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"Why would you drop Genesis's case, Dad?" Those were the first set of words April threw at her father as soon as her pushed the front door of their apartment open.

"Who told you that?" Kirby threw the keys in the direction of the ceramic bowl sitting somewhere on the table.

It was a best friend's sworn duty to tell you when something was wrong or when everything didn't go as planned. "You know how much this means to Taly!" April protested, following her father to the living room.

Kirby pinched the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't my call to make, April. My superiors don't want my detectives to stick their noses in this case any longer. Besides, even if it were to remain open, we would have a hard time building around it for lack of physical evidence. There is nothing that links us to Genesis's murderer."

April frowned. "Then find something. You guys didn't go to college and study criminology and forensics just to not be able to try harder and find more clues!"

"That's my point, April. Whoever did it made damn sure we wouldn't find anything. If they are capable of cleaning up after themselves really well, then that means we are dealing with a killer who knows their stuff. An elusive killer is the most dangerous killer out there."

"So that's it, then? What about Taly and her father? The wait is never going to end for them, Dad."

"Look, sweetie, I wish I could do something about it, but I can't. It's out of my hands."

April only huffed. Kirby sighed. He was aware that by closing the doors on Genesis's case, Talia and her father's chances of getting closure disintegrate, which was something he hated seeing, but it wasn't like he could conduct an off-the-record investigation. An order was an order.

Kirby decided to change the subject. "How are you holding up with those migraine attacks?"

April flopped on the sofa, puffing. "The pills help. I just don't want to get addicted."

"That's why it's important to resist the temptation."

It really was tempting. The stronger the migraine, the greater the urge to increase the dosage. April wasn't sure how or why they started, but all she could recall was being bombarded by migraines during her prepubescent years. The pain proved to be too much, so much that April had to be prescribed medication for it. Now that her junior year was right around the corner, she predicted the migraine trips to be stronger than ever— especially with all the stress.

Last thing she wanted was in the future for the headlines to read 'Decorated Captain has a junkie for a daughter!' That would be embarrassing. "Don't worry, I know better."

***

Talia knew her mission was doomed for failure lest she carry it out by herself. Of all the values and lessons she was taught, she would never forget how important it was to have help.

And what better than to have your best friend to aid you? She needed someone she could report her findings freely to without being shot down by law enforcement for vigilantism or by her father's opinions on how it was "too dangerous." She would never have resorted to taking matters into her own hands, but what choice did she have? Who else would help her in her quest for justice if everyone's hands were tied?

Besides, she assured herself, this is only until I find the one responsible. Once I find him, the authorities shall take care of the rest.

It was a long stretch, but Talia had her hopes up. One way or another, the man would make his appearance.

"Hey, Taly! I got your message!" Talia swiveled her head and spotted April heading her way, her green beanie perched upon her bobbing red hair holding on for dead life.

"So-" April dusted her hands, "-what's the move?"

"If my mother's murderer is to be found, we have to retrace her steps," Talia said. "The only way we are going to do that is by accessing her data."

"How are we going to do that? The police confiscated every computer, phone, and every other electronic device under your mother's name."

"Perhaps not." Talia suddenly got to thinking. "Hypothetically, if I were involved in something I would not want anyone to know about, I wouldn't want to record all of my activity on my personal devices, correct?"

April caught on quickly. "I would keep another computer and do all the bad mojo stuff there to lay under the radar. Just like what spies and double agents do in the movies."

Talia nodded. "My mother was always good at stashing her things in places where no one would look," as well as hiding secrets, as I am now realizing, "so chances are that police missed something while searching the mansion."

"So that means we have to sneak inside somehow and take a look ourselves. But how?"

It took a moment to ponder over that question until a lightbulb turned on in Talia's head. "Say, April, do you remember the passage we found and used when we were kids?"

April slowly grinned, snapping her fingers. "Ah, I see what you're doing. And I love it."

Talia smiled and waved for a taxi. "We should get going."

***

When Talia told the driver where to go, he was confused at first, but Talia assured him that she knew what she was doing. The driver shrugged and floored it, taking the girls to their desired location.

"Hey, isn't this place off limits?" The driver eyed Talia and April suspiciously from the front seat.

"She only wants to see her former home. Sentimental reasons," April coughed. It wasn't like she was lying.

The driver hummed, but whatever he was thinking was discarded when Talia paid the fare. He reversed his way out of there and went on his merry way.

Talia only stared up ahead, sweet and bitter memories flooding her brain. Maybe it was silly, but she was overcome with the emotion to say hello to the home that kept her warm during the winter nights. It may have been a few days since she was forced to move out, but to her, it felt like years. She had yet to understand how time could be so manipulative during periods of tragedy.

"Taly," April's voice broke Talia out of her gaze. She saw how the redhead was staring worriedly at her. "You okay?"

"Yes," Talia managed to say, holding back tears. "I am fine." She needed to stay strong not only for everyone around her, but if she were to do this. "Let us go."

The two girls sauntered around the flower beds, spotting rows and rows of white daisies, red carnations, violet orchids, and pink hydrangea. Although seeing them in bloom and inhaling their sweet scent like perfume should've made Talia feel euphoric, she still felt an empty feeling inside. It wasn't the same anymore.

They continue to admire different bundles of colorful flowers, all coming in different shapes and sizes, but at the far end of the row, Talia and April spotted a particular flowerbed. Anyone else would think it was just like the other flowerbeds, but Talia and April knew that upon closer inspection, the tulips and lilies were simply artificial- fake. Even the soil and sprouting weeds were nothing but permanent botanicals. Talia bent down and smoothed away one particular area of the soil- one that had evidence that someone had dug it and then covered it back up. Like all the other times she and April had been down this road before, there was a rustic button with soil clinging to the edges. When Talia pressed it, there was a mechanical whirring-like sound (just the kind of sound a machine would make) and before the girls' eyes, the flower bed split in half like how Moses split the sea, revealing a set of metal steps that led underground.

"Old times, man," April grinned from ear to ear. She and Talia headed down the stairs as the secret doorway closed back up.

Talia and April accidentally stumbled upon the secret exit a couple years back. They were playing hide-and-seek and it was Talia's turn to hide. She decided to try the kitchen for a change; in doing so, she discovered that underneath the kitchen island was a a secret passageway that was connected to an underground tunnel that led right outside where the flower beds were. The best part was that it could be done vice-versa as well. She didn't know whether her mother was aware of the hidden door or not, but of course Talia had to tell April about it. From then on, it has been the girls favorite room to hang out and play.

"Do you remember when we used to play Hunters & Spirits?" April reminisced as she dragged her hand along the dirt wall. "We pretended to be bounty hunters, but for catching and extinguishing different spirits."

As if remembering an old memory, Talia chuckled. "We played for hours. You never wanted to leave. This was also the area we used when we played that one game- Treasure Hunt, remember?" I hid one of the jewels here."

"Took me forever to find it," April commented. "It felt like yesterday that we were little girls not having a single care in the world."

Talia thought the same. That was the funny thing about memories: one doesn't know they're making memories until they're done having fun.

The dirt pathway seemed to extend forever, but eventually Talia and April found another set of stairs— their way out of here. Both of them treaded up the stairs, where Talia noticed a pair of sliding handles. She pushed them in the opposition direction, uncovering the room that was directly underneath the kitchen isle.

After they got out of there and sealed the exit up, the next step was to face their third (and final) set of stairs before they could actually step foot in the house. Other than the racks and cabinet stacked with wine, there was nothing else the room had to offer. When she discovered this years back, Talia wondered how her parents felt if they were to ever know she discovered where they hid their alcohol. But now it didn't matter.

The door flew open and Talia and April emerged from below. Being back in her own kitchen brought an overwhelming feeling over Talia. Just for a moment, she thought she smelled the scent of blueberry pancakes she and her mother would whip up every Saturday morning— a tradition they developed as soon as her mother bought this house. Sometimes, she and April even used some of the kitchen utensils to bang against the oven, fridge, and countertops, pretending they were in a band.

Next, Talia and April went to the living room. The room seemed so vast without the leather couches she and April would use as stepping stones, pretending the floor was lava; Talia wasn't used to not seeing the flatscreen TV she and her parents used for weekend movie nights mounted on the wall; the area that used to house the grand fireplace where Talia toasted her first s'more was nothing more than a rectangle of empty space. She felt like she no longer recognized the house that was hers two days ago.

The girls made it upstairs. When Talia looked at the walls, she imagined her family portraits still hanging on the walls; the house just seemed darker and chillier without them. Every empty room she entered, she saw ghosts— ghosts taking the appearances of her younger self playing dolls with her mother, or her father giving her a piggyback ride. Echoes of past interactions with either her parents or April haunted her ears. It was like she was being dragged back in time.

Only when they made it to Genesis's office did Talia freeze in her tracks. The breath in her lungs left involuntarily. Within a snap, she was transported back to the night her mother was killed. The sound of flesh being pierced and her mother's blood splattering the walls grew louder and louder with every passing second. Everywhere she turned, she saw her mother's body with the killer's sword sticking out of her heart; it was the only thing clouding her vision. Police officers had to pry her off as she sobbed, begging them to let her go. Remembering the white sheet that covered her mother up was too much for Talia.

Her eyes begun to fill up with tears. April noticed right away and put her hand on her friend's elbow. "Taly? I understand if you don't want to go in there."

Talia quickly wiped her tears away. "No, I. . . I am fine, April. I have to do this."

April did not seem convinced, but she turned the door handle open. Apart from the wall shelves, there wasn't a single piece of furniture left.

"So I'm guessing this is the part where we feel the walls, floor, and shelves for a hidden safe, right?" April said.

"With luck, we will find it," Talia said with all the confidence she had. She tried her hardest to steer her eyes away from the window, as even glancing at it made flashes of her mother being stabbed in the moonlight pop in her head.

Talia took the shelves; April handled the walls. Talia admitted it was weird feeling the shelves like it was cloth, but it had to be done if she wanted to proceed with her investigation. By the tenth shelf, she had no luck. And from the looks of it, April was empty-handed as well.

When Talia moved on to the next shelf, she frowned when she realized how hollow it sounded when she tapped the wooden surface. Feeling that she may have found the jackpot, she tried whatever method she could think of to reveal the secret compartment.

"Have you tried sliding the back panel up?" April suggested.

Oh. Right. Talia listened to the redhead and voila— there it was: a steel cubic safe stashing away who knows what kind of secrets. Talia could not even begin to imagine what was inside.

"Great," April huffed once seeing it. "There's a passcode."

Indeed there was. Talia knew guessing a password was probably impossible, but an effort had to be made. The girls try a few things— the day Genesis opened her company; Talia's parent's birthdays; when the Elbaz family came to America; and even 12345, which seemed ridiculous to type in the first place.

"Wait, we haven't tried your birthday," April said.

Talia sighed, "Here goes nothing." She pressed the numbers corresponding to her birthdate and with that, there was a click.

"Bingo." Talia and April high-fived each other. They checked inside, but not before they put on their gloves— not expecting to see a scrapbook, panda keychain, and an envelope sealed with a blob of red wax.

There was nothing unusual about the scrapbook— just pictures of birthday parties, family getaways, Talia's first day/last day of school from preschool all the way to her sophomore year, and summer vacations the family spent in different countries. Each photo had the date it was taken in black Sharpie. Talia's lip slightly curled looking at such delightful memories.

"Where is it?"

"I know you stole it. Give me one good reason not to kill you."

Talia then suddenly remembered what the killer had said that night. She put the scrapbook down and held up the keychain and envelope. Could the man have been looking for these? Did he kill my mother just for this?

"Before the killer delivered the fatal blow, he mentioned something," Talia told April. "He sounded so sure that my mother stole something from him."

"And you think he was talking about the letter and keychain?" April lifted one eyebrow. "I'm not so sure."

Talia glued her eyes on the keychain. Curious about something, she tugged at the panda's head; underneath it was a USB connector. "Who would have known," she murmured.

"She used a panda?" April blinked.

"It was her favorite animal. Whatever is on this must be important. Maybe that was what the man wanted."

"Yeah, because anyone would kill for information. But what about the letter? Is there even anything inside?"

Talia felt the envelope thoroughly, but based on the texture, she knew what was inside had to be something smooth- something that no matter which way she tilted the envelope, it glided like powder.

"Usually the sender would use a signet ring to verify their identity, but there is no impression," Talia observed. "And without no clear postmark or address, this envelope could've come from anywhere! Clearly whoever sent this did not want to be traced back."

"We should see what's inside," April urged. "It'll probably help us."

Uncertainty flip-flopped in her stomach, but April was right. Her mother had to have kept this hidden away if she knew it was for a good reason. Carefully tearing the seal away, Talia was able to create a slit, which she expanded using her finger. She then took a peek inside the envelope, but confusion painted her face by what she saw.

"What? What is it?" April gasped.

"Sand. . .?" Talia sputtered. "Black sand? Who would mail my mother black sand? And why?"

"Beats me." April shook her head. "At least we have the flash drive— something actually useful."

"Maybe not." Talia's mind was leaping, her thoughts performing backflips. "Sometimes, cults and other groups send all kinds of things to their members as a warning or congratulations."

That was when Talia gasped, her grey eyes sparkling. "That's it! The archives at the library have record of every organization there ever is and was— criminal and non-criminal. If we can find the one who's M.O is sending envelopes with black sand, there is a good chance it will lead us to my mother's killer."

"Everyone leaves a trace, right?" April mumbled. "Say, Tals, can I borrow the envelope and USB? If we can't find out where this letter came from, then I know a guy who can analyze the envelope right down to the molecular level. He's also very tech-savvy; if there's someone who knows how to find out just about anything when no one can, it's him."

"Really? Who?"

"Let's just say he's every Asian's dream child."