never really loved him. She had taken everything he owned and left him behind.¡±


    ¡°Did you believe everything he said?¡± Laith wondered.


    ¡°Not at first,¡± Patina Grove said. ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like something my daughter would do. It still doesn¡¯t. But he had¡­ evidence. He showed us the scar on his chest where he said they¡¯d stabbed him. He said that his identity was still recognized here in Novus Atlantis, but that it wasn¡¯t recognized in Heliopolis. Kalkos is¡­ really good with computers and things. Something that he learned from his father. He was able to find out whether the man¡¯s identity checked out here in Novus Atlantis, and it did. Aster Lockwood, in the flesh. And, to top it all off, he had a photograph of himself with Cassia. The two of them looked close, and I knew that Cassia hadn¡¯t been romantically involved with anyone before this Aster Lockwood person. I still wasn¡¯t completely convinced, though. It¡¯s easier to mess around with the records and databases here in Novus Atlantis than it is over there, or at least that¡¯s what Kalkos tells me. And Cassia¡­ She just wasn¡¯t that kind of woman.¡±


    "You mentioned family connections that might have been able to help them steal Mr. Lockwood''s identity," Laith said. "Can you give me any names? Anyone who might be able to corroborate this story?"


    "There is someone," Patina replied after a long hesitation. "I shouldn''t be telling you... People in that community don''t take too well to being outed, as you might expect. But my daughter is dead, and I owe him no loyalty. Kalkos actually connected the dots first. He said that it was probably the guy working over in Heliopolis, the one working on that PATET system. His name was..."


    "Berch?" Laith suggested curiously.


    "No, no," Patina said with a tsk. "It was something else. On the tip of my tongue. Kalkos! Kalkos, come here for a second! What was the name of that guy that does all that PATET stuff? You know, the man you said might''ve helped Cassia with whatever she was getting herself into." There was a short silence as Kalkos presumably responded. "Right - yes, that''s him. Grot. Grot Antrum."


    Laith''s heart squeezed in anticipation. Grot Antrum. Yes, he knew exactly who that was. The man had been under his nose the entire time. How he''d been able to do everything he''d done when he didn''t have the access - according to Haize, anyway - was something that he''d have to look into, but Antrum was apparently a family connection of Cassia''s...


    ¡°Did you confront your daughter about this?¡± Laith asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Patina Grove said, her voice hard. ¡°I got Kalkos to call her up for me, and I asked her if her husband was in Heliopolis. She said that of course he was, and where else would he be? So, I asked her why a man had come by the house saying that he was the real Aster Lockwood and that she¡¯d tricked him. I suppose I caught her by surprise, because she clammed up. She wouldn¡¯t answer any of my questions, but she asked plenty of her own. What did he look like? Where was he now? What else did he tell us? I realized then that my daughter was hiding something from me ¨C that she was involved in all of this somehow. And she didn¡¯t want to tell me anything else.¡± Another sigh. ¡°She told me to forget everything and let it go. That it was safer that way. And to not message her about it for security reasons.¡±


    There was a crackling at the other end of the line, and then a long silence. Laith wondered if Patina Grove had hung up on him or left the phone, but just as he was about to speak up, her voice came through again.


    ¡°I did as she asked, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something bad just around the corner. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of past crimes coming back to bury a person. And now, here we are.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    Laith¡¯s interview with Patina Grove had revealed more to him than he had expected. Maybe her revelations had something to do with why Aster Lockwood was being quiet. It might have also had something to do with Invidia, who was using a photograph of the Novus Atlantis Aster Lockwood to threaten Cassia Grove, and whose name had undoubtedly been recognized by the Aster Lockwood in the hospital.


    With Aster Lockwood resting up in the hospital and unwilling to respond to any of his questions, Laith had decided that he would head back to Heliopolis Police Department headquarters and do a little more digging. His intention was to use the rest of his day looking into parts of Patina Grove¡¯s story and verify as much as he could. He was almost at his office, his Camino Forest speeding through the A-lanes, when he received a call from Captain Olivia Fox.


    ¡°Laith, where are you?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Almost at the office. Why?¡± Laith asked, noting the impatience in her voice.


    ¡°Because we¡¯ve just had another development in the case,¡± Fox replied eagerly. ¡°There¡¯s a man here. Walked in about five minutes ago. Says his name is Aster Lockwood.¡±

 21. A Story of Betrayal

    The scruffy man in the interrogation room was none other than the one in the photograph with Cassia Grove ¨C minus the long, ruffled hair, the frizzled beard, and the patched up jacket. Apart from those things, and a decidedly older look about him, this was the Aster Lockwood that Novus Atlantis had in their database. The one who looked very much unlike the Aster Lockwood lying in a hospital bed in the Central Heliopolis Hospital.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t said much yet, except that he¡¯s the real Aster Lockwood and the man who we know as Aster Lockwood stole his identity with the help of Cassia Grove,¡± Captain Fox said. The two of them stood behind the one-way mirror, watching their guest as he waited in the interrogation room beyond. ¡°I figure we¡¯ll need to check on whether that¡¯s true or not, so there¡¯s a fingerprint scanner in there and you can run facial recognition with your Slate. But based on everything you¡¯ve told me about Aster Lockwood and the anomalies in his profile and records, this man being the real Aster Lockwood might explain everything.¡±


    ¡°It would certainly explain why photographs of Aster Lockwood from before the date that he returned from Novus Atlantis are missing,¡± Laith mused, his hands planted firmly on his hips as he studied the man in the room beyond. ¡°It would also explain Cassia¡¯s not-so-romantic relationship with her husband,¡± he added. And why he¡¯d called Cassia his partner, as if they were partners in crime.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go in there and start asking him some basic questions,¡± Laith said. ¡°In the meantime, I want us to detain Grot Antrum for questioning. We need to investigate him some more.¡±


    ¡°Grot Antrum ¨C the PATET Specialist, Grot Antrum?¡± Captain Olivia asked curiously. At least she was keeping up to date with his reports, though he considered that she probably didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter, given that she was getting a lot of pressure herself to get this case closed and a killer apprehended. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Patina Grove told me he was the connection ¨C the PATET Specialist that allowed them to steal Aster Lockwood¡¯s identity,¡± Laith said. At her questioning expression, he clarified: ¡°I spoke with her just before you called. She told me she met Aster Lockwood ¨C the one sitting right there ¨C and that he told her the same thing. Cassia Grove and her partner in crime ¨C the person we now know as Aster Lockwood ¨C attacked him, left him for dead, and then took his identity and escaped to Heliopolis.¡±


    Captain Fox¡¯s usual frown deepened. She looked tired, as if this case had worn her out as much as it had Laith, and he could only imagine what her meetings and calls to her superiors were like. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring him in for questioning, too. Maybe your hunch was right, after all. All of this is bigger than we expected going in.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    ¡°Mr. Lockwood,¡± Laith began, taking a seat across from the man and activating the recorder on his Slate. There was a camera here somewhere, and it recorded audio as well, but with all of the strange happenings with PATET, Laith wasn¡¯t going to take any chances. As soon as he was finished with this interview, he was going to locate an unlinked storage device that he could save the case information on. He wasn¡¯t going to lose any more evidence. ¡°It is Mr. Lockwood, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his voice deep, his posture almost relaxed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not every day someone walks in here and tells you their identity has been stolen,¡± he added with a half-smile. ¡°Truth is, I couldn¡¯t get in for a long time. I kept trying again and again and again at the gates, but none of the biometric scans would recognize me.¡±


    Laith took a moment to study the man in front of him. This Aster Lockwood had a large build, a bristly beard, and his clothes had a worn look, as though he had been wearing the same outfit for years. He had all of the markers of someone who had been living rough, but he was in good condition, as far as Laith could tell. He didn¡¯t smell bad ¨C didn¡¯t smell like anything, not that Laith could pick up on from across the table. His nails, when he placed his hands on the surface of the table, were trimmed and clean. This man ¨C if his story was to be believed ¨C was essentially telling Laith that he had been living in the Ruins ¨C that dangerous lawless land ¨C while trying to get back into Heliopolis.


    ¡°So how did you get in?¡± Laith asked.


    ¡°I just¡­ kept trying,¡± he admitted with a shrug. ¡°Earlier this morning, it let me in. For whatever reason, it just worked. Not quite sure what happened there, but I guess I got lucky.¡±


    It just let him in? Laith wondered curiously. Was it possible¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m going to scan your fingerprint, Mr. Lockwood, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he said. ¡°I just need to check on something.¡±


    All he had to go on at the moment was this man¡¯s word that he was Aster Lockwood, and his word just wasn¡¯t enough. Nevertheless, he had to admit that it did fit the narrative of what he¡¯d learned so far. But here was this man, who, up until now, hadn¡¯t been able to get back home because his identity had been stolen from him, and suddenly ¨C in some wild coincidence ¨C a handful of days before Cassia¡¯s death, he meets with her mother and tells her everything, then happens to come home almost a week after the murder, ready to retake his life? Even the most lenient of investigators would agree that that was too wild a coincidence. And when it came to doing his job, Laith didn¡¯t think of himself as being particularly lenient.


    ¡°Sure,¡± the bearded man said. ¡°I figured you would need to make sure I am who I say I am. I¡¯ve heard a lot about the man who¡¯s been using my identity. Apparently, he started a company under the guise of being me ¨C using my money, I assume ¨C and did quite well for himself.¡±


    Laith picked up the remote fingerprint scanner and placed it in front of the man on the table. ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping tabs on him?¡± he asked as the man pressed his thumb to the scanner and waited for a moment. A small green light turned on ¨C the scan was complete.


    ¡°Well, as much as I could, given I was in Novus Atlantis and the Ruins surrounding the city for the past few years,¡± he said. ¡°But big events are heard of no matter where you are. Greenland Farm is, I think, quite the big event. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the person at the helm of one of the most impressive farms was none other than Aster Lockwood himself!¡±


    Laith checked the fingerprint against PATET¡¯s database. It came up with a match for Aster Lockwood. Even the picture that was now there was that of the man sitting before him now, not of the man in the hospital. It had been changed. Why now? What did that mean about the man in the hospital?


    ¡°Bad enough that they¡¯d tried to kill me. But it really chafed, you know, having someone else walking around making pretend they were you, using all of your wealth and belongings,¡± Lockwood admitted, continuing on, oblivious to Laith¡¯s surprise. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair. My inheritance. My hard-earned money. My work. My good name. All of it taken by some nullius filius with nothing better to do than blackguard himself to the stop.¡± He huffed, his cheeks taking on a red tinge. Leaning back in his chair, his shoulders drooped and he gave Laith a sheepish smile. ¡°It¡¯s understandable, I think, that I am still very emotional about it all.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Mr. Lockwood,¡± Laith replied. ¡°I can understand how terrible this ordeal must have been for you. If you don¡¯t mind, however, I would like to ask you some questions about how this all happened to you. I¡¯d appreciate it if you answer them as openly and honestly as possible.¡±


    Aster Lockwood gestured with his hands, as if to say, Go on.


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to ask you to once again recount your story,¡± Laith said. ¡°Tell me everything from the beginning.¡±


    Aster Lockwood entwined his fingers leaning forward on his elbows. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, his tone collected as he thought back. ¡°I suppose it started right here in Heliopolis. I was studying at the Agricultural University of Heliopolis. Agriculture ¨C especially vertical farming methods ¨C have been an area of interest for me for a very long time. I was interested, at the time, in studying the subject and maybe working in one of the big farms. The university is located near the Farms, and I¡¯d drive by there every time on my way to classes, and I¡¯d imagine working there, sitting in one of those offices, growing a range of beautiful plants to help feed people and create medicines and dyes and cosmetics and so much more. I couldn¡¯t think of a better way to spend my life, really.¡±


    He sighed sadly, shaking his head as he remembered. ¡°Anyway. I met Cassia Grove when she was a second-year inter-urban student at AUH, working on her F.M.,¡± he continued. ¡°We had a few courses together, and we worked on the same team a couple of times. I remember really, really liking her. She was cool, funny, and smart. We hung out often, and as far as I could tell, we were both interested in each other. She graduated and went back to Novus Atlantis, and I knew that I wanted to keep in touch with her and see her again. So, when I was finished with my studies, I took a job at the Novus Atlantis branch of Emerald Farm.¡±


    ¡°You went to Novus Atlantis with the hopes of meeting Cassia Grove again?¡± Laith inquired.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Aster Lockwood replied. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said that wasn¡¯t part of it ¨C maybe a big part of it ¨C but it was also just a great opportunity for me. I wanted to work in the Farms and this was a good chance for me to do just that. Get some training, do some work, explore another city, and then come back home to Heliopolis and use my experience to do good here. That the job required a Heliopolitan citizen to relocate to Novus Atlantis made it so that the competition for the position would be less fierce, and the fact that Cassia was in Novus Atlantis working at Emerald Farm...¡± He shrugged and gave him a small smile. ¡°It was a pretty good opportunity every which way I tried to look at it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Laith said, nodding in understanding. Everything seemed to check out, but there was something about the ease with which Aster Lockwood spoke, the confidence with which he moved, that made Laith uncomfortable. It was incongruous, imbalanced, like something just off-center. He couldn¡¯t place his finger on what it was, exactly, because he was too busy trying to keep up with the man¡¯s story. ¡°So, you went to work in Novus Atlantis. What happened then?¡±


    ¡°I went there, got settled in, started working, and met Cassia again,¡± he said. ¡°We hit it off ¨C again ¨C so we spent a lot of time together. I got to know some of her entourage. Her colleagues, her friends, that sort of thing. She told me about her family and how her dad used to be a criminal, so I guess I really should have seen it all coming, but I was so taken by her that I let everything slide in one ear and out the other. She knew some people in the Ruins, so we sometimes spent time out there. Novus Atlantis borders are less secure than we¡¯re led to believe, and that¡¯s coming from someone who thought they weren¡¯t all that secure to begin with. It was thrilling, though.¡±


    ¡°You spent time in the Ruins?¡± Laith asked flatly. ¡°Did you not feel endangered at all?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Aster Lockwood replied. ¡°Not after the first few times. The people she knew seemed good enough. I mean, I¡¯m pretty sure some of them were criminals, but they didn¡¯t bother me at all. They didn¡¯t let anything happen to us.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Besides, the people out there are pretty normal, all things considered. People living in run-down homes just trying to get by. Families. Communities. I came to the conclusion that they were really only dangerous when it came to the few of them that went out and stole, attacked, hijacked. Everyone else I met was quite¡­ average.¡±


    ¡°Average,¡± Laith echoed, recalling his own close call with the Rinvestigator. I don¡¯t know anything about how people in the Ruins live, Laith reminded himself. They must have some kind of society, some kind of community structure out there. It¡¯s obvious that there would be families ¨C children, normal people trying to get along. ¡°Alright, then. Go on, please, Mr. Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really not much else to say about that particular period of my life,¡± he said, pushing away from the table and leaning back, crossing his arms. ¡°We spent a lot of time together. Mostly just the two of us, sometimes with her friends. I personally didn¡¯t get to know them very well, but I was happy enough to just be with Cassia. Every day, I fell a little harder. And then towards the end, when I was about to leave, something seemed to switch inside her. The last few days in particular, she was very¡­ skittish. Distracted. We¡¯d hang out together, but she wouldn¡¯t really be there, if you know what I mean. Something was on her mind. And, like the lovesick fool I was, I thought she was worried about me leaving and forgetting all about her. I promised her that wouldn¡¯t happen. But, as it turned out, that wasn¡¯t what was distracting her.¡±


    He huffed out, a half-laugh, half-scoff, and shook his head. ¡°Looking back, I was a certified idiot to let it get as far as it did. After the attack, I thought about it day and night and realized that Cassia had always used me. I had money ¨C an inheritance left to me by an estranged grandfather and the last remaining kin I had. So, I was a wealthy young man with no family or anyone to recognize that I was gone. Nobody back home asking after me or checking in on me. Even my friends had been all but dropped after I¡¯d gotten to know Cassia at AUH. She¡¯d monopolized me, exploited my generosity, and I had been too wrapped up in her to see it at the time. What a stupid little fool I was,¡± he said bitterly.


    Laith almost felt bad for him. Almost. There was still something just a tad bit off ¨C something that sent alarm bells ringing in his mind, though he still couldn¡¯t put his finger on what that thing was. He focused on directing the man¡¯s recollection to the attack. ¡°Tell me more about the attack itself,¡± he said. ¡°How did that go down?¡±


    ¡°We were hanging out one last time the night before I was scheduled to return to Heliopolis,¡± he said. His eyes narrowed, looking out over Laith¡¯s shoulder as he recalled. ¡°It was just me and her for some time, and then one of her friends ¨C and also a colleague, if memory serves ¨C showed up. I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled to have someone infringing on my last evening with Cassia before leaving, but he invited us out to the Ruins and Cassia said yes, so of course, I went along. We were twenty minutes into the Ruins when they attacked me. The man ¨C I forget his name ¨C he held me down while Cassia took my Slate. Then he stabbed me with a switchblade, right around the shoulder area ¨C lousy aim, but I¡¯m certainly not complaining,¡± he added with a humourless chuckle.


    ¡°I bled a lot, and was so shocked and worried when they left me out in the Ruins to die that I ended up passing out,¡± he admitted, shrugging. ¡°But I was lucky.¡± To illustrate his point, Aster Lockwood pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal one small horizontal scar a couple of inches below his right collar bone. ¡°They didn¡¯t hit anything vital, so I came around a while later and managed to get myself back to Novus Atlantis to head back home. I was going to get some medical attention once I was safely back in Heliopolis. Even without my Slate, I knew that biometric security scans would let the airport know who I really was and I¡¯d be back home before I knew it. The only problem was, by that time, my identity was already gone.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Laith asked.


    ¡°I went to the airport. The airport security interfaces with PATET databases when it comes to Heliopolis-bound flights, so it became very clear as I tried to get through the gate to board my plane that my identity was no longer recognized. I thought it was a glitch or some other kind of error, so I got someone to try and help me out, and they told me that Aster Lockwood was already on board the plane, and that my identity wasn¡¯t on PATET¡¯s records. When I insisted that something was wrong, they called security.¡±


    He exhaled loudly and leaned forward again, elbows on the table. ¡°So, I got some help at the nearest free clinic. They patched me up and sent me on my way. I had nothing. Nobody to turn to. I couldn¡¯t stay in Novus Atlantis because I didn¡¯t have any documentation, any permits, anything that could let me stay. I didn¡¯t even make it to the Heliopolitan embassy before authorities tracked me down ¨C someone from the airport apparently let them know someone was attempting identity fraud. They grabbed me and deported me, of all things!¡±


    ¡°Deported you to the Ruins?¡± Laith guessed. He wondered if his doubt was obvious in his voice. Was he meant to believe that Novus Atlantis authorities wouldn¡¯t at the very least take the time to look into a possible case of identity fraud ¨C that they would just get rid of a guy who, up until that point, had been living in Novus Atlantis for two years and could get someone to vouch for his identity? That they wouldn¡¯t then contact Heliopolis authorities and get the whole thing straightened out?


    No, something is definitely not adding up about this guy¡¯s story.


    ¡°Why would the Novus Atlantis police deport you?¡± Laith asked. ¡°I assume you tried to explain the situation to them.¡±


    ¡°I did, but their databases didn¡¯t recognize me, either,¡± Lockwood claimed, not missing a beat. ¡°In their eyes, I was just an unknown man without an ID. That meant I was probably some troublemaker from the Ruins, so that¡¯s where they sent me.¡±


    That¡¯s what it was that was bothering Laith about this man¡¯s story, he realized. He never missed a beat. He knew it inside out, like someone who¡¯d rehearsed it time and again. And his eyes¡­ Laith couldn¡¯t shake the thought that he knew the story wasn¡¯t airtight, knew it didn¡¯t stand up to scrutiny, but he told it with the confidence of someone who also knew that there was nothing anybody could do about it. And that made Laith suspect the man¡¯s sincerity.


    This was the second Aster Lockwood that made his internal alarms go off. The second Aster Lockwood that made him believe that he wasn¡¯t who he said he was.


    So, the question now was: Is this the real Aster Lockwood? And, if so, what isn¡¯t he telling me?

 22. Implausible and Impossible to Prove

    ¡°I spent a lot of time out in the Ruins. A family there took pity on me for the first few months and took me in, but I knew I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet if I was going to get my identity back. I slipped into Novus Atlantis several times over the months, and I¡¯ll be the first to admit that I was driven to do some things that I shouldn¡¯t have done,¡± Aster Lockwood said, stroking his bristly beard. ¡°I had to survive. I needed to go home. But, as time went on, I realized that it didn¡¯t matter how much money I saved up or what I did. It was all useless if I couldn¡¯t get back into Heliopolis and regain what had been stolen from me. I¡¯d spent my whole life in Heliopolis, with PATET watching over me, and now I found myself a complete stranger to it. Someone else was wearing my name.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how it was possible for them to have stolen your identity?¡± Laith asked, remembering his discussion with Patina Grove. ¡°Do you have any idea how they were able to get it done?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aster said. ¡°I think I do. Cassia once mentioned to me that she had an old family friend who worked in PATET HQ. Apparently, he had helped her get her study abroad applications completed when she first came to Heliopolis to study at AUH. If memory still serves, his name was Grot.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you alert the authorities in Novus Atlantis or Grove¡¯s family about what happened?¡± Laith demanded. ¡°It seems to me that you were able to get back into the city numerous times after the incident, including the morning after. So, why didn¡¯t you go to someone for help? Someone who knew who you were?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never met Cassia¡¯s family before,¡± he admitted with a shrug. ¡°She was very particular about that. She told me that when the time was right, I¡¯d meet them, but that in the meantime, she wanted to keep me to herself.¡± He cleared his throat, avoiding Laith¡¯s gaze. ¡°Obviously, I misunderstood the meaning behind her words there. So, I didn¡¯t know her family, and the only people I really knew in Novus Atlantis were the people that she knew. Her friends. I was honestly frightened to approach some of them, though I tried in a moment of desperation later on down the line and realized that they knew nothing of what had happened. They couldn¡¯t vouch for me, either. The word of a criminal doesn¡¯t really hold a lot of weight for the authorities. And, speaking of the authorities, like I said before ¨C I wasn¡¯t in their database anymore, either. As far as they were concerned, I was just some nobody from the Ruins. At the time, the whole place was being run pretty tight. I guess it still is. Because of the higher crime rates over there, police would randomly stop pedestrians to check their identification cards, speak to anyone who seemed shifty, that kind of thing.¡±


    He sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly, taking a moment to think. ¡°To be honest with you, Detective, I did make it all the way to the Emerald Farm building once. I never got past the lobby, though. There was a security system that used ID cards. I didn¡¯t have mine anymore. So, I loitered around there for a while in hopes I might see some old colleagues step out for lunch or a break or some random errand, but someone must have called me in, because before I knew it, the police were throwing me back out into the Ruins again. I never got another chance at it. Besides, it¡¯s a bit tough for police from any city to get involved when the crime took place out in the Ruins. Not their jurisdiction. Trust me, I tried talking to as many of these people as would listen to me. All the doors kept slamming in my face, and while I was more than willing to keep trying, survival is kind of a day-to-day thing when you¡¯ve got nothing but the clothes on your back. For a while, it really was just all I could do to get a good meal a day.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to get by?¡± Laith wondered, mostly because he was curious what life was really like in the Ruins, but partly because he wanted to know if Aster Lockwood had a smooth-flowing, well-planned answer for every question he thought to ask. Or maybe he¡¯s just a quick-thinker. Well-spoken. Maybe I¡¯m looking at this too hard.


    ¡°Odd jobs, mostly,¡± Aster replied, tapping his fingers on the surface of the table. ¡°I¡¯d trade labor for meals sometimes. Sometimes I¡¯d get paid with money, and sometimes I¡¯d get paid with items that I could barter for money or food or other necessities. Several months into my Ruins experience, I found myself a little apartment in an abandoned building and stopped living on the streets, which was lucky for me, because winter was starting to rear its ugly head. I guess that¡¯s one of the good things about living in the Ruins. With a little searching, you can find yourself a place of your own. No need to buy, or rent, or any of that nonsense. As long as it¡¯s not taken, it¡¯s yours for the taking. And there are dozens ¨C hundreds ¨C of empty homes and apartments in the Ruins, many of which are still in a good enough condition to be fixed up and lived in, if you can do the work. All you have to do is make sure you can keep your new home and yourself protected, and you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°I suppose life in the Ruins can be quite difficult regardless,¡± Laith noted thoughtfully. ¡°For example, how would you go about obtaining clean drinking water, or water to wash up with? And what about electricity?¡±


    Aster Lockwood seemed to recognize his interest. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not quite as bad as I was led to believe, to be fair. Some areas do have running water. Wells, groundwater sources, rainwater and snow collection units ¨C they¡¯re quite resourceful out there. Since a lot of the previous infrastructure is still in place, all it takes is some tinkering here and there and entire neighbourhoods can have running water. They set up some water recycling methods, too. As for the electricity and heat, that¡¯s also quite simple. Makeshift turbines, stolen parts, old generators, firewood. Anything goes, really, as long as it gets the job done. Not everything is clean energy, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s enough pollution for concern.¡±


    Laith wanted to ask more ¨C he¡¯d certainly missed a lot when he¡¯d been out in the Ruins via the Rinvestigator ¨C but stopped himself from pressing the matter. Instead, he focused again on the investigation. ¡°Mr. Lockwood, you¡¯ve been telling me that the Novus Atlantis databases didn¡¯t have a record of you anymore, and that you were no longer recognized. However, when I recently sent in your photograph to the Novus Atlantis PD for identification, they identified you without any issue,¡± he said, watching the man¡¯s face carefully for any reaction. ¡°Would you happen to know how that might be?¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Lockwood didn¡¯t seem to be phased by this information. He nodded thoughtfully, then shrugged again ¨C a noncommittal and almost carefree gesture that was starting to bother Laith. ¡°I guess that¡¯s something you could ask them,¡± he said. ¡°All I know is that I¡¯ve been out there in the Ruins for around five years now, and throughout those five years ¨C three of which I spent near Novus Atlantis, trying unsuccessfully to get myself back home ¨C they didn¡¯t know who I was. Fingerprints, facial recognition, the whole lot ¨C nothing was recognized by their systems. Damned frustrating was what it was,¡± he added, this time showing his anger with a loud huff. ¡°You¡¯d think it¡¯d be harder to be erased from existence in this day and age. It happened overnight for me.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t know the name of Cassia Grove¡¯s accomplice the night of your attack?¡± Laith asked. ¡°The man who took you out to the Ruins?¡±


    At this, Aster Lockwood seemed to freeze slightly ¨C just for a second ¨C before returning to his usual relaxed pose, though it wasn¡¯t nearly as persuasive as it had been before. ¡°No,¡± he said slowly. Then, as if thinking better of it, ran his hands through his mess of hair and said: ¡°Well, that¡¯s a lie. I do know his name. But¡­ The man has connections. And I¡¯m not just referring to the family friends and criminals that Cassia knew. I mean powerful, wealthy, legitimate connections. People at the helm of some of the biggest organizations across the cities.¡± He shuddered visibly and seemed to shrink into himself slightly. ¡°I¡¯d rather not point any fingers and have the repercussions come my way,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve only just gotten my life back. I don¡¯t want to get into any more trouble. Just arrest the man who took my identity and arrest Cassia Grove for her part in this whole mess. That¡¯s all I want, Detective. I just want my life back.¡±


    Laith pulled up a photograph on his Slate of the Aster Lockwood in the hospital and showed it to the man sitting across from him. ¡°Do you recognize this man?¡± he asked.


    The Novus Atlantis Aster Lockwood studied the photograph for just a moment before swallowing hard and nodding. ¡°Yes,¡± he said with certainty. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t forget that face. That¡¯s him. The same man who attacked me that night in the Ruins with Cassia. How did you¡­¡± He trailed off, then connected the dots, pushing the Slate back towards Laith. ¡°He¡¯s the man? The one who¡¯s been using my identity?¡±


    Laith pursed his lips, not quite believing the surprise in his interviewee¡¯s voice, and nodded.


    ¡°The man you saw in the photo is identified by PATET as Aster Lockwood,¡± he said. ¡°Or he was ¨C up until you came back to Heliopolis.¡±


    Yet another coincidence Laith wasn¡¯t interested in filing away as a possible glitch.


    ?? ?? ??


    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve got,¡± Captain Fox said, taking a seat at her desk. Laith had been waiting in the armchair across from her desk, bouncing his leg repeatedly, deep in thought, and her arrival had shaken him from the hundreds of questions rushing through his busy brain.


    ¡°I have an identity fraud case,¡± Laith said, rubbing his forehead. ¡°And another suspect with a motive to kill Cassia Grove.¡±


    ¡°This guy, he¡¯s the real Aster Lockwood?¡± Olivia Fox asked, her voice tinged with confusion.


    ¡°According to him, yes,¡± Laith replied, his mouth forming into a thin line. ¡°According to PATET as of this morning, yes. According to PATET yesterday? No. According to the Aster Lockwood in the hospital and the fingerprints we ran? No.¡± He sighed, raising his hands and dropping them on his lap again. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. But I figure that the one in our interrogation room is the real Lockwood. It makes sense, given the missing information. Lines up with the dates that he was attacked and the fake Aster Lockwood came back to Heliopolis in his stead. No wonder there were no photographs from before that time period.¡±


    ¡°So, if this man is Aster Lockwood, who¡¯s the guy in the hospital bed?¡±


    ¡°The original Aster Lockwood calls him Cassia¡¯s accomplice. Apparently, that is the very same man that helped her attack him and steal his identity ¨C and his wealth.¡± Laith tapped the desk with his hand. ¡°And that ¨C that¡¯s where I think we now have another suspect with a new motive. If you think about it, the real Aster Lockwood is the perfect suspect. Cassia Grove gets murdered in her home and the fake Aster Lockwood gets attacked and kidnapped, and at this point in time, there¡¯s only one person who would want the two of them gone.¡±


    ¡°It would make sense,¡± Fox admitted. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think, given the choice, that we want the killer to be one of the most influential men in the city. And we can¡¯t exactly advertise the fact that PATET can be so easily manipulated. People would panic. They would stop trusting the system. We¡¯ve had a peaceful few decades; we don¡¯t need turbulence just as things are settling into a brighter and more sustainable situation.¡±


    ¡°What exactly does that mean, Captain?¡± Laith demanded hotly. ¡°Are we supposed to sweep all of this under the rug? People have the right to know about PATET ¨C and the Specialists. I¡¯m surprised they don¡¯t already know just how much power these people really have! Just look at Grot Antrum. He¡¯s not even a Heliopolitan citizen, and yet he¡¯s been able to manipulate the system in order to allow criminals to get away unidentified and facilitate identity fraud ¨C and who knows what else.¡±


    For a long moment, Captain Olivia Fox stared at him unresponsively, and Laith decided that that was entirely much worse than her usual nightmare form. He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, didn¡¯t know what it meant that she was so silent, so still. A staring contest ensued, and Laith blinked tilting his head expectantly. Finally, Fox snapped out of it and sighed, shaking her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what we can do,¡± she said carefully. ¡°But a lot of this isn¡¯t my decision to make. You have to understand, Detective, that there are much more powerful people who have now been made aware of several concerning facets of this case, and as a result have taken a personal interest in this investigation and its results. It has been made very clear to me that we are to say nothing to the public until we run all of our press releases through some kind of crisis control specialist,¡± she said with an irritated wrinkle of her nose that told him she was just as unhappy about this as he probably was.


    ¡°We should be talking to Grot Antrum,¡± Laith pressed. ¡°He¡¯ll let us know more about this whole PATET situation ¨C and he¡¯ll either corroborate the story of the newly-returned Aster Lockwood or we¡¯ll know we¡¯ve got a liar on our hands. Which, quite frankly, would be baffling, even if I don¡¯t necessarily believe everything that guy has told me so far. All of it is so implausible¡­ impossible to prove or disprove¡­ A lot of it just doesn¡¯t make sense. But maybe Antrum can shed some light on it.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t talk to Grot Antrum,¡± Captain Fox said slowly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re keeping me away from everything related to the PATET issue,¡± Laith said, the exasperation clear in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s related to my case, too. We¡¯re so close to finding out what¡¯s going on here. We need to talk to Antrum in order to¨C¡±


    ¡°Laith,¡± Captain Fox interrupted, ¡°Grot Antrum is dead.¡±

 23. Pulling Strings

    Detective Laith Alazraq fought down the anxious serpent in his stomach, taking in the sight of the murdered PATET Specialist. Face-down, one arm was stretched out before him and the other curled against his torso, as if he might have tried to push himself up and reach for the door. The unimpressive and cramped apartment was otherwise undisturbed. This was one of many similarities between the murder of Grot Antrum and Cassia Grove, the others being the fact that he had been stabbed in the back ¨C through the kidney ¨C and had bled to death in his own foyer. Because there was no carpet here to soak up the blood, a puddle had formed around the body, now dark and dried against the floor, attributing to the putrid smell in the air.


    The two major differences with this crime scene, as far as Laith could see, were that the body had not been found until a few days after the homicide had taken place and that the murder weapon used in this crime was missing. He supposed, with the disappearance of her husband, whoever he was, Cassia Grove¡¯s body would not have been found right away, either, were it not for the trusty medical monitor she wore around her wrist.


    Captain Olivia Fox stood beside him, almost a head shorter but with a presence that oozed an imposing character, arms crossed as she, too, took in the crime scene. Forensic analysts worked on the body, but there was little for them to learn. In the kitchen off to the left, a mouldy, half-cooked steak sat atop the biomass stove. Antrum might have been in the middle of cooking it when whoever had killed him stopped by. Streaks of rust ran down the sides of the stove, and Laith noticed that most of the furniture was quite old and worn. It struck him as a curious thing, and he couldn''t quite put his finger on why that was.


    ¡°The officers went to his workplace first to bring him in, but his assistant told them he hadn¡¯t been in for the past few days. Apparently, his team at PATET HQ were under the impression that he was taking a few mental health days,¡± Captain Fox told him quietly, the corners of her mouth curving downwards. ¡°So, officers went to his apartment in the Forest. There was no response at the door, but PATET let them know that the man was inside, or at least his Slate was. Since he wasn¡¯t responding to his Slate, and he also wasn¡¯t responding to the door, they let themselves in. This is what they found.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be the only one who finds similarities with the murder of Cassia Grove,¡± Laith said, turning away from the body and rubbing his temple. ¡°You see them, too, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I knew you would mention that,¡± the Captain said, shaking her head. ¡°There are some similarities, but there are also significant differences, and we can¡¯t jump to conclusions. Antrum was stabbed in the back, like Grove. However, the knife that was used to kill him is missing. I suppose it could have been a knife from the decedent¡¯s kitchen, as was the case with Grove, but we can¡¯t be certain.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like more similarities than differences to me,¡± Laith noted. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a coincidence. These two murders were committed by the same person. There are enough similarities to assume they¡¯re connected.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s one more,¡± Captain Fox added. ¡°Footage from the surveillance cameras of this floor of the apartment building is apparently missing the most important few minutes we need in order to see who was responsible for this murder. It was quick. In and out. Altogether, about ten minutes were missing from the surveillance camera footage. We don¡¯t know if whoever did it returned to the apartment with Antrum, or if they followed him in, or if they were waiting for him when he returned from work that day. We¡¯re still checking footage from surrounding streets, but there are a lot of people walking around on the streets, and no particular way to prove that any one of them was here.¡±


    ¡°So, whoever it is, they¡¯re still playing around with PATET,¡± Laith murmured with a frown. ¡°Which means they¡¯re playing around with us. We¡¯re not just working without PATET, we¡¯re working with a PATET that can¡¯t be trusted. Information is there one day and gone the next.¡± He ruffled his hair in frustration. ¡°We need to check to see if maybe the surveillance footage of the streets surrounding this building could show us any familiar faces. Not that it would do us much good unless we can show that they entered or exited this building.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be circumstantial at best,¡± Captain Fox agreed grimly. ¡°Anyone could argue that they might have been going to another apartment, even on this very floor, since the footage is completely missing.¡± She sighed, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°Listen, Detective. If Antrum was the inside link that helped Cassia Grove and the false Aster Lockwood commit identity fraud and get into the city, there is the possibility that he was the blackmailer. Perhaps even this Invidia character. After all, he would be in the perfect position to erase all of the information that we¡¯ve been missing so far. He fits.¡±


    ¡°If he was threatening Cassia Grove or the fake Lockwood, I imagine it was for something substantial in return,¡± Laith said. ¡°Why would he get rid of them if they were helping him line his pockets, so to speak?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they decided to stop,¡± Olivia suggested. ¡°You remember the messages between husband and wife, don¡¯t you?¡± Laith was impressed. She certainly had been keeping up with the case reports and everything he¡¯d collected. He nodded. ¡°Well, one of the conversations alluded to the fact that Cassia had been apparently meeting with someone. A man. And this so-called Aster was asking her if she was going to see him again. I¡¯d assumed that was the lover ¨C this Invidia character ¨C but I think now that perhaps it was Grot.¡±


    Laith chewed on the inside of his cheek absentmindedly as he considered this. ¡°You think she was meeting up with Grot to pay him to keep quiet? Why wouldn¡¯t they simply tell him that they would take him down with them if he ever told the police what they¡¯d done? After all, he¡¯d be implicated regardless.¡±


    The Captain was quiet as she considered this, and Laith found himself answering his own questions. Maybe Grot had covered his tracks and wasn¡¯t concerned that anyone would be able to link the identity fraud to him specifically. Maybe he¡¯d used a supervisor¡¯s or colleague¡¯s account and made it look like it was their doing, not his. Maybe this false Aster never gave into his threats and blackmail, but Cassia was, by all accounts, a goody-two-shoes who wanted to work hard and get as far away from her family reputation and whatever she had done in the past. She¡¯d never gotten into any kind of trouble in Heliopolis, and, according to her Fleur Verdi, her assistant, everything she did in Nymphaeales was above-board. In other words, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that Cassia Grove wasn¡¯t the type to allow anything to rock the boat, especially not when she was so close to having the life she had wanted all along. She could have even divorced Lockwood, now that she had obtained citizenship, and could have lived her life freely.


    So, maybe Antrum blackmails her. The fake Aster wouldn¡¯t sit down and be blackmailed, but Cassia¡¯s not the fighting type. She goes along with the blackmail, and maybe that¡¯s enough to satisfy Antrum for a while. And then, as time passes and she gains courage, Cassia decides she¡¯s not going to live under Grot Antrum¡¯s thumb anymore and stops paying him to stay quiet. She stands up to him. A few months pass, and she won¡¯t break, so Antrum gets angry or desperate or both. He confronts her at her home and ends up killing her--


    Highly improbable, though, Laith thought as he glanced back at the decomposing body of Grot Antrum. Antrum didn¡¯t do this to himself, and the modus operandi is the almost completely the same in both murders. The only difference, really, is the missing knife¡­


    Hold on.


    ¡°The murder weapon in the Grove crime scene was left there,¡± Laith said slowly.


    ¡°What was that, Detective?¡± Captain Fox asked, turning to him.


    ¡°The knife in Cassia Grove¡¯s back,¡± he clarified. ¡°It was left at the scene of the crime. If you killed someone ¨C hypothetically ¨C would you leave the murder weapon behind, knowing that your prints could be identified?¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Maybe whoever it was freaked out,¡± Olivia said with a shrug. ¡°People make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it was the only surface in the house with fingerprints, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Laith asked. ¡°I assume the forensic analysts checked the whole house for clues?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Captain Fox replied. ¡°It¡¯s procedure. If they¡¯d found something else they would have reported it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Laith said, ¡°but they didn¡¯t find anything else. If you¡¯re freaking out, and you¡¯re not wearing gloves because apparently this person wasn¡¯t wearing gloves, you¡¯d probably leave prints on the door, on the floor, on the kitchen counters ¨C something. But Grove¡¯s killer didn¡¯t leave a single other shred of physical evidence behind. No hair strands, no bodily fluids, no additional prints ¨C nothing.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so he maybe he didn¡¯t freak out,¡± Captain Fox said, following his train of thought. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that the knife was left there on purpose,¡± Laith said. ¡°It means that whoever left it behind knew beyond any doubt that there would be no way their prints would be found on the PATET databases. It means, Captain, that the killer was taunting us all along.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    ¡°No prints found in Antrum¡¯s apartment,¡± Captain Fox said, putting her Slate away in her pocket. Beside her, Laith stared out at the passing cityscape, the police headquarters just minutes away. From up here on the Official Quarter, one could almost survey all of Central Heliopolis, stretching far out into the horizon. Behind them, the familiar helical structure of Greenland Farm glittered in the late afternoon sun. ¡°You were right. This killer didn¡¯t leave any prints or physical evidence behind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same killer,¡± Laith said. He was almost certain of it now, though he could tell as soon as the words were out of his mouth that the Captain disagreed. ¡°Nobody else knew what the murder of Cassia Grove was like ¨C how and where she was stabbed, and under what circumstances. If the media had caught hold of that information and made it public, then maybe I¡¯d consider the possibility of a second killer, perhaps even a copycat. But the only people who know about the details of her death are us and the person who murdered her. I don¡¯t know how Grot Antrum fits into the whole picture here, but we know that he had allegedly helped Cassia and her husband commit identity fraud and get away with attempted murder. They left the knife in Cassia Grove¡¯s back because they didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever be able to match them. And they didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind here because they knew that we would.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very contradictory behaviour for the same killer to present,¡± Captain Fox countered with a single shake of her head.


    ¡°Is it?¡± Laith asked, turning back to her. ¡°Cassia Grove¡¯s killer knew that they¡¯d be safe, probably because they knew that PATET couldn¡¯t identify them. Maybe they had an insider in PATET helping them out. Someone we know already helped two other people commit a crime and fool PATET. Now, Grot¡¯s dead, and the killer conveniently takes the murder weapon with him¡­ and there are no prints to run. Or maybe there are more traitors at PATET HQ than we know of.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to the team that is investigating this matter,¡± Fox said. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on finding our killer. Talk to the man in the hospital. Find out who he really is. Aster Lockwood might have a legitimate reason to want Grove and her husband out of the picture, but the fake might have also had a reason to get rid of her.¡±


    Laith couldn¡¯t argue with that. When he¡¯d first started this case, he had learned that Cassia Grove was a law-abiding, professional woman with no enemies to speak of. Now she had, at the very least, one enemy. Maybe more.


    ?? ?? ??


    The false Aster Lockwood was still in his hospital room, and, according to the guards posted outside the door, had not left the room at all since last Laith had been there. And, according to the nurse at the nurse¡¯s station, the man would be ready to leave the hospital in just a day or two, which meant they would then have to make arrangements to move him to the Heliopolis PD headquarters, where suspects in a case could stay under observation.


    Laith had seen the rooms they gave suspects. They were comfortable, and felt more like modest hotel rooms than the holding-cell type of contraption that was brought to mind when a suspect realized that they¡¯d need to spend a certain amount of time under observation. Most of the time, these rooms were empty; cases were closed before such accommodation was needed. But every now and then, someone would come along and have to stay for a night or two. The false Aster Lockwood, Laith mused, would probably have to stay put there for at least a few nights until this whole PATET mess was figured out.


    In fact, the real Aster Lockwood was being set up in his own room ¨C not only because he was a suspect (and he certainly was that, Laith told himself), but also because the man had nowhere else to go. What had apparently been his apartment had been sold by the fake Aster almost as soon as he arrived from Novus Atlantis, and later on the man had purchased his home in the Hills right before going back to Novus Atlantis to marry Cassia Grove and bringing her to Heliopolis. That must have been the agreement they¡¯d had. He would get to take Aster Lockwood¡¯s identity and live a life of wealth ¨C though, of course, Laith was certain the man would not have become the leader of a company like Greenland Farm if he didn¡¯t have the business savvy and the brains to make it work ¨C and in return he would also return to ensure that Cassia could also move to Heliopolis and start a new life there.


    Laith looked through the small window on the hospital room door before stepping inside, slipping his Slate out of his jacket pocket and turning on its recorder by habit. ¡°Aster Lockwood¡± was lying down, arm thrown over his eyes, and for a moment Laith thought perhaps he was sleeping. As he approached, however, the man flung his arm away from his head and turned to stare at the detective with a suspicious narrowing of his eyes.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Lockwood,¡± Laith said quietly, pulling up a chair and taking a seat. ¡°The nurse tells me you¡¯re doing much better.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it,¡± the man replied gruffly, the dark circles under his eyes even more prominent than they had been the last time Laith had seen him. ¡°What do you want, Detective? Did you find out who killed my wife?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Laith said in an apologetic tone. ¡°It has been a rather confusing case. I¡¯ve uncovered quite a lot about Ms. Grove, and quite a lot about you in the process, but nothing that could point me towards her murderer. Perhaps you can point me in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything,¡± he said with an exasperated sigh. ¡°What¡¯s taking so long to find the killer, anyway? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be easy for you guys to fight crime when PATET does all the work for you?¡±


    Laith tilted his head. ¡°Well, it usually is,¡± he admitted. ¡°That is, unless someone starts tampering with it.¡± The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Laith continued. ¡°You see, Mr¡­ Lockwood, I¡¯ve recently spoken to someone who claims that you¡¯re not really who you say you are.¡± He watched as the man¡¯s skin turned a sickly shade. ¡°I was wondering why there were no photographs of you prior to the year you last returned from Novus Atlantis.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± the man said, but his voice came out in a frightened whisper, giving him away completely. He cleared his throat. ¡°You must be mistaken.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Laith said, leaning forward. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and tell you what I think might have happened between you and Cassia. I think the two of your plotted against Aster Lockwood in Novus Atlantis. I think you worked together to murder him, and then you took his identity and came to Heliopolis to start a fresh new life, and you brought Cassia in soon after. I think your friend Grot Antrum got you in by erasing all of Aster Lockwood¡¯s identifying information ¨C including his photographs ¨C and replacing them with yours.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken,¡± the man said, and cleared his throat again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you and Cassia loved each other, though,¡± Laith said, stroking his chin. ¡°No, I think you two were just partners in crime. One of the easiest ways for someone like Cassia Grove to get citizenship is to get married with a Heliopolitan citizen. Which you were ¨C or, at least, Aster Lockwood was. The two of you had an agreement, and you both stuck to your ends of the bargain, because if one of you didn¡¯t, all of you would go down. But now Aster Lockwood has popped up again, and he¡¯s still alive, and he has quite the story to tell.¡±


    At this, the man positively blanched. ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Alive, yes,¡± Laith finished when the man trailed off with his mouth agape. ¡°Which leaves me with the small mystery of finding out who you are. I suggest you start talking, because the more you hold your tongue, the more suspicious you become.¡±


    ¡°It ¨C it wasn¡¯t me!¡± the man cried, propping himself up on his elbows. ¡°It was all Cassia¡¯s idea ¨C the whole Aster Lockwood thing ¨C and she¡¯s the one who worked with Antrum, not me! But I didn¡¯t kill her. I wouldn¡¯t kill her! We understood each other. Besides, why would I invite that kind of scrutiny into my life? My history ¨C knowing ¨C knowing that I¡¯m not ¨C Lockwood¡­¡±


    ¡°But you know who killed her,¡± Laith guessed, watching the man closely to gauge his reactions. ¡°You know more than you¡¯ve told me. You know who Invidia is, don¡¯t you?¡±


    There was a long moment of silence. The man was considering Laith¡¯s words, and probably considering his own options. To tell him everything would mean owning up to a variety of crimes, and Laith knew that he was trying to find out the best way to move forward.


    ¡°Yes, I know about Invidia,¡± he said quietly, his voice breaking. ¡°But you should just forget about her. There are some people¡­ some people you shouldn¡¯t try to take down. Not here. Not like this.¡± He sighed, shaking his head with resignation. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know. But I swear, I did not kill Cassia Grove.¡±


    ¡°Tell me your real name,¡± Laith said. ¡°That¡¯s a good place to start.¡±


    ¡°Pheonix,¡± the man replied hesitantly. ¡°My name is Pheonix Zamarad.¡±

 24. A False Mans Truth

    ¡°Detective, you have no idea who Aster Lockwood actually was,¡± Pheonix Zamarad gritted out, arms wrapped around himself in what seemed to be a subconscious defensive movement. ¡°You have no idea what he is. If you knew...¡± He trailed off, shuddering violently.


    Laith studied the man curiously from where he sat on the armchair, a good three strides away from the hospital bed. The false Aster Lockwood had paled considerably, and he glared now at the hands clasped together on his lap as though angry, as though blaming himself for¡­ something. The name ¨C Pheonix Zamarad ¨C tugged as Laith¡¯s brain, as though trying to remind him of some important detail he was overlooking.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing,¡± Laith conceded quietly. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on anymore. But I know I¡¯m close to something here.¡± The three ¨C or four or five, or however many people were involved in this case ¨C of them had him running circles around the city, trying to finally catch a glimpse of a truth that had been buried so deep he didn¡¯t know if he would ever dig it out.


    ¡°So, tell me. Tell me everything there is to know about Aster Lockwood and Cassia Grove and all of the rest of it. Because at the moment, you¡¯re looking nice and guilty and ready to be thrown in prison for life. It¡¯d be easy to say that you faked your kidnapping ¨C that you killed your wife and tried to bribe some PATET Specialist to keep you from being caught. Then, you killed that Specialist before stumbling over here and making like you were attacked.¡± Never mind that the report had clearly indicated the wounds were most like not self-inflicted. Laith knew that this man wasn¡¯t responsible for Cassia Grove¡¯s death. Whatever PATET had to say about Aster Lockwood now, it had been Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s prints that were in the database until that morning, and they hadn¡¯t been matched to the murder weapon. But Laith also knew that it was an increasingly moot point as more time passed by. He had a sneaking suspicion that the people on Captain Fox¡¯s shoulders wouldn¡¯t care one bit about that minute detail. ¡°You¡¯re looking at a hangman¡¯s noose if you don¡¯t help me out here. Tell me what you know.¡±


    For a long moment, the man in the bed said nothing, the silence clinging to them with a stubbornness that added nothing but frustration for Laith. He quashed the impatience he felt and waited, but as the minutes ticked by, Laith began to resign himself to the fact that this man had decided not to speak. He was just about to get up and leave when the man finally spoke, the words so quiet it was difficult to make them out.


    ¡°Aster Lockwood is a cold-blooded killer.¡±


    Well, he hadn¡¯t quite expected that. The man¡¯s voice shook as he spoke, and Laith listened intently as Pheonix Zamarad continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known Cassia all my life,¡± he said. ¡°We grew up in the same neighbourhood. It¡¯s a poor part of the city, and there¡¯s a lot of crime. Her family¡¯s reputation preceded them, and it was hard for me to reconcile that with the girl that I knew, because Cassia was nothing like what people said about her family. Her father and her uncle ¨C most of her relatives beyond ¨C were crooks. But she wasn¡¯t like that. Even as kids, she had strong morals. Honest when it counted. She couldn¡¯t handle seeing injustices taking place ¨C she always had to speak up, and that put us in a few rough spots as kids.¡± He sighed sadly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that it was all her idea. It wasn¡¯t. We came up with it together, and I ¨C I came up with the idea to kill Lockwood. She came up with the idea to take his identity, on account of the fact that she knew someone who could help them out with it. An old friend of her father¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Grot Antrum?¡± Laith guessed, and Zamarad nodded.


    ¡°I grew up pretty poor, but Cassia had it really bad,¡± he went on. ¡°Because her father and her relatives were in and out of prison, money disappeared as quickly as it was made, and there was never a lot to go around. So she learned to be independent from a very young age. Took on odd jobs and had her own stash. She always did have a knack for business. I¡¯d help her out sometimes, and she¡¯d split the money with me. She was saving up for her own house ¨C as far away from her father as possible, she¡¯d told me. And, as we grew older, and her stash disappeared time and again, we both realized something. Her family would never let her live the life she wanted. She still tried her best, though.


    ¡°She went to school, got good grades, took on part-time jobs, and got better at hiding the money she made. We both tried our best, because we both had something to prove. She wanted the world to know that she wasn¡¯t the same as her father, and I wanted my father to realize that I wasn¡¯t a mistake. We both got scholarships to the Novus Atlantis Business College. We did good. We worked together, studied together, and things were looking up, for a while. Then she got an opportunity to study in Heliopolis, and of course, she jumped on it. It was supposed to be the chance of a lifetime. But that¡¯s where things started going bad.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Laith wondered.


    ¡°She met Aster Lockwood,¡± Pheonix replied grimly. ¡°He was¡­ He was just some guy with a lot of money who was interested in her. At first, she just liked the idea of going to nice places and fancy restaurants. She hadn¡¯t ever had that kind of life before, so she humoured him a bit. Thought she¡¯d have a little fun while she was in Heliopolis. But she said that Lockwood was¡­ He¡¯d get scary, sometimes. Not angry, but¡­ He made her uncomfortable. Apparently, it got worse the more time she spent with him. She was happy when she left Heliopolis and came back to Novus Atlantis. She got a new job at Emerald Farm ¨C scouted right out of university ¨C and got her own little place. She was doing good again. And then he had to come looking for her.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he was stalking her?¡± Laith asked.


    ¡°I know he was stalking her,¡± Zamarad said. ¡°And she knew it, too. But at first it was just a nuisance ¨C a guy that just wouldn¡¯t let go and move on. Used to nick-name him Superglue. We¡¯d make fun of him when it was just the two of us, but I could tell that she was uncomfortable with him being around. He hadn¡¯t gotten physical with her. He hadn¡¯t gotten particularly angry. So, she wasn¡¯t worried. But she was concerned.¡± He paused, considering his next words carefully. ¡°One night, she came to me shaking like a leaf. She said she¡¯d seen something terrible, and she was scared he was going to kill her. She kept saying the same thing, over and over again, like she was in shock. When she finally told me what was happening ¨C that¡¯s when I realized Lockwood was insane.¡±


    He inhaled shakily, glancing at the door of the hospital room as though expecting someone to barge in. ¡°She said he killed someone, right in front of her,¡± he said, his voice lowered. ¡°Cassia told me he took her out to the Ruins ¨C hadn¡¯t given her much of a choice in the matter ¨C and pulled out a big gun. A rifle-type gun. And he said he wanted to go hunting. He killed someone, right there in the Ruins, and he took photographs of them. How sick is that? He took photographs, like he¡¯d just shot some animal out in the wild, and then he took her back to Novus Atlantis. Told her that she was the first and only woman he planned on revealing his hobby to, because she was the love of his life, or something twisted along those lines. He dropped her off at her apartment building and told her that if she told anyone else, he¡¯d do the same to her and to whoever she told.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Did he know that she told you about this incident?¡± Laith asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Pheonix replied, fidgeting with his hands. ¡°She said she went upstairs to her apartment and turned on the lights. And then she changed her clothes and slipped out the back exit. Then she came to me. We sat down for most of the night, thinking about what we could do. There was no evidence, and the crime had taken place outside of the city, anyway. Crimes in the Ruins go unpunished ¨C everyone knows that. But nobody goes out there and takes advantage of that the way Lockwood did. He was crazy!¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you did afterwards,¡± Laith prodded.


    ¡°We came up with a plan,¡± he said quietly. ¡°He was stuck to her like glue, so we had to do something about it. He was obviously obsessed with her, and Cassia was scared for her life. She wanted to get rid of him, but he was rich and obviously knew more about making people hurt than either of us. So, we figured the only way to make sure she would really be rid of him was if he was dead. And we realized that if he was dead, people back home in Heliopolis would ask questions,¡± he said, glancing guiltily at Laith. ¡°Not family, of course, because he didn¡¯t have any family. And not friends, because Cassia had told me he was kind of a loner even back in Heliopolis. But police would come asking questions, because his residency permit would expire, and he wouldn¡¯t be on the flight home, and he¡¯d be marked as missing. At the same time, if you guys knew he was dead, you¡¯d need to investigate it.¡±


    Laith nodded. ¡°That would have been the procedure, yes,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°Right,¡± Pheonix Zamarad said. ¡°So, Cassia thought maybe we could avoid all of that and at the same time at least get something out of this whole ordeal. She knew that I was having trouble with my father ¨C he¡¯d always disliked me, and I was eager to prove to him that I wasn¡¯t the failure he thought I was ¨C so she suggested that I take Aster Lockwood¡¯s identity and use my family ties to open a farm in Heliopolis. That¡¯s what we¡¯d been studying, you know, and she always said that I had really good ideas when it came to that kind of thing¡­¡± He trailed off, shrugging. ¡°Anyway, the plan was that I''d go back to Heliopolis as Aster Lockwood, so nothing would be out of the ordinary, and then come back, marry her, and get her an spouse residence permit, which she could then use to set up a business in Heliopolis and get her citizenship. So, I met up with my father and I let him know everything - minus the fact that I''d be killing the real Aster Lockwood, of course. I presented our business proposition to him--¡±


    ¡°Hold on a moment,¡± Laith said, raising his hand. ¡°Business proposition? Family ties? I don¡¯t think I follow. Who exactly is your father?¡±


    Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s brows raised in surprise. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, mildly shocked. ¡°I thought you knew. My father ¨C he¡¯s Fraser Zamarad,¡± he said.


    Fraser Zamarad¡­ ¡°Of Emerald Farm?¡± Laith asked, and Pheonix nodded. Now it was Laith¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°But you said you grew up in poverty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his illegitimate son,¡± he said. ¡°He sent some support while I was growing up, and I got to meet him a few times, but I became very aware of the fact that he disapproved of me. Maybe he saw me as a leech, or maybe he felt threatened by my existence ¨C a living, breathing scandal. I wanted to prove him wrong. I wanted to make something of myself, without his help.¡±


    ¡°And taking Aster Lockwood¡¯s identity has given you that chance?¡±


    ¡°Aster Lockwood is rich. Pheonix Zamarad isn¡¯t anywhere near the vicinity of comfortable. And Lockwood ¨C Lockwood is important just because of his wealth. He is influential because of his wealth. So, yeah. I would say being Aster Lockwood has opened a lot of doors for me,¡± Pheonix muttered.


    Laith was reminded of something he¡¯d been taught in school, about how the founders of Heliopolis had wanted to work towards a state of balance in which a person¡¯s ability to succeed and thrive had nothing to do with their wealth ¨C and, indeed, a state in which no person in the city would be excessively wealthy. Additional wealth, they had said, would go back into the city. It would be invested into the betterment of Heliopolis and the development of the society. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t quite worked out how to do that just yet, though every year it seemed they tried to take small strides towards that goal, and many others. He was not surprised that Pheonix had found himself additional power and influence in the wealth of Aster Lockwood.


    ¡°I told my father that I was going to make a name for myself, and that I was going to open up a farm that gave his a run for its money. Told him I¡¯d do it under a different name, so nobody would know who I really was. So, he knows that I''m committing identity fraud here. He just doesn''t know who Aster Lockwood really was, and how I could take his identity. And I told him that when the time came, I¡¯d make it worth his while, too. He¡¯d see how useful I could be, how wrong he was about me. All I wanted from him were contacts. I wanted the names of people in the agricultural industry in Heliopolis. He didn¡¯t even have to tell them anything about me and they wouldn¡¯t have to know that we were related ¨C I¡¯d introduce myself under a different name and do all of the hard work on my own. And I did, you know,¡± he added, a strong passion burning in his eyes. ¡°I built Greenland Farm up into what it is today. I came through on my promise to my father, and now one of his children is dominating the agricultural industry here in Heliopolis, and it isn¡¯t even one of his high-born legitimate sons, either.¡± He lifted his chin, and for the first time that day, Pheonix Zamarad looked proud and confident. ¡°I made it all happen.¡±


    ¡°By taking the life of another man,¡± Laith said flatly.


    ¡°Aster Lockwood wasn¡¯t just any man,¡± Zamarad said, now visibly deflated from his brief moment of boldness. He ran his fingers through his neatly brushed hair, and Laith noted the physical differences between the real Aster and the false Aster. For one thing, the false Aster was skinnier, his face cleanly shaven. For another, he was much easier to read. He wasn¡¯t a very good liar, and Laith didn¡¯t feel like the man was hiding something from him now.


    ¡°He was a killer. That man Cassia saw him kill in the Ruins was just a guy trying to survive. He probably had family. Friends. Someone. And he wasn¡¯t the only one Lockwood had killed. He bragged to Cassia about his kill count being in the dozens and talked about how he wanted to hit one-hundred by the end of the year. He made her watch him kill two more people in his so-called hunting sprees while we tried to finalize our plans. Cassia never completely healed from that trauma. She would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming her head off ¨C even here where we were safe and everything was well.¡± He pursed his lips, as though he¡¯d just tasted something sour. ¡°He was a monster. A manipulative devil. We were doing the world a favour. We were saving more people from being hunted and killed by him for sport, and we were saving Cassia from him, and we were giving each other a brighter future.¡±


    He looked as though he wanted to say more, as if he were on the verge of slipping into a tirade, but thought better of it, exhaling loudly. ¡°Trust me, Detective. Aster Lockwood isn¡¯t someone you want walking around Heliopolis. Not with what he knows now. Not with what he¡¯s done. What he will do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what he knows now?¡±


    Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s eyes met Laith¡¯s, and for the first time, there was a strength there, one that had grown as the man continued to remind himself of the reasons why killing Aster Lockwood had been a good thing ¨C or, at least, a just thing ¨C to do. ¡°You know it, too, Detective. PATET," he stressed, his speech pressured, his hands gripping the thin hospital sheets in tight fists. He went on in a rapid, frenzied manner. "The others don''t have to deal with PATET, so they don''t have to stick to the Ruins, but Lockwood ¨C Lockwood couldn''t risk it. That''s why he went to the Ruins so much. But now he knows. Whoever controls PATET can get away with almost anything. We made a mistake, not making sure he was dead before we left. We were amateurs, of course ¨C not like him. But we should have made sure, just in case. We should have made sure he couldn¡¯t ever come back.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Lockwood never knew ¨C that¡¯s why he stuck to the Ruins,¡± Pheonix said. ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± he asked, his brow pulling together in concern. ¡°Now he knows about PATET. Now he knows how easy it is to get away with a crime. To pin it on someone else. To delete information or manipulate it or get rid of evidence. To make it look like the crime never happened in the first place. With this kind of power, Aster Lockwood won¡¯t be limited to the Ruins anymore. He can kill anyone, anywhere, and get away with it. And it''s all our fault.¡±


    Laith felt the creeping chill of fear wash over him as he realized the truth in Pheonix¡¯s words. If Aster Lockwood was the killer Zamarad claimed he was ¨C and his story was certainly more believable than Lockwood¡¯s had been ¨C then he was right.


    ¡°Cassia was just his first victim in the city,¡± Pheonix whispered, a shiver ripping down his spine. ¡°Anyone could be next. Anyone. Even here, I¡¯m not safe.¡± He looked up and met Laith¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even you aren¡¯t safe, Detective.¡±

 25. Hollow Walls

    Evidence.


    The man had evidence. Up until he¡¯d said that, Laith had been inclined to believe Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s story. He hadn¡¯t shown signs of dishonesty, though Laith couldn¡¯t help but feel there were things he was still holding back, and he¡¯d looked terrified. Not a lot of people could pull off genuine terror. But the evidence ¨C that would move Laith¡¯s position from inclination to believe to certainty. If he could get his hands on the evidence, he might be able to put everything together and get Lockwood incarcerated for his heinous crimes.


    Laith sat in his car, turning over the rest of Zamarad¡¯s testimony in his head as the nightscape passed him by silently. He¡¯d decided to take the normal roads in hopes that he¡¯d have more time to his thoughts. That, and he¡¯d wanted to see more than just the inside of a tunnel for most of his journey. He was getting sick of the A-lanes. As he stared out at the passing cityscape of the Forest, he recalled Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s perturbing revelations. The relevant parts he had insisted were to be completely off-record. Laith had had to hand his Slate to one of the officers waiting outside in the hall, who had taken it from him in confusion but asked no questions. Only then did Pheonix Zamarad tell him what he truly needed to know about Aster Lockwood.


    Apparently, while he had been very serious about seeing if he could use the wild herbs and other plants from the Ruins for Greenland Farm¡¯s research and development projects, he¡¯d had an ulterior motive for venturing out into the dangerous lands beyond the walls of the city. He¡¯d been visiting the families, friends, and loved ones of Aster Lockwood¡¯s victims, braving the lawless expanse that was the Ruins in order to collect their testimonies using old-fashioned equipment he¡¯d purchased from not-so-legal markets.


    Lockwood preferred to hunt men. Men who were the breadwinners for their households in a landscape that made it difficult and sometimes dangerous to survive. As a result of their murders, many of these men¡¯s families were left in dire straits. Pheonix claimed to have visited them often to help in whatever way he could ¨C in this case, financially. While they weren¡¯t part of the PATET database and therefore digital monetary transfers were out of the question, he¡¯d found a workaround by bringing them food, supplies, and objects that they could barter or sell for other important items. Sometimes, Cassia Grove would chip in. And so, despite their lovely house in The Hills, it seemed that the two of them lived quite frugally on the whole.


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped that the research and development project I was working on would create more opportunities for these people, too,¡± Pheonix had admitted, staring down at his hands. ¡°I was hoping that I could pay people in the Ruins to take care of the procurement for the necessary plants for the Farm, offering jobs that could help them survive. I even have my legal team looking into it, to see if it was possible and how it could work out.¡± Here, he had paused for a moment and shook his head dejectedly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a moot point, now. I won¡¯t be able to help them in any capacity, anymore.¡±


    There was nothing Laith could have said in response, so he had prodded him for some more information ¨C the whereabouts of the evidence, what kind of evidence he had collected, and if he had also noted the locations of the people in the Ruins whose testimonies he¡¯d collected. His answers he kept tucked away in his mind, unable to betray the man¡¯s trust and record them in his Slate once it was all over.


    And now, here he was.


    The Camino Forest pulled to a stop, a silent ghost in the residential streets of the Hills, which were softly illuminated with the otherworldly glow of the bioluminescent trees leaning over them. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring at his knuckles under the blue light. He had disengaged the automatic driving feature, preferring to drive here himself as a way to keep his mind focused on something that could stop it from spiraling away. Tonight, he was going to do something he wasn¡¯t supposed to do ¨C something that could potentially place him in a great deal of trouble and danger, if Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s words were true¡­


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    He shuddered violently. There was a chill in the air ¨C or maybe he was just feeling cold-skinned at the thought of what it might mean if Lockwood truly was a killer. There was only one way to know for certain. Laith took a steadying breath and stepped out of his vehicle, taking in No. 23. He had not been here since the day he¡¯d been called in. There hadn¡¯t been much to see ¨C but then, he hadn¡¯t known where to look. Now, he stood before it with knowledge he had not had before.


    Laith approached the house, glancing around despite himself and going over the story he had in his mind. It was well past appropriate work hours, but it certainly wasn¡¯t uncommon in the police force to work longer stretches when needed ¨C especially among detectives. Certainly, they didn¡¯t often need to, but with PATET being utterly useless and downright confusing at best (and dangerously manipulated at worst), he¡¯d come to the conclusion that even if his visit tonight was logged, it wouldn¡¯t seem out of the ordinary. If anyone asked ¨C they won¡¯t, he reminded himself as he used his Slate to access the front door ¨C but if they did, he could just say that he¡¯d got to a dead end with his case and wanted to see the crime scene again, in case there had been something he had overlooked earlier on. It wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. And it wasn¡¯t exactly forthcoming. He could live with that.


    Nevertheless, he wanted to be quick. Maybe it was the rising paranoia that came with his increasing distrust of PATET, but Laith had the strange sensation of being watched wherever he went, and he didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    Once inside, Laith turned on the flashlight on his Slate and quickly made for the home offices he had seen when he was last here. Inside the false Lockwood¡¯s office, he swept the room with his flashlight. One of the wooden wall panels was fake, according to Pheonix, and behind that wall panel was every shred of evidence he had amassed about the true Lockwood¡¯s morbid and criminal dealings in the Ruins ¨C and possibly more.


    Laith went panel by panel, knocking on each one lightly and listening for a hollow interior. When he finally found it ¨C located right behind Zamarad¡¯s office chair ¨C he followed the man¡¯s instructions on opening it. He felt around the edges of the panel, and towards the bottom of it found a small pressure-activated switch. The panel pushed itself forward with a small hiss, and Laith pushed it smoothly to the left, revealing a mechanical interior with a locked metal cupboard. The key, Pheonix Zamarad had told him, would be below the stones in the potted plant on the other corner of the room. Laith found it just where he¡¯d said, and went back to the metallic cupboard, slipping it into the keyhole and opening the door.


    His breath hitched in his throat. There, before him, were stacks of folders, notebooks, an old-fashioned recording device, and various tapes to go along with it ¨C some used, as he could see from the titles scribbled on the labels, and some unused.


    This is it, he thought as he flipped through the first folder, feeling a sense of revulsion at its contents and what they meant. This is what I need to take down Aster Lockwood.


    ?? ?? ??


    As Laith sat in his office finishing up a report that might not be there tomorrow morning, the paranoia got the better of him. Everything else ¨C including his Slate ¨C was probably compromised. The evidence was in a safe location for now, but that was only temporary, and it was really only safe because nobody else knew where it was except for him ¨C not even Pheonix Zamarad, who¡¯d put it all together. Laith needed to find a better hiding place for the items and records he¡¯d found, and he couldn¡¯t think of a better place at the moment than where it all sat, hidden in plain view.


    He was about to press the submit button and be done with the report ¨C it was getting late and Warda had called him a couple of times to check up on his progress and when he¡¯d be home ¨C when an idea struck him cold. It was probably inviting danger, but¡­ Well, if Zamarad was to be trusted, Laith was already in danger. He added a vague note in his records about having found evidence that may reveal Cassia Grove¡¯s true killer, who Laith suspected had to have been someone who¡¯d just recently returned to the city, but that with his growing concerns about PATET, he hadn¡¯t logged a single shred of the evidence in PATET and was instead keeping it in a secure location outside of the Heliopolis PD headquarters.


    If he was right, and Lockwood really was somehow able to manipulate PATET through his connection at the PATET headquarters, then he¡¯d see this as a beacon pointing straight at him.


    He¡¯d want to do something to get rid of it.


    Laith submitted the report and leaned back, heart thumping nervously in his chest. Hopefully, the man wasn¡¯t mad enough to try anything hasty. Either way, if anything happened, he¡¯d know for certain that someone was monitoring the case through PATET.


    He swallowed hard, the anxiety creeping through him.


    He¡¯d just painted a big, red target on his own back.

 26. Nighttime Intruder

    ¡°Laith! Laith!¡±


    The hissed yelling of his wife awakened him, and he sat up in the dark bedroom, alarmed. ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone in the apartment,¡± she whispered quietly, and even in the dark he could tell her eyes were wide with fear. ¡°I¡¯ve heard noises.¡±


    Laith almost sighed in relief, his mind still sleep-addled. ¡°It¡¯s probably just Saba running around again,¡± he replied gently. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s n--¡±


    Warda¡¯s hand took his and led it to find a warm, furry, purring form on her lap. ¡°Saba is here,¡± she insisted quietly. ¡°Someone else is out there.¡±


    As if emphasizing her words, a small thud resounded through the house, followed by a long moment of silence. Laith slipped out of bed, now completely awake, his heart, too, jumping into action. He shuddered violently, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head. Was this because of the bait he¡¯d left in the report?


    There was no time to wonder. The usual response to such a situation was that PATET would recognize the intrusion, automatically report it to the Heliopolis PD, and within minutes, a patrol would be on site. But this wasn¡¯t an intrusion. If it had been, all of the lights in his home would have turned on. All of them would be red. As he moved through the dark, careful not to walk into anything or stumble, he realized that PATET didn¡¯t think anything was wrong.


    Whoever it was in his house, it was someone who¡¯d been able to break in without alerting PATET. Laith swallowed hard as he tip-toed into the hall, looking around with wide eyes and trying to wrack his brain for a plan. He knew what it meant, for someone to have broken in without technically breaking in.


    Someone had been able to unlock the front door. Someone had been able to slip into Laith¡¯s home ¨C someone who wasn¡¯t him or Warda. Which meant that this person had the ability to trick PATET, and they weren¡¯t scared to use it. This was the person he¡¯d been looking for. It might be Lockwood, if Zamarad is right and he truly is the killer.


    Most terrifying of all was the realization that there was only one person out there that was desperate enough to break into Laith¡¯s apartment the same night he¡¯d logged his report.


    The killer ¨C the true killer ¨C is in my apartment.


    He closed the door to his bedroom behind him, leaving Warda in the room with Saba, and swiped his thumb down the side of the doorknob, locking it. He flinched as the lock made a little beep, and glanced around wildly, fully expecting some shadowy form to step out of the shadows and charge at him. It didn¡¯t happen. Instead, there was a faint rustling noise coming from the other side of the apartment. He moved quickly, grabbing an old silver candlestick Warda had bought from some junk auction a few years ago and thinking that this was the first time he¡¯d been glad to have the heavy chunk of metal in his home.


    In the darkness, Laith was a shadow in his own home, moving stealthily through the familiar spaces ¨C out the short corridor, zig-zagging through the furniture of the open living room, past the kitchen with its tiny blips of light as the dormant machines kept on. Finally, he came to a halt outside the library, which also doubled as his or Warda¡¯s office at home. The rustling was coming from within. It sounded like someone was rifling through the drawers and bookshelves, and not very carefully, either. Laith steeled himself, gripping the candlestick tightly in his sweaty hand, and pushed the door slightly open.


    With his eyes already adapted to the darkness, it was easy for Laith to make out the shapes of the room ¨C the shelves, the desk, the chair, the globe, the lamp¡­ All of them were familiar except for one: the silhouette of a man ¨C it must have been a man ¨C standing in the corner of the room. For one terrifying moment, Laith thought the man had seen him, was standing there watching him silently from the corner of his library, frozen. But then the figure moved, and Laith could see that he was facing away from him, towards the cabinet in the corner, and trying to open it.


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    The relief was immense, but it didn¡¯t mean that he was out of the hot water just yet. Laith took a deep breath, and just as he was preparing himself to creep up on the man and bonk him over the head with the candlestick ¨C probably the better option, given the fact that he didn¡¯t have any better plan ¨C all the lights in the house turned on, bathing everything in a deep, glowing red.


    The man, who wore a balaclava over his head, froze, then swiveled around and met Laith¡¯s gaze. In that small moment, before everything moved into quick motion, Laith felt a deep sense of recognition. He knew those eyes. He knew those eyes. Where did he know those ¨C


    And then the man was running ¨C running right into Laith. The small glint of a blade was the only thing that saved Laith¡¯s life, and his hands moved automatically to intercept the knife, pushing the intruder¡¯s arms up. The two of them tumbled onto the floor, and Laith struggled to push the man away, to escape from his iron grip, but he wasn¡¯t a fighter.


    Oh, he¡¯d taken the martial arts classes in the academy, and he¡¯d done well enough to pass him, but it wasn¡¯t like he got into brawls very often, and he¡¯d never truly needed to use his skills. Now, in the middle of this deadly scuffle, all of those lessons ¨C how to get out of various holds, how to subdue a violent criminal, how to knock out your opponent ¨C all of that seemed to dissipate into thin air, and all that was left was the cold, hard fear and the realization that he was no match for this intruder.


    From some hidden speaker above them, a calm, clear voice rang out through the house: A home intrusion has been reported and confirmed. Authorities are on their way.


    Laith could hardly hear the announcement beyond the grunts and growls and shouts ¨C both those that ripped out of his throat and those that came from his opponent¡¯s. At some point, he felt the candlestick connect with something ¨C the man¡¯s head, perhaps, or his shoulder ¨C and then it was wrenched out of his hands and thrown away, clattering against the shelves with a loud set of thuds. It was not long before the man was holding the knife up against Laith¡¯s neck, right under his chin, his eyes ¨C so familiar ¨C boring into him with a crazed and focused look that sent a chill creeping through Laith¡¯s veins. Laith noticed his hands were gloved.


    ¡°Where?¡± the man demanded, his voice a growl and almost comically low. ¡°Where is the evidence?¡±


    Laith gasped as the knife dug into his skin, and try as he might to shove his assailant off of him, the man was heavier than he seemed. Even in his panicked struggle, Laith knew better than to waste time. He knew what this man was after. And he knew he would stop at nothing to get it. He was, after all, desperate enough to break into a detective¡¯s house on extremely short notice. Laith could use that.


    ¡°Where is it?!¡± the man growled again, grabbing hold of the front of Laith¡¯s shirt, and with a wave of some unfathomable emotion, Laith realized who this intruder was under his mask. ¡°Tell me, or I¡¯ll slit your throat right here and now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never find it,¡± Laith hissed as the knife dug deeper into his neck. It¡¯s undeniably him, he told himself as he looked into the man¡¯s eyes. Oh, my God, I¡¯m going to die. I have to make him stop. I have to make him walk away. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. You¡¯ll never find it on your own. And I¡¯m not the only one who knows.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± the intruder gritted out impatiently, blinking drops of burning sweat out of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you ¨C you know I can!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Laith gasped as the knife began to move. Warm liquid trickled its way down the side of his neck. Please, Allah, not tonight. I¡¯m not ready. The words fell out of his mouth in a rush; he¡¯d never spoken so quickly in his whole life, it seemed. ¡°I know you can. But you won¡¯t. Or I promise you that by daybreak, everyone will know who you really are. And it isn¡¯t just you, is it? What do you think will happen if everyone else¡¯s names get out there, too? Who do you think they¡¯ll blame?¡±


    The man froze, his eyes widening more ¨C if that was even possible at this point ¨C and pulled the knife away from Laith¡¯s neck ever so slowly. ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± he said, this time not even attempting to hide his true voice. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I?¡± Laith challenged him, grabbing hold of the man¡¯s wrist and tugging it slightly. He hadn¡¯t wanted to reveal this information ¨C realized now that it would only make things more dangerous for him moving forward ¨C but he had no other cards to play, nothing that would save him now.


    Inside, his mind was a mess of fears and prayers, of uncertainty and questions. Oh, God, he thought desperately, doing his best to push his terror away and look confident in the face of death. Please, Allah, have mercy. Just a little while longer, just until someone gets here, just until I¡¯m sure it¡¯s over, please, please, please, oh, my God, please ¨C


    Outwardly, he said: ¡°Do it, then. Go on. How good do you think your buddies are, hm? How long do you think it¡¯d take them? You¡¯ve hunted with them before, haven¡¯t you? Kill me, and let¡¯s see if you survive the rest of the week, Lockwood.¡±

 27. In Broad Daylight

    Laith hissed as Warda pressed the antibiotic ointment onto his neck, wincing at the sight of his sutured skin almost imperceptibly. ¡°That bad, huh?¡± he asked lightly, and Warda gave him a look that told him he had a lot of explaining to do ¨C as soon as they were alone again. For now, she wrapped a bandage around his neck. Around them, the forensic analysts were packing up, having completed their investigation of the scene and found nothing of particular note ¨C really, it was mostly to document what had happened for the official report. Captain Olivia Fox was there too, arms crossed as she watched her people move in and out of the apartment, and Laith could see that she, too, was waiting for a moment where the two of them could speak alone.


    For his part, however, he was drenched in both immeasurable relief at having somehow survived that night¡¯s ordeal and terrible horror at the realization that he¡¯d also somehow managed to paint even more targets on his back. He bit his lip and wondered what in the world he was going to do now. He¡¯d been thinking about this for a while now, while Warda had treated his wound and stitched it up, and while the forensic analysts had gone about their work, and while the patrol unit that had responded asked him questions about what had happened.


    He had a plan, but he wasn¡¯t altogether sure he could make it work. It felt like a pretty long shot ¨C like something he read about in those sensational thriller novels but never actually saw happening in real life ¨C and that was only the first part of his plan. The second part of his plan felt like an impossibly long shot. He wasn¡¯t sure he had it in him to actually do it. But if he didn¡¯t, who would?


    Who else knew the extent of their corruption ¨C the extent of their crimes? Only a few people, himself included, had any idea what was going on behind the scenes of their so-called peaceful and safe communities.


    He was deeply immersed in his own thoughts, going over his hastily-drawn plan in his mind again and again, when the last of the forensic analysts and patrol officers left his apartment, leaving him with Warda and the Captain.


    ¡°So,¡± Captain Fox said, and he snapped out of his thoughts. ¡°You want to tell me what the hell happened here tonight?¡±


    ¡°I already did,¡± Laith said automatically. ¡°You were here when I gave my report.¡±


    ¡°Yeah ¨C you said that someone broke in, went through your library, got into a scuffle with you, and ran off before the police could arrive. But PATET doesn¡¯t have a record of a break-in. Your wife manually reported the break-in. Highly unusual for PATET to be so oblivious,¡± Fox said, narrowing her eyes.


    Laith nodded. Captain Fox was as sharp as ever. ¡°This killer we¡¯ve been investigating ¨C he¡¯s not exactly playing by the rules here, is he? He keeps setting new ones. He¡¯s rigged the game so that he has admin privileges. One measly security system is nothing for someone like that. Of course, PATET didn¡¯t notice anything. It thought whoever was entering the apartment was me or Warda. But you know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the man who broke in tonight was the killer,¡± Captain Fox said, and Warda stopped fussing over Laith¡¯s wound. ¡°But why would the killer go after one of the detectives investigating his case when we don¡¯t even have any evidence ¨C any proof ¨C that links the murders to any specific person?¡±


    ¡°Well, Captain, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Laith admitted quietly. ¡°I do have evidence. I spoke to Pheonix Zamarad earlier this evening ¨C or, I guess, yesterday evening, since it¡¯s almost morning now. Anyway, and he told me that he¡¯s been collecting evidence against Aster Lockwood for years. He was hiding it in his house in The Hills, so I went to retrieve it right after I spoke to him. It¡¯s a gold mine, Captain. The stuff that¡¯s in there ¨C this is much bigger than we thought. With that in our hands, we can put Lockwood and his friends away for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt,¡± Warda interjected, her voice wavering slightly. Her hand, which had been resting on Laith¡¯s shoulder, squeezed slightly. ¡°Are you saying that the man who broke into our home is a murderer?¡±


    Captain Fox took a seat on the couch to Laith¡¯s right. Laith took Warda¡¯s hand in his in reassurance, though he knew there wasn¡¯t much to be had. ¡°Yes,¡± he said honestly. ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything ¨C I promise ¨C but I need you to do something for me right now. We need to pack a couple of suitcases. We¡¯ve got to get out of here as soon as possible. It¡¯s not safe anymore.¡±


    Warda hesitated for a moment, glancing curiously to Captain Fox, then nodded and hurried off to their bedroom to pack. Laith turned back to the Captain. ¡°I also need something from you, Captain,¡± he told her. ¡°The evidence that I found ¨C I have it in a safe location. I¡¯m the only person who knows where it is. But I¡¯m not exactly a free agent. Lockwood and his buddies will stop at nothing--¡±


    ¡°His buddies?¡± Captain Fox interrupted him, leaning forward. ¡°What do you mean, his buddies?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another piece of the evidence,¡± Laith explained. ¡°Apparently, Lockwood¡¯s not the only rich kid with too much time on his hands. Seems certain members of the wealthy elite have a particularly dark and bloody hobby. They like to play hunting games out in the Ruins ¨C but they don¡¯t hunt animals, you see. They hunt people. They make a game out of the whole thing. They like to compare numbers, keep trophies, that sort of thing,¡± he said, and felt the bile rise in his throat. ¡°So, you see, it¡¯s a heck of a lot bigger than just Lockwood, and now they all know that I know.¡±


    ¡°How do they know?¡±


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    ¡°Lockwood found out because I baited him,¡± Laith said. ¡°It was just an experiment, to see if he has eyes on PATET all the time. I half-expected it to completely fall through, but it really did draw him out. He must have read the report I submitted last night. In that report, I mentioned that I found some evidence, but that I didn¡¯t think PATET was secure enough, so I was holding on to it in a safe location. He came here tonight to look for that evidence. The only reason I was able to stop him was because I bluffed and told him that if he killed me, the evidence would be shared with everyone in the morning. Those documents have more than just evidence that incriminates Lockwood. They incriminate a number of big names ¨C and I mean big names, Captain.¡±


    Laith paused for a moment, his hands reaching up absentmindedly to touch the freshly-stitched rip in his neck, feeling the bumps through the fresh bandage Warda had put on him. ¡°I bluffed my way out of being murdered tonight. I don¡¯t know how the hell it worked, but somehow it did, and I¡¯m still alive now because I was able to scare Lockwood into thinking that if he killed me and the evidence was released, he¡¯d be blamed for it. All his hunting buddies would start hunting him instead. That¡¯s the only thing that got him to stop. It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m alive right now. But that also means that I¡¯ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± the Captain asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Because, Captain,¡± Laith said, ¡°now they¡¯ll all know that I know. Now they¡¯ll all be out for this evidence. They¡¯ll all be out for me.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    Laith paced back and forth in the office, deep in thought. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± he gritted out, running his fingers through his hair. They were still shaking with ¨C anger, fear, frustration ¨C he couldn¡¯t quite tell. ¡°How am I supposed to catch this man if PATET is being manipulated by him? Now I have to worry about attacks on my person ¨C on my family? Captain, there has to be something we can do.¡±


    Across the room, Captain Fox was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed as she stared down at the courtyard of the Heliopolis PD headquarters below. She was chewing on her lip, deep in thought. She did not respond. She doesn¡¯t know what to do, either. This is her first time dealing with this kind of thing. We¡¯re all at a loss.


    Laith sighed dejectedly, glancing at the closed door with a twinge of paranoia. They had left their Slates outside, just in case they were being used to listen in on them, too, but he figured it wouldn¡¯t stop anyone set on spying on them. It wasn¡¯t like it would be some terrible stretch that Lockwood¡¯s rats in PATET HQ would find a way to gain access to Captain Fox¡¯s computer.


    That was why the two of them had effectively dismantled and disconnected the computer. Its pieces were now strewn unceremoniously across the floor, and Captain Fox¡¯s desk was more disorganized than he had ever seen it, the battered shards of the main computer box a mangled mess against the smooth, metallic surface. It had been hard work, and Laith still wondered if maybe they were being too paranoid, or if there was such a thing anymore.


    All of this weighed on Laith¡¯s mind, but what weighed on it the most was the fact that he and his were in danger now, all because he had tried to do his job and solve a heinous crime.


    ¡°At this point, Lockwood won¡¯t stop until I¡¯m dead,¡± he said. ¡°Of this I am certain. It¡¯ll get even worse now that he knows just what evidence I¡¯ve been able to compile against him and his friends.¡± Then, realizing that they¡¯d forgotten something of great importance, he rushed to add: ¡°We should keep track of Pheonix Zamarad. Get him out of that hospital and to a secure location. He gave me this evidence. Lockwood and his friends are going to want to get rid of him, too.¡±


    Captain Fox exhaled slowly, pulled out her chair, and sat down. ¡°Pheonix Zamarad checked himself out of the hospital earlier this morning.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°Checked himself out?¡± Laith cried. ¡°What do you mean ¨C where were the officers on duty?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, they received an order via their Slates to abandon their posts,¡± she replied, her voice tight with anger. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a Slate we can track, and he¡¯s been effectively erased from PATET. We won¡¯t be able to find him.¡± She groaned in frustration, rubbing her temples. ¡°I should¡¯ve had him chipped the moment we realized something was up with his identity.¡± Laith had never seen her as helpless has she was at this moment, and he felt exactly the same way.


    ¡°He¡¯s messing with our people,¡± she mumbled, brow furrowed as she glared at the mess on her desk. ¡°We¡¯re all pawns, and now we can¡¯t trust anything that passes through PATET.¡±


    ¡°Which is everything,¡± Laith said grimly. This was becoming repetitive. ¡°If only I could work outside of PATET¡¯s restraints¡­ If only I could just¡­ hide from it while I investigate.¡±


    ¡°Aster Lockwood did a pretty good job of hiding from it,¡± Fox said. ¡°Maybe we should get our own agent inside PATET HQ. Someone who can monitor the place, help us play the game, level the field a bit. Maybe they could even weed out the rats.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea,¡± Laith said, ¡°but PATET HQ doesn¡¯t start recruiting for another few months. If we try to push someone in there before then, it might look suspicious. Besides, I don¡¯t think I have a few months here, Captain. I have to find a solution today ¨C now.¡±


    He might have bought himself some time with the doubt he¡¯d planted in Lockwood¡¯s mind ¨C about how the evidence would be made public if he killed him ¨C but that had only worked in the heat of the moment. Given more time, Lockwood might have realized that Laith was bluffing. He needed a real strategy. He needed to buy himself time, and he needed to get himself the chance to investigate without Lockwood and PATET on his tail every moment of the day.


    A plan was starting to form in his mind ¨C a plan that he had thought about in passing before, but which now crystallized with a frightening certainty. A plan which might just get him killed. A plan which just might not work out, despite all of his efforts.


    But it¡¯s worth a shot¡­ I can¡¯t let this man run around killing whoever he wants. I¡¯m not that person. That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve been taught. I have to do what¡¯s right.


    ¡°Laith, I think we need to come to an understanding about something,¡± Captain Fox said quietly, resting her chin on her intertwined fingers. ¡°If we do this ¨C if we work outside of PATET ¨C we work outside of the law. Even if we succeed, there will be people who won¡¯t like how we did it. I can¡¯t guarantee that this will turn out well for us even if we can get Lockwood and his friends put away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Laith said. The world will be better off without these Devils in the Ruins. I don¡¯t care if this means the end of PATET. If the system doesn¡¯t work, then the system¡¯s got to change. That¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are a lot of big names that know about PATET¡¯s inner workings. There¡¯s no way Grot Antrum figured it out on his own ¨C he can¡¯t be the first corrupt PATET Specialist on the roster. So, I think it¡¯s safe to assume that there will be people who don¡¯t like getting seeing their edge get destroyed. But that¡¯s a small price to pay for the safety of millions. Isn¡¯t that what Heliopolis is meant to stand for?¡±


    ¡°Meant to isn¡¯t always what ends up being,¡± Captain Fox muttered. ¡°But you¡¯re right.¡± She straightened her back and met Laith¡¯s eyes. ¡°All else put aside, this is our job. We have some serious cleaning up to do.¡±


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± Laith said carefully. ¡°Someone like Lockwood can move around in broad daylight, even though he¡¯s killed dozens of people. The irony is not lost on me, but I don¡¯t have the luxury of believing that the system will protect me or my loved ones anymore. I think I know a way I can avoid him ¨C and PATET ¨C but¡­ it¡¯s a long shot.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s a long shot at this point,¡± Captain Fox said. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

 28. The Blackmailers Medicine

    Captain Fox listened intently as Laith shared his plan with her. It came, unsurprisingly, with a request. Laith knew he couldn¡¯t pull off his plan alone. He wished he didn¡¯t have to resort to such measures ¨C wished that he could walk away from all of this and pretend he didn¡¯t know anything at all. Now, however, there was absolutely no chance of that happening. In fact, there was no chance of much of anything happening.


    Laith needed to think about his family first ¨C about Warda and himself, about their parents and other relatives ¨C and ensure their safety. After his run-in with Lockwood earlier that morning, he was sure it wouldn¡¯t just be one monster looking to shut him up and destroy any evidence that had been amassed against him. It¡¯d be his whole posse ¨C all the so-called Devils in the Ruins. They certainly knew how to style themselves. And then, beyond that¡­ There was PATET to deal with.


    Finally, Captain Fox broke her silence. ¡°The scorched earth tactic is¡­ Well, it¡¯s drastic, but might just be viable in this situation. But even before we get to that, the plan needs to succeed at so many phases¡­ Are you sure this is the only way?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do you have any better ideas?¡± Laith responded, and when she shook his head, he said: ¡°Then, yes, this is the best I can think of on short notice. I need to make sure everyone is safe before I can start moving on my own, and I need to make sure the Devils are taken care of before we do anything else.¡±


    ¡°We could always just work concurrently. I¡¯ll take care of PATET, and you take care of Lockwood and the Devils in the Ruins,¡± she suggested.


    Laith shook his head. ¡°PATET is just a tool. We could jump straight into the scorched earth strategy ¨C or even just a complete shut-down ¨C but it would cause a mass panic. Can you imagine what would happen if just one hour ¨C one hour ¨C of downtime happened? Everything would come to a halt. Everything would be a mess. Not to mention the fact that all the security systems would be out of order. The Devils would use that as an opportunity. Besides, it¡¯ll require time and resources to plan. You¡¯ll probably be working on that, anyway. Will you help me?¡±


    Captain Olivia Fox chewed on her lip thoughtfully, then huffed and shook out her hands nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve never done something like this before, but¡­ Yes, I think I can make it happen. I¡¯ll have to scout out some more people we can use ¨C people we can trust within the Heliopolis PD force. I don¡¯t know how deep the corruption goes. We¡¯ll need a Specialist, though ¨C someone like Grot Antrum to help us out on the PATET front. We won¡¯t be able to make it work otherwise. Like you said, though, it¡¯ll take too long to plant one of our own in there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need to. I know someone who can help,¡± Laith said. ¡°Someone who won¡¯t have any other choice.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Captain Fox asked curiously. ¡°And who might that be, Detective?¡±


    ¡°A little friend that played me for a fool a while back,¡± Laith told her, rubbing his hands together. ¡°It¡¯s about time I repaid the favour, I think.¡±


    ?? ?? ??


    Audra Haize looked older than he remembered, mostly because she now sported an impressive set of dark eye bags and a heavy-lidded look of weariness she hadn¡¯t had before. Back when he¡¯d last seen her, Audra Haize was chipper, active, and very chatty. This morning, however, she was anything but ¨C and it might have had something to do with their crack-of-dawn meeting and the slight amount of unpleasant and probably quite shocking blackmail that had taken place.


    It also might have had something to do with the fact that she¡¯d been up most of the night, using her skills to help a certain someone break into a certain apartment undetected.


    ¡°So, you want me to write up a set of false reports and witness statements?¡± she asked, using her Slate to open yet another door. Her hand shook slightly. The irony of a place with so many security checkpoints being home to one of the biggest security issues Heliopolis had ever seen was not completely lost on Laith.


    ¡°The sooner you get started, the better,¡± Captain Fox said, taking in her surroundings. ¡°We¡¯re on a time crunch here, so how about you look a little lively, eh?¡±


    PATET HQ was completely empty, save for the three of them ¨C Audra, Laith, and Olivia. The Captain had come along to give more weight to his blackmail. Warda, on the other hand, had left to visit her parents. It was easier if she was elsewhere when Laith did what he needed to do. Even though he¡¯d told her his plan, he didn¡¯t want there to be any question that she hadn¡¯t been involved at all.


    ¡°How did you know it was me, anyway?¡± Haize grumbled, taking a seat at her desk and slipping her Slate into the slot. The screen lit up, and when she pressed the tips of all five fingers on her right hand on the screen, she was granted access.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t suspect you at first. Actually, I suspected Grot Antrum,¡± Laith said. ¡°He allegedly messed around with PATET before and had never been caught, and I assumed that, being the one person I knew of who was a PATET Specialist and who was also connected to Cassia Grove, it made sense that he was probably involved in her murder. Now, though, I have a problem with that theory: Grot Antrum is dead. He died days ago. But last night, a murderer was able to get into my home without setting off any alarms. Not possible without help from a PATET insider. And then I got to thinking ¨C if Antrum¡¯s dead, then who could possibly be helping this killer out?¡± Laith took a seat at the desk beside hers.


    ¡°Oddly enough, you popped into my mind, Ms. Haize,¡± he said with a small smile. ¡°I can¡¯t say why, exactly. Maybe it¡¯s because of the fact that you made it quite obvious you¡¯re skilled enough to pull something like this off ¨C going so far as to dig into logs and registries that an entry-level Specialist such as yourself should have no access to. You¡¯re obviously a very knowledgeable and very capable young woman. Or maybe it¡¯s because you paid with cash that day at the cafe ¨C and big bills, to boot. Keep the change, you said. I kept thinking about that ¨C about how much money that was, to be carrying around as cash, and how a Specialist got her hands on that kind of money when your boss Grot Antrum lived in a tiny apartment and just about barely made his rent. And that¡¯s when I realized that you were Invidia.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a big jump,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Invidia because I can do my job well and I have cash?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Laith told her. ¡°Grot Antrum was living in deplorable conditions for someone who was making as much as he was. He was supposed to be raking in more money that you, as your superior, but he wasn¡¯t really doing all that well financially. His apartment is tiny, and all of his furtniture looks worn and old. Someone with his paycheck wouldn¡¯t live in a place like that. At the very least, he¡¯d replace his furniture. But he didn¡¯t. Not because he didn¡¯t want to ¨C I don¡¯t think anyone would say no to fixing up their own place ¨C but because he couldn¡¯t. You see, most of that money that he was making wasn¡¯t being used by him at all. You were blackmailing him, too, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Haize didn¡¯t say anything, but Laith noticed her tightly set jaw and the way her hands balled into fists on her lap, and he realized that he¡¯d been right all along. ¡°You¡¯re not a professional, of course. You just saw an opportunity and took it. But I don¡¯t think you realized what you¡¯d gotten yourself into, did you? You didn¡¯t realize what Antrum was tangled up in with Cassia Grove and Aster Lockwood. Somehow, you found out about Lockwood¡¯s false identity and Antrum¡¯s role in the whole thing, and you thought it was a clear cut case of identity fraud. You didn¡¯t realize that there was murder involved. Or, maybe you did. Maybe you knew all along, and you didn¡¯t care that you were helping out a murderer by keeping quiet ¨C you just wanted your money.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Haize burst out, turning around in her chair to face him, her inky black braid flipping over her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I didn¡¯t know about the murder. He was just some guy with a fake ID. I know that kind of thing happens ¨C Antrum wasn¡¯t the first Specialist to dip his fingers in a little bonus work ¨C but I¡¯d never actually seen it for myself. When I figured out what Antrum had done, and who he¡¯d helped out¡­ You¡¯re right. I took the opportunity. Lockwood¡¯s rich and Antrum was a jerk, so I figured at least I could make a little money off of them. Keep Antrum in line, keep my evaluations positive so I could move up the ladder a bit quicker, and earn some extra cash. Antrum paid up because he was terrified of going to prison, but Lockwood wouldn¡¯t budge. He wouldn¡¯t pay up, and even though I threatened him, he¡­ He called my bluff. He knew I couldn¡¯t do what I was threatening to do.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t actually want to turn in your new sources of income,¡± Captain Fox guessed, her tone derisive. Every now and then, she looked to the computer, to the Slate, and shifted uncomfortably. Laith knew what she was worried about; he was concerned, too, but he imagined if Lockwood¡¯s rat was with them, then there was no way he was listening in.


    Assuming it¡¯s only Audra Haize that Lockwood has working for him.


    Haize crossed her arms stiffly, then nodded. ¡°That, and I had placed myself in a compromising position. I couldn¡¯t really tell the police about them without throwing myself under the bus, too. I moved on to Cassia, and she was a lot easier than her husband. She was scared, too, like Antrum, and she just wanted it all to go away. So she was more than happy to pay up. I didn¡¯t even have to threaten her all that much. The whole thing worked like a dream, for a while. But then she grew a back-bone, and she called my bluff, too. But I didn¡¯t kill her over the money. I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t kill her,¡± Laith said. ¡°But you know who killed her, don¡¯t you? You know exactly who it was that stabbed Cassia Grove to death in her home ¨C and you know exactly who it was that did the same to Antrum.¡±


    Haize looked away, staring at the screen, her skin even more sickly in the blue-white glow of the computer. She swallowed hard, twisting the hem of her shirt anxiously ¡°I¡­ I had to help him. I didn¡¯t have a choice. He learned about me from that coward Antrum, and he said if I didn¡¯t help him, I¡¯d end up just like Cassia, and just like Grot.¡± She shivered and shook her head, and Laith almost felt bad for her. She had gotten a taste of her own medicine, tenfold.


    ¡°So, you decided to become an accessory to murder,¡± Captain Fox pointed out dryly.


    ¡°What would you have done?¡± Audra Haize demanded, turning back towards us. ¡°No offense to you upstanding protectors of justice, but I¡¯m not about to go die for some higher moral ground. Don¡¯t act like you wouldn¡¯t do whatever it took to stay alive if you were in my position.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Captain Fox said. ¡°Let¡¯s stop wasting time and get to work. You know what we need. Make it happen. This might just save your life, too.¡± She checked her Slate with a deep frown. ¡°We have a couple of hours at best.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s ready on my side of things,¡± Laith said. After all, there wasn¡¯t much for him to prepare.


    The two of them watched as Audra Haize got to work. It wasn¡¯t long before she paused in hesitation, her fingers hovering over the screen. Her whole demeanor changed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Laith asked.


    She didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, she tilted her head to one side and pursed her lips as though considering something.


    ¡°Ms. Haize,¡± Laith urged, unable to keep the impatience out of his voice. Time was of the essence. The sooner his plan moved into motion, the better. True, he might not be around to help them see it through, but he had to push things into being. He did not have time for indecisiveness. ¡°Tell us.¡±


    ¡°I think I have something that may be of use to you,¡± Audra Haize said at last. She turned in her chair to face Laith, her tired eyes glistening. ¡°He¡¯s asked me to make something for him. Something that could let him go anywhere, anytime, and raise no alarms whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Captain Fox demanded. ¡°I thought he already has that in you.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Haize confirmed, nodding her head. ¡°But he has to contact me first. I have to make it happen. He can¡¯t just go wherever and do whatever ¨C I have to make sure it¡¯s all clear on the PATET front. So, he asked me recently to make him a tool that bypasses the need for my involvement. Something that allows him to enter any location whenever he wishes, even secure or private locations.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re doing it?¡± Fox asked, the judgment clear in her tone. Her hands were balled tightly into fists at her sides, a small tremor working its way into her jaw. ¡°You agreed to make such a thing for him?¡±


    Audra Haize exhaled in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t relish the idea of ending up dead like the others, okay? I don¡¯t know who else he has on his payroll, but Grot didn¡¯t fare too well, and neither will I if I don¡¯t do what Lockwood asks of me.¡± She plucked at an errant string on the hem of her shirt. ¡°I¡¯ve completed the tool. It¡¯s a bit rough around the edges, but it wasn¡¯t all that hard to make, all things considered,¡± she said with a shrug. Laith got the sense that she was disappointed that it hadn¡¯t taken her longer to make.


    ¡°Have you given it to him yet?¡± If she had, there was no way of knowing where or when Lockwood would strike next.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Haize told them. Laith sighed with relief as she continued. ¡°I¡¯m holding out for as long as I can. I know I made a stupid mistake with Grove and Grot and that whole mess, but I¡¯m not dumb. I know quite well that if I give this to Lockwood, he won¡¯t have any need for me anymore. I¡¯ll be a loose end, and he won¡¯t want any unnecessary loose ends. I¡¯ve been trying to come up with a plan to keep myself safe, and trying to bide my time while I do that. It¡¯s¡­ I suppose it¡¯s one of the reasons that I wanted to point you in the right direction, Detective.¡±


    Haize reached into her pocket and pulled out an X-Drive like the type Laith had found in Cassia Grove¡¯s office. ¡°It¡¯s all in here,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Some lines of code. That¡¯s all there is to it. With it, you can have an all-access pass to all of Heliopolis.¡± She placed it on her desk, staring at it intently. ¡°It¡¯s the most valuable thing I¡¯ve ever made, I think. But I don¡¯t want it to get into the wrong hands.¡±


    Laith could only imagine the terror that would befall their fair eco-city if Lockwood got his hands on this kind of tool ¨C or if he decided to sell copies of it to the rest of the Devils in the Ruins. The thought made a chill run down his spine.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give it to you both,¡± she went on, straightening her back and nodding with new resolve. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s better that you have it instead of that murderer. Better that you use it to stop him. In fact,¡± she said, turning back to her screen and tapping away, ¡°I¡¯ll activate it for you now. I can show you how to use it.¡±


    It was simple enough to use. Laith and Captain Fox each had all-access clearance now ¨C to all of Heliopolis. He hadn¡¯t counted on such a useful tool, but it was kind of¡­ perfect, really. It made his whole plan a lot easier. ¡°Audra, how do you feel about being our double agent?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Double agent?¡± she echoed, glancing away nervously. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know if I could pull that off. What if he found out?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Laith told her. ¡°All you need to go is tell Captain Fox here what he¡¯s planning. We¡¯ll have to work smart, of course,¡± Laith said, turning to Olivia. ¡°You¡¯ll have to find a way to make sure that if you intervene to save someone, it¡¯s got to feel natural. A coincidence. We can¡¯t let him know we¡¯re on to him.¡±


    ¡°Even if she tells us everything he¡¯s planning, we won¡¯t be able to interfere all the time,¡± Captain Fox said reluctantly. She looked away, shaking her head. ¡°If we do, he might know¡­ He might know we¡¯re on to him. We can¡¯t let him know. The first person he¡¯ll suspect is Haize, and she¡¯s the most important link we have.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°What are you talking about? You have to save them all ¨C all the ones you know about,¡± Laith protested, a feeling of repulsion flooding him. ¡°You can¡¯t just let some of them die and some of them live. You can¡¯t make that choice, Captain.¡±


    Captain Fox didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. With an irritated tsk, she cocked her head towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, but you should get going. We¡¯re running out of time, and everything¡¯s ready to go. The sooner the better. I can buy you some time. Leave this to me.¡±


    Laith wasn¡¯t absolutely certain that Fox was sold on the whole help-everyone scheme, but he glanced at the time on the wall and realized that she was right. He didn¡¯t have time. He needed to leave right away. ¡°What about--¡±


    ¡°Leave her to me,¡± Captain Fox said confidently. ¡°Leave it all to me. You can trust that I¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Laith said with a nod. At the very least, he could trust that she would do her best. In a situation like this, that was vital. He stood and rolled up his sleeves, trying very hard to keep his nerves steady. Every moment ¨C every second ¨C counted now more than ever. He had much to do, and it would be dangerous no matter what happened. But he had no other choice. He sucked in a deep breath and pushed some bravado into his voice.


    ¡°Goodbye, Captain,¡± he said, making for the door.


    ¡°Goodbye, Detective,¡± she called after him.

 29. A Strategic Retreat

    By midday, Detective Laith Alazraq was dead.


    His car, the comfortable yet bulky Camino Forest which he had loved so much, had unexpectedly malfunctioned in the A-lane while he was traveling to meet up with his wife at her family home. The ensuing explosion created a fiery ball of fire in the tunnels, and the homicide detective, who was stuck inside the vehicle, could not escape. He burned to death within seconds, and unfortunately emergency personnel could not arrive in time to save him.


    Earlier that morning, that very detective had successfully closed his first homicide case. "The murder of Cassia Grove, Novus Atlantis-born entrepreneuress and owner of the recreational club Nymphaeales, located in The Floats, was found to be the doing of deranged PATET Specialist Grot Antrum, who had apparently held an obsession with the successful Grove since their days in Novus Atlantis," the news anchor said. "There is currently speculation about a possible criminal connection between Cassia Grove and Grot Antrum. Antrum was found dead in his apartment only days after Grove¡¯s death. It is theorized that his guilt at having killed Grove had finally overwhelmed him.


    ¡°Detective Laith Alazraq, who perished in an unfortunate freak accident at around midday, was responsible for solving the case of Cassia Grove¡¯s murder, closing the case just moments before his own tragic demise,¡± the anchor finished.


    Pheonix Zamarad watched the news report intently, gripping the leather arms of his chair anxiously as his eyes scoured the organic interface panel on the wall. There were photographs of the scene ¨C the scorched interior of the part of the tunnel where the car had exploded, the melted frame of the vehicle, upside down, and various bits and pieces of debris that had been blown apart by the explosion, now littering the ground. There were even interviews with the emergency personnel that had responded to the call. According to the news anchor, the charred remains of Detective Laith Alazraq had already been transported to a morgue, and his funeral was already being prepared in accordance with Islamic funerary rites.


    The whole ordeal put a bad taste in Pheonix Zamarad¡¯s mouth. What nonsense, he thought. They let Antrum take the fall and found a way to kill off the detective when he¡¯d gotten too close to the truth. And he had all my evidence, too. Damn it!


    Laith Alazraq was dead, Pheonix was back to square one, and worse than all of that, he was being hunted. Earlier that morning ¨C had it even been morning yet? ¨C he had awoken to hear the tell-tale beep of his locked hospital room door being unlocked. All the time he¡¯d been there, in that room, he¡¯d been on edge. Last night, however, his nerves had shot through the roof at that small sound. He¡¯d thought, perhaps, that it was simply the detective or some other member of the Heliopolis PD coming in for an impromptu interview. Highly unlikely, at that time of night, but¡­


    He¡¯d waited. Ten seconds. Twenty. And then he¡¯d slipped out of his bed and padded over to the door, pulling it open to peek out into the hall. His blood had run cold.


    Nobody.


    He¡¯d closed the door and backed away, taking in his surroundings frantically. Nobody. No guards. Guards were supposed to be stationed at his door. So long as they knew he was a criminal ¨C and they knew ¨C those guards would be posted there until he was well enough to be taken into custody. In all the days that he had been confined to that small hospital room, not a single guard had left him unsupervised.


    Every fiber in his body had screamed at him to run. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.


    And so he had. He¡¯d grabbed whatever clothing he could find ¨C they¡¯d been kind enough to bring him an outfit from his closet back home ¨C and booked it out of the hospital room, right down the hall and around the corner. He¡¯d found his way to the stairwell and began his descent ¨C better to escape than stay in that hospital room like a sitting duck, even if he didn¡¯t have anywhere to go ¨C and froze.


    Just a quick glance over the railing had given him everything he needed to know. Suddenly, everything had falling into place with alarming clarity.


    Aster Lockwood ¨C the real Aster Lockwood ¨C the monster ¨C was climbing the stairs, two or three at a time, his darkly clothed panther-like figure making its way up towards him. In that moment, Pheonix knew without a doubt that everything ¨C the missing guards, the unlocked door, the unguarded criminal supposedly sleeping in his hospital room ¨C all of it was part of Lockwood¡¯s plan.


    Pheonix had reeled back, turning desperately towards the door and once again entering the hall where his hospital room was located. What could he do? What was there to do? If he¡¯d decided to take the elevators ¨C if he¡¯d passed by the nurse¡¯s station ¨C there was a chance that he might have been recognized, and he hadn¡¯t wanted anyone to stop him. On the other hand, there was nothing else for it now; he needed to escape.


    He¡¯d run down the hall, past his hospital room ¨C and then he¡¯d stopped and run back to close the hospital room door. Better for him is Aster thought he was inside, snoring away in blissful ignorance. Any moment now, Aster would come out of the stairwell and through those doors, and Pheonix hadn¡¯t wanted to be there when it happened. So, he turned right back around and kept running.


    It had been a narrow escape. He¡¯d just about turned the corner into the elevator landing and pressed the button in a frightened frenzy, when he¡¯d peeked around the corner to see Lockwood exiting the stairwell. Pheonix had watched with dread as Lockwood pulled a blade out from inside his black jacket and made straight for his room.


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    He hadn¡¯t stuck around to watch much more than that.


    The natural agar air sterilizer beside him hissed quietly, whispering him back from the nerve-wracking ordeal. The thought that he had been so close ¨C so close ¨C to becoming another one of Lockwood¡¯s victims made him feel sick. He had hoped that the Heliopolis PD might be of help, but now¡­ If the detective on Cassia¡¯s homicide case was dead, it was no coincidence. And within mere hours of Lockwood¡¯s visit to my hospital room¡­ If that didn¡¯t sent a message to Pheonix, nothing else would. He gulped and rubbed his forehead, where beads of sweat were beginning to form. Remembering the events that had transpired just a handful of hours prior was only contributing to his constant sense of anxiety.


    The receptionist sitting off to the side seemed to notice his discomfort. She stared at him from where she sat, tilting her head curiously. His hands trembled, and he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself ¨C but in truth he was incensed. As if any vehicle would malfunction so badly as to kill a man in this day and age. How many times would Lockwood and his network of affluent city-dwellers kill? Would they never be satisfied? Would they never cease their senseless violence? How could they keep going, completely unchecked? And, most infuriatingly, how was it that they always won?


    He couldn¡¯t let them keep winning. He couldn¡¯t let Lockwood get away with it. He couldn¡¯t live with himself if he didn¡¯t at least try to stop these monsters.


    Cassia¡¯s death was on him. He should have made sure Aster Lockwood was dead that night. He should have had the courage to turn back and finish what he¡¯d started. He should have made sure there was no way on earth that Aster Lockwood could come back to hunt them.


    He couldn¡¯t even imagine the fear that Cassia must have felt, opening the door of their house and seeing him standing there, waiting for her. Just when she¡¯d started to truly leave that nightmarish episode in her life behind, it came back to drag her into the darkness. He couldn¡¯t imagine the terror that went through her in her final moments. He¡¯d promised her a better life ¨C and they had had a better life, for a while. Sure, they bickered and quarreled like most friends did ¨C in those times, they only communicated grudgingly through their Slates, until they made up ¨C but he¡¯d never been as close to anyone in his life as he had been to Cassia. He couldn¡¯t let her murder go unpunished.


    In order to do that, however, he needed to secure his own protection. With Lockwood on the loose in Heliopolis, there was no place that was safe for Pheonix. There wasn¡¯t a single place he could hide ¨C not a single place he could feel safe spending the night.


    He rubbed his temples and glanced at the receptionist, whose concentrated stare was now completely fixed to her screen. She had asked him to wait here, in the lobby, which was to be expected. It wasn¡¯t just anybody who could get an impromptu meeting with the chief executive officer and president of Emerald Farm. But he had already been waiting for almost half an hour, and he didn¡¯t have time to waste. Who knew if Lockwood was already moving against him? Who knew if he was hunting him down that very moment, now that the detective was dead and out of the way?


    The man had already gotten his hands on him once ¨C had almost killed him, and would have, if he hadn¡¯t wanted to play with his prey like the sick monster he was ¨C but Pheonix had somehow escaped. Not that he remembered much about how. But that only served to underline his point: Aster Lockwood had it out for him, and that meant he¡¯d come looking for him soon. Every moment was of the essence.


    A pounding headache had made its home in his head, and Pheonix absentmindedly bounced his right leg anxiously. When was the last time he¡¯d actually slept ¨C not including the drug-induced slumber at the hospital? It had been a long week. A harrowing week. A terrifying week. His nerves were shot. If this worked, he might just have a moment to rest. He reached over to the air sterilizer and quickly configured it to release a calming lavander aroma, which he inhaled deeply in hopes that it might help him calm his nerves.


    ¡°Pheonix.¡±


    He looked up from his seat. The old man was different from the last time Pheonix had seen him. There were more wrinkles, more gray hairs. But despite all of that, he looked good. Healthy. He just didn¡¯t look particularly happy to see his son.


    Pheonix pushed aside these thoughts and ran a hand through his hair. Now was the time to pull himself together and turn the tides in his favour. ¡°Well,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Pheonix?¡± Fraser Zamarad asked, his hand resting on the silver-headed cane.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been fine, thanks for asking,¡± Pheonix replied sarcastically. His father didn¡¯t respond. With a sigh, he said, ¡°I need your help. I need your protection.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill her?¡±


    Pheonix froze, staring at his father in shock. ¡°Who?¡± he asked, but he already knew the answer.


    ¡°Your wife,¡± his father said.


    ¡°No,¡± Pheonix replied, squashing down the flash of irritation that came with the almost-accusation. His father had somehow always believed him to be a lowly character; no doubt, to him, murder seemed a reasonable thing to expect from his illegitimate son. But Pheonix¡¯s anger would not serve him now, and besides, this man would never understand his relationship with Cassia.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill my wife," he continued steadily, and already he could tell that his father did not believe him. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. The person who killed her¡­ He¡¯s going to come after me. I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Why should I help you?¡± Fraser Zamarad asked, tapping the marble-tiled floor of his lobby with his cane. ¡°You think because half your genes come from me that I''m somehow responsible for you? Why should I even bother? You¡¯re nothing more than a criminal.¡±


    ¡°I held up my end of the deal, didn¡¯t I?¡± Pheonix countered, biting back a string of poisonous responses begging to be unleashed. ¡°I gave you a run for your money, old man. I would have run you to the ground if Lockwood hadn''t showed up ¨C you know it''s true. And that''s not forgetting the added benefits I''ve been spoon-feeding your farm. Farm Hands Machines was the treasure chest that just didn''t stop giving, wasn''t it? The least you could do is hold up your end of the bargain. Or don¡¯t you want to admit that your bastard son accomplished more than those silver-spoon idiots ever could? And let¡¯s not kid ourselves here ¨C they had a big starting advantage.¡±


    Fraser Zamarad bristled at the accusation, but there was nothing he could say in retaliation. It was all true, after all. There was nothing those boys of his could do that Pheonix couldn¡¯t do a hundred times better. Now, his father knew it, too.


    ¡°Allow me to explain the situation,¡± he said, crossing his arms. ¡°Starting from now, Greenland Farm is going to come under control of a new leadership. But I¡¯m the one who built it from the ground up. I¡¯m the brains behind the whole thing. I know more about my company than every employee there put together. Things they know, things they don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s all in here,¡± he said, tapping the side of his head.


    ¡°And so?¡±


    ¡°And so, I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m ready to share all of that information and knowledge with Emerald Farms,¡± Pheonix pressed impatiently. ¡°New products, new approaches, new resource pools ¨C I¡¯m offering you the chance to completely decimate Greenland Farm, and maybe even the rest of your competitors, too.¡±


    ¡°In exchange for my protection,¡± the old man said, stroking his white beard thoughtfully, eyes narrowed. ¡°What exactly does that entail?¡±


    Now he¡¯s interested. How predictable. The old man never cared about anything more than business.


    But that suits me just fine. This isn''t personal, anyway. I''m just out of options ¨C and I have one card left to play. Even for him, this is a business proposition worth grabbing onto with both hands. And, in the meantime, I''ll regroup. Start again.


    Take that killer down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get into the details in your office,¡± Pheonix told his father, looking around. He pushed his hands into his tailored pants pockets and leaned back. ¡°Or were you planning on keeping me in the lobby?¡±

 BONUS: The History of PATET

    What is PATET?


    In a nutshell, PATET is the artificial intelligence system that assists in the daily running and smooth operations of the Heliopolitan megalopolis. Since its conception and introduction to Heliopolis, it has become an invaluable part of the city''s existence, and heavy reliance on the system is rife. While several systems exist outside of PATET, they have been integrated to the AI system and generally fall under its automated control.


    Who created PATET?


    PATET was created as the result of the HELI-PAT Summit in 2096. In response to a growing need for stability and security among the inhabitants of Heliopolis, along with a strong community desire to "get it right", a great number of scientists, scholars, engineers, and professionals across various fields came together to create the blueprint of a system that would utilize the best of the advanced technology available at the time in order to assist in the creation and sustenance of a fair, egalitarian, and safe society.


    The prevailing ideology of the time was one of caution and care, especially as it pertained to environmental, wellness, and sociocultural concerns. The people did not want to repeat the mistakes of the past; but more than that, they wanted to begin righting the wrongs of their predecessors. Whether it related to politics, education, religion, resource management, economics, or any other area of widespread impact, there was a strong desire to ensure that all would be managed in an incorruptible, sustainable manner.


    After much debate and discussion, a majority of representatives in the HELI-PAT Summit agreed that an artificial intelligence system - one without bias, with clear objectivity and a sophisticated set of basic moral codes - would best serve the people of Heliopolis. It was then that work began on the development of PATET.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The system underwent several iterations - twenty-six within a time span of three years - before reaching a satisfactory completion stage. Though PATET was meant to theoretically run and manage itself after all developments were completed, it soon became clear that this would not be possible, and a talented group of dedicated PATET Specialists took it upon themselves to ensure the smooth running of the AI system, giving rise to the profession which required specialized education and training.


    The current version of the PATET system has been operational since late 2099.


    What exactly does PATET do?


    To list everything that PATET dips its figurative fingers into would be too hard; the list is too extensive. However, here are some of the big systems that PATET plays an active role in regulating, reporting, and maintaining, while others are systems that PATET interfaces with but should have little power over:


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">Electoral systems (collecting and calculating votes, eligibility of candidates, notification and updates regarding elections, etc.)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">Financial systems (bank systems, money transfers, financial aid and loan eligibility and monitoring, etc.)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">Identification and census (births, deaths, population information, registries, etc.)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">Security systems (public surveillance, biometric recognition, emergency services, public alerts, border control, etc.)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">Water systems (water conservation, water usage, water treatment and recycling, desalination, sewage, irrigation, etc.)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">Energy and resource management (electricity, solar fields, conservation and deflection, energy storage, etc.)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.5786%">...and much, much more!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Why is PATET relevant?


    It plays a critical role in Murder in Heliopolis when it is discovered that a killer is unexpectedly able to hide from the system due to intrinsically exploitable corruption within PATET HQ. The manipulation of the system goes against all of its original intents and purposes, creating a society that can be just as insecure, unsustainable, and corruptible as its predecessors.

 Notice: Murder in Heliopolis is Undergoing Edits

    Hello, readers! It has been years since last I shared anything for Murder in Heliopolis. Truth be told, I''ve had a bit of a rough time over the past couple of years. This year, I''ve decided to make this story my main WIP.


    I am currently editing this book - and lots is going to change! I''m not sure if I''ll go back and edit the released chapters, or if I''ll release the re-written chapters anew. How does this usually go? Any thoughts? I''ll take this question to the forums, too.


    In the meantime, let''s get down to business!


    What you can expect moving forward:


    1.   There will be major and significant plot changes. Already I have been adding new character POVs and scenes, and have heavily edited some preexisting scenes. I''ve also removed certain parts of the story. I''m not done yet - I''m a bit stuck figuring out how to progress the story past a certain point - but it''s very clear to me that this story is going to be much changed when I''m done with it.


    2.   The story will continue past its "ending", so that Aster Lockwood and the Devils in the Ruins are dealt with, too. I know that some readers didn''t like the ending, since it was rushed, and I wholeheartedly agree on that front. I''m going to tackle the pacing and make sure everything is a lot more balanced moving forward.


    3.   Don''t expect any new chapters just yet! It will take some time for me to be able to share brand new chapters; editing has only just begun. I hope you will be a little more patient with me as I make this solarpunk mystery as satisfying and thrilling as it should be.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    4.   Constructive criticism is welcome. I have had a couple of awesome readers who have been extremely generous with their feedback, and I appreciate it tremendously. Don''t hesitate to give me whatever feedback you think of.


    Some story details:


    1.   Laith remains the protagonist of the story - for the first part. In the second part, that mantle is taken up by another character. There was a question as to whether Laith died or not, or if the whole thing was faked. I''m not going to answer that just yet. What are plot twists for? I will say that it''s not going to be what you expect.


    2.   Other characters - especially faves like Audra Haize - will have their own POVs. I realized that the story, at some point, was just Laith thinking things through and guessing. Maybe this person did that! Maybe this happened! It''s... not the most entertaining approach. Ergo: new POVs which will give you, the reader, a direct insight into what''s happening!


    3.   Speaking of characters: they''re getting personalities. Okay, that''s a bit harsh. What I mean is, I don''t think I''ve done a good job with characterization in the book, and I want to change that. I think perhaps the most three-dimensional character I have is Audra Haize, and given that she''s not even the protagonist, that''s saying a lot.


    4.   Worldbuilding is going to play a bigger role in the story moving forward. I have this entire world created for this book - and you''ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. I''m talking, maybe 1% of the worldbuilding I''ve done? I want the worldbuilding to play an active role in how the story unfolds. Already PATET is helping me out with this, but more world-plot interaction would be nice.


    <hr>


    Alright. I could go on and on - I''ve been preparing for this edit for about a month now, and I''ve got a lot of great stuff I could talk about, but this is only a quick update. Now, I''m off to continue working on it!


    If you have any Qs, please let me know.


    If you''ve asked Qs and I haven''t back to you yet, I promise I will! ASAP!


    Thanks for sticking around and being patient with me!