image [https://i.imgur.com/tN4Nn90.jpg]
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On September 12, 2022, a school Monday that should have been like any other, something special happened during religion class, the second hour of classes for Tetazo High School: 'Minos Kiyon', the man considered the best detective in the whole country of Belium, came to class unannounced.
After revealing himself by removing his scarf and cap, he offered offer his signature to everyone in the class and takes Deshya in his arms to leave the school, needing her for a case. Unable to let her excitement stay inside her, Deshya starts flailing around as she walks out of the school with Minos, unable to believe she can meet him for real after all this time. What's more, he's come to Tetazo for her: Deshya is over the moon. However, the reason for his visit isn't for fun or simply to meet one of his fans: it's for a real investigation, one that has to do with the assassination of 'Conri Tanisha', the communications officer for Belium's Minister of Defense. On September 2, 2022, between 7 a.m. and 7.30 a.m., this man was murdered at his home in Shiru and then dumped in the bushes in the next village. No culprit has yet been found, but they currently have a lead: Minos discusses it with Deshya and her family after Gatito comes to pick them up. While Pera prepares a new breakfast - pancakes - for Minos' arrival, he tells them about the mystery of 'Sleeping Little Beauty', a site that is sometimes promoted by a 'Readit' user with the pseudonym 'Alveva589'. Strange codes were posted in the 'Inspect' window of the site's 'MORE' tab, codes that announced a 'party'... the murder of Conri Tanisha. The messages were posted between August 28 and September 1, but between September 2 and 9, nothing was posted on the site. However, on September 10, at 7:07 a.m., this message saw the light of day, in the same place as the old codes:
‘September 15, let's celebrate. For information on this holiday, please refer to the new method. If you don't know which method I'm talking about:
The fox detective offers you the horned path'.
It was this strange message that gave Minos the idea of meeting Deshya, the so-called 'Fox-Eared Detective'. He hopes he may be on to something through her, as she seems to be indirectly involved in the case; Minos also raises the possibility that their next target may be someone in Deshya's circle of friends or acquaintances, or even a member of her family. He reassures her that this is only a possibility, but whatever happens, they must decode the messages before September 15 to save the next target. Minos shows them the code for today, September 12, which was posted at 6:47 am. It reads as follows:
[1]592aPoET9èmme)xq
50[2]8841*--Oc4p
8034[8]BmDAh
[7]982Ads2o*dA
486[2]1--%
2862[0]8+2[0]89%lMQa8²s^l9+9
30[7]8^$ad
[5]118mlS7fA/m.r=$^
[6]5358FXa0e..
0[2]88^$xCnOD-
04[9]951XDadt49:8e++a
2862[0]8+2[0]89$*ax.
Code that seems to be randomly generated, without meaning, without any human thought behind it. However, they are all convinced that this is not the case and that it is possible to find the meaning behind these messages
- I swear it as the best detective in this country. I'll stop them from killing again... I'll stop the scythe of death with the sword of my genius.
- The sword of your genius...?
Korone repeats Minos's words and the man smiles broadly.
- Exactly.
- So stylish..." says Deshya, with stars in her eyes.
- Minos..." sighed Gatito.
The family's reactions are quite different, but Minos doesn't mind in the least. He crosses his arms after closing his laptop.
- Whatever happens, it's an urgent matter. We've only got three days, which isn't much," he admits. Even though I've already looked at the code on the train, I have no idea what it could mean, but I intend to look into it today. If Deshya does agree to help me, that would be the best, as she might have an idea why they used her nickname in the message. Besides, two heads are better than one.
- Can I, dad?
Deshya rises hastily from her chair and stares at her father with wide, hopeful eyes. He doesn't answer directly, observing his daughter, then the detective with the long blond hair. Finally, he sighs and cuts off part of his pancake.
- I'll write you an apology note for today, but no missing school tomorrow," he finally replies.
- Thank you!
Deshya hugs her father, thanking him several times. He pushes her away, grumbling at her since he wants to eat his pancake, but Deshya just laughs and pats his shoulder.
- You'll never change, dad!
- Hm, hm.
He nods and Korone chuckles. Minos taps his laptop, smiling.
- All I've been able to observe on the code so far is that line 6 and 12 repeat the '2862[0]8+2[0]89' at the beginning of the sentence," he says.
Deshya turns to him.
- I've also seen that there's always a number between '[]' on each line, I guess that means something?" she asks.
- We'll check it out upstairs.
He gets up from his chair, but before he can leave, Gatito stops him.
- I trust you enough to be in the same room as my daughter, but are you sure the code means something?" he asks.
- What do you mean?
Minos stops, the laptop wedged between his right arm and his body, the USB mouse in his other hand. Gatito swallows another piece of his pancake before explaining.
- Isn't it possible that it's a code that's only understood by the person who posted it and explained how to translate it to his acolytes? Trying to decode it would be pointless, since the meaning is impossible to understand unless the site owner explains it.
However, Korone rises from her chair and places both hands on the table.
- It can't be! If it were, there'd be no reason to pass messages via codes on the site! They could just use an internet chat or even a website to talk, or even talk in real life together. If they're using messages coded by the site, it means that whoever's posting the codes is certain that it's possible to understand them by analyzing them or by paying attention to the clues he left behind," she explains.
The room is now silent, with a little girl with snow-white hair swallowing before jumping up from the chair and laughing.
- I'm sure mister Minos would have said that!
She grabs his hand.
- Right?
- Are you sure she's eight...?" asks Minos.
- I don't know," admits a bemused Gatito.
- K-Korone..." drops Deshya with a confused smile.
CHAPTER 44
⎾Sleeping Little Beauty : Internet Mystery ; Second Line⏌
- In any case, Minos.
Gatito stands up and frowns, staring at Minos.
- If I find out you tried to touch my daughter using the excuse that you're popular…
Minos sighs loudly.
- Nah, but why do you take me like that?!! I like older women!!!
- Dad, I know you want to protect me, but Minos wouldn't do that! Besides, I know how to protect myself.
Deshya crosses her arms and shakes her head.
- Not good.
- No good, big man!" laughs Korone.
Gatito blushes softly and crosses his arms in turn.
- It's my job as a father," he admits.
- If the paparazzi were to overhear our conversation, my reputation would be ruined..." moans Minos.
- Nobody really thinks you are like that, I promise!" drops Deshya, trying to reassure the detective.
Minos thanks her and laughs. Pera asks them if they want her to bring them pancakes when she has cooked some more and they happily accept, which also pleases the redheaded woman. Before they can continue on their way and think things over in Deshya's room, Korone grabs Minos's sleeve.
- Say, say.
- Yes?" asks the detective.
- How do the people who work for them know how to decipher this code?
Minos stares Korone straight in the eye.
- If they don't talk to each other via chat and all that, they must have some place where they have instructions on how to decode messages, nooo?" she poses, intrigued.
- That's a good question," admits Minos, but that's exactly where I think Alveva589's account is going to come in very handy.
- Why is that?" asks Pera, still listening to their conversation.
Minos smiles and taps the laptop he's carrying.
- The user sometimes writes, so it's possible that they are offering leads in their messages. What's more, they've written a few words in their biography and it's rather strange, so it's possible that it's the key to unlocking the lock of resolution," he explains
- Their biography?" repeats Deshya, interested.
He nods and tells them:
- It reads: "God's creation. In my first moments, I'm between 1 and 1000 of the I754 constant. Observer of the five."
Except for Minos, everyone in the kitchen is shocked. Deshya rubs her chin, trying to work out what it all means, but she realizes that if Minos Kiyon still hasn't figured it out, it must be a much more complicated coded message than she'd expected. He shrugs, stopping smiling, a slightly more annoyed look on his face.
- Unfortunately, I don't know what it means, and some people looked it up, but we couldn't see what it had to do with Sleeping Little Beauty. Besides, his biography has been there since their account was created a few months ago," he explains.
- So either this has nothing to do with the codes, or they were planning to publish coded messages beforehand?" asks Deshya.
Minos smiles again and nods.
- Insightful! I think so too, honestly. They must have foreseen that one day they probably would need to change their code method and so, already planned to offer leads on solving codes in advance. However, does this mean that all those behind Conri Tanisha's murder will know how to solve the codes and thus be able to participate? Either they're counting on them to understand, either they've explained to them that you have to use one method or another way to understand the codes, either... Either, I don't know.
- But I thought they didn't chat with their employers?" asks Korone, confused.
- It's possible that they sent a message on Sleeping Little Beauty at some point or by Readit which you have to look at their biography or some of his posts to understand. However, I can't say for sure, but it would surprise me if they simply prayed for people to understand, because otherwise, it's highly likely that no one would be able to decode the messages and cause their next assassination to fail because of it. Of course, that's still a possibility, and let's hope they trusts their employers.
- Is it also possible that they talked about it during Conri Tanisha's assassination?" asks Deshya.
- It's not impossible, but I don't see the point of talking about clues on the site, then. Maybe they're just hoping to lure more people into decoding the messages so they'll join them in their plans, but... I don't know what to think. An assassin's mind isn't always clear.
Deshya includes Minos in its entirety, but a small pain touches her heart: after all, she did think of killing a woman last week. Granted, she understands that this is different and that she's far from an assassin, but even with the few conversations she's shared with Bibi Derumi, she still feels bad about having thought of it. If Minos learns what she thought that day, that she let her emotions get the better of her and dared to desire someone dying, would he come to hate her? Would he want nothing more to do with her?
- Anyway, there's no reason for me to tell him..." thought Deshya.
So she prefers to leave her thoughts to one side, not allowing them to play on her mind. Wanting to concentrate on the investigation, even before they go upstairs, Deshya speaks with Minos.
- I'll use my computer to do some research on my own," suggests Deshya. I guess that's why it's best to go there.
Minos nods.
- Most teenagers and people have their computers in their bedrooms, so I figured you would too. I could search on my own, but we have Alveva589's account to analyze, including Sleeping Little Beauty's site, but probably other things too. If we can find the identity of the man — or woman, though unlikely given that he's confessed to being male several times on Readit — behind this account, so we can stop him before the assassination happens," he admits.
- I understand!
Deshya suggests they go, and Gatito tells his wife he's going back to work for the time being. She wishes him good luck, but also tells her daughter and the best detective in Belium the same. They thank her and Korone walks behind them. Deshya notices her and questions her with her eyes.
- Do you need anything?" she asks.
- Can I come with zyouuuuu?
Korone looks up at her, making her look dangerously cute. Deshya smiles and goes to answer, but Pera takes Korone in her arms, lifting her off the ground.
- Let the detectives work, we've got to get on with our 'SUTOM' games!" she told him.
- A-Ah... It's true we were doing this before they arrived, hehe.
Korone scratches her cheek and Deshya giggles. She strokes her head and winks.
- I swear we'll get to the bottom of the codes in no time
Korone stares at her open-mouthed, but she smiles and nods.
- I believe in you!
- Thank you!
Deshya strokes her head again before running to Minos, telling him she'll show him where her room is. The man thanks her and Pera suggests Korone continue their game. The little girl agrees, but first reminds her that she has to finish the pancakes.
- Oh yes, that's right!" says Pera. Thanks for getting back to me, I'm so absent-minded!
- You're welcome, ma... You're welcome!
She lets out a 'Hihi' before being deposited on the floor.
- Woah, beautiful room, really!
Minos arrives on the second floor, accompanied by Deshya, and sees the girl's room. Deshya thanks him and tells him he can use her bed to sit on, but as she says this, she remembers the human-sized cushion on it. She blushes and yells at him to wait before placing a blanket over the cushion. She then turns around, cheeks flushed, and Minos blinks. He chuckles and finally bursts out laughing, which makes Deshya even more uncomfortable. He places his laptop on the bed and sits down, laughing.
- Don't worry, ahah! I'm not here to judge, ahah!
He calms his laughter and gives her a wink.
- We're all allowed to have stuff like that. Some would faint if they saw to my private phone wallpaper.
- E-Eh?
- So let's get to work!
Minos gives no further details, which greatly intrigues Deshya, but she shakes her head: it's none of her business! She's already glad Minos doesn't judge her, since he must have figured out what she's been hiding. So she sighs with relief and opens the skylight on the roof before sitting down on the office chair on castors. She turns on the computer and waits patiently. Minos asks where the sockets are to charge his computer when he needs it, and Deshya shows him. Five minutes later, the girl in the fox sweater is able to log on to her computer and quickly goes to the Sleeping Little Beauty website. She's bombarded with messages on her Twatter, but pays them no mind and quickly exits the application. She concentrates by tapping her cheeks and then goes to the site's 'MORE' tab. Deshya can now see the code which Minos was talking about, and before she thinks about it, she turns back to the man.
- Is it safe to look at the site? If they can get my address…
However, Minos reassures her directly without even looking up, still observing his own laptop.
- The site has gained traction and attention, so I'm sure there are more people than you think who are on it. You're just a drop in the bucket, there's no danger to you.
He admitted it without even hesitating, allowing Deshya to breathe a sigh of relief. In any case, she was going to believe him: he was far from being a foolish man. So she turned back to her computer and looked at the green code before her.
- Well, let's start with the simplest," she thinks.
First, she looks at the numbers between [ ] at the beginning of each line. There are a total of twelve lines, but 14 numbers between [ ]. Deshya opens a notepad, which she quickly renames 'sdfjqdj', and writes in the numbers she can see in square brackets. As she does so, she lists them aloud.
- 12872007562900. Those are the numbers in square brackets," she admits to Minos.
The detective man squints and tells her to wait, as he's going to check if they mean anything. The sound of his fingers actively typing on the computer's inlaid keyboard isn't as horrible a racket as Deshya would have thought, which reassures her. However, her keyboard has 'red switches', so the noise of each key can start to annoy her ears... However, she prefers this when playing video games, as it's more pleasant to the touch.
- Hm…
Minos scratches his hair.
- Unfortunately, even using the T9 code, this large number doesn't seem to mean anything," he admits.
T9 code is also known as SMS code. Deshya knows it very well, as it's a very simple way of coding, but it's unlikely to be exploited by professionals, as it's far too simple to understand. Deshya asks the detective if it's possible that the numbers mean something else, but Minos rubs his chin and replies:
- Unlikely. While it's nice to think about the simplest way to solve the code, since it might lead to the answer, I think it would be far too simple, for that matter. There's probably some meaning behind the numbers in square brackets, but I don't think you should simply put them in order to obtain a code... They must be equivalent to something else.
Deshya stares at Minos, but eventually nods and apologizes for being silly. The man blinks and shakes his head.
- I never said that! As I just said, you also have to consider simple ways of solving a code, so you weren't wrong to start with that. I've had murder, code or even mystery cases where the answer was strangely simple, but because it was so simple, I had trouble seeing it.
- ... I see, thank you!
Deshya regains her smile and her color and turns back to her computer screen.
- I'm going to find the truth of this code... I want to impress Minos!
She smiles and observes the strange messages with even greater intensity. Minos admires her and smiles back before looking down at his own computer. Before looking anywhere else, he looks at the code in turn.
- Hmmm…
- Did anything catch your eye?" asks Deshya.
- Yes, but first, could you be informal with me?* I don't necessarily like being addressed in the formal way, it's too... respectful?
(* The ‘you’ Deshya used to Minos until there was the ‘formal you’ in french. I was not sure how to translate the formal way Deshya spoke, so I’m just telling you now. I am keeping Minos saying this in the english translation.)
- A-Ah, sorry!!
- It's nothing, ahah!
Minos tells her she can calm down and then explains what he's noticed.
- In line 6 and 12, with the same combination of numbers "2862[0]8+2[0]89", there's a '+' sign between the two. However, the number between the brackets is a 0, so adding it up doesn't change anything, but maybe we need to... Hm.
He scratches his hair.
- If we add the two numbers together, we get '288297', but then we lose the number in square brackets. Even if we did that and removed the '0's from the code, it wouldn't give us anything in T9 code, or any code, really," he admits, puzzled.
- I can still check, if you... Well, if you want.
Deshya catches herself halfway through her sentence, which amuses Minos.
- You can, I'll see if I can find something on my side!
Deshya agrees, and they look to see if the '+' sign can mean anything…
But a few minutes later, they realize that it's not leading to anything very convincing. Deshya sighs and crosses her legs, wondering why some of the numbers are in square brackets.
- One number per line, except for two '0's in a row, separated by a '+' sign…
She suspects they are a means of forming a coded message, but which one? What's more, what they're looking for must form either letters to create a sentence that informs the assassins of the details of the next assassination, or else numbers that will then be used to become a message with letters. Deshya doesn't doubt that it's also possible to form a code with numbers alone, but she doubts it very much. She then wonders how they could have formed a code with these messages... Each line starts with several numbers, followed by different characters: letters, symbols or even more numbers. Yet there's nothing logical about them. From what Deshya can see, it's impossible to form a single word, and while it wouldn't be silly to try and decode the messages with ROT-47 or some other way, she doesn't think they'd use such a similar method. It's not impossible, so she tries to place the visible letters next to each other. First each line separately, then all the letters in order of the whole message… but nothing. No convincing leads. So she decides to try another approach.
- Maybe... If it's a totally random code, maybe the number of characters per line?
This gives her: 19 - 17 - 12 - 14 - 10 - 28 - 10 - 19 - 14 - 14 - 21 - 20.
She scratches her hair and tries to add the bracketed number to each line, but even doing this and looking for a way to decode like T9 gets her absolutely nowhere. She sighs and Minos looks up at the girl.
- Can't you find anything?" he asks.
- Nothing..." she admits.
- I have to admit I'm having trouble understanding it too... Before I look into Alveva589's account, let's check together what we can find out about the messages.
He smiles.
- It's often better to have a clear idea of what you're seeing, even if you have to repeat it out loud. Sometimes we say something that helps us, when we'd never have noticed it just by thinking it," he explains.
Deshya knows he's right, even if some people find it unnecessary. The girl in the fox sweater doesn’t really have to do it, but that doesn't mean she's smarter than Minos: they probably work differently.
- But he's much better at investigations than I am, so it's best to go along with him. Hiii, I can see Minos solving an investigation for real, hihihi!
She can't stay serious for very long, but she only shows it physically by blushing faintly, which the man doesn't even notice as he begins to analyze the code he sees in front of him.
- Note that there are a total of 12 lines. The number 12 may have something to do with the hours, the constellations or even the 12 Marine stars. It's also the atomic number of magnesium, but I don't think it has anything to do with the code. If each line refers to a certain time, then maybe it does, but I don't think so... In any case, each line starts with a certain grouping of numbers, with one in brackets. In the case of line 6 and 12, which are strangely related lines, the beginning is repeated and a '+' sign is visible between the two sets of numbers. The numbers in square brackets range from 0 to 9 and are sometimes at the beginning, sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the end of the groupings. After the numbers, a letter or symbol begins the second part of the line, which appears to be totally random, with no brackets and characters of all kinds. Some letters are uppercase, others lowercase. The last line ends with a dot, but two others can be seen at line 9, which probably means that the one at the end of line 12 is either random, or there on purpose to signify that this is where the message ends. It's possible that the number groups and the part that starts with a symbol need to be separated, but it's also possible that each line needs to be seen as a whole... Each line also has at least 10 characters, although line 5 has just 10, with 4 characters with the number group. Line 6 is the longest with 28 characters, line 11 the second longest with 21 characters and line 12, which is also the last, is the third longest with a total of 20 characters. However, this is probably a trivial detail and shouldn't be focused on, although I should keep it in mind as I focus on Alveva589's account posts and biography. It's also possible that clues are posted on the Sleeping Little Beauty site or hidden elsewhere, such as in lines of code or in certain photos.
Minos shows his teeth behind his big smile and turns his gaze to Deshya.
- Did you follow?
- Y-Yes…
The teenager blinks: she's just listened to Minos speak for 2 minutes and 16 seconds without stopping... and she doesn't know whether to wiggle with joy or remain speechless. She is simply glad that she was able to follow him, which reassures Minos.
- Some people lose the thread pretty quickly, as I sometimes speak quickly, sometimes slowly, when I'm in my own thoughts.
- I already knew that, so it's okay~!" thinks Deshya.
She often listened to his interviews and even certain podcasts in which he was a guest, so she knows some of Minos's facial expressions. She's a big fan of his, after all! The detective strikes a tailored pose and squints, staring at his laptop screen.
- I think it would be better to focus on the biography again, since I think it's the one that should contain the clues to solving the coded messages.
He opens his own 'Readit' account and goes to see Alveva589's profile. He rubs his chin.
- God's creation. In my first moments, I'm between 1 and 1000 of the I754 constant. Observer of the five... Huh.
He reads the biography aloud and squints.
- God's creation... What an ego.
Minos shakes his head, lifting a corner of his mouth. Deshya asks him if this could be a clue for the code and Minos reflects.
- If we're talking about God's creation, we can imagine the earth, humans or almost anything, so it seems to me a very... vague clue. I'm thinking more along the lines of 1 to 1000 and a constant of... I754?
- I754... I don't think that gives anything in T9 code, does it?" asks Deshya.
Minos opens his eyes a little wider and turns his face towards Deshya.
- Do you know what 754 means in T9 code without even looking it up on the internet?" he says.
- PJG, PJH, PJI, PKG, PKH, PKI, PLG, PLH, PLI, QJG, QJH, QJI, QKG, QKH, QKI, QLG, QLH, QLI, RJG, RJH, RJI, RKG, RKH, RKI, RLG, RLH, RLI, SJG, SJH, SJI, SKG, SKH, SKI, SLG, SLH or SLI. Well, in its possibilities, I suppose 'PLI', 'SKI' or even 'SLI' are the words that sound French…
Deshya looks up at the ceiling and crosses her legs.
- 7' can only mean P, Q, R or S, '5' is 'J', 'K' or 'L', while '4' is 'G, 'H' or 'I', so it can only be that, even if I don't understand the 'I' just before…
Minos blinks, but finally laughs. Before he could say anything, Deshya scratches her cheek and blushes.
- After that, it's not very complicated... As soon as you learn a bit of the T9 code, it's easy to know what a code can mean," she admits. Here, there are only three digits, so it's all right…
- Still, I'm impressed! With just a glance, I can also decode T9 if it doesn't go too far, but... Let's just say I underestimated you a little at the time. I'm sorry, but I mustn't forget that you're very intelligent.
Deshya doesn't hide her surprise and Minos asks her if he's said something bad, but she shakes her head and promises he hasn't.
- It's just that a lot of my friends, even though they're often my age, call me a genius, so I confess I expected to hear it from y... your mouth," she confesses.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
- Are you disappointed?
- Quite the contrary.
- Well, whether you are or not, using the term genius isn't necessarily my style. I'm called that too, some of my friends in the police or detective force are called that, even famous scientists are said to be geniuses. Maybe we're geniuses in our field, but people like you have the right to be called a 'genius', I could call you that without any worries, but well, I don't really know you, so I'd rather not use such a term. I'm getting a bit lost in my own words, but what I mean is…
He remains silent and shrugs his shoulders.
- Nah, I talk and talk, but I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Silence descends before they both start laughing in chorus. Minos quickly calms down and shakes his head.
- We don't have time to laugh, we have to concentrate!
- I agree!" says Deshya.
Minos frowns as he stares at his laptop screen.
- I754... I don't know what that would mean. I'll see with different ways of creating a cipher," he says.
- I'll see if I can find anything on the internet!
- We're all about thinking!
- Yes !
They put their noses in front of their computers, ready to find something interesting.
- We're all about the food!
Minos licks his lips, now at the kitchen table with Deshya and Korone, while Pera prepares asparagus risotto for lunch. Deshya sighs.
- We finally found nothing..." she thinks, disappointed that she hasn't yet understood the meaning of 'I754'.
They searched for several hours, but couldn't find anything. Of course, they didn't focus solely on 'I754' and also looked a little at the theories of some 'Readit' users, but nothing interesting caught their eyes. It's now 12:37 and they've decided to go downstairs to eat the risotto that Pera is preparing, as Korone has come to call. The long-haired granddaughter is sitting next to Deshya, between her new grand-sister and the detective she adores so much.
- Have you found a lead?" asks Korone.
- Unfortunately, apart from ruling out certain possibilities, we haven't made any headway," admits Minos, admiring the empty plate in front of him, eager to fill it with a good meal.
- Eeeh…
Korone has only been playing 'SUTOM' with Pera all day, so she hasn't really thought about the code, but she suspects she won't be able to help if even Minos doesn't find anything. Nevertheless, she'd like to be part of the investigation, since she doesn't need to put herself in danger…
- It's almost ready!" says Pera cheerfully.
- I can't wait!" replies Deshya.
She loves her mother's risotto and knows how to prepare it in a very unique way, so she can only let her fox tail wag from left to right in a hurry. She would have loved her father to be with them, but he's currently at work, so it's impossible to eat with him. He could simply come back for his wife's risotto, but she realizes that's not really possible. Korone turns her face to the man with the long golden hair.
- Saaaaaay, how long have you been a detective? she asks.
Minos is surprised by Korone's sudden question, but doesn't hesitate to answer directly.
- I'd say I've had a detective's soul since I was a kid, but I've been known for a good ten years. I became more popular around the age of 18, but it wasn't until I was 21 that people started calling me such a title. Even if I have to say, 2014 is not a year I like very much…
- Yet that was the year you solved the case of the serial murderer nicknamed the Night Raven, wasn't it? It was that investigation that gave you the title!" says Deshya.
- Ahah, that's another reason that I don’t like the year, but whatever.
Deshya doesn't know what he's talking about and would like to know more, but when he sees Minos' more saddened look, she decides to simply keep quiet and accepts that she shouldn't press the issue. However, she wonders what happened 8 years ago, in 2014, given that it was a wonderful year for him... at least, as far as the audience knows. Noticing Minos's expression, Korone decides to keep talking.
- Eeeh, I see!! And do you like what you do?
Minos smiles again and approves.
- Being a private detective is something I really enjoy! However, some people think it's the most fun job in the world, that I'm allowed to go wherever I want, that I'm connected to the police, that I'm loaded and can do whatever I want... They're wrong!
Minos sighs and crosses his arms.
- Even though I don't just get calls for murders, seeing a corpse is never fun. Even if discovering the truth behind a case, stating one's deduction and the joy of being right can be pleasant, a murder is still a murder. What's more, even though I live quietly and admit I'm far from poor or average, to say I'm loaded... I'm only well paid when I have to work for a wealthy client, like this case, but that doesn't happen every day. Of course, I'm well known, but I don't want to work only for powerful, high society people, although I don't accept everything that's asked of me.
Minos scratches his cheek.
- Some people have so little faith in police detectives and the police in general that they come to see me, but for fairly basic investigations, I'm not needed...
- It's true that the police aren't as well regarded as they used to be," says Pera, checking the state of her risotto.
- I know Dad's a policeman and I think the police here do a good job, but I can understand why, given what happened in Oturica," Deshya admits.
Korone asks what happened there and Deshya crosses her arms in turn, imitating Minos.
- On the Oturica continent, the police are often corrupt, lazy and even, for the most part, racist. A few years ago, there was a civil war that caused an enormous number of deaths because of an act captured on camera that created a scandal.
- Tell me about it, the months to come were horrifying..." says Minos, remembering the tragedy. Unfortunately, this created an anti-police movement and began to affect every country and continent in the world.
- And yet, the police here seem to be just fine!" smiles Korone.
Deshya chuckles and nods.
- Belium's police force is often regarded as very fair and far more highly regarded than most, but not everyone agrees. I can understand not trusting them, but personally, I know that the police here deserve our trust.
- The Belium police force is the one I prefer," Minos replies honestly. Well, to be fair, I mostly do business here, so…
He scratches the back of his head, blushing faintly, a big smile on his face, and Deshya chuckles at his remark. Korone imitates her big sister by placing two hands in front of her mouth, but she quickly withdraws them: the special homemade risotto presents itself to them.
- There are plenty, but leave some for Gatito!" Pera tells them.
The slightly pasty texture of the risotto makes the three seated people salivate, with Deshya's tail wagging incessantly behind her back. The beautiful white of the rice colored by the spices, the wall-green bits of asparagus and the few orange sparks of paprika make the dish artistic. Deshya asks Minos if he'd like her to serve him, and the man with the long golden hair bows his head.
- If you please, mademoiselle.
The three girls start laughing and Minos licks his lips, ready to devour the risotto in the greatest of pleasures.
At around 2pm, after a well-deserved meal, Minos and Deshya return to their second-floor bedroom, Korone playing with Néro, the Oveja family's German shepherd, in the house's garden. Minos sighs with relief as he sits down on the bed, and Deshya does the same in her desk chair.
- Your mother knows how to make risotto, eeeh…
Minos pats his belly and Deshya giggles.
- She's a great cook! My dad's not so bad either!
- I can only believe you!
After their short discussion, they both decide to return to their research. Minos opens his laptop and talks to Deshya without looking at her.
- I'm going to take a closer look at the user 'Alveva589' to see if I can find a clue to his identity or even the code. Will you take care of the message posted today and see if you can figure out Alveva589's biography?
- I'll take care of it!" Deshya cheerfully replies.
Minos smiles and goes to Google to start his research.
- Alveva589... The '589' can mean JTW, JTX, JTY, JTZ, JUW, JUX, JUY, JUZ, JVW, JVX, JVY, JVZ, KTW, KTX, KTY, KUW, KUX, KUY, KUZ, KVW, KVX, KVY, KVZ, LTW, LTX, LTY, LTZ, LUW, LUX, LUY, LUZ, LVW, LVX, LVY or LVZ... 'Jux' could be short for 'juxtapose', which could mean juxtaposing something in your messages, biography or codes. KTX is a transportation network, but I'd be surprised if that had anything to do with it. KUW... Hm, could it mean Kuwait? They speak Arabic there and it's in the south of Arepe. Is it possible that the coded message has Arabic words in it? I've seen no such thing and there are no Arabic characters in any case, but I'd better keep that in mind. Kuy... Kuy is a language spoken in Inukania, which is also a Mon-Khmer language*. I don't think the messages are in such a language either... Unfortunately, I can't speak Kuy in any case, but I'll send a message to a friend right after, you never know. Kvy's an artist, but... No, that's irrelevant, I'm sure. Luw can mean something in Dutch if I'm not talking nonsense, but what was it... I think it can mean fluid, in the sense that something is fluid, like traffic? Hm, but it doesn't mean anything, especially as Alveva doesn't seem to me to be a word that exists, even if a company is called that, but it's a construction company and deals with piping, so... Could there be a connection? I don't think so. After that, what seems most likely to me is 'LUX', given that it's a unit of measurement for illuminance. If memory serves, it's a unit equivalent to that of a surface that receives perpendicularly and uniformly a luminous flux of 1 lumen per square meter. What's more, its symbol is lx. LX is 60 in Roman numerals, so Alveva60? 60 in T9 is either M, N or O. Alvevam, Alvevan, Alvevao... Gee, Alvevam means nothing in Latin…
(* : Kuy is a real language spoken in the North-East of Thailand).
Minos scratches his hair.
- Alveva is probably a random pseudonym and I don't think the 589 means anything, except if it's LUX and the pseudonym's clue is about the unit of illumination, but the coded message doesn't call for such a process, so I think I'm going too far. Still, I'm going to write it all down and send it to a few friends to see if they can come up with anything. I'll also have to talk it over with Deshya, but that'll probably upset her more than anything else. Unlike the user's biography, there's nothing to say that the pseudonym is useful for solving the code.
He makes up his mind rather quickly and sends the messages to his colleagues. When he's finished, he leans over Readit and squints.
- Let's have another look at the messages sent by the account…
Messages are plentiful and the majority reply to posts of all kinds. Alveva589 follows political, economic and leisure topics of all kinds, but nothing too modern. Most of his messages are uninteresting, and no strange figures present themselves to Minos. When he mentions Sleeping Little Beauty, he sends the link after a quick chat about its content and that they accept photos of women of all kinds. Alveva589 is always strict about refusing pornographic content and asks that women be respected.
- Sleeping Little Beauty... A reference to the Sleeping Beauty? No, it's normal to call your site that, it must have nothing to do with the cartoon.
Sleeping Little Beauty can also be seen as 'SLB', but this is not an acronym for anything special, unlike a name like 'Little Sleeping Daddy' which could have been seen as 'LSD'. Minos continued to search the messages on Alveva589's account for over an hour, but nothing stood out. The messages are terribly banal, and some are mere political opinions. Never does Conri Tanisha's first name or his title of communications manager appear in any of his messages, even if he did quickly mention the assassination indirectly. However, this message is short and just expresses his strange feeling that he's afraid to leave his house.
- He received a lot of responses under this message, considering everyone is accusing him of this very same murder... Ironic.
However, this doesn't amuse Minos: it's more than likely that Alveva589 is behind Conri Tanisha's murder, so that he would dare say this on the internet is disgusting in his eyes. A murderer like that, posting coded messages to invite other murderers to take part in their murders... He can't forgive that. That they should dare to continue communicating in the same way, simply by changing the means of decoding the information, is an insult to all.
- I'll find out who you are, my little Alveva.
So he goes back to Google and starts looking for any leads Alveva589 might have left behind. Unfortunately, because of the popularity caused by Sleeping Little Beauty's site, most of the finds are from users on the internet talking about Alveva589 and what they think they've found. Nevertheless, Minos doesn't notice anything interesting or that might offer him a real lead on solving the code or even the identity of Alveva589 himself. A woman confesses that she knows him in real life, but Minos immediately notices that this is a lie, especially as the user isn't even a woman in the first place.
- I can't believe people would believe that... But I can believe even less that people would lie like that on the internet! Don't you have anything better to do with your life?!
He sighs and would prefer not to get worked up over such a thing, so he continues his search. Alveva's other searches lead directly to a company, but even looking that way quickly, the detective finds nothing of importance.
But at around 5.12pm, in the total silence that had reigned for hours, Minos came across a user called Alveva_01 on an old site.
Even though this discovery may be trivial, Minos looks into it with interest.
- Alveva_01, registered on the site on July 13, 2006. Impossible to know when he was active, but his last post was on May 30, 2008. It's a site that simply lets you import images, but he also has a biography there.
Minos clicks on the profile and reads it, without saying it out loud, not wanting to disturb Deshya who is still thinking.
- Beauty is everywhere, in life or in death'... Is that all? Wait... Beauty...?
He frowns and analyzes the photographs posted by this user, but Minos finds nothing of interest. Most of them are images of different landscapes, but they're so different that Minos can't use them to find out where he lives. The only picture that stands out is a blurred one that seems to show a fire…
- !
Minos opens his eyes wide and opens another tab.
- If I'm not talking nonsense... Yes, that's it!
He found exactly what he was looking for: a fire in June 2007 caused by a magnifying glass that had been left on a windowsill. The case was closed as an accident and no one was hurt, but one person died: the 14-year old boy who was asleep in his room and couldn't escape in time. The parents tried to say that someone had committed the crime, but the victim's sister tearfully confessed that she had forgotten her magnifying glass after playing with her archaeologist's game.
- The photo was posted two days after the fire, but I'm sure it was an accident…
Minos thought he'd managed to get a lead on Alveva589's identity, but it's now clear to him that it's just a tasteless photo, probably taken in the crowd.
- But…
He doesn't give up and returns to the fire case.
- It happened in the north of Shiru. The fire was extinguished 23 minutes after it started, as the fire department was called quickly and it was on the 11th floor of the building. The photo is blurred, but given the intensity of the fire, it must have been at least 10 minutes since then. No water jet is visible, so the firefighters hadn't arrived yet. Okay.
Minos opens his phone and calls one of his friends before turning around, observing the bedroom wall behind the bed.
- Ah, it's you. Yes, I won't bother you for long, but could you check if you have any photos of the fire in northern Shiru that happened in June 2007? Yes, whether it's the crowd or whatever, but the culprit behind Conri Tanisha's murder was there. Yes. I know it's unlikely we'll find any leads, but it would give me great pleasure. All right, then. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
Minos hangs up and smiles.
- Have you found a lead?
Deshya asks her question as she turns around in her wheelchair. Minos looks at her as he picks up his computer again.
- There's a good chance that the man behind the Alveva589 account was in Shiru on June 6, 2007, between 2:37 and 2:50 pm, so I asked a friend in the Shiru police if he could look for photographs of that day, during the fire," he confesses.
- You move forward, while I can't find anything…
Minos blinks and looks up at the girl, who has her head bowed, a sad look on her face. Minos looks at the clock and smiles.
- Bah.
He closes his computer and gets out of bed, which surprises Deshya.
- I have to admit that I've been looking for the slightest clue for hours, but I only have one lead dating back to 2007, so I have to admit that I haven't really advanced. You have no idea what the biography or the code means?
Deshya shakes her head as she turns back to her computer screen. Minos whistles at the girl's filled notepad.
- You've done a lot of thinking!
- I quickly asked one or another friend about I754, but no one knew. I also don't know what the Observer of the Five might mean, or if it has anything to do with the messages," she tells him.
- It's true that it's a strange message…
Minos pats her on the head.
- Though, don't blame yourself, if it were that simple, I'm sure the case would already be closed. Detectives like me who have been summoned to investigate Sleeping Little Beauty will be notified as soon as someone has found who the criminal is behind Conri's death or the reality of the codes, but I haven't received a single call yet.
Minos shows her his thumb, winking.
- I'm sure we'll find the truth before Thursday. We can't solve everything that quickly.
Deshya doesn't move or blink, but she finally smiles and nods.
- That's right.
- Rest is important too! We can search a little more tonight before going to bed, but there's no point in overworking and forcing ourselves.
- You're right!
Deshya approves and quickly hops up on her chair, which amuses Minos. She then rises from her chair and, making sure not to touch Minos's laptop, lies down in his bed, her back on the mattress. She sighs and the man loads his computer silently before sitting down on the girl's desk chair.
- I'm amazed that a teenager like you is already considered a detective, anyway," Minos admits.
- I've come across investigations, it's not really my fault... It's only in the hotel that I've gone to see for myself.
- Oh, the Beleza Verde murder? I heard about it, it was good work.
- T-Thank you…
Deshya blushes and grabs a cushion — not Liv's — and smiles. The two of them were chatting for a few minutes about anything and everything when someone knocked on Deshya's door.
- Yes?!
The door opens and little Korone waves both hands in front of her, greeting the two people in the room.
- It's because your mom's asking what pizza you want for dinner tonight!" Korone explains.
Deshya raises her upper body and admires the little girl.
- Are we having pizza tonight?!
- Yes! I've already chosen mine!
- I'll have a... Hmm... Four-cheese pizza!
- Okiiiiiie! What about you, Minooos?
Korone then turns to the man, who shakes his head gently.
- As much as I appreciate you welcoming me like this and even allowing me to eat some good risotto, I can't abuse your hospitality. I don't want to—
- Hmmm!
Korone puffs out both cheeks and frowns as she stares at the man in the chair. Minos lets out a confused smile and the little girl places both fists on his waist.
- Not nice! Pera's glad you're here, so order a pizza, sir!
- Y-Yes ma’am! At your service!
- I prefer it that way, little insect.
Korone smiles broadly and Minos starts to laugh.
- I'll have pizza... Greek pizza, for me!
- Okiiiiii, soldier!
Korone jumps once in the air before leaving the room, not forgetting to close the door behind her. Minos continues to laugh and turns to Deshya, unable to calm down.
- You've adopted a funny little girl, and I love her already!
- She's great, I can't lie," admits Deshya with a beautiful smile, one big and happy.
- She's the little girl who lost her parents on the bus, isn't she?
Deshya nods and Minos apologizes for bringing it up. She promises him it's nothing serious and they talk about it a little before Deshy got out of bed.
- There's a room next to mine, if you want to sleep there.
Minos rises from his chair and stops Deshya.
- Wait, I'll eat with you, but I can rent a hotel room... I don't need lodging either…
- I don't doubt it, but you've got plenty of room here and I don't think anyone would mind, especially as it's a room that's meant for guests," Deshya told her.
- No, but... Well…
- I'd be super happy to have someone like you here! Even if it's only for the time being, I must admit I don't want you to leave just yet!
- I'm not leaving, not until we solve this case! However, I can't afford to accept any more! For one thing, I'm going to pay for my pizza, I can't afford to play poor like this.
Minos crosses his arms and shakes his head once. Deshya imitates him and raises part of her mouth without smiling, her eyebrows raised.
- Yeah, but it's my suggestion.
- A-Ahah…
- Seriously, I don't mean to insist, but while I'm not home, you can even use my computer if you need to.
- I'm glad you have so much confidence in me, but again, be careful. Sure, I'm me, so I'm the best, but you shouldn't offer your trust like that to popular people, even if you're a fan of theirs.
Minos's words light up Deshya's eyes and she grabs his hand.
- You're the best.
- The best detective in Belium!
- Hmmmm... Nyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesss!!!!
Deshya jumps and Minos laughs... but they continue to fight to keep the man at home for a good ten minutes.
- Aaah…
Minos sighs and Korone pats his head, standing on her chair.
- Big sister always wins, I guess!" she says.
Deshya looks proud and Gatito washes his hands, eyelids lowered and a bored look on his face.
- I can see that we are housing someone without telling me first," he remarks.
- Sorry, dad, but—
- No, no, I understand. However, let me put three surveillance cameras in his room, a motion detector, and six interior locks in your room.
- H-Huh?
Minos blinks before sighing heavily.
- What a daddy…
Gatito lets out a weak smile before finishing off his bottle of water. Deshya starts laughing in chorus with Korone, and Minos looks on smiling.
- Well, it's better to stay here for a while than the hotel, but Deshya, you're still too quick to trust people.
He knows the problems this can lead to, especially for a teenager — especially a girl. However, her mother has insisted that he stay too, and Minos doesn't see the problem, even though it bothers him. He intends to pay the family back for their kindness, even if he suspects that they will refuse and pay him back instantly.
They all eat their pizza together, chatting about everything around the table. Korone is allowed to taste Minos's Greek pizza, while he can have a slice from the little girl who has chosen a 4 Seasons. The atmosphere is jovial and Minos even tells them a riddle, one that only Deshya manages to solve, but that takes several minutes.
Then, for a few minutes until 9 p.m., Deshya and Minos searched a little more about the code, but found nothing more. So they decide to call it a day, especially as Deshya has to go to school the next day. Korone goes to her big sister's room, already dressed in her night clothes, and Minos lets out a 'Maaaw' when he sees her.
- Fox pajamas, that's cute!" he confesses.
Korone turns to him and strikes a proud pose.
- Korone is always cute!
- You're so right!
- Yiiiss!
She jumps on Deshya's bed and Minos asks her if they sleep together. The teenager admits that Korone can't sleep on her own, so they sleep in the same bed.
- Eeeh, I see.
Minos rises from the desk chair and stretches.
- I'm going to get some sleep too. I've got everything I need in my suitcase, so there's no need to lend me anything," he says.
- All right!" said Deshya. I'll let you use the bathroom first, and then I'll brush my teeth.
Minos nods, but before leaving the room, he turns to her and takes out his phone.
- First of all, shall we exchange numbers?
Deshya blinks, mouth wide open.
- So-Sorry?
Minos nods and shows her his number.
- I trust you enough and it would be good to communicate during the investigation if something goes wrong. Well, I once had someone who dared to put it on the Internet, but I quickly changed it. However, I trust you!
Deshya is immobilized, unable to say anything. Minos smiles.
- Well, you're going to school and if you find anything, I'd rather we could text. Besides… if a new code is posted, I'd like to send it to you, even if you have to concentrate on your courses.
Deshya nods several times and inscribes Minos's number into her own with a beating heart. Minos does the same and thanks her before leaving his room. He closes the door behind him and Deshya turns back to Korone. The little girl sighs softly and stands up, stretching her arms out to either side.
- If you want to get excited, you can—
She doesn't even have time to finish her sentence when Deshya jumps on her, screaming with joy. Korone also screams, but in surprise, and falls onto the bed's mattress, an extremely happy fox girl on top of her.
- I have his numbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!! I have Minoooooooooos nuuuumbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!!
She wiggles her feet and Korone starts laughing, although she feels a little crushed underneath her. Nevertheless, she lets her have this moment of pleasure and simply laughs.
Just before 10.30pm, Deshya is already sleeping with Korone, both in each other's arms. For once, the little girl doesn't grab her new big sister's fox tail to fall asleep. For his part, Minos observes the red crescent-moon pendant around his neck, the starry sky through the skylight being his backdrop. His air is rather neutral, but what he feels inside is far more intense. He finally sighs and puts it away, not wanting to wear it while he sleeps. He places it gently in its box and smiles softly.
- Good night.
With that, he turns off the light and goes to bed, resting to make sure he's up for the next day.