Chapter 2: Monsters of the Past

  Raindrops falling from the sky can evoke many different emotions. Lying in bed and hearing them nd on the roof can be calming. However, it can also lead to annoyance when you’re rushing home and don't have an umbrel on hand.

  You might find it refreshing, feeling the cold water on your skin, but some might as well find it uncomfortable, as their clothes get wet and stick to their body.

  It feels like a distant memory to me. Rain touching my skin. I remember getting annoyed by it. But now that it seems like I am incapable of experiencing that feeling again, I miss it.

  Furthermore, I used to enjoy sitting inside, listening to the raindrops without having to feel them. But now it drives me mad. It's just another reminder of my isotion. Kept from experiencing all those emotions that rain can bring.

  But that’s enough about me.

  I’m sure the emotion most associated with rain is sadness. Certainly, you’ve all seen rain being used at a tragic turning point at the end of a movie's second act to underline the sorrow of the moment. A typical byproduct of the "all is lost" moment.

  Moments like that are not rare in the history of the D&M Detective Agency. The next case I would like to tell you about starts on a rainy day, filled with grief.

  Case #54: Monsters of the Past

  Friday, March 15, 4:25 pm: Shore, Ashbypond

  It had been almost a week since Mr. Cabrera’s tragic passing. For the st few days, it had been raining as if the weather itself were mourning.

  Despite the weather, four people had gathered at the shore of Ashbypond, the small pond in the woods after which the town was named.

  They had left the main path. The ground under their feet was muddy, and they had a hard time not sinking in.

  Amy stood on a small rock, trying not to slip and fall. She wore a simple bck dress and held an umbrel over her head.

  Alice stood to the side, leaning against a tree she was taking cover under. The hood of her bck zip-up hoodie was pulled up. The fabric was already visibly soaked from the rain.

  Both looked over to Xavier, who was dressed in a dark raincoat under which he was wearing a suit. He was holding an umbrel over the head of the man next to him.

  The man was a friend of Xavier and Amy named Ralph Scott. Like Mr. Cabrera, he was also a scientific advisor of the agency, specifically in biology.

  He was one year older than Xavier and had attended the same high school as him.

  Just like Xavier, he was wearing a suit. The shirt under it depicted some sort of multiheaded monster. He had tied his long, curly hair into a ponytail, but some loose hair stuck to his face, wet from the rain. In his hands, he held an urn.

  Since arriving, all four had been quiet. They wanted to take in the atmosphere of the pce. Ralph had picked it because it was a pce Mr. Cabrera had gone to when he was stressed about his work, trying to rex and gain a new perspective on his projects.

  After they had stood there for a while, Ralph finally said something. “I would like to begin by saying some things if that’s okay with you.” He looked at Xavier, who had been absentmindedly staring out onto the water since they got there.

  “I know Mr. Cabrera wasn’t a very sentimental person. Frankly, if he could see us here, he would probably make fun of us for being so emotional about a normal part of life, well as normal as a death like his can be. I know he could come across as a bit cold and distant, but he truly was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. As much as he was a great scientist, he was also a great teacher, helping me even after he’d stopped working as one. I could always count on him to advise and motivate me when I was having a problem. I will never forget what a great person he was.”

  Xavier had reached into his pocket. He was fidgeting around with an old-fashioned tobacco pipe.

  Xavier and Ralph had attended the reading of Mr. Cabrera’s will. They were the only ones there as he had no close family members left.

  He had left everything but two objects to Ralph. One exception was an old amber with an insect in it. It was a lucky charm he himself had found as a kid. He had left it to Natsu Masuda, but as he could not receive it, Xavier had taken it in his stead. Promising to give it to him when he returned.

  The other thing was the old pipe. Mr. Cabrera left it to Xavier with the words: “If you must lose your best scientist, I at least want you to have this st piece of equipment. It’s part of every true investigator’s toolset and I designed it to fit the detective esthetic.”

  “Xavier, do you also have something you want to say?”Xavier snapped out of it and looked down at the urn in Ralph’s hands. “Sure. Pablo, you were always a great help, and I hope you rest in peace.”

  The others looked at him, noticing how he seemed to ponder if he should continue before ultimately deciding not to.

  They proceeded to spread the ashes and pced the urn on a tree stump next to the ke. Amy id a bouquet of flowers next to it. They waited for a while in silence before walking back.

  They headed to the bus stop, waiting for the bus that would take them to Coleson, a city north of both Ashbypond and Lawreyville.

  Friday, March 15, 6:10: Gentle Lillie, Coleson

  It took a while to get to Coleson, as the bus only left Ashbypond every hour. Gentle Lillie, Mr. Cabrera’s favorite restaurant, was near their station. He had invited Ralph, Xavier, and Natsu there on special occasions.

  In his testament, Mr. Cabrera wished that the little money he had not yet spent on his inventions would be used to have a nice evening in his favorite restaurant. He didn’t want his funeral to be a sad occasion but a celebration of his achievements and the bonds he had made.

  I personally can respect that perspective. I myself can’t share my wishes for my funeral, but if I could, I would want the same as Mr. Cabrera. I can imagine it would be quite painful to watch as your loved ones are crying in sorrow. Then again, it’s not like someone could actually watch their own funeral, which is probably for the best, as it sounds quite disturbing.

  But it seems I’m going on another tangent here, so let’s turn our attention back to the story at hand.

  The four stood in front of the restaurant, looking up at the tall building. The building was home to a hotel with an included restaurant occupying most of the first floor.

  As Xavier opened the door, a cloud of pleasant smells exited the building. The warm air coming from inside wrapped itself around them like a cozy bnket.

  They cleaned the rge clumps of mud from their shoes and entered the Gentle Lillie.

  Everyone but Alice hung up their jackets in the entryway. Walking forward, Xavier could see past the dividers around the entryway. To his right were about two dozen people scattered around the empty dancefloor, standing at small tables or sitting at the bar. All the people were dressed in dark clothing and were quietly talking in small groups.

  The restaurant's dining area was to the left of the entryway. It wrapped around the kitchen in the center and eventually led back to the bar area.

  The room was furnished in a modern style and lit in a warm light.

  The green of the many potted pnts made for a welcoming presence. Xavier could hear water spshing from somewhere further into the restaurant, probably from some sort of water feature.

  A waiter showed them to their table. There weren’t many other people in the dining area, so it was retively quiet. Ambient music was pying from a speaker near the bar.

  The waiter handed them the menus and pulled out a notepad. “Do you already know what you want to drink, or should I come back in a few minutes?”

  “I want a beer,” Alice said, leaning back into her chair.

  “I would like a mojito and an iced tea,” Ralph said politely.

  “A whiskey and sparkling water for me.”“And for you, miss?”

  “Just a gss of water, please,” Amy answered while opening the menu.

  “You sure? You know you can order anything you want,” Ralph said. “They have great home made iced tea. It’s low in calories too, should you be worried about that.”

  “No, it’s alright, there’s nothing better than a refreshing gss of water.”

  The waiter wrote down their order and left.

  “You’re only drinking water?” Xavier asked.

  “Really, water is fine,” Amy answered, looking uncertain.

  “Is everything okay?” Xavier had noticed her expression.

  “It’s just, do you really think it’s okay for me and Alice to be here? I mean, we barely knew Mr. Cabrera.”“I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s say you are here instead of Natsu. And what kind of celebration of the professor would it be with only two people?” Ralph assured her.

  “To the professor!” Alice said, holding up her empty gss.

  “To the professor!” Ralph lifted his gss as well, smiling along with her.

  It didn’t take long for the drinks to arrive and for them to order their food. After the waiter had left, Amy pulled out a notebook and a pen. “Okay, I’ve prepared some more questions.”

  Alice groaned and looked over to Amy with a look of exhaustion. “Seriously, even now?”

  “Did you have a pet at some point?”

  “Why do you care about that?” Alice asked, rolling her eyes.

  “I just want to know more about you.”

  For those who might be confused, Amy had been asking Alice questions like these since she discovered that the two were the same person from different timelines. She was trying to determine how they differed from each other, much to Alice's annoyance.

  Alice sighed. “Yes, when I was little, we had a poodle named Ray Pawmer, just like you. By the way, pet names are among the most used passwords, so maybe change your Netflix password.”

  “Wait, so you were the one watching all that anime on my account?!”

  “Give me a break. I haven’t watched TV in years. I need to catch up on some shows.”

  “Okay, but just so you know, you have terrible taste,” Amy said.

  “Says the one addicted to superheroes.”

  “Shouldn’t you two have the same taste?” Ralph asked, confused.

  “Honestly, I stopped trying to make sense of the two a while ago,” Xavier said before finishing his whiskey in seconds.

  “You’ve only known Alice for a week,” Ralph pointed out.

  “You’d be surprised how many arguments they get into in a single week.”

  “Well, they came over to my pce two days ago, and they spent most of the arguing, so I’m not surprised to hear that.”

  “How about we move on to a different question.” Amy hesitated for a second. “I wanted to ask about your family. What can you tell me about your parents?”

  “I don’t know. They suck just as much as your mom.”

  “Don’t say that. My mother is lovely.”

  “Yeah, a ray of sunshine, I’m sure,” Alice scoffed.

  “Why do you always have to be so rude about everything?”

  Alice simply shrugged and drank her beer.

  “Can you tell me something about your brother?”

  Alice nearly spat out her beer. “C-could I please see your notebook?”

  “Sure.” Amy gave her the notebook. Alice grabbed it and shoved it into the pocket of her jacket.

  “How about no more questions till after dinner?”

  Amy turned away, looking insulted, and waited for the food to arrive. Ralph tried to change the topic to the project he was currently working on. The team he was part of had been observing different coral reefs on the West Coast for a while and would soon move to the next reef. At the moment, he was analyzing the collected data from home.

  While he was talking, Xavier and Alice ordered one round of drinks after the other.

  The food got there after a while, breaking the awkward tension at least a little.

  Both Alice and Xavier immediately used the opportunity to order more drinks.

  After dinner, Amy wanted to ask Alice some more questions, but at the first sign of it, Alice left.

  “Should someone go check on her?” Ralph asked, watching as she walked over to the bar.

  “Probably for the best. She’s already pretty drunk,” Amy answered.

  “Yeah, but it’s probably better if I go. I'm not sure if she wants to talk to you right now,” Ralph added.

  Amy looked sad and let her head hang down. “Do you think she hates me?”

  Ralph thought about it. “I don’t think so. I’ve not known her for long, but it seems obvious that she just puts on a tough facade. Believe me, I’m experienced with people like that.” He gestured over to Xavier.

  “Don’t worry. She doesn’t hate you. She’s just annoyed with your constant annoying questions,” Xavier said, slurring his words.

  “Maybe you just struck a nerve. But it’s probably for the best if you dial back on the questions.”

  “It’s because you asked her about her shitty family!”

  “I’m gonna check on her,” Ralph said while getting up. He gestured to Amy, suggesting she should keep an eye on Xavier.

  Xavier emptied his gss and waved over the waiter to the table.

  “How many gsses have you had so far?” Amy asked, concerned.

  “I don’t know, does it matter? Pablo wanted us to like have a fun evening, right?”

  “What can I bring you?”

  “What’s the strongest drink on your menu?”

  “No more alcohol for him. How about you just bring us the check.”

  “Of course, should I call you a cab too?” the waiter suggested.

  “That would be very nice. We have to get back to Ashbypond.”

  The waiter nodded and walked off.

  “Come on, what are you, a party pooper?” Xavier said while crunching on one of the ice cubes from his drink.

  “Listen, Xavier, we both know what you’re doing. I won’t let you drink yourself further into misery just because you can’t deal with your emotions.”

  I must agree with Amy. I’ve been watching Xavier for a while, and his drinking certainly has me concerned. Ever since Natsu disappeared, he’s been on a downward spiral, although this evening was especially bad.

  Xavier id his head on the table, sulking. “Like you are any better.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Doesn’t matter. If you dislike alcohol so much, why don’t you go annoy Alice about it?”

  “I trust that Ralph is taking care of her. He’s more responsible than the both of you combined.”

  “I’m going to Alice. At least she knows how to have some fun.” He stood up, almost falling over, but the waiter caught him just in time.

  “Is everything okay, sir? I think it would be best if you’d sit down until your cab arrives.”

  Xavier gred at the waiter and staggered in the direction of the bar.

  Amy quickly grabbed the check and paid before following Xavier.

  “Xavier, you’re acting like a child!” she said as she caught up to him.

  “And you’re acting like you’re my…” As Xavier was talking, he bumped into a tall man who had just left the bar area.

  As Xavier fell backward to the floor, the man looked at him angrily. It was obvious how well the man was built under his suit. “Can’t you watch out?”

  Xavier shook his head as the man left. He wanted to yell at him, but he stopped and looked at him in surprise.

  “What’s the matter?” Amy asked, holding her hand out to help Xavier up.

  “That was Elroy Green!” Xavier excimed excitedly.

  “Who?”

  “He’s like a local legend. He’s a professional boxer from here.”

  “Are you sure that was him?”

  “Absolutely! Fuck, now he thinks I’m some idiot who bumps into people.”

  “I’m sure he’s already forgotten about you.” Amy looked past Xavier and over to the bar. To her surprise, she saw Alice ordering another drink while Ralph was chatting with a woman at the bar.

  “I thought you would keep an eye on Alice?!” Amy walked up to Ralph.

  “I’m not a child. I can make my own decisions,” Alice said, angrily staring past Amy, looking at nothing in particur.

  Before Amy could answer, Ralph pulled her closer. “Don’t worry, I’ve told the barkeeper to only give her water. I think she can’t even tell the difference anymore.”“That’s not a solution in the long run.”“Come on, not like we can solve someone’s alcohol problem in one evening anyway.”

  “I guess it works for now. The Waiter has ordered us a cab, by the way.”

  “I assume that means you’re leaving soon,” the woman Ralph was talking to said. She wore a bck dress and had her dreadlocks tied together with a blue hair tie.

  “I assume it will take a bit for the cab to get here,” Ralph answered. He turned to Amy. Do you know who this is?”

  “Why is everybody asking me if I know someone?”

  “Don’t worry, he’s overreacting. I’m not some kind of celebrity,” the woman said, slightly embarrassed.

  “Oh, I’m sure she knows you. Amy, this is Abby Walker.” He looked at her anticipative.

  Amy thought hard. “I’ve heard the name before but can’t remember where.”

  “Are you familiar with Crazy Narwhal Studios?”

  “Of course, I love their games. Oh, and that means you are one of the founders, together with Andrew Adams. You…” Amy stopped and turned as white as a sheet.

  “I’m so sorry. I totally forgot he passed away recently.”

  “Don’t worry about it. That’s actually why we’re gathered here. Today was his funeral. Some of us wanted to drink something, which turned into an unintentional reunion, I guess.”

  “What a macabre coincidence. We just spread the ashes of a close friend of mine today,” Ralph said.

  “My condolences.”

  “Same to you,” Ralph answered.

  “So, all the people here were cssmates of Mr. Adams?” Amy asked, looking around the room.

  “More or less. Some of us were in different csses, but we all went to school together.”“So he knew Elroy Green in school?!” Xavier asked.

  Ms. Walker looked at him, surprised. “Yes, the two were in the same css. I guess you saw him leave just now.”

  “Yeah, man, I’m so jealous. I would love to know him.”

  “I can introduce you to him. We’re camping on the campsite near Ashbypond.”

  “You’re camping at this time of year? Isn’t it too cold for that?” Amy asked.

  “Sure, we’ll just need some extra bnkets. It seemed like a fun idea because Andrew loved to go camping.”

  Amy noticed the waiter waving to her.

  “Seems like your cab is here.”

  “I guess so. It was nice talking to you. Just wanted to say I really like your games, Ms. Walker.”

  “Abby is just fine. And thanks. It’s nice to hear you enjoy our games. How about you guys come by the campsite tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good, although it will probably take some effort to get these two out of bed tomorrow.”

  “Guys, come on, our cab is here.” Ralph paid for the drinks and helped Alice out of the restaurant, even though she protested his help.

  It was a quiet ride back to the agency. Xavier was still sulking, and Alice had fallen asleep along the way.

  Seeing that both of them weren’t doing well, Ralph decided to help them back inside and stay for the night.

  Amy gratefully accepted his proposition to help her take care of the two.

  They helped the two up the stairs. Without changing her clothes, Alice fell into bed, snoring after a few seconds.

  When they turned around to help Xavier, he had already fallen asleep on the couch.

  Amy went to her room, and Ralph lied down on the second couch.

  Saturday, March 16, 6:00 am: D&M Detective Agency, Ashbypond

  As Amy was getting up and ready for her morning jog, she couldn’t hear any sound coming from above.

  She grabbed a small bag and her headphones and left the house, making sure not to make any noise when closing the door.

  She turned on her headphones and started listening to the soundtracks from some of her favorite games.

  It was still dark in the windows of most buildings as she jogged past them. Only the bakery was already brightly lit. She quickly bought a small bun and put it in her bag next to her water bottle.

  It had finally stopped raining during the night, but Amy still had to be careful not to step into a puddle, especially as she left the town and entered the woods. The path was uneven and muddy. She could feel how her shoes started to stick to the dirt, making it harder to walk.

  As she jogged along the path, she had an uncomfortable feeling. She kept thinking about the evening before, worrying about Xavier and Alice and fearing that she might have come across as judgmental and rude.

  After a while, she reached a crossing in the path. After briefly considering it, she decided to take the longer path that led further north.

  Jogging further, she could see some animal tracks in the mud next to the path.

  When she arrived at a bench, she used her bag to wipe some of the water off and sat down. She grabbed her bottle and took a big sip of water. She was breathing heavily and took off her headphones to take in her surroundings.

  She took the bun out of her bag and stared at it for a while. Then, she tore a small part off and put it in her mouth. It felt weird and uncomfortable going down her throat, and a weird feeling crept up her spine. She quickly put the rest away.

  She let out a long sigh and listened to the birds chirping in the trees and the wind moving the leaves.

  Out of nowhere, a loud scream echoed through the idyllic woods. Amy turned around in the direction where the scream had come from. She couldn’t make out the origin of the scream. Determined, she jumped up and ran through the bushes and between the trees, jumping over the roots.

  After a bit, she stumbled upon a trail leading in the direction of the scream. She could see how the bushes opened up in front of her, and as she approached a small clearing, she saw a small, dipidated hut.

  She was about to get closer when she noticed some rge figure exiting the small building. She quickly hid behind some bushes.

  As she peeked through the branches and leaves, she had a hard time making anything out.

  When she finally recognized the figure, her blood froze in her veins, and she almost screamed out loud.

  The creature seemed gigantic, and its body was completely covered in mud. Or maybe it was completely made from mud. Amy was also convinced she could see some rge, sharp teeth. The being walked on two legs and had somewhat humanoid proportions.

  It slowly looked around. Amy could hear her heartbeat, and she was begging for the monster not to see her.

  When she finally had built up the courage to take another peak, she could see how the monster was walking away with heavy steps.

  She waited a while and then left her hiding spot, wanting to check out the hut.

  Slowly approaching the hut, she could see something at the entrance of the hut. As she got closer, she realized it was a man lying on the floor.

  The freckled face had a red line running from the forehead, along the nose, and down the cheek. A rge clump of mud was stuck to his shoulder.

  Amy immediately kneeled down, checking for a pulse. Relieved, she breathed out as she could feel it.

  She was just getting her phone out, as the man came to. “W-who are you?”

  “Please stay calm. You have a headwound. I’ll call you an ambunce. Hopefully, they can get to somewhere close to here.”“An ambunce?” The man sat up. “No, that’s not necessary.” The man seemed nervous.

  “Can you at least tell me what happened?” Amy could already guess what had happened, but she was asking mainly to check if the man was suffering from memory loss.

  “I was walking through the woods. I wanted to go to the clubhouse, but when I got there, everything went bck. Wait, no, that’s not true. Just before that, I turned around and saw that grotesque face.”

  “The mud monster?”

  “Yes, although I think it was a mud golem, to be exact.”

  Amy just looked at him, confused about the unnecessary specification. Which seems fair considering the situation.

  “Do you remember anything else?” Amy asked.

  The man didn’t answer, seemingly not even hearing her question. He just wiped the blood from his face.

  “Sir, do you remember anything else?” Amy repeated her question, worried about his well-being.

  “What? Oh, no, I don’t. The st thing I remember is the mud golem appearing behind me.”

  “And you’re sure I shouldn’t contact an ambunce?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. That would just waste everyone’s time. I just need to take a quick break, and I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, but I would still like to contact someone for help. I’m in direct contact with a local detective agency. Considering the curious situation you’re in, I would recommend you accept their help in finding out the identity of the assaint.”

  “You wanna hire a private investigator to find out who the mud golem is?”

  “Yes. Believe me. The agency has dealt with stranger cases.”

  “What kind of investigator are we talking about, like Sherlock Holmes or more like Batman?”

  Amy looked at him, confused. “More like Sherlock, I guess. I don’t think he dresses up and watches over Ashbypond at night. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. If you want this investigator to investigate, go ahead, but I can’t stay for long.”

  Amy stood up and leaned against the brittle wall as she called Xavier. While waiting for him to pick up, she looked around the room. The walls had already broken down in parts, but the ones that were still intact were pstered with sketches, notes, and pictures.

  Saturday, March 16, 6:50 am: D&M Detective Agency, Ashbypond

  Everyone in the house was still asleep. Xavier could feel a sharp pain in his head as he was woken up by his phone’s ringtone. The noise seemed to drill into Xavier’s head while he searched his pockets for the phone.

  “Yes?” His voice sounded weak and exhausted.

  Ralph had also been woken up by the phone. He looked over at Xavier as he jumped, hearing Amy expin the situation.

  “Slow down, what did you just say?” Xavier asked, confused.

  “Who is it?” Ralph asked, still half asleep.

  “Amy, she says someone was attacked by a mud monster in the woods.”

  “What? Don’t tell me that she’s drunk now too!”Xavier just continued listening to Amy. “Okay, I’ll be right there. Can you send me your location?” Xavier got up and slowly lurked over to his table.

  “Where are you going?”

  “The crime scene.”

  “Do you think you’re in the right condition for that?”

  “It’s not that far away. I’ll be fine. And since when does a light headache stop an investigator?”

  “A hangover definitely makes the investigation harder,” Ralph countered.

  Xavier let out a slow, sarcastic ugh while grabbing his backpack.

  “I’ll stay here and check in on Alice when she wakes up.”

  Xavier tried to show a thumbs up but seemingly had trouble lifting his arm.

  Saturday, March 16, 7:20 am: Woods, Ashbypond

  After a while of waiting Amy could finally see her friend getting closer. She had gone back to the main path to wait for him.

  The wheels of Xavier’s bicycle screeched as he stopped next to Amy. She noticed immediately that his clothes were full of mud on one side.

  It seems even an athlete like Xavier can fall from his bike, and all it takes is a hangover and an uneven road.

  Xavier noticed how Amy was looking at the stains on his clothes. “Can you lead me to the victim and the scene of the crime?” He was obviously trying to distract her.

  “The hut is at the end of this trail. Mr. Roberts is waiting there.”

  “So, you’ve already found out the victim’s identity?” Xavier noticed.

  “Yes, William Roberts. He’s 34 years old, and believe it or not, he was also at the Gentle Lillie yesterday. He was part of the other funeral group.”

  “There was another group from a funeral?” Xavier looked at her cluelessly. “I think you might have to catch me up on what happened st evening. It’s all kind of a blur.”

  “Regretting your whiskey binge?”

  “Did I really drink that much?”

  “Probably more than you can imagine. You should really get some help with that.”

  “Don’t worry, yesterday was a special occasion.”

  “If you say so. To get you up to speed, a group of old schoolmates came to the restaurant after the funeral of a friend of theirs. An indie game developer. Mr. Roberts was also with them.”“So, do you think the case could have something to do with the recently deceased or something that happened during the funeral?”

  “No idea. I’ve told you everything I know.”

  The two had reached the hut and Xavier started looking at the building while Amy returned to Mr. Roberts.

  “I’m surprised this thing is still standing. Seems like it’s being held together by a few nails and pure luck.”

  “Yeah, I was surprised too. Didn’t expect to see the clubhouse still more or less the way we left it.”

  “I assume you’re William.” Xavier looked at the wound on Mr. Roberts’s forehead.

  “That’s me.”

  “I have some questions to ask you.”

  “Sure, but be quick about it. I have pces to be.”

  “No rushing the investigator.” Xavier stared at him angrily. “So, how well, no, I mean in what way… Dammit, I forgot the questions. They’re on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t think of them.

  “Maybe I should take over for now?” Amy suggested.

  “Sure, be my guest.”

  “Okay, Mr. Roberts. What is your connection to this hut?”

  He thought about it for a bit. “I can’t tell you much. Andrew and his father built it. He often invited friends like me over to py D&D or some other games.”“Andrew?” Xavier asked, trying to pay close attention.

  “The deceased whose funeral was yesterday,” Amy expined.

  “I see.”

  “Do you have an idea why this mud golem would want to attack you?”

  Mr. Roberts simply shook his head.

  “Any idea who this monster could be?” Xavier asked.

  Mr. Roberts hesitated. “No, no one comes to mind.”

  “You called the hut a clubhouse. What club are you referring to?” Amy asked.

  “Did I say that?” Mr. Roberts became visibly nervous. “That’s just kind of a nickname. It’s not actually for a club. It was just a hangout for Andrew and his friends.”

  Amy nodded, seemingly not fully trusting him.

  “Amy, what direction did the monster disappear in?”

  Amy pointed in the direction the mud golem had run off in. It had left behind a trail of broken twigs and mud sticking to bushes.

  “That would be?”

  “What do you mean?” Amy looked at him, confused by the question.

  “I mean, is that direction north, south, or something else.”

  “How should I know we’re in the middle of the woods?”

  Xavier started searching his pockets for something.

  “I think it could be north, but I really don’t have any clue,” Amy said.

  Xavier was still searching for something.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “My phone. It has a compass app.”

  “Don’t you have a compass in your backpack?”

  “I do, but that one was broken when I put my ice axe away.”

  “What do you need an ice axe for?!” Amy stared at him, absolutely baffled.

  “You never know when you need one.”

  “Definitely not in the middle of March in New York State!”

  “Not so loud, my head hurts. And don’t underestimate how useful an ice axe can be.”

  Xavier was searching through his pockets again.

  “Did you forget your phone at home?”

  “I might have.”

  “I’ll check for you.” Amy pulled up the compass app on her phone. “I was right. It’s north.”

  “Does that mean the monster fled to Coleson?” Xavier thought out loud.

  “Probably not. That would be pretty far to go by foot.”

  “Isn’t there a campsite on the northern edge of the woods?” Xavier asked.

  “That’s right and didn’t you guys sleep there?” Amy turned to Mr. Roberts.

  “Yes. I assume most of them are still asleep in their tents right now.”

  “Then let’s check out the campgrounds. The monster hunt is on,” Xavier said excitedly.

  “Shouldn’t we check the clubhouse first? The mud golem could return and destroy evidence.”

  “I don’t think so. If it wanted to destroy evidence, it would have already done so. It’s not like it knew it was being watched.”

  “Someone seems to be recovering from their hangover,” Amy said, smiling.

  “Tell that to my aching head.”

  As they went to the campsite, Mr. Roberts tagged along with them. Having to return there anyway.

  Saturday, March 16, 7:50 am: D&M Detective Agency, Ashbypond

  Ralph was sitting in Xavier’s office, reading a news article on his phone, when he heard the same ringtone that had woken him up that morning. Looking around, he quickly found Xavier’s phone and picked it up.

  “Hello, you’ve reached the D&M Detective Agency. Who am I talking to?”

  A man cleared his throat and started speaking. “Good evening, my name is Tyler Cook.”

  Ralph looked over to the grandfather clock. “Evening?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I keep forgetting the difference in time zone. I hope I didn’t wake you up.”“No worries, an investigator is always awake and alert.”

  “I like that. Still, sorry for calling so early in the morning. I’m currently in Brisbane.”

  “Okay, but why would you call a detective agency in America?”

  “I have a case. It’s kind of a weird one, but I read online that the D&M Detective Agency would take on even the weirdest cases.”“That’s true. The weirder the case, the more interesting the solution.”

  “Wonderful!” Mr. Cook started ughing.

  “What kind of case is it?”

  “I’m not fully sure if this is the right term, but are you familiar with the term ARG?”

  The question had seemingly awoken Ralph’s interest. “Yes, I’m familiar. An alternate reality game. Basically some kind of riddle or story told in pieces using digital elements like social media. They’re typically pieced together by an entire community of people, working together.”

  “Yes, it uses both digital media and the real world as its pying field.”

  “Sounds interesting, so you want us to solve an ARG for you?”

  “Yes. I know often the existence of an ARG is not advertised or even confirmed, but in this case, I am 100% certain it exists.”

  “What ARG are we talking about?”

  “Do you know the game Hallowed Knights: Defenders of Nahvee? It was made by…”

  “By Crazy Narwhale Studios. I know the game. It’s one of my favorites. Coincidentally, I’ve met one of the creators yesterday.”

  “Seems like I’ve called the right people for the job. Anyways, there is an ARG hidden in the game, and I want you to solve it for me.”

  “But doesn’t that defeat the point? The whole fun is figuring the riddles out on your own or with other people.”

  “I’m not doing this for fun. There is a prize waiting for whoever solves it first. I need that prize, but as I’m in Australia at the moment, I can’t solve it, as it is directly tied to Lawreyville and the surrounding area.”

  “Hiring investigators to win a prize in a competition like this sounds like cheating.”

  “No, you’re misunderstanding. I have a right to get it, as the prize partially belongs to me.”

  “Now I’m confused.”

  “I can understand that. To make a long story short, I used to be friends with Andrew Adams, one of the game's developers. The prize is something we bought together. As he recently passed away, I would love to have it as a memento.”

  Ralph thought about it. “I think it would be okay for us to investigate under these circumstances. But should there be doubt cast upon your story, we reserve the right to quit the investigation at any point.”

  “I understand. Thank you for your help.”

  “Can you tell us what the prize is, or do you know where to begin our investigation?”

  “Sadly, I can’t tell you that. But I would recommend looking into the show Holy Knights: Defenders of Heaven. Andrew was always a big fan of it, and it might tie into this in some way. After all, the title of the game is an obvious reference.”

  “I’m unfamiliar with the show, but I’ll look into it.”

  “Thank you. I’ll check in with you again.”

  “You can expect some progress. Till then.” Ralph hung up and started his research.

  Saturday, March 16, 8:20 am: Campsite, Lawreyville

  Xavier had decided to leave his bike behind and take the direct path through the woods. Whether they really saved some time that way is questionable, as they kept getting tangled in the bushes.

  They finally reached the campsite on the edge of the woods. It was mostly empty but still unusually busy for the season.

  “Seems like everyone is already awake,” Xavier stated while approaching the campsite.

  “It looks like they’re packing up their things,” Amy added.

  Mr. Roberts expined, “I assume no one slept well, so they’re in a hurry to get out of the cold. This night was kind of a mess. The river overflowed. Thankfully, none of the tents got flooded.”

  “None of the tents but mine,” a deep voice said behind them.

  They turned around and saw Mr. Green standing behind them, towering even over Xavier. He was holding a roll of string in his hands.

  Xavier was as stiff as a statue and stared at the boxer with wide-open eyes.

  “Oh, it’s you! Mr. Green, was it?” Amy said.

  “Aren’t you the two I ran into yesterday?” He took a long look at Xavier. “Yeah, you’re the one who bumped into me.”

  Xavier turned pale. “I-I bumped into y-you?!” He looked over to Amy, concerned.

  “Oh, yeah, you did. I guess you forgot about that, too.”

  “I’m so sorry, sir. I drank too much yesterday and must not have been paying attention.” Xavier bowed his head.

  “No worries, it happens to the best of us. I overreacted yesterday. It was a pretty exhausting day for me.”

  “Were you close to Mr. Adams?” Amy asked.

  “Not particurly, but it still is tragic losing someone so young.”

  “My condolences.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Mr. Green, I hope this isn’t a bad moment, but I just wanted to tell you how big a fan of yours I am. I’m part of your old box club, and my coach always mentions how hard you trained to get to where you are now.”“So you’re a boxer too. What are you, welterweight, middleweight?”

  “Middleweight. Well, super middleweight, actually.”

  “Really? I guess the height adds some pounds. You look pretty wiry for a super middleweight.”

  “I get that a lot.”

  “Well, best of luck. Maybe I’ll see you in the big leagues one day. You certainly have the right coach for it. How is he doing?”

  “He’s doing great. Still pretty fit.”

  “Good to hear. I’ll probably pay him a visit ter.”

  “Would it be okay to take a selfie together, Mr. Green?”

  “Sure, but please, just call me Elroy. You make it sound like I’m an old man. And an athlete does not want to feel old.”

  Xavier nodded and searched his pockets for his phone, forgetting again that he had left it at home.

  “Hey, Xavier, should I take the picture for you?” Amy pulled out her phone.

  “Here, could you hold onto the string? Don’t need it in the picture.”

  Mr. Green handed the roll of string to Amy. Both posed for the picture.

  “Thanks, Elroy.”

  “Anything for a fan. I didn’t catch your name, by the way.”

  “It’s Xavier Diaz, but Xavier is just fine.”

  “Okay, Xavier, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for your name in the professional rankings.”

  “Here, don’t forget your string.”

  “Oh, thanks, can’t forget about that.”

  “What do you need string for?” Amy asked as she gave him the roll.

  “I need it to hang up my stuff to dry. As I said, my tent was flooded st night. All my clothes are soaking wet and sullied in mud.”

  “That’s shit,” Xavier said.

  “That perfectly describes the way my clothes look now,” Mr. Green said, walking away ughing.

  I must admit that seeing Xavier meet one of his idols brings me great joy. Seeing as he is, first and foremost, an investigator, it is easy to forget that he also spends a lot of time working on his athletic skills.

  Interestingly, he mostly looks up to athletes and the occasional theater performer. He doesn’t really see any investigators as his idols, even though there are some pretty famous ones out there.

  “It’s pretty uncommon to see you be this respectful to someone older than you,” Amy pointed out.

  “Well, obviously I’m respectful, he’s a legend.”

  “Wait, where is Mr. Roberts?” Amy looked around.

  While they were busy with Mr. Green, he had seized the opportunity and gone to his tent to pack his things.

  “That asshole just snuck off!” Xavier said.

  “Well, I guess he did say he was in a hurry.”

  “We should look into William. I don’t trust him.”

  “He is a bit sketchy, but it’s not like he could be the golem,” Amy said.

  “Still, something’s not right.”

  “Let’s just check out the tents. Maybe someone saw the monster,” Xavier suggested.

  “It’s worth a shot.”

  And so, they started going from tent to tent to check for clues.

  Saturday, March 16, 8:45 am: D&M Detective Agency, Ashbypond

  While the others were in the middle of their investigation, Alice had just woken up. She shuffled over to the kitchen with a grumpy look on her face, ignoring Ralph. She poured herself a cup of coffee and came back into the office, coffee in one hand, a chocote bar in the other.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, taking a bite of chocote and pouring it down with hot coffee, letting the chocote melt and mix with the drink in her mouth.

  “Good morning to you, too,” Ralph said, grinning.

  “Sure, what a great morning. Now answer my question. What are you doing here, and where are the others?”

  “Wow, such a monstrous hangover could probably qualify as a kaiju. But to answer your question, Amy and Xavier are looking for a mud monster, and I’m researching a different case.”

  “Since when are you a member of the agency?”

  “I’m just an adviser, but you are a member, so how about you help me?”

  “No thanks, I’m not in the mood.”“Isn’t this your job?”

  “I take the day off.”

  “Come on, it’s a fun case.” Ralph put on his biggest smile

  “Okay, but stop grinning like that, or you’ll need a new pair of teeth.” Alice pulled a chair over to the office table and looked at the computer screen.

  “So, what’s this case about, a serial killer?”

  “Does that sound like a fun case to you?” Ralph asked, surprised.

  Alice simply shrugged and ate more chocote.

  “The case is about a kind of ARG,” Ralph started his expnation.

  “Don’t know what that is.”

  “Well, it basically is…”

  “Let me stop you right there. Is it absolutely necessary for me to understand it?”

  “It would certainly help, but I guess it’s not absolutely necessary.”

  “Perfect, then skip the tutorial and get to the point.”

  “Fine, we were tasked with solving a riddle that’s connected to the game Hallowed Knights: Defenders of Nahvee.”

  Alice looked at him, clueless.

  “Don’t worry, I know enough for the both of us. As we have to solve this riddle both in the game and in real life, I need you to be my eyes and ears out there. I’ll just tell you what you’re looking for, and you’ll search for it.”

  “And how are the game and real-life connected?” Alice asked, seemingly interested in the case.

  “Have a look at this.” Ralph opened a map on the screen.

  “Looks like an old map of the area around here.”

  “That’s the map from the game. It was designed after the hometown of the developers and its surrounding area.”

  “And I guess I will have to go to certain areas from the game in real life.”

  “Wow, I’m surprised you got that.”

  “What, do you think I’m an idiot?”

  “No, but you’re very hung over.”

  “Yes, I am, and the faster we get through this expnation, the better.”

  “Understood. I’ve already tried finding out what pces are relevant for the riddle. And I’ve stumbled on something interesting.”

  “And that would be?”

  “You know how you're often given different dialogue choices in a video game? Well, in this game, some characters allow you to communicate with them by typing in keywords, letting you talk about a ton of different things. That option is generally limited to recruitable party members, but apparently, some random NPCs have the same option, although their answers are very limited. My theory is that if you check the corresponding area, you can find some sort of codeword.”

  “And typing it into the game when talking to the NPC will unlock something. I get it.”

  “Yes. Looking it up in forums, it seems like there are seven of these NPCs. A tavern owner, a farmer, a rich nobleman, and so on. And you know what’s interesting about that?”

  “I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”

  “Our client told me that the ARG had something to do with a TV show from the 2000s. There are seven main characters in the show and their jobs are more or less the same as these NPC’s. And guess what. I typed in the name of the show when talking to one of them, and they gave me an answer that sounded like a hint to a location.”

  “I’m starting to regret having agreed to help you. This is giving me a headache.”

  “Come on, I know you’re interested in this case. You can’t hide it.”“If you think so. Where do I have to go?”

  “I asked the tavern owner first. Seems like our first target is in the middle of the woods.” Ralph pointed to the map.

  “Guess I’m off to Cupid’s Pace.”

  Ralph just looked at her, clueless. “Where?”

  “Didn’t you go to Lawreyville High? How the fuck do you not know Cupid’s Pace?”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s east of Lawreyville, exactly where you just pointed. There’s a clearing where all the couples in high school went to carve their initials in one of the trees scattered over the pce.”

  “Shocker that I haven’t heard of it. I mean, aromantics are clearly the prime demographic for that sort of thing.”

  “What, being aromantic means you can’t hear anyone else talk about it?”

  “I don’t think any of my friends were in retionships during high school.”

  “Okay, fair enough, I forgot you’re a nerd. But it’s probably for the best if you don’t know about that crap. Only idiots do these weird romantic gestures, acting like a high school retionship is meant to st longer than two weeks.”

  “I guess. You seem weirdly invested, though.”

  “Shut up. I’m going. Is Amy’s bike still here?”

  “Yeah, but do you have a phone? I need to be able to contact you.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Then take Xavier’s. He forgot his here.”

  Alice grabbed the phone and left.

  Saturday, March 16, 8:50 am: Campsite, Lawreyville

  Amy and Xavier had been asking around for a while, but apparently, no one had seen the monster. Most of them had only been awake for a short time. Or hadn’t left their tents, trying to stay as warm as possible.

  “Hey, over there is Abby,” Amy noticed.

  Ms. Walker wasn’t far from them. She was talking to a rge man, who was sharing some tea with her. Under his thick beard, a big smile was visible.

  “Abby, how are you?”

  “Oh hey, Amy. Nice to see you. Seems like your friend’s sobered up.”

  Xavier looked at her, focused, trying to remember who she was.

  “She was also in the restaurant yesterday,” Amy expined quickly.

  “I see. Probably for the best if you just assume I don’t remember anything from yesterday.”

  “Understood.” Amy turned back to Ms. Walker, only now noticing how tall she was, easily reaching Xavier’s height. Amy hadn’t noticed the day before because Ms. Walker was sitting.

  “Oh, may I introduce you? This is Brad. He’s a close friend from high school.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Amy, and this is Xavier.”

  “Nice to meet you, too. Are you also here to go camping in this great weather?” Brad Foster held his rge gut while ughing.

  “We’re investigating a case,” Xavier expined, uninterested in joking around.

  “A case, so you’re detectives?” Mr. Foster asked.

  “Well, he is a private investigator. I’m actually a programmer.”

  “Nice to meet a programmer. You know, I actually studied programming for a while, but I’m pretty bad at it. Andrew did most of that stuff,” Ms. Walker expined, scratching her head bashfully.

  “I guess that at least means you’re breaking transfem stereotypes,” Mr. Foster said, ughing again.

  “I guess so,” Ms. Walker answered, ughing as well.

  “Can we get on with it? There is still a mud monster on the loose,” Xavier said, annoyed.

  “A mud monster?” Mr. Foster repeated, surprised.

  “According to Mr. Roberts, it’s a mud golem, to be precise.”

  “So, William has seen the monster?” Ms. Walker asked.

  “Yes, he was attacked by it about two hours ago,” Amy expined.

  “That certainly sounds concerning,” Ms. Walker said, lost in thought.

  “Well, I hope you catch that golem. I gotta go. We have to catch up some more another time, Abby.”

  “I’ll call you,” Ms. Walker answered as Mr. Foster left, seemingly surprised why he left in such a hurry.

  “Wait, but we still have some questions!” Xavier yelled without getting a response.

  “What was that about?” Xavier asked frustratedly.

  “Maybe he was that scared of the mud golem,” Amy suggested.

  “Or he’s hiding something,” Xavier said, suspicious.

  “Could be. Abby, did you see any clues leading to the monster’s identity?”

  “Not that I know of. You don’t suspect Brad, do you?”

  “He seems suspicious,” Xavier confirmed.

  “I promise you, he wouldn’t attack someone. He’s a great guy,” Ms. Walker expined.

  “We can’t ignore any leads.”

  “What now? We’ve already asked everyone,” Amy said.

  “If the monster is hiding on this campground, then someone is lying. We should search for the costume.”

  “What, do you want to check every tent?” Amy asked, confused.

  “Not just the tents, the cars too. And we should be quick about it. Some people are already leaving. Including Brad.”

  “If you think so.”

  “Abby, can we start with your tent?” Xavier asked.

  “What, am I a suspect?”

  “Everyone here is a suspect,” Xavier answered.

  Even though Amy doubted Xavier’s method, the two started inspecting all the tents, to the campers' annoyance.

  Saturday, March 16, 9:30 am: Cupid’s Pace, Lawreyville

  Alice had chained Amy’s bike to a tree and was walking through the thicket. She used her crowbar to hack a path through the bushes.

  As she was approaching the clearing, the phone in her pocket rang.

  “What’s up?”

  “Just wanted to see if you’re there yet,” Ralph answered.

  “Almost.”

  “Okay, great.”

  “I guess you can tell me more about this riddle until I get there.”

  “Oh, I thought you didn’t care about it?” Ralph taunted her.

  “Maybe I was exaggerating,” Alice admitted, gritting her teeth as she said it.

  “No problem. So, you really want to know more about it?” Ralph asked excitedly.

  “Okay, keep your nerd-orgasm down, please. Just give me some more context.”

  “Yeesh, why do you have to be so crude?”

  “Cuz it’s fun.”

  “Anyways, I’ve noticed that this seems to be a very targeted ARG if you can even call it one. Typically, you can solve them from wherever you are, as the information is accessible online. The creators often want to reach as many people as possible, so that makes sense. And some of the info for this one is widely avaible, too. Besides the game, you can also see Andrew’s obsession with Holy Knights if you look at his social media accounts. But because you have to be here in real life for this ARG, not everyone can just solve it from where they are. So, it was probably intended for specific people.”

  “Like our client.”

  “Yes, but probably not just him. But even more interesting, I might have an idea, what the prize could be.”

  “Really?” Alice listened interested, as she was untangling her jacket from a bush.

  “In some of his posts, I could make out some action figures. They were seemingly purposefully not completely cropped out of the picture.

  “Action figures, all the trouble for that? I mean, they can be pretty pricey, but this seems like a lot of effort just for that.”

  “Depends on the figures. You remember that Andrew was a big fan of that TV show, right?”

  “Yeah, Holy Knights or something like that.”

  “Exactly. I’ve looked into the show and found out some interesting things. When the show aired, they released seven action figures, one for each main character. And it seems like Andrew owned the entire set. But here’s where it gets interesting. Back then the show was a massive failure and sold barely any merch. Meaning most of the figures nded in some ndfill. But as it turns out, even though the show was canceled in the mid-2000s, it has become popur as it recently became avaible for streaming.”

  “Only a few figures are still intact, and a lot of people want them, I see. Now all the nerds that missed out are willing to spend all their savings on them.”

  I’m sure you are familiar with the feeling of wanting to buy some merchandise and discovering it is way too expensive. The worst part is that it often becomes even more expensive over time. I have to admit that I’ve made the occasional purchase, which has cost me more than I would like to admit. It’s a good thing that my bank account doesn’t have feelings, or it would probably curse me and my entire family.

  If these action figures Mr. Adams possessed truly are in such high demand, and he has the entire set in good quality, I don’t want to imagine how much they would go for.

  “What kind of show are we even talking about?” Alice asked.

  “There’s actually an interesting reason why it was so unpopur. It was a fantasy series. But specifically advertised as a religious cartoon.”

  “So, like Veggie Tales meets The Lord of the Rings?”

  “I guess. But it was more like superheroes in the Middle Ages fighting evil in God's name. But general audiences don’t care for religious shows. I mean, why would a kid want to watch a Christian Aquaman rip-off if they can watch the actual one.”

  “I get your point, but was Aquaman really the best example you could think of?”

  “He’s a king, that fits the Middle Ages setting. And I like Aquaman.”

  “Has no one ever said,” Alice added.

  “Well, even though the show was specifically targeted at religious families, it ironically failed with that demographic as well, as it was seen as controversial and too provocative.”

  “I’m all ear. What was so provocative about it?” Alice had stopped walking and was listening eagerly.

  “The main characters all represented one of the seven deadly sins.”

  “I did not expect that.”

  “Well, they were meant to be positive counterparts.”

  “So, instead of lust, they had abstinence?”

  “Not exactly. In the case of lust, obviously, they never mentioned sex, but the character was a tavern owner and was kind of a matchmaker. But it probably was seen as controversial that there were episodes where she helped a gay couple, or in another episode, a couple got divorced, and she helped them move on and find new partners. Other characters like Wrath taught messages about how it’s okay to be angry and how to deal with negative emotions in a healthy way.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “I watched one episode just now. It was pretty good. The whole action part of the show is also really cool. Fun fact, the tavern owner is actually confirmed to be aroace.”

  “Nice.”

  “By the way, how long till you get there?”

  “Oh, I’ve been here for a while.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I just didn’t wanna interrupt you.”

  “I think someone is secretly a nerd themselves,” Ralph taunted her.

  “Just tell me what I’m meant to look for.”

  “In her dialogue, the NPC talks about four couples who have found love in her tavern. Maybe look for the initials of them.”

  “I assume we’re only talking about first names, right?”

  “Correct.”

  “Not to disappoint, but that’s only 676 possible combinations and a lot of those are pretty unlikely, like X+X, for example. Multiple generations of stupid teens have carved their initials in these trees, so I assume a lot of combinations here are repeated multiple times. How should I know which ones are the right ones?”

  “You calcuted that this quickly?” Ralph noticed, surprised.

  “It’s not that hard.”

  “If you say so. But it doesn’t matter. Some of the names in the game are spelled in fantasy letters. I’ll just send you a picture.”

  Alice started searching. It took her what felt like an eternity to find the first tree. When she finally found all four trees that had been marked, she was noticeably annoyed.

  “Why the fuck are there so many stupid teenagers that think they have to eternalize their retionships. What do you think? How many of these retionships sted past high school? My guess is zero.”

  “Why so pessimistic? I’m sure some of them sted. And even if they didn’t, there’s nothing wrong with a short-lived retionship, as long as it isn’t a harmful one.”

  “Oh, hear, hear, the expert is talking. Since when do you give out love advice?”

  “I get it. You’re having another one of your Alice-moments. How about we get back to the case?” Ralph suggested, clearly fed up.

  “Suck a dick, asshole!”

  “Certainly sounds more enjoyable than talking to you right now. But one of us has to act professionally!”

  “Okay, then tell me professionally how to solve this puzzle so we can get it over with!”

  “How about you imagine two lines between the trees in question? Do they cross?”

  “Oh really? Great idea! I’ve already tried that. There’s nothing here.”

  “There has to be something.”

  “That so? How about I ask one of these billion idiots who’ve defaced the trees here? Maybe they know the answer.” Alice walked over to one of the trees. “Hello, N and L, can you tell me the goddamn solution to this fucking riddle? How about you two, S and B. What, you don’t know because you’re too busy trying to keep your retionship from falling apart? I guess that makes sense.”

  “Alice, calm down!”

  Alice ignored him and walked over to another tree. “Can you believe it, T? He tells me to calm down. I’m sure E has told you that a million times.”

  She turned to another tree. Only a few people had left their initials on this one. Alice wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn’t leave her mouth. She instead just stared at an empty spot on the tree.

  “Alice, are you okay?” Ralph asked, concerned.

  “No, nothing’s okay. I’m standing in the middle of a monument built by fools that swear each other eternal love, but in the end, the only thing you hear is: “It’s better if we stop seeing each other. I can’t do this anymore.” As if it all meant nothing.”

  Alice was breathing heavily, and her face had turned red with frustration.

  “Is it possible that you’re talking from personal experience?” Ralph asked carefully.

  Alice leaned against the tree, sighing frustratedly.

  “Listen, I’m sorry that I yelled at you. I want you to know that you can always talk to me if you need to get something off your chest. And I’m sure that goes for Amy and Xavier as well. You’re not alo…”

  “Why would I bother you with that stuff? It was my fault, after all. You know, back in my timeline, me and my girlfriend also carved our initials in the bark. We hadn’t been together for long at that point. I’ve never loved anyone as much as her. Although that probably doesn’t mean much, talking about a high school retionship. Even after some bad stuff happened in my life, she stayed by my side, always trying to help me. And what do I do? Instead of showing her how much she means to me and how much I appreciate her help, I just kept venting to her, letting all my negativity out on her. Always going on about how shitty my life is. And she had to listen to all of that. I can’t bme her for leaving me after it got too much.” Alice hit the tree, frustrated with herself.

  “I’m sure you had a good reason to compin about your life.”

  “I know, but that’s not the point. She shouldn’t have to suffer just because I was. I wish I could tell her what a great person she is. But now I’m stuck in another timeline.”

  “I’m sure she knows that you truly appreciated her. And believe me, we’ll find a way back to your timeline.”

  Alice wiped her tears out of her eyes. “Don’t worry. Thanks for listening to my bullshit problems. Can I ask you for a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  “Could you please not tell the others about this?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thanks. I can make it up to you. I think I just realized where the answer is hidden.”

  “Where?”

  “If there’s nothing visible in the center, maybe it’s buried.”

  “Good idea.”

  Alice grabbed her crowbar and used it to dig up the dirt. Not far under the surface was a rock about the size of a fist.

  “I got something!” Alice used all her strength to pull it out of the dirt it was stuck in.

  “And?” Ralph asked, curious.

  “There’s something written on it. AAAW, all in capitalized letters.”

  “Give me a second.” Alice could hear the typing of a keyboard coming through the phone.

  “It was correct! I received an item. An amulet fragment.”

  “Let me guess, there are seven of these collectibles, right?” Alice sighed.

  “I think so, but it doesn’t say.”

  “Lucky me,” Alice said in a sarcastic tone but with a smile on her face.

  “Good job, how about you head back to the bike, and I’ll check back in with you when I’ve got the next location for you?”

  “Sure.” Alice tightened her grip around the crowbar and chucked the rock in the air. Quickly grabbing the crowbar with both hands, she swung it and hit the rock, catapulting it far away over the trees.

  “Homerun!”

  “What did you do?” Ralph asked after hearing the iron hit the rock, followed by Alice’s yelling.

  “Just having some fun. You should have been here. That rock probably flew all the way to the pond.”

  “Or it hit someone or something in the head.”

  “Come on, I’m just releasing some pent-up energy. Also, I’m hungover, so you can’t hold me accountable.”

  “That’s not how that works.” Ralph was audibly shaking his head. He hung up, and Alice headed back to where she had left the bike.

  Saturday, March 16, 9:40 am: Clubhouse, Woods

  Amy and Xavier had been searching for a while. Having searched all the tents and most of the cars, they were disappointed by the outcome. There was not a single hint about the mud golem's identity or the costume's whereabouts.

  After the fruitless investigation at the campsite, they had decided to return to the clubhouse to search for clues.

  “Hey, I found some shoeprints!” Amy called out to Xavier.

  He left the hut and came over to examine the tracks left next to the building. But one look was enough for him to realize whose prints they were. “Those are mine. You can even see the part where a piece of the sole was ripped off.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “Long story. It was Case #40: Brawl in the Devil’s Kitchen. At some point, I ended up trapped in an industrial oven, not a very comfortable situation to find myself in. My shoe sole started melting, and a piece ripped off.”

  Amy looked at him with her mouth wide open. “How are you this casual about it?!”

  “Don’t worry, Natsu got me out before I sustained any sting damage.”

  Amy shook her head in disbelief. “Wait a minute, if you left prints, shouldn’t Mr. Roberts and I have left some, too?”

  “You did.” Xavier pointed to a spot in front of the entrance, where the dirt had been slightly trampled.

  “Both of you walked all the way here, so you had rge clumps of dirt and mud under your shoes that prevented you from leaving any conclusive prints behind.”

  “Then that goes for the mud golem, too, I assume.”

  “Probably. I didn’t have any luck in the clubhouse either. The best I could find were mud stains, likely left behind by William and the monster.”

  “Great,” Amy said disappointedly.

  “Could you maybe come inside? All of these notes are about D&D and that kind of stuff. You know more about that than me.”

  “Are you calling me a nerd?” Amy said, smiling.

  “Depends on if you like being called that,” Xavier answered jokingly.

  Amy chuckled and pyed with her hair. “That’s the right answer.”The two entered the clubhouse and looked over the notes on the walls.

  “Well, they’re mostly notes about different campaigns and one-shots. It seems like the main campaign they were pying featured five pyers, one of them also being the Dungeon Master. It took pce in a kingdom called Nahvee.”

  Xavier noticed a photograph among the notes. It showed five people, likely about the age of 16. All of them were wearing costumes they had probably made themselves.

  “Can you tell me more about the pyers?”

  “I can’t find anything about them, but there’s a lot of information about their characters. Five guys destined to become heroes. It's a pretty mixed bunch. A kenku, an elf, a skeleton. Seems like they also used a lot of homebrew stuff. I should take notes. This stuff is really detailed.”

  “Amy, with the deepest respect, maybe half of that made sense to me. The rest is like you’re talking another nguage.”

  “Kenkus are bird people, and homebrew just means they created their own csses, spells, weapons, and the sort.”

  “I see. Does the description fit these five?” Xavier showed Amy the photograph.

  “Nice costumes. Yeah, they fit. Kenku, elf, skeleton, lizardfolk, and interestingly, a mud golem.”

  “I had noticed, too. Seems like more than just a coincidence,” Xavier noted.

  “Did you also notice that?” Amy pointed to a sign hanging on the wall of the clubhouse in the picture. The five guys were proudly standing under it.

  “The Hallowed Knights Club,” Xavier read out loud. He looked around and quickly found the sign. It had fallen from the wall.

  “So, there was a club. Seems like Mr. Roberts wasn’t fully honest with us.”

  “A pretty weak lie if there’s that much evidence for the existence of the club. It certainly makes me doubt him even more.”

  “Why would he lie about it?”

  “I don’t know. But I have the feeling that one of the club members is the mud golem. And I think he had the same suspicion.”

  “So, he’s covering for them? Why?” Amy asked.

  “That’s a good question. Maybe we should begin by figuring out who was part of the club.”

  “Do you think Mr. Roberts is the mud golem? In the picture, I mean.”

  “Hard to say. It’s been a while since the picture was taken, and they’re wearing costumes. But considering how short and slim William currently is, I doubt it. Whoever wore the costume back then was tall and heavy,” Xavier said.

  “What about the lizardfolk? His right hand is covered with some sort of knife-glove, but his other hand is exposed, and you can clearly see freckles on the back of it.”

  “Yeah, that’s probably him. And considering the other club members were probably at the funeral too, we might have seen them already.”

  “Considering the body type, Brad comes to mind for the golem,” Amy theorized.

  “Agreed. That doesn’t mean he’s also today’s golem. But he’s certainly a main suspect. Remember, we couldn’t investigate his tent or car. And he ran away when we brought up the golem.”

  “You’re right. Also, one of the guys must be Mr. Adams. I would guess the kenku. He’s wearing some sort of crown, maybe signaling that he’s the leader. Some of his blonde hair is visible under the mask. From the pictures I’ve seen online, that fits,” Amy expined.

  “Good, two members left. Skeleton and elf.”

  “Hard to say. The elf’s face is exposed but doesn’t look familiar, and the skeleton is completely covered in the costume,” Amy summarized.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you, could you tell me anything about the body type of the golem from today?” Xavier asked.

  “They were tall, probably around your height, if not taller. The rest is hard to tell with the costume. Not sure if they were as rge as Brad, though.”

  “Tall seems to be the main factor, as that is harder to fake with a costume. After all, I don’t think someone’s running around the woods on stilts.”

  “That doesn’t really help. The golem, skeleton, and elf all seem tall. And we already knew it couldn’t have been Mr. Roberts or Mr. Adams,” Amy realized disappointedly.

  “Look, I just noticed something. It was hard to tell because of the bck cloak, but the neck of the skeleton is exposed, showing that the person under the costume has dark skin.”

  “Who could…” Amy stopped as her phone started ringing. “What’s up?”

  “Just wanted to check in. How’s the monster hunt going?” Ralph asked.

  “Sluggish,” Xavier answered. He could hear the call while looking at more notes, hoping for another hint.

  “We at least have some suspects, but two of the three are currently unknown,” Amy expined.“You have suspects whose identities you don’t know? How come?”

  “We only have a picture from them as kids, wearing costumes.”

  “Bummer. Well, good luck with that. Alice and I are making some great progress.”

  “Progress with what? Are you pying a game?” Amy asked.

  “Oh, that’s right, I haven’t told you. Alice and I have accepted a case. Hope that’s okay.”

  “Sure. We’ll be busy with this one for a while,” Xavier answered nonchantly.

  “Hey Amy, you won’t believe it, but the case is about Hallowed Knights: Defenders of Nahvee!”

  “Wait, did you just say Hallowed Knights?” Xavier asked.

  “Yeah, like the video game. You know it?”

  “No, but our suspects were members of a club named Hallowed Knights.”

  “Andrew Adams created the club, so he probably named the game after the it,” Amy added.

  “Interesting. Say, do you know if someone named Tyler Cook was part of the club?”

  “No idea, who is that?” Xavier asked.

  “Our client. He says he knew Mr. Adams personally.”

  “Do you know what he looks like?” Amy asked.

  “Yeah, I’ve already looked into him and found his social media accounts. He’s tall, has an average body type, has bck hair and a mustache, wears gsses, and seems pretty pale for someone who has lived in Australia for over a year. He works as an investor and is engaged. Need any more info?”

  "That’s more than enough. The description fits the elf,” Xavier answered.

  “Elf?” Ralph asked.

  The three decided to exchange information on their current cases, making sure not to leave out any details.

  “So, Alice is currently investigating a case with my bike and Xavier’s phone?”

  “We really need to get her some stuff,” Xavier said.

  “Do you think our cases could be connected?” Ralph suggested.

  “Could be. They certainly seem to involve the same people,” Xavier answered.

  “Meaning the motive of the mud golem could be getting the prize,” Amy suggested.

  “That would make sense. How much did you say those figures could go for?”

  “It varies, but looking at the quality and the fact he has the whole set, we’re talking about a five if not six figures price.”“Dear god, knocking someone out for that doesn’t seem absurd,” Amy said, flustered.

  “You said you were currently in a small hut between Ashbypond and Lawreyville, right?”

  “Yeah, why?” Xavier answered.

  “Thought so. One of the locations in the ARG seems to be that hut.”

  “Meaning both the mud golem and Mr. Roberts were likely looking for the hint in question,” Amy said.

  “But I guess the golem destroyed the codeword. So, it would probably be pointless asking you to look for it”, Ralph realized disappointedly.

  “Maybe not. Here’s something the mud golem hasn’t touched.” Xavier was standing in front of a small table with a locked drawer.

  “Can you unlock it?” Amy asked.

  “Of course. This is the perfect opportunity to test Pablo’s special investigation tool.”

  Amy watched in confusion as Xavier pulled out the pipe Mr. Cabrera had left him. He removed the mouthpiece and twisted the bowl's rim. As Xavier cycled through the different modes, small tools like screwdrivers and tweezers popped out of the smaller opening and disappeared again.

  The pipe was a disguised multitool, or a Swiss Army Pipe, if you will. Although considering it was created by Mr. Cabrera, it would probably be a Spanish Army Pipe.

  The tool is absolutely a masterpiece as it compressed 50 different tools into such a small chamber.

  It took Xavier a bit to find the right screwdriver. He unscrewed the lock, proudly grinning he grabbed the handle.

  “Et voi.” Xavier pulled on the handle, but the drawer didn’t move.

  “God dammit, it’s stuck.” He pulled harder, again with no success.

  “Come on!” He wildly pulled on the handle, causing two of the legs to come loose. The entire table fell to the floor, ultimately falling apart completely.

  “It’s certainly open,” Amy said, looking at the mess on the floor.

  “What happened? I just heard a ruckus,” Ralph asked.

  “Xavier broke the table trying to open a drawer.”

  “It’s not my fault, the table is old as shit.”

  “I think you’ve spent too much time with Alice,” Amy said jokingly.

  “She would have probably done a better job than me if I’m being honest.”

  “True.” Amy had kneeled down and was looking through the remains of the table.

  “Hey, look at this! There was something in the drawer!” Amy handed him a rge envelope.

  “Let’s see what’s in here.” Xavier pulled out a bundle of papers. It was a series of drawings of presumably characters from D&D. Some of the drawings even depicted the characters from the picture, like a wand-wielding kenku or the cloaked skeleton, using some sort of lightning spell.

  “Is the codeword there?” Ralph asked.

  Xavier smiled, satisfied. “The only thing here is a signature. Try A. Walker.”

  “No, that’s not it. The hint talks about the true name of a corrupted soul. A king who let power get to his head.”

  “Wait, try King Corvus,” Amy suggested.

  “No, that’s not it either.”

  “Who’s King Corvus?” Xavier asked.

  “That’s Mr. Adams’ character. I thought it might fit the description.”

  “Did it say anything about him having a different name?” Ralph asked.

  “Or maybe try Andrew Adams.” While Xavier made that suggestion, Amy seemingly had an epiphany. She walked over to some of the notes, looking for something in particur.

  “I knew it. I think this was an unused concept and it stuck out to me. Mr. Adams’ character was meant to be revealed to be an impostor. A mutated mimic in disguise. And the mimic was called Mendax.”

  “Yes, that’s the right one!”

  “Great job, Amy!”

  “Thanks, guys. I’ll call you again if I need your help or learn something new,” Ralph said.

  “Sounds good.” Xavier hung up, smiling at Amy.

  “Why are you so happy?”

  “I know who the fifth person is. We made the mistake of assuming they had to be a guy based on their D&D character and their obscured figure. But the skeleton is actually a woman.”

  Amy started realizing what Xavier was talking about. “Wait, you mean…”

  “A tall, bck person who knew Andrew in high school and seems to have an involvement in the club. That’s Abby. And these drawings were clearly made by her, looking at the signature. And if you think about it, she has the perfect cover. The hints lead everyone to believe the culprit is a man because they’re from before she transitioned. Using that cover, she could just collect the codewords and knock everyone who gets in the way out. And think about it. Did she ever disclose that she’s transgender? For all we know, Brad revealing that actually put her pn in danger.”

  Amy gred at him. “How about you dial it back a bit? I agree that it’s absolutely possible that she’s the fifth member, but that doesn’t mean she’s guilty. And the way you talk about it, you make it sound like her identity is simply some kind of disguise she uses to assault people out of greed.”

  “Sorry, that’s not what I meant. You’re right. Maybe I got a bit carried away, but we can’t ignore a lead like this. I just think it seems like she was pre-transition, and now that she’s transitioned, only people who knew her back then would know the truth.”

  “The truth? I think you’ve consumed to much detective media, trans identity is not some twist reveal. And just because she didn’t bring it up in the few times we spoke doesn’t mean she was hiding it.”

  “Fine, but you can’t deny that this is really suspicious and convenient for her.”

  “You know what, I’ll just ask her. I have her number.” Amy pulled out her phone.

  “Wait, don’t tell her anything about this on the phone. We should meet up in person. That way, we can better tell if she’s lying.”

  “Or if she’s telling the truth,” Amy added.

  “That too.”

  Amy didn’t have to wait long for Ms. Walker to pick up.

  “Hey Abby, how are you?”

  “Good. How’s your investigation going?”

  “We’ve got some leads but nothing more. We wanted to ask you some questions about the case.”

  “Really? I’ve told you all I know.”

  “Well, it seems like the case has to do with Mr. Adams, so we wanted to ask you some questions about him.”

  “Okay, like what?”

  “How about we meet up in person? Can you come to our office if you’ve got time?”

  “Sure, I have something pnned this afternoon, but I could probably get to your pce at 5 pm. How does that sound?”

  Xavier seemed nervous.

  “5 pm sounds great. Till then.”

  “Bye”

  “What are you doing?!”

  “What you told me to do? Is there a problem?”

  “Yes, there is. You told her we would ask her about the case and gave her enough time to come up with lies.”

  “We need to work on your trust issues. Not everyone is some scheming trickster out to get you. I can’t imagine Abby being the kind of person to physically attack someone. Especially someone she’s been friends with in high school.”

  “You can’t know for sure. And putting your trust in the wrong people will get you killed in this line of work. How do you think I got trapped in an industrial oven?”

  “I get what you’re saying, but refusing to trust others completely isn’t the answer.”

  “Fine. We’ll see who’s right. Wait, does she even know where we live?”

  “Yes, Ralph gave her one of your business cards.”

  “Great, so she knows I’m an actual investigator?!”

  “You were there when I told her and Brad about it. Why are you so surprised?”

  “Oh, you’re right, my bad.”

  “Maybe it’s best if you’d lie down for a bit. How about we head home?”

  “Okay. How about we get some food on the way home? I can hear your stomach grumbling from over here.”

  “No, it’s alright. I ate breakfast a few hours ago. But you can go get something for yourself,” Amy said.

  “No way, you eat way too little.”

  “Do you even have money on you?”

  “Sure, I do. Part of the basic equipment is a small amount of money in every currency.”

  “I’m starting to think your bag has no limit. Are you sure that’s not some kind of bag of holding?”

  “A what?”

  “Never mind.”

  Amy might be onto something. I am regurly surprised by what is hiding in that backpack. But to Xavier’s credit, the most random objects are sometimes exactly what is needed in a specific situation.

  Although I’m curious how he finds what he needs with all that stuff in the backpack.

  My theory is that the backpack is actually alive, and Xavier stole it from a young dy with a tendency to say random Spanish words or phrases to an unseen audience and who hangs out with a monkey. I'm not sure what she was called, though.

  Yes, I’m allowed to make jokes as well. Or would you have preferred a philosophical monologue about appreciating the small and seemingly insignificant things in life? I hope not. Otherwise, I would have wasted the opportunity.

  Where was I? Ah, yes. The two made their way back to Xavier’s bike and went home after a quick detour to eat a Burrito in Lawreyville.

  They quickly checked in on Ralph and then went their separate ways. Amy went to her room to get some work done, and Xavier sat behind the house, falling asleep in a hanging wicker chair.

  Saturday, March 16, 4:35 pm: Roberts’ Meadows, Ashbypond

  As I am skipping forward a bit, I don’t want you to think that nothing happened during that time. Alice and Ralph made some great progress, and it’s not like I do not wish to tell you all about it. However, I believe it would be uninteresting for some readers, as it was quite uneventful.

  So let me catch you up. Ralph had sent Amy to a pyground in Lawreyville. There, she had found the word “Terrynator” scribbled on the underside of a slide. As it turned out, it was the codeword of envy.

  The hint for the codeword of gluttony had led her to an old bridge outside of Lawreyville. The hint spoke of the devourer of the lost meal, but no matter how hard Alice was looking, she could not find the right one among the graffiti under the bridge. She assumed it had been covered up as there was a seemingly fresh graffiti on the wall, taking up a lot of space.

  Not to critique the artist, but it looked like a very rushed and uninspired work.

  She had more luck in the next spot, the high school of Lawreyville. She had to sneak in through an open window, trying not to get caught. Wandering through the empty hallways of her old high school, she discovered the codeword of wrath in the form of the name Landon.

  Which brings us here. Alice had arrived at Roberts’ Meadows, a small farm outside of Lawreyville.

  A cold breeze was blowing through the pnts. The sound of the leaves rubbing against each other could be heard over the sound of a tractor in the distance.

  “Say, what’s your pn? Do you wanna check out all the spots today?” Alice asked as she parked Amy’s bike in front of the fence surrounding a rge cornfield.

  “Well, there’s only one after this, so we can probably do it. Unless you’re exhausted.”

  “No problem, I can handle it. Just as long as it’s not some pce for kids. I really don’t want to catch any more weird looks sneaking around high schools and pygrounds.”“Why are you sneaking around? Just act normal.”

  “Yeah, because the sneaking is the problem, not the 22-year-old hanging around a pyground by herself.”

  “I don’t think people really care.”

  “Oh really, tell that to the person driving past the high school. They stopped to stare at me and disappeared. I was worried they had called the cops or something.”

  “Maybe the person just recognized you? Did you know them?”

  “First, I couldn’t see them from that far away. Second, how would someone recognize me? I’ve been here for a week.”“Maybe they got you confused with Amy.”

  “I’ll stick with my theory. They were staring at a woman breaking into a high school.” Alice locked the bike around one of the fence posts.

  “Ralph, what are they growing here?” Alice looked confused at the corn towering over her.

  “As far as I know, they mainly grow corn.”

  “I know I’m not the biologist here, but since when does corn reach a height of 8 feet in early spring?”

  “That’s actually simple. Ever heard of Richard Scent?”

  “That rich asshole?”

  “Yeah, one of his business ventures is to buy up small local farms, typically family businesses. They keep the owners on as workers and give them experimental machines and chemicals to tend the pnts with. It makes things like harvesting corn all throughout the year possible. They use it so that they can advertise their stuff as locally grown and whatnot. But they obviously ignore the massive repercussions on the environment.”

  “Let me stop you there. Thanks for your presentation. I’ll give you an A-.” Alice stared into the seemingly endless darkness between the rows of corn.

  “Why the minus? It needed a power point, right?” Ralph asked jokingly.

  “Exactly,” Alice’s voice was shaking a bit.

  “Well, how about we get this done with?”

  “Ralph, I-I don’t think I can.”

  “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

  “No, I’m fine, it’s just,” Alice took a deep breath, “Fuck, I hate this feeling. I want to simply walk in there, but my body won’t move. I know it’s stupid of me and…”

  “Don’t say that. It’s totally normal to be afraid of something, even if there is no direct danger involved. What exactly is it that you’re afraid of?”

  “I have custrophobia. I’ve had it for a while now. Walking between the corn, i-it would just feel like I’m trapped.”

  “Okay, how about you come back for now? It’s been a long day. I’ll take care of the cornfield tomorrow, and then we can get the st codewords afterward.”

  “No! W-we already lost one of the codewords. What if someone gets there before u-us and destroys this one too?”

  “We’ll find a way, don’t worry.”

  “No, I-I will do it now.”

  “Are you sure? You don’t have to push yourself like that.”

  “I’m sure. But can you do me a favor?”

  “Of course, what is it?”

  “Could you keep talking? Hearing you talk calms me down.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet.”

  “Shut up!” Alice said in protest. “I just need something to keep my mind distracted.”

  “No problem. How about I tell you some more about the TV show.”

  “Holy Knights?”

  “Exactly.”

  “S-sounds good.”

  Alice took a deep breath and fought back against the tears that arose just from thinking about the narrow space while Ralph started talking.

  “Where should I begin? The farm is apparently the location of sloth. Pretty ironic considering how much work there is to do in such a pce.”

  Alice slowly climbed on top of the fence, checking for the scarecrow she was looking for. When she knew where to go, she jumped down, nding on the uneven ground, trying to find her bance.

  “The character in the show associated with sloth works on a farm as well, but as a human scarecrow, which is reflected in his design. He’s probably my favorite just based on visuals.”

  Alice slowly moved through the corn. With each step, she felt like the pnts were coming closer. The leaves brushed against her skin, seeming like they were trying to grab her.

  She closed her eyes, breathing slowly, focusing on Ralphs voice.

  “He spends all day on the field doing nothing but standing still. But he uses the time to sharpen his mind and senses. Eventually, finding inner peace. This eventually allows him to use powers like telekinesis and telepathy. He can even talk to animals. He’s super powerful but has to be absolutely focused to use his powers.”

  Alice walked forward, still with her eyes closed, as she suddenly couldn’t feel the pnts anymore. She slowly opened her eyes. She was standing in a small crop circle around the scarecrow. The corn surrounded the clearing like a massive wall.

  “Ralph, I made it!” she said, excited, still uncomfortable, but seemingly relieved about how far she had made it.

  “Great! Find the codeword, and you’re out of there.”

  “On it.” Alice approached the scarecrow and reached up, searching the creepy figure. It didn’t take long for her to find the codeword, or rather, code number. It was stitched into the inside of the oversized fnnel shirt.

  “The code is 5.23.08”

  “Checks out. The game accepts it.”

  “Great, now I…” Alice was startled by something.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “I heard something.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t just the wind?”

  “Is someone there?” Alice slowly looked around, nervously shaking.

  All around her was just corn. But then she saw it. A skull stared at her from between the corn. Before she could react, the cloaked figure already jumped forward. The next thing she felt was a punch in her gut. She heard an ear-piercing crackling sound, followed by a burning pain flowing through her entire body. It felt like she had been hit by a truck and struck by lightning at the same time. She could hear Ralph calling out as she slowly fell to the floor, the world around her slowly turning bck.

  “Alice?! Alice, say something!” Ralph jumped up from his chair and listened closely. Besides some footsteps, he couldn’t hear anything.

  “Whoever is there with her, you better stay the fuck away from her!”

  The phone call was ended. Ralph ran downstairs, got in his car, and drove to the farm.

  Saturday, March 16, 5:10 pm: Roberts’ Meadows, Ashbypond

  It took him about 10 minutes to get there, driving over uneven roads. The wood of a small bridge leading to the farm rattled loudly under his tires.

  He parked his car next to Amy’s bike. He was in such a hurry he didn’t even notice the fresh tire marks left behind by another car that was nowhere to be seen.

  He jumped over the fence and ran straight through the rows of corn. The cobs hit him in the face, and the leaves cut into his arms, but he didn’t think about that for a second.

  With one st step, he broke through the final row of pnts.

  He saw Alice cowering on the floor, shaking and csping the scarecrow.

  “Alice, are you okay?”

  “N-no, Linus I-I di-didn’t. Wh-why? Li-listen to m-me! P-please!”

  “Alice, listen to me. I’m right here. You’re safe.”

  “B-but I. I-I didn’t m-mean t-to.”

  “Hold onto me. I’ll get you out of here.” Ralph helped Alice up while she was still stammering and crying. She followed Ralph, seemingly not even aware of it.

  When they finally left the corn behind, he sat Alice down against the car.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, sitting down next to her.

  Alice seemed like she didn’t even notice him, but she had at least stopped stammering. She stared off into the distance.

  “Take your time.”

  “R-Ralph?”

  “I’m here if you need me. Or we can just sit in silence. Whichever you prefer.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “About what?”

  “I-I made you worry about me.”

  “I always worry about all my friends. And believe me, this isn’t the first time I had to be the emotional support.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No worries. You’re safe now.”

  The two sat in front of the car for a while, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon.

  Saturday, March 16, 5:10 pm: D&M Detective Agency, Ashbypond

  Alice and Xavier were sitting in the office. Alice was drinking water while Xavier gnced over to the clock. Annoyed, he turned back and took a sip of his carrot tea.

  “Don’t give me that look. She’ll be here any minute.”

  “It’s not a good look for a suspect to arrive te to the interrogation.”

  “She doesn’t even know this is an interrogation. How about we use the time to go over the case again?”

  “Fine. Considering the culprit was likely a member of the Hallowed Knights Club, there are really only a few suspects.”

  “We know it couldn’t have been Mr. Roberts or Mr. Adams. And Mr. Cook seems unlikely as well.”

  “But not impossible. He could be lying about currently being in Australia.”

  “Sure, it seems a bit outndish, but we can’t ignore it,” Amy agreed.

  Xavier nodded. “And William could be working with the golem. Think about it. He’s been acting sketchy ever since we met him. What if the whole thing was just a cover-up?”

  “But you said it yourself. The two didn’t know anyone was watching them. Why go through the effort?”

  “Fair point. Man, I think I’m still a bit under the weather from yesterday.”

  “Big surprise.” Amy rolled her eyes.

  “So he probably doesn’t work with the golem.”

  “That means Brad and Abby are currently our main suspects,” Amy said, looking at her notes.

  “I thought you didn’t believe she could be the culprit?”

  “I don’t. But objectively speaking, it seems likely she was the fifth member, and we don’t know if she has an alibi.”

  At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Amy showed Ms. Walker to the office.

  “Hi, I’m sorry for the dey. I had an appointment with my dentist, and you know how those go. They always start way after the agreed-upon time.”

  “Take a seat,” Xavier showed her to the table. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  “Yes, please. I could really use something refreshing.”

  Xavier gave her a gss of water, keeping a close eye on her the whole time. “How come you’re so exhausted?”

  “Well, my boyfriend died. All the funeral proceedings were pretty stressful, and that’s me not even getting into the grieving process.”

  “You seem to handle the situation pretty well,” Xavier said, suspicious.

  “I guess I was already prepared for this to happen. Even knowing it would happen, it was still a shock.”

  “What do you mean, knowing it would happen?” Alice asked, surprised.

  “Oh yeah, you didn’t know. Andrew was born with a rare heart condition. It was discovered a few years ago. There is a treatment, but the success rate is really low, and it would basically have meant he would have spent most of his time in the hospital. He decided he would rather spend as much time as possible with his family and friends. And working on his passion projects like our video games, of course.”

  “So, I guess it was obvious he wouldn’t have that long to live,” Amy realized.

  “When the doctors discovered it, they said that it was hard to say how long he had left. It could have been a few months or a few decades. Everything was possible. But it became clear that it wasn’t the tter. He had less and less energy. A few weeks ago, he went to see a doctor. After that, he seemed weirdly happy and energetic, even though he told me it wasn’t looking good.”

  Xavier looked worried. “Did he, I mean, he didn’t end it early, right?”

  “What would make you think that?” Amy looked at him, shocked.

  “Well, it is often the case that people regain a lot of energy when they’re pnning on doing something like that because it feels like they’re taking control of their life. Especially in a situation like this, people can feel like they have lost that control.”

  “No, he didn’t. He died from his heart giving out. It must have been something else that made him so happy, but I don’t know what.” A tear rolled down Ms. Walker’s face.

  “How are you holding up?” Amy asked.

  “I’m trying to be strong, especially for his family, but I sometimes just don’t know how.”

  “That’s understandable,” Amy said empathetically.

  “Could we maybe talk about something else?”

  “Sure. I wanted to talk to you about the Hallowed Knights Club.”

  Abby was startled and looked at Xavier in surprise. “How did you find out about that?”

  “Please, we’re investigators. Finding things out is our business.”

  “I’m not allowed to talk about it. I promised Andrew.”

  “It’s important for the investigation. You were a member, right?”

  Abby looked at him, confused. “No, I was never part of the club.”

  “You weren’t?!” Amy repeated, surprised.

  “No. I guess I can tell you that much. The club was formed when we were in high school. I had recently come out and was too self-conscious about engaging in any hobbies considered masculine. So being part of a D&D group full of guys wouldn’t have helped with my dysphoria.”

  “I can see that. I don’t want to imagine what it must have been like for a trans kid back then,” Amy said.

  “Yeah, there were definitely a lot of problems. Not like it’s ideal for kids nowadays, but at least some progress has been made since then. But I had some very supportive friends. Elroy always walked me home after school, and Brad once beat up one of my bullies.”

  “We discovered some drawings in the clubhouse, signed A. Walker. Those wouldn’t happen to be yours, right?” Xavier asked, still doubtful.

  “I didn’t know Andrew had kept them. He liked to tell me about their D&D sessions. I started drawing some of the characters and scenes. I guess the nerd in me was stronger than the dysphoria in that regard.”

  “If you weren’t a member, who was part of the club?”

  “I-I can’t tell you. As I said, I promised Andrew.”

  “Why would he not want you to tell anyone?”

  “They broke up in our senior year. They had some kind of falling out and swore never to talk about the club again.”

  “You’re aware that you are standing in the way of us finding the culprit?”

  “I owe Andrew that much.”

  Xavier sighed and stood up. Amy steered the conversation in a different direction, talking about video games and work. After a while, Ms. Walker said goodbye and left. Not long after, Ralph and Alice returned.

  “What happened to you?” Amy asked, looking at Alice.

  “She was attacked by a masked figure.”

  “What?!” Amy excimed.

  “Someone dressed as a skeleton,” Alice expined exhaustedly.

  “When and where was that?” Xavier asked.

  “Roberts Meadow. It was at about 5 pm. That’s why I left in such a hurry.”

  Xavier walked to the door, grabbing his backpack and jacket on the way.

  “What are you doing?” Amy asked.

  “I’ll look for clues.”

  “It’s getting dark. You won’t find anything,” Ralph said.

  “I have a fshlight. I can’t just sit here after my friend was attacked.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Amy said, grabbing her jacket.

  The two left and spent a while searching for evidence, but besides realizing that someone had stolen the scarecrow's clothes, they found nothing. They gave up around midnight, returned home, and fell asleep.

  Ralph spent the evening trying to contact Mr. Roberts and Mr. Foster, but neither responded. When he called Mr. Cook, he refused to talk about the club and its members, giving the same reason as Ms. Walker.

  Sunday, March 17, 7:10 am: D&M Detective Agency, Ashbypond

  In the morning, they were all sitting around the table, coming up with a pn.

  “How should we continue this investigation?” Ralph asked.

  “I want to get the st codewords,” Alice said.

  “Are you sure?” Xavier asked.

  “Yes, I won’t let them get the better of me.”

  “I’ll come along. It’s like the buddy system,” Amy suggested.

  “Fine by me.”

  “Okay, then I will stay here and give you instructions,” Ralph said.

  “And I will try to find William and Brad. I’ve found out where they live.”

  “Good. By the way, I wanted to ask something. Maybe it helps with the case. Does anything come to mind about May 23, 2008? It was the solution to one of the riddles. I looked it up, but nothing useful came up,” Ralph said.

  “I think there’s something familiar about that date, but I don’t remember,” Xavier answered. “I’ll tell you if I think of it.”

  “Thanks.”

  They split up. Xavier took Ralph’s car and drove to Coleson while Alice and Amy went to Colepeaks, a small mountain chain north of Coleson. Although calling them mountains might be an overstatement, they were more like a bunch of rge rocky hills.

  As a kid, I used to go there with my father. He loves the outdoors and saw these camping trips as a nice way to bond with his kid. Even though I’m not a big fan of camping, I always looked forward to those trips.

  I can still hear the crackling of the fire and taste the s’mores in my mouth. The uncomfortable sleeping bags somehow felt much more cozy, just knowing my father was next to me.

  Sunday, March 17, 9:00 am: Colepeaks, Coleson

  Alice and Amy rode along the road leading up the side of Colepeaks. They were headed to a small tourist spot.

  When they arrived at the side of a pin yered with rge, jagged rocks, they locked their bikes and decided to walk the rest of the way.

  In the center of the rocky field stood a small tower that had been there for over a century. It was a common spot for hikers to take a break at. A small stair led to the top, from which you could see far into the distance.

  “Alice, how are you not out of breath?” Amy asked, sitting on one of the rocks.

  “Who says I’m not exhausted? I just know we’re this close to solving this case. And then I can get my revenge on the skeleton, or mud golem or whatever.”

  Alice looked over at the tower. It was far away, but she could see someone standing in front of it.

  “Amy, I think they’re here!”

  “Really?!”

  “I have to catch them!”

  To Amy’s surprise, Alice ran off, jumping from one rge rock to another like a furious mountain goat or maybe a puma.

  As she got closer, she could see Mr. Roberts putting one of the bricks back in the wall.

  “Hey, stop that!”

  Mr. Roberts jumped and turned around, staring at the woman barreling towards him in shock. He dropped the screwdriver he was holding.

  Before he could run away, Alice had reached him and pinned him against the wall.

  “Did you think you could get away?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to get the prize!”

  “And you attack innocent people for that?” Alice said angrily.

  “What? No, I didn’t attack anyone.”

  “Sure, and I’m not about to beat you up,” Alice answered sarcastically.

  “Alice, wait!” Amy yelled. She was getting closer, trying to catch up to her.

  “That’s not the culprit! He was the first victim!” Amy said, out of breath.

  “She’s right, I was attacked by the mud golem. Please don’t hurt me.”

  “Now that you say it, I don’t think you pack that much of a punch. And you’re not fast enough to be the skeleton either.”

  “Thank you.” Mr. Roberts sighed in relief.

  Alice reached for the brick Mr. Roberts had put back in the wall. The back was covered in scratches.

  “Did you destroy the codeword?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I thought that way, I would be the only one getting the prize.”

  “What was the codeword?”

  “It was 55.93 .”

  Amy called Ralph, and he confirmed the code.

  “Were you also the one who graffitied over the codeword under the bridge?”

  “Yes, I’m so sorry. It was Lynx. Can I go now?”

  Ralph entered the passwords and received the st pieces of the amulet.

  “Did something happen?” Amy asked into the phone.

  “Yes, a location was marked on the map when I put the pieces together. It’s actually pretty close to you. I’ll send you the location.”

  “So, you’ve solved the riddle?” Mr. Roberts asked.

  “Not until we’ve found the prize,” Amy answered.

  “Can I ask you a favor? I want to see the prize,” Mr. Roberts asked meekly.

  “Come with us. We’ll go get it.”

  “But no funny business”, Alice said.

  “Understood. Thank you.”

  Sunday, March 17, 9:25 am: Colepeaks, Coleson

  They arrived quickly at the st location. It was a small rest area with an extinguished campfire in the middle. It was protected from rain by a rock overhang.

  “Okay, we’re here. Anything new from your side?” Alice asked.

  “Not really. I went to the spot on the map in-game, and here’s a bird man, talking about how he’s not worthy of being a knight and how his legacy is going up in fmes,” Ralph expined.

  “Let me guess, the prize is buried under the campfire,” Alice said while using her crowbar as a shovel.

  “Sounds reasonable,” Ralph answered. Amy and Mr. Roberts stared into the hole Alice was digging.

  “Hey, I think I got something.” Alice pulled a metal box out of the ground.

  “Finally, now we…” Amy stopped in the middle of her sentence. She felt something cold and sharp touching her neck.

  “What’s the matter?” Alice turned around. Both Alice and Mr. Roberts stared at the person who had snuck up on them. Someone wearing the stolen clothes of the scarecrow and a rubber lizard mask. The costume looked just like the one from the photo. Even the clothes matched, besides being tighter than in the photo.

  The masked figure wore a glove on their right hand with knives taped to each finger and had wrapped them around Amy’s neck.

  “Give me the box!” said the person, making their voice sound deeper and more threatening.

  “What are you meant to be, the lovechild of Freddy Kruger and Mark Zuckerberg?” Alice asked, trying not to show how nervous she was.

  “The box!”

  Amy looked at Alice in fear.

  “Let go of her!”

  “Give me the box, and nothing happens to her.”

  “Fine, here. Now let her go.”

  “I’ll let her go ter, but for now, she is my insurance. No one follows me, or she gets hurt.”

  Alice and Mr. Roberts both lied down on the floor, watching as the culprit left with Amy and the box.

  They were headed to the road nearby. The area was less rocky. Instead, it was covered in grass. Amy was fighting back tears as she heard a familiar voice.

  “Let her go!”

  Amy looked up, seeing Xavier next to the road.

  “Leave, or she gets it!”

  “Take the stupid mask off! I know it’s you, Elroy!” Xavier walked closer. His fists clenched and with the stare of an angry bull.

  “Don’t come any closer!” His voice sounded a bit shaky.

  “You know, I really looked up to you. Which is a rare thing for me. I know your strength, so normally, I wouldn’t dare to stand in your way, but you made two mistakes. You injured a dear friend of mine, and now you’re threatening another one. I just can’t allow you to leave.”

  Amy could hear the nervous heartbeat of her kidnapper.

  “I-I warn you, I-I will slit her throat if you don’t let me get to my car.”

  “I can do that, but that won’t help you.” Xavier pointed to the ft tires of Mr. Green’s car. An ice axe was still stuck in one of them.

  “What do you think you’re doing?!”

  “I’m making you an offer. You let her go, and I’ll give you my car keys, simple as that.” He held out his hand with the keys to Ralph’s car.

  Mr. Green pushed Amy aside, causing her to fall to the ground. Then, he approached Xavier and reached out for the keys.

  In one quick motion, Xavier dropped the keys, and while Mr. Green tried to catch them, bending down, Xavier smashed his fist into Mr. Green’s temple.

  The culprit stumbled backward, pulling the mask off his face and staring Xavier down.

  Quickly, Xavier picked up the keys and put them in his back pocket while Mr. Green threw the box to the ground.

  “Are you seriously challenging a professional boxer to a fight?”

  Without hesitation, Xavier rushed forward, aiming for Mr. Green’s face, but he blocked with his right arm and punched him with his left fist in the side.

  Xavier fell back but regained his bance, immediately dodging a left hook.

  He dodged another punch and hit Mr. Green right in the stomach, but the yered costume absorbed most of the impact. As Xavier pulled his fist back, he was hit right in the shoulder, and as he stumbled back, he felt another hit connect with his jaw.

  “Xavier!” Amy screamed in fear for him.

  He took a deep breath and focused. They were seemingly at a standstill. Mr. Green kept blocking Xavier’s punches, and Xavier kept dodging most of his punches.

  After continuing for a while, both started to feel exhausted. Both their faces were battered and bleeding. Breathing heavily, they stepped back, thinking about their next moves.

  Xavier’s eyes glowed up. With a determined look, he readied his next attack. He ran up to Mr. Green, preparing his left fist for a swing. Mr. Green tried to block with his right, but at the st second, Xavier revealed his actual pn. Before the pro boxer could react, he felt Xavier’s right hook connect with his chin. His head snapped back, and his body fell limp to the ground.

  For a few seconds, he lied there, Xavier standing over him.

  He slowly opened his eyes again. He sighed, exhausted. “You’re pretty good.”

  “Don’t give me that shit. You were pulling your punches. And you didn’t use your dominant hand for punches.”

  “You noticed?”

  “Xavier, are you okay?” Amy ran up to him, hugging him with tears in her eyes. Alice and Mr. Roberts also had caught up with them. They stared at the pro boxer lying on the ground.

  At that moment, another car arrived. Ralph, Ms. Walker, and Mr. Foster got out and walked over.

  “Seems like everyone is here,” Xavier said calmly.

  “What happened?” Ralph asked, confused.

  “Wait, how did you get here so fast?” Amy asked.

  “When I realized Elroy was the culprit, I told Brad he should get the others and meet me here. I had asked Ralph for the final location.”

  “How did you know it was him?” Alice asked.

  “It was the date Ralph mentioned. I remembered why it seemed familiar. Elroy had one of his most important matches on that day. And as I started to think about him, everything started to connect. We didn’t find the costume of the mud golem because there was no such costume. He had just covered himself in yers of mud from head to toe, using small rocks or something like that for the teeth. He then just washed most of the mud off. The best thing is, he told us himself when he said his clothes were sullied in mud. Openly talking about it made it seem less suspicious.”

  “Of course, I should have realized,” Amy said, smacking her own forehead.

  “Wait, that car, that’s the one I saw in front of the high school yesterday,” Alice excimed, pointing to Mr. Green’s car.

  “He must have seen you there and tried to get the codeword before you. He used the same strategy as he had used on William. He put on a costume he had prepared. It served both as a disguise and as a way to scare his competitors off. Especially for the members of the club, due to the personal connection.”

  “I was hoping to get all the codewords in one day so that no one would get them before me. And after getting the first one, I decided to destroy all the others.”

  “But you were too te.”

  “Yes, the codeword at Cupid’s Pace was gone,” Mr. Green said, frustrated and ashamed.

  “Wait, I wasn’t there. Did someone else destroy the codewords as well?” Mr. Roberts asked.

  “I didn’t look for the codewords,” Ms. Walker answered.

  “Me neither. I tried but didn’t understand how to,” Mr. Foster added, embarrassed.

  “Wait, Alice did it,” Ralph realized, breaking out in ughter.

  “Oh yeah, I did!”

  “So, you letting off steam actually saved the day,” Ralph said.

  “And as he couldn’t find the missing codeword, he just followed you after you had gotten the st one. Which meant he had to steal the prize.”

  “But then you stopped him, thankfully,” Amy added.

  “How about we take a look at the prize? Ralph, could you call Tyler? He’s your client, after all.” Xavier picked up the metal box.

  It didn’t take long for Mr. Cook to pick up the video call. Ralph quickly expined the situation to the tired man.

  “So, you’ve got the prize?” Mr. Cook asked excitedly.

  “Yes, we do.” Xavier opened the box while everyone was watching in anticipation.

  In the box were the seven action figures, as expected, but Xavier pulled something else out. A letter.

  “What does it say?” Ms. Walker asked.

  “You read it.” Xavier handed her the letter and she began reading aloud.

  “Hello, Hallowed Knights, and you too, honored warrior princess. It seems like you’ve solved my final riddle. If you’re reading this, it means I’m gone. I don’t know what awaits me, but I at least hope I could bring you some joy with this st adventure. I’m happy you could reunite and join forces once more. You truly are real knights. I can’t say the same about myself. I never apologized for the sins I’ve committed that led to the club breaking up. I’m sure you’ve realized these riddles talked about my seven sins. Let me apologize. For my first sin, I’m sure you remember the weekend we went camping. We had all bought our favorite snacks, but during the night, I ate most of them myself. I then bmed it on a lynx. In truth, it was all an act of pure gluttony.”

  “What is he talking about? He’s making way too big of a deal out of this,” Mr. Foster said.

  “I don’t know about you, but I knew even back then it was him,” Mr. Cook added.

  “Yeah, I had already forgotten about that even happening,” Mr. Foster said.

  “Can I continue?” Ms. Walker asked.

  “Go on.”

  “Tyler, I have to apologize to you. When you got the Terrynator for Christmas, I broke it. Although I said it was an accident, I did it on purpose. I was jealous that you got the toy I wanted.”

  “Was he really worried I was still mad about that? My parents just bought me a new one the next day. Don’t tell me he died thinking I was mad at him for something so childish.”

  Ms. Walker continued reading. “I must apologize to the entire club. I wanted to buy all the action figures of Holy Knights but didn’t have enough money, so I said we would buy them as a group. In the end, I just kept them for myself, even though most of the 55.93 Dolrs came from you guys. And to you, William, when I got in a fight with Landon, I made you stop talking to him out of spite. I’m sorry for ruining your friendship.”

  “Oh, that’s why we didn’t talk for a few weeks. I had totally forgotten. But we never stopped being friends. I’m literally the godfather of his daughter,” Mr. Roberts expined.

  “Abby, I was a terrible boyfriend in high school, being too afraid of the opinions of others, making you hide our retionship like it was something dirty and inappropriate and not a retionship with the most amazing girl I’ve ever met.”

  Ms. Walker had to smile. “This goober. Sure, I was hurt back then, that’s why we broke up. But we literally started dating again a few years ter. And he’s been apologizing for how he treated me ever since, even though I keep telling him that I forgive him.”

  “There’s more,” Mr. Foster pointed out.

  “Elroy, I’m very ashamed of missing your big fight on May 23. I knew how important it was to you, yet I still didn’t show up just because I wasn’t in the mood. Since then, I have made an effort to watch all your matches.”

  “Kinda ironic how his sins, as he puts it, are nowhere near as horrible as the things I did to get my hands on this box,” Mr. Green said, feeling guilty.“Wasn’t that the match where you were discovered by your manager?” Ms. Walker asked.

  “Yeah, it was. Tyler invited us to celebrate afterward, remember? That’s when William got so drunk,” Mr. Green said, smiling.

  “Hey, it was my first time drinking alcohol!” Mr. Roberts said defensively.

  Ms. Walker started reading the rest. “I was an idiot, thinking I was some sort of king ruling over my subjects instead of being a member of a group of knights fighting alongside each other. I never earned the title of leader. You just put up with my bullshit. This game I’ve made you partake in was for you to receive my biggest treasure, but not in the way of these figures. They already belonged to you anyway, but instead, by bringing the friend group back together. I hope you forgive me and remember me as a fwed but well-intentioned peasant wishing to be a true knight.”

  The group was speechless.

  “I can’t believe it. He died thinking we were angry at him,” Mr. Cook said, finally breaking the silence.

  “We should have gotten over our stupid argument long ago. And now it’s too te,” Mr. Foster said, angry at himself.

  “If I may,” Amy spoke up. “I didn’t know him personally, but I don’t think he really beat himself up over these things. Don’t we all have those memories that come back to haunt us, even though no one really cares, and the other people have already forgotten about it or forgiven us? We all know it’s not actually a big deal, but we still can’t shake that awkward feeling.”

  “But he arranged this whole game to apologize,” Mr. Roberts disagreed.

  “I don’t think that’s the reason. Abby, you said he was acting surprisingly happy before he died, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I think it’s because he was setting this game up. He was having fun reliving these old memories and put his worries to rest by finally confronting them. He looked forward to seeing you all reunite and solve the riddles he left behind. Even if he could only be with you in spirit.”

  The group looked down to the floor, ashamed and sad.

  “Great. His st wish was for us to work together, and we ruined it by acting like stupid children, not even wanting to talk about the club,” Ms. Walker said.

  “One of us couldn’t solve it, someone was too wrapped up in grieving, the next just hired investigators instead of showing up, William just broke the game, and I decided to become a literal monster, assaulting my friends and innocent people,” Mr. Green said.

  “Not necessarily. You seemed to enjoy reliving some old memories together. Seems like he was still successful in the end,” Amy pointed out.

  “I guess that’s true,” Mr. Cook realized.

  “So, if that ends the case, I guess that means you’ll call the cops,” Mr. Green said.

  “You did commit multiple crimes in your attempt to get the prize,” Xavier confirmed angrily.

  “Wait, if you do that, I don’t want him to be punished for attacking me. I’m not proud of how I acted either,” Mr. Roberts said.

  “Really?!” Mr. Green said in disbelief.

  “Sure, I would much prefer to spend some time with you. Let’s hang out like we used to.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I don’t think you would have actually hurt me, right? I could feel how uncomfortable you were,” Amy said.

  “No, it felt really wrong just threatening you. But that doesn’t undo my wrongdoings. I still caused you distress.”

  “Don’t worry about it, then,” Amy said calmly.

  “I can’t accept that, I…”

  “Hey, idiot, the dy made you a gracious offer. You can’t just refuse to accept it,” Alice said.

  Mr. Green took a long look at her. “I understand. But I actually harmed you and just left you behind as you were having some sort of panic attack. I absolutely went too far.”

  “Sure, but if everyone else is forgiving you, I would look like an asshole if I didn’t. It was also pretty cathartic seeing Xavier knock you out. So how about I make you an offer? You give me your taser and bck cloak, and we’re even. I can use them for a project I came up with yesterday.”

  “That’s all you want?!”

  “Are you guys serious?!” Xavier asked, confused and frustrated.

  The three nodded.

  “I can’t believe it! But I guess if there is no one who wants to press charges, I guess I can’t call the police on you.”

  “But I also attacked you!”

  “Well, technically, I started the fight, and it only happened because of what you did to my friends. If they forgive you, that nullifies my reason. But don’t think you still have my respect.”

  Mr. Green looked at the others, baffled by their generosity.

  “Now that that’s settled, what do we do about the figures?” Mr. Cook asked.

  “The investigators are the ones who found them fair and square, I think they should have them,” Mr. Roberts said.

  “Bullshit, the letter said it clearly. They weren’t the treasure. They are something he owed you. So, you share them,” Alice said.

  “I don’t think I deserve them. I didn’t even solve a single riddle,” Mr. Foster said.

  The other members of the club also gave a reason why they didn’t deserve them

  “I have an idea,” Ms. Walker said. “How about we sell them and donate the money to charity in Andrew’s name? I know some charities he regurly donated to.”

  “Fine by me,” Mr. Cook answered.

  The others nodded in agreement. After staying together for a while, they separated and pnned to py a D&D campaign in honor of Mr. Adams together soon.

  When only the four were left, Xavier approached Amy, looking ashamed. “Hey, I just wanted to apologize for how I acted the st few days.”

  “No problem.”“And about the case, I really should have listened to you. I’m not the best judge of character. Natsu was always the one listening to his gut with that sort of thing, and he was right most of the time.”

  “That’s Natsu for you. Oblivious to most social cues, but somehow a great judge of character,” Ralph added, smiling.

  “That’s what a team is for. Bancing out each other’s weaknesses. And even though I’m only a partial member, you can always count on me,” Amy said.

  “You’re right,” Xavier agreed. “You know, you’d really make for a great investigator.”

  Amy started blushing.

  “Hey, Amy, how about Xavier and I head home with the car, and you can talk a bit with Alice while riding home? You know, having an actual conversation, not just an interrogation,” Ralph suggested.

  “Sounds like a great idea.”

  Alice returned from the car. She had put the cloak and taser in it after Mr. Green’s car had been towed away.

  “Hey Alice, wanna take the longer route back?” Amy suggested.

  “Sure, if you can keep up.”

  “I’ll try. I can certainly use the exercise.”

  Xavier and Ralph drove off, and the others walked back to their bikes.

  “You know, I have to give you props. I would have probably shit myself if a pro boxer took me hostage.”

  “Who says I didn’t?” Amy answered jokingly. Both started ughing.

  “By the way, I wanted to apologize for asking you all those questions. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I…”

  “Hey, don’t fret it. Can I ask you a question in return?”

  “Sure, what do you wanna know?”

  “I was recently reminded of the topic. Have you been in a retionship before?”

  “No, you’d think I have twice the chances, but I guess I’m not that lucky. Have you?”

  “Once. Bir, the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

  “Wait, Bir from high school?” Amy asked, surprised.

  “Yeah, her. But in the end, it didn’t work out.”

  “You’re telling me she would have said yes if I had asked her out?! You have to tell me all the details!”

  “Only if you tell me about that little crush you have.”

  Amy turned red. “What crush?”

  “Come on, you obviously have a thing for Xavier.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “You turn red as a tomato whenever he compliments or gets close to you.”

  “Fine. But don’t tell him.”

  Alice chuckled, and the two rode down the mountain on their bikes. Talking all the way home.

  And so ends another case for the D&M Detective Agency. But it certainly isn’t the st one.

  What was that? Can I tell you something about the next one, you ask? Well, if you want to know more, let me tell you this. New allies can be found even in the most unlikely pces.