"I don't see a dead body," detective Clarette Carmine asked stepping on the curb "What are we doing here?"

"We're investigating," replied detective Chase Hunter "like the captain ordered."

We stopped in front of House no 7 on Castle Avenue. The suburban neighborhood was built in the early 2000 and consisted of four rows of houses owned by Grimm corp.

"But why ask for homicide detectives for a routine robbery?"

"They requested for the best and the mayor complied" shrugged Hunter.

A woman opened the door before I could knock. She didn't bother scanning the ID Cards we held up but instead ushered us in.

"I am Sarah King." she smiled "My husband Alan, he'll be a minute."

Mrs. King's long blond hair fell delicately on her oversized white turtleneck unlike my red shoulder length hair. We were about the same age but Mrs. King blended into her surrounding like sugar in milk. She sank into the couch and continued smiling politely. The room was quite ordinary expect for the holographic fireplace which crackled occasionally.

"Are those The Dunes?" Hunter asked.

"Yes. The actual dunes" Mrs. King replied.

"I didn't think we were close to the perimeter."

"We aren't. It's a special kind of tempered glass." she indicated with a nod "It magnifies distances and projects it. The perimeter burns during the day and it's impossible to live by."

"So, we've heard" I replied.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting detectives. I am Alan King"

Mr. Alan looked a few years older that his wife. He was casually dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. He shook our hands and then plopped on the couch besides his wife.

"Well, Mr. Alan. Why are we here?" I asked.

"Some of my wife's jewelry has been stolen and I want it found." he replied.

"But Mr. Alan we work homicide-

"I know but it's necessary that this doesn't get out. You see this neighborhood is extremely secure. Besides the usual security at the gates," he waved his hand in the air "there are facial recognition cameras install in each house with picked nothing."

"What other measures?" Hunter questioned.

"The palm scanner" said Mrs. King.

"There are various Biometric scanners at the doors." replied King.

"What exactly is missing?" I asked.

"A diamond necklace and a ring."

"When did you last see them?"

"Sarah wore the necklace to the charity dinner at The Gliz and the ring probably a week ago at a dinner."

"And you are sure the missing items weren't lost at these events?" I asked.

"No. I am certain I had them when we returned." replied Mrs. King. "Darling, do me have to do this? I am certain they'll be somewhere around the house." she said placing her hand on Mr. King's arm.

"Sarah, we've already searched everywhere " he replied turning towards us "those were heirlooms and I want them found."

"We'll need pictures of the items and the camera footage." I replied standing to leave.

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"You are not going to believe what the It guys found," Chase announced breathlessly.

He hurried down the stairs and over to the viewing room. The station used to be an abandoned warehouse but after the Nuclear Wars it was refurbished for The North Grove Police Department and an Integrated Network was setup. Chase touched the screen numerous times making a video pop up.

"What are we looking at?" I asked.

"It's the security camera footage. This is the night the Kings were at that charity dinner."

"Ok. I don't see anything unusual." I replied.

"Look at the time stamp" he tapped the screen.

"It jumps for 10 minutes. Was the system tampered with?" I asked. "Does it happen again?"

"Yes, on their dinner night. The data goes directly to AIR storage. It was hacked from an external IP address the day after the two events and was altered. There's also a logo."

He was silent for a minute before he brought up the logo. It was a black W encased in a brown circle with both rotating in opposing directions.

"John Wolfinsky. We put him away."

"He's out on probation."

"That IP address was for The Underbush?"

"Yes. Wolfinsky's club is still famous for its organic drinks." he said "I had his probation officer bring him. He's in the interrogation room."

I took a steadying breath. Hunter quietly followed me.

"You stay the hell away from me." John jump out of his chair.

"Cool it, Wolfinsky." Hunter replied

Wolfinsky dug himself into the corner shrinking away from Hunter. I raised my right hand indicating for him to stay back hoping not to spook Wolfinsky further.

"You attacked me with a sword" he yelled.

"It as an axe and I never hurt." Hunter replied.

"You get him out of here." Wolfinsky turned to me " He's barking mad."

I signaled to Hunter. He begrudging left closing the door. Wolfinsky slowly came out his corner and took his seat.

"Why I am here?" he asked.

"I asked the questions around here" I said "Why did you steal Mrs. King's jewelry"

"What jewelry? Who is Mrs. King?"

"That's Mrs. King and those are the stolen pieces." I spread the pictures out on the table.

"I haven't seen this stuff before." he crossed his arms.

"Are you upgrading? Moving from Identity thief to Breaking and Entering? Stealing? Then what?"

Wolfinsky shifted in his chair.

"You got lucky with Mrs. Gran Ma. She didn't want the negative publicity damaging the image of her Baked Goods business but not the Kings"

"I didn't steal the stuff? and you can't prove it"

"But someone tampered with the security footage."

"So-"

"It was traced to your IP address"

"That doesn't mean I-"

"You left your signature logo."

He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and moved closer to the table.

"I didn't steal anything and I was paid to alter the video."

"Paid. By who?"

He moved the pics around on the table and slid one across to me.

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"Stones" Hunter shook his head "Wolfinsky was having surgery for kidney stones. You can't be falling for this."

"I'm following the evidence, Hunter" I replied "The hospital confirmed his story."

"What about the footage then?" he asked.

"IT scrubbed the footage and the AIR logs. They confirmed it was hacked a few days after. Did you check into the King's finances?"

"I didn't find anything suspicious." He clicked on his desk highlighting two rows on the screen. "Those amounts match the amounts that Wolfinsky mentioned he was paid. It's barely a grand. Why would he charge so less?"

"He's a Giver. That's what he said when I asked him. I suspect he needed the money." I swallowed my coffee. "C'mon let's see what Mrs. King has to say about all this."

The neighborhood appeared unchanged. I passed through the picket fence but stopped in front of the pink magnolia trees to check their permits. Their barcodes were etched into their trunks and glowed metallic blue as I scanned them one by one. The scanner beeped twice confirming their validity.

"We planted them recently." Mr. King said from inside the door. He led us to the living room where Mrs. King was seated at her usual spot.

"You found something?" Mr. King asked.

"Actually, we have some questions for Mrs. King." Hunter replied.

"Do you know this man, Mrs. King?" I projected the image from my microtab on to the wall.

"No. I don't." she replied "Who is he?"

"His name is John Wolfinsky. He claims you paid him to alter the footage from your security cameras."

"What? That's ridiculous? Why would she do that?" Mr. King said.

"Miller. That's your maiden name. You went to Straw university. That's where you met Mr. Wolfinsky. Am right Mrs. King." I asked.

"We were friends but lost contact after we graduated." she said glancing at me "It wasn't a great friendship. Not like I mourned it's loss or anything."

"But you got in touch with him. Why is that?"

"I ... I needed his help."

"With what?"

"I had to get out of the house without being recorded." She sniffed "Alan I am sorry. I didn't know what else to do. I had to pay him."

"Whom did you pay and for what?" I asked.

"The charity event was honoring those students who graduated with GOLD degrees but I never ... finished." She stuttered "My father had fallen ill and I didn't give all the exams. I was afraid I would be exposed as a fraud."

"And?"

"That's when he contacted me. He said he could get me the grades and the degree and he did but I had to pay." She glanced at her husband then back at me.

"First I paid him with the ring and the second time with the necklace but I didn't have anything to pay him the third time. So, he said I would have to give him the baby."

"But we don't have a baby, Sarah."

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"I know we don't have a baby" Mrs. King replied "that's why I wasn't worried."

"Are you positive he said baby?" Mr. King asked the words barely escaping his lips. His expression was like a flat white cardboard.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked.

Mr. King rushed out of the room without replying followed by Mrs. King. The study was clean room with some sort of electronic in one corner and books in the other corner. There were two screens displays on the wall. Mr. King typed on his desk opening a program called BABY. A timer appeared with 30 minutes remaining. It was counting backwards to 0 to the tune of music. Mr. king fell back in his chair looking defeated.

"What's going on, Alan?

"Mr. King what's wrong?" I asked "What is this? What is baby?"

"This is one of the projects I've been working at for Grimm Corp. It's called BABY short for Biome Analyzer Biodiversity Yields."

"What does it do?" Hunter asked.

"After the Nuclear Wars most of the planet has turned into a scorching desert. The plant and animal life all were completely destroyed except for the various oasis. It's been impossible to go to the near the dunes let alone beyond it. I build this device to track the biome changes and to gather figures about the biodiversity."

"But what's this count down?" I asked.

"Someone has hacked into the program." he replied "I can't access anything."

"He did this?" Mrs. King stumbled into a chair.

"Isn't there an override?" Hunter asked.

"No. I don't know." Mr. King said "It's asking some sort of a riddle but with less than 30 minutes remaining. I don't see the point."

"What's the riddle?" I asked.

Mr. King brought up the riddle on the screen. Below it were squares to enter the answers below which was a warning stating that there were only three attempts. The riddle read

If you want an end to the game

then you have to guess my name.

"His name. How is anyone supposed to know his name?" Hunter said.

"Did he tell you anything about himself?" I asked to Mrs. King "Introduce himself? Anything?"

"No." She yelled.

"How did you meet give him the money? How did he get grades and degree to you?" I asked.

"He asked to drop it the trash at the Forest Cafe." she replied.

"Isn't there anything you can remember?" Hunter said "Come on think. Stoke those brain cell?"

"No!" She covered her ears yelling "Can someone stop that music"

"What is that music?" I asked.

"It's a classic band called the Rumpelstiltskin" Hunter replied.

I grabbed Mr. King's chair dragging him back while Hunter type the name. The music died and the timer disappeared with less that a minute.

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