"A few weeks ago, I had just closed a case and was working late in my office in the CHPD building to finish its final paperwork when a teenage girl opened my office door, came in, and introduced herself immediately. 'Hi, I’m Annie,' she said. I was surprised and curious to know how she managed to pass the cops guarding and William, who always works no matter when, and enter my office because after eight, it is forbidden to enter the murder detective sector without permission. I wanted to ask but noticed how scared and anxious she was, so I kept my curiosity to myself and instead told her to sit. I poured her some water, which she drank at once. She then took a deep breath, looked into my eyes with her dead yet watery eyes, and said, 'I got myself stuck in the middle of a fight between drug lords and politicians, and I hate both of them more than ever and can’t do it anymore.' She paused for a second, then continued, 'I am going to die very soon, but you have to work on my case and find the truth about the secrets that could save many lives, even if mine would not be one of them.' She wasn't finished with her last word when she stood up and ran out of my office. I chased her as fast as I could but lost her in the street."

"Is this a paranormal story? I love them so much," Neoni said excitedly and gave Reynold a giant grin.

"What? No, of course not. Why should it be a paranormal story?" Reynold said, genuinely surprised. But he continued without waiting for an answer from Neoni, "I told my superior, Major Anthony, about what happened, and he told me I couldn't do anything if she didn't... Reynold found out he could not continue because of a lump in his throat, so he paused for a few seconds and then continued, 'A few weeks later, I was sent to investigate my new case. I entered the crime scene, and I saw Annie, strangled in her own bedroom and then stabbed several times after her death. There was blood all over the room.'"

"She was blonde, wasn't she?" Neoni asked with squinted eyes.

"She was, but how does it..."

Neoni interrupted Reynold, "Nothing, I just wanted to know how she managed to enter your office without being stopped, and I thought to myself, she must have been blonde; you men are really racist against other colors. Everyone says, 'Wow, you are red,' but then they only care about blondes and let them do anything they want."

"Can I continue?" Reynold said, annoyed.

"Sure," Neoni said, still a little annoyed but smiling.

"The scene was examined, and no evidence or fingerprints were found except for Annie’s and her father’s, with whom she lived, so it wasn't a surprise. Some of the blood matched Annie’s, but some of it didn’t match either of them. So, I thought it must have been the murderer’s. I asked the doctor about any signs of conflict, and he told me there were no signs of conflict on Annie’s body except for the choking sign on her neck and the stabbing wound, of course. I went and talked to her father..."

"He was blonde too, right?" Neoni said jealously.

"Nina, do you want me to tell the story or not?" Reynold said, even more annoyed than Neoni.

"Sorry," Neoni said, looking down for a second before staring at Reynold’s eyes again.

"The blond, middle-aged man with a gray beard answered my question as much as he could, but every time he said Annie, he started crying. All I could get from him was that Annie was a perfect daughter. She went to school every day and did her homework perfectly, aced her tests, and had a bright future ahead of her. She was such an angel that even when she had free time, she either helped her old man or helped at a homeless shelter."

"They must have been the coolest students and homeless people in the world," said Neoni with a giant grin.

"I thought the same, so I decided to go and check her school..."

Neoni asked excitedly, "What did it look like?"

Reynold thought for a few seconds, then answered, "It was a huge building shadowed by surrounding downtown skyscrapers..."

"What color was it?" Neoni asked with squinted eyes.

"I don't remember, white? Grey? Why does it even matter, Neoni?" Reynold objected.

Neoni answered emotionally, "It matters a lot to me because I was homeschooled, and I am really curious about schools, so please tell me everything and please do not spare any details."

"If it is this important to you, I'll try to describe it as best as I can remember. The school had a large yard filled with students moving around, talking loudly for no apparent reason, and occasionally screaming. There was a small building in the yard, separate from the main building, which served as the cafeteria. The main building had a long hallway with doors on both sides, likely leading to classrooms. At the end of the hallway was the principal's office, located near the stairways. I didn't see the rest of the floors, so I can't comment on them."

Neoni shook her head in disbelief. "The principal's office near the stairs? That's so weird."

Reynold nodded in agreement. "I thought the same thing. It seemed like an unusual choice. So, anyway, I went to talk to the principal, who was a fat, middle-aged man. I believe he chose that room as his office, which meant he had to walk an extra distance every time he wanted to go there."

Reynold intended to continue his theory, but Neoni interrupted with a wide smile and eager eyes. "He was bald, right?"

"Kind of. He had a few hair-like things on the back of his head that I never understood why some people keep."

"I knew it!" Neoni exclaimed happily. "I always pictured principals as bald fat men. My dad, on the other hand, was tall, skinny, and had hair, so I couldn't imagine him as a principal. Please, go on."

"He told me that he didn't know much about Annie, except that she was one of the top students. He gave me a list of teachers and students who might have known more about her. To avoid returning there, I decided to talk to all of them that morning. I had to walk the same long hallway multiple times..."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Why did they use such a big building for a high school?" Neoni rested her head on the table, looking surprised.

"What do you mean?" Reynold asked, taken aback.

"I mean, if the classes are virtual anyway, why have such a big building? And why was everyone on the same floor?"

"No, not all the classes are virtual. Some are online, but for some reason, some traditional schools still haven't transitioned completely to virtual classes."

Neoni pondered for a moment. "Why is that?"

"I'm not sure, and it doesn't have anything to do with my case. Anyway, as I was saying, I checked Annie's locker, but there was no sign of drugs or anything suspicious. Just books and a non-working watch..."

"What time was it showing?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it was twelve. I asked her teachers, and they mentioned that she had been acting a bit strange lately. She distanced herself from others more than usual and skipped school for the past two days, which was unusual for her. They assured me it's normal for teenagers to behave like that, but I hope it's normal as long as they don't end up getting murdered. I talked to her friends, who were only two girls. One of them didn't know anything important, but the other one said that she and Annie were invited to a tea party the next night. I asked if I could join them, and Jean, I think that was her name, agreed as long as I didn't embarrass her and played the part of an attractive detective."

"An alcoholic depressed attractive detective, right?" Neoni sat up straight and winked.

"In a way," Reynold chuckled. "That afternoon, I visited the shelter. It was a typical shelter with many beds, homeless individuals, and a policy of providing one free meal per day. I remember the color vividly; it was a dirty gray. Although I'm not sure how to describe 'dirty' as a color, I suppose it was a dark gray or perhaps so filthy that it appeared gray."

Reynold continued enthusiastically, "But the smell, I remember it clearly. In fact, it was the last thing I smelled before losing my sense of smell. Visiting the shelter was an unpleasant experience, to say the least. So, I hurried to complete my task. I spoke to the manager, who was a middle-aged man of average height with really bad breath. His breath was so distinct that it stood out even among the other odors in the shelter. He informed me that a new section had recently been added, thanks to an anonymous benefactor, and it served as a free closet. People could visit and choose clothes at their leisure."

Neoni sighed, "Wow, that was fast. I thought you were going to talk a lot more, but it finished right there. It was a good story, but I didn't get the point. What was it? Don't study hard and sell drugs at the same time? Can't you spend too much time on school or there will be no time left for drugs?"

"I am not finished," Reynold said seriously.

"But doesn't it finish with you asking for the name and reaching a depressing dead end?" Neoni asked, surprised.

"No, Neoni, listen," Reynold continued angrily. "I never give up that easily. I asked some of the homeless and other people who worked at the shelter about Annie."

"Did it lead anywhere?" Neoni sat again.

"I found out that Annie had another school friend who also helped at the shelter. Her name was..."

"Is she dead too?" Neoni said, surprised. She looked at Reynold with wide eyes. "Maybe it's not them. Maybe it's you."

"No, she is alive. It's just easier telling a story like this. That's why I've been telling it like this."

"Okay, say it however you want," Neoni leaned back, crossed her legs, and crossed her arms.

"Cara just said the same thing. She had become a little weird lately. She never talked much, but in the last few days, she became even quieter. She was scared all the time. She told me Annie was so scared and anxious these last few days that she looked like a walking chalk who was ready to jump and cry at the slightest sound. Also, she mentioned that the last two days she didn't go to school, shelter, or anywhere else. As far as she knows, she didn't even answer her father's calls."

"How did Cara know about her father's calls?" Neoni asked, suspiciously squinting her eyes.

Reynold blushed a little. "Oh, sorry, she didn't tell me that. I talked with Annie's father, Garrick, again with the new information I had, and he told me that."

Neoni chuckled, put her arms on the table, and stared into Reynold's eyes. "You're joking, right? His name couldn't really be Garrick."

"Why not?" Reynold asked, wondering.

"Because it's soooo lame," Neoni laughed again.

Reynold said, "Don't make fun of people's names."

Neoni said mockingly, "I don't mind, as long as their name is not Garrick." She then continued in a whisper, "By the way, do you know where she was during the last two days of her life?"

Reynold rubbed his lips slowly. "What do you mean? In her house, obviously."

Neoni leaned so much over the table that her face almost touched Reynold's. "So why did her father call her instead of just going to her room and talking to her directly? I mean, his name is Garrick, but that is too much even for a Garrick."

Reynold smiled and tapped his leg. "Oh, you know what? I forgot to tell you that Garrick wasn't home those two days. He was working outside of the neighborhood. And I think I told you he was the one who found Annie in her room, strangled and stabbed, right?"

"Men," Neoni said, shaking her head in disappointment. "They never bother with details, no matter how crucial they are."

"Sorry," Reynold said, embarrassed, and decided to continue the story as quickly as possible before Neoni made fun of him again. "Okay, so I was saying that I decided to search her room myself."

"Why?" Neoni leaned back again.

Reynold, happy that Neoni let go of the previous conversation, answered, "Because I thought maybe I could find something that the cops couldn't."

"Paranoid?" Neoni looked at Reynold seriously, squinting.

"No, cautious," Reynold said.

Neoni said, "That's what a paranoid would say." She then continued, "Did you find anything?"

"I did," Reynold said proudly. "I found a letter."

"Damn it," Neoni punched the table. "Why are paranoids always right? It's so annoying. Where was it?"

"Inside the mirror's frame."

"What mirror?" Neoni said, with her mouth wide open.

"There was a mirror in her room, not very important. Anyway, the letter said, 'Stop it; I can't do it anymore.'"

"Apparently, she really liked that sentence," Neoni said, starting to bite her painted-red thumb.

"I thought so too, but then I thought, what if it's a code?"

Neoni said rapidly, "Why would she write a code and put it somewhere that no one except a paranoid could find it? And why right before her death? If you're going to die, why should you care? It doesn't make sense. Maybe revenge? No, that would be bad sportsmanship."

Reynold shrugged, "So the criminals get caught, and justice is served?"

Neoni nodded in agreement, "Oh, it all makes sense now." She paused and then whispered, "It doesn't."

Reynold ignored her completely and continued, "I asked myself, what would you do if you were a teenage girl who was too afraid to leave the house and wanted to write a secret message?"

"I know, I know!" Neoni raised her hand and moved it enthusiastically in the air. "Digital code!"

Reynold corrected her, "You use your pee."

"I don't know anymore." Neoni lowered her hand, her lips turning downward.

Reynold said passionately, "Think about it, Neoni. It's an ancient way to hide a message. And all you need to do to see the real message is to warm it."

"It's getting really exciting and classy," Neoni said, clearly bored. "What did it say?"

"They know. Delete the fake ones."

"Wait a second." Neoni stood up enthusiastically, ran, and disappeared behind the bar counter, out of Reynold's sight for a few seconds. Then she returned and placed a bag full of biscuits on the table in front of Reynold. Reynold picked one and ate it, instantly regretting it because it was so dry that it made him cough.

"Do you have to eat these biscuits? They're really dry," Reynold said, coughing.

"When someone tells me a story, I eat them because no matter how dry the story is, my biscuits are still drier," Neoni said, her mouth full of biscuits.

"So, does that mean my story was dry, Neoni?" Reynold's tone revealed his hurt feelings.

"Not necessarily, but I am a lady, and we ladies can never be too cautious." She then grabbed several more biscuits and stuffed them into her mouth.