image [https://i.imgur.com/u2bFogb.jpg]
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It's now Thursday, September 15. The sun has still not risen, its rays barely showing on the horizon of the land of Belium. The gentle calm is gently broken by the occasional sound of early birds and cars heading off to work. Some of the inhabitants are slowly waking up, the children are gradually waking from their slumber for the school day, and a few souls are going to sleep now, after a long night's work or play. Cats are already meowing outside their front doors, asking for their well deserved food. So life is waking up, but in the land of Belium, some people are already on the move... ready for what's coming.
- ‘SLB5' here.
A hooded man walks down a narrow alley into a small abandoned garden. There, two other men are waiting for him.
- ‘SLB2'.
- ‘SLB6'.
- Just the two of you?
One of the two men waiting on the wooden bench shakes his hand.
- No, they're all already in position.
- I see... Are we sure this is the right place?
- This is the only way to solve the Chef's codes.
The man who has just arrived remains standing and catches the pistol thrown at him.
- You never know if something's going to go wrong, so it's best to keep that gun with you. Have you packed a getaway vehicle if you have to?" asks the man who goes by the nickname 'SLB2'.
The man tucks the pistol away under his clothes and smiles behind his balaclava.
- A motorcycle and I even have a bike if I really have to.
- A bike, huh? Eh. An assassin who rides a bicycle to escape…
- I won't need it if the code isn't wrong.
- He can't be wrong, otherwise we're in deep shit.
- I hope so…
- We all brainstormed together to come up with this code. Tsk, if the Chief would agree to talk to us directly instead of having fun like that... This was much more complex than the other one!
The man who goes by the nickname of 'SLB6' is banging on the floor, but 'SLB2' orders him to calm down immediately, which he does reluctantly. All three are hooded and dressed quite similarly, the only difference being the different-colored number on their jackets. Their clothes are dark and indistinct. The two men sitting on the bench stand up and look at each other before nodding.
- The clock's ticking and we don't seem to have much time," confesses one of the men, looking at his watch.
- I was just looking for you, since you're the ones who'll be playing the role of death. Are you convinced you'll be able to get out of this in time?
- We won't get arrested. We promise.
The man with the nickname 'SLB5' smiles behind his balaclava before turning around.
- Let's not delay, then.
He steps into the narrow alley, out of the abandoned garden.
- We've got one person to put to sleep as soon as they wake up.
CHAPTER 47
⎾Sleeping Little Beauty : Internet Mystery ; Fifth Line⏌
‘SLB2' and 'SLB6' take a different route and run down the street, making sure no one can see them. Some cars pass in the street, but the sun hasn't risen yet, so there are few people outside or looking through their windows: so they can move without risking being seen. They finally arrive at the front door of a building with only a few floors, not even more than a dozen. They enter using a key they've taken in advance, and make their way in, taking care not to be seen by anyone. At the moment, they're both wearing hoods over their heads, so no one will notice the marks over their faces. They climb the stairs with speed, avoiding the surveillance cameras in the elevator, and hurry up the steps. They arrive at the door leading to the roof and use a screwdiver to open it, since it was locked. They arrive on the roof of the building and scan the surrounding area, but quickly find what they're looking for. They approach the metal box, open it and smile.
- Hey, that's quality!
‘SLB2' catches the sniper rifle that was there and his companion catches the other one, analyzing it.
- It's true that it's a good weapon. Do you know how to use it?
- Hey, I've used several long-range weapons in my life, so I'll be fine.
- ...I believe you.
Without even doubting his partner, whom he barely knows, he steps onto the roof, looking at the metal door behind him, the one that leads into the building.
- I hope 'SLB4' is checking to see if anyone is coming from behind…
- Everything should be fine. Let's get our work done quickly just in case.
They look at each other and nod together before moving to the edge of the roof, two snipers in their hands.
The sun's rays are showing up more and more in the city. A certain man who had been sleeping until now slowly opens his eyes, feeling the morning warmth on his skin. A few moments later, he lifts his trunk and yawns before turning his face towards the hotel's closed window, hidden behind curtains. From the outside, it would be impossible to see him inside. He rises from the bed calmly, eyes still heavy, and scratches at his gray hair. Without even thinking of putting on his slippers, he walks across the carpeted floor of his hotel room and heads for the bathroom. He turns on the light and grabs his toothbrush before applying toothpaste. The man admires himself attentively in the mirror and touches his hair, but decides to comb it before leaving. So he brushes his teeth, gently moving the electric toothbrush in his mouth, gradually waking up inside. When he's finished, he quickly grooms himself before styling his gray hair. Convinced that he's handsome and can go out like this, he returns to his room before reaching for the hotel telephone. He dials a number and waits a few moments for it to be answered. Seconds pass before someone picks up on the other end of the line.
- Yes...?
At last, a tired, feminine voice rang out. The man smiled as he heard it.
- You're already awake, my love.
- I had set an alarm clock…
She yawns and the man removes his pajamas, jamming the phone between his shoulder and his right ear.
- As planned, we'll be leaving early in the morning, at dawn. Getting ready?
- Okay... I'll wait for you in the hall.
He nods and hangs up. He's disappointed not to have been able to sleep with his wife tonight, but she needed some peace and quiet because of her grandfather's death, especially as she's less tactile and clingy than he is. He can't help it, and he loves her anyway, especially as she's making an effort, but he can only leave her alone if she needs it: he'll enjoy a cuddle when she's feeling better. He dresses with her in mind and admires himself in the mirror once more, checking that his buttons are fastened properly. Just then, someone knocks on his door. With no answer, he goes to the door and opens it after checking the visitor's identity through the glass lens.
- Is everything all right?" asks the man who has just arrived.
A straight, square build, muscles sculpting his clothes and a neutral look on his face. A thick chin and piercing eyes: this is the man who has just arrived at the door of the man he's there to protect. After all, he's the bodyguard of this man with gray hair and incipient wrinkles.
- I'm fine, I barely woke up.
- The other bodyguard is with your wife. We're leaving now.
- We're in no danger here, so don't be in too much of a hurry…
The gray-haired man sighs and stows his suitcase under the piercing eyes of his bodyguard, who checks the state of the corridor. No one passes through, and the place is completely silent.
- Let's go.
The hotel resident closes the door behind him and walks alongside his bodyguard. They move quietly down the corridor, the man keeping his suitcase with him, in one hand: it is on wheels, after all. They arrive at the elevator, but stop there.
- I hope the journey won't be too long..." sighed one woman.
- There shouldn't be any traffic jams straight away, don't worry," replies her husband.
The woman's bodyguard greets the other man he has to protect and gently shakes his hand. They then call for the elevator and wait patiently. As they wait, a man walks down the corridor, his hands in his pockets, a cap on his head. He continues on his way and passes by the four people before glancing quickly at them, but they don't pay the slightest attention. Sure, the two bodyguards make sure he's not an enemy, but the young man just continues on his way with a far from straight pose. The elevator finally arrives and the four of them get on, while the man continues on his way... before stopping in the middle of the corridor. He brings the top of his garment up to his mouth and squints.
- This is 'SLB7'. The target is in the elevator.
- This is 'SLB13'. I'm at the front door of the hotel.
Another man with bleached hair smokes his cigarette and lowers his head, talking to the almost invisible microphone hidden in the folds of his clothes.
- I'll let you know when the target is just coming out," he says.
- I'll let you know when the target is about to come out, then," says another man in the entrance hall.
He's eating breakfast around a table, alone. The elevator gradually reaches the first floor, without anyone disturbing them. On the roof, two people with snipers in their hands bring their garments up to their mouths.
- We're ready too," admits one of the two.
- Eh.
They all smile, and the elevator finally arrives at the first floor. The man comes out with his wife, holding her hand and chatting with her. The two bodyguards walk up to the front and into the long corridor. A woman at the counter greets them. The man who eats alone coughs before wiping his mouth on his garment, but this is to speak to his companions:
- They'll be out in six seconds.
The people on the roof don't respond and their target continues down the corridor. The hotel doors open by themselves and all four are now visible from outside. The man throws down his cigarette and turns around.
- Now!
He let out a muffled scream, preparing to flee without delay. He expects to see the man behind him fall with a bullet in his temple, the life draining from his body in an instant…
But nothing happens.
The man stops and turns around before frowning.
- Oi, what are you doing?!
He whispers again, avoiding being seen by the four people coming out of the hotel.
- ‘SLB5' is talking to you!" he then says.
- I'm very sorry.
A voice answers through his earpiece. He opens his eyes wide and quickly turns his face towards the roof where 'SLB2' and 'SLB6' should be... but—
- Let's just say they don't have their weapons or their hands free, hihi!
‘SLB5' instantly understands what this means and wants to flee, but a red-haired man arrives in front of him and knocks him to the ground before placing handcuffs on him.
- Don't move!" shouts Gatito.
- H-How?!
- It's all thanks to them.
The man with the nickname 'SLB5' opens his eyes wide and the police inspector above him smiles.
- Thanks to two — no, three — geniuses.
The man who has just come out with his wife and bodyguards stops and looks back at the policeman approaching him, a handcuffed man gnashing his teeth beside him.
- Looks like everything went well?" asks the man.
- Exactly," replies Gatito.
The bodyguards and the woman breathe a sigh of relief and the woman scratches her hair.
- If you'd screwed up and my husband died…
- The men inside the hotel were all arrested. The two on the roof were caught by Mariah and another policeman. It looks like two others have been arrested, but we're checking that no one else is in on the assassination plot. Finally, we know there's one more…
Gatito smiles.
- The leader of this operation.
- Thanks again for your rescue.
- Yes, if you hadn't told us about it yesterday, I'd have been too scared!
The woman grabs her husband's arm and smiles.
- But at least we can go home without being afraid!" she says.
- You're embarrassing me…
The man blushes softly, but doesn't even push his wife away. Gatito watches the hotel doors open and notices that the other police officers are leaving with the other two culprits.
- We'll take them to the police station as soon as possible. You can go home now.
The man who was the target of the assassination smiles and bows to the policeman.
- As Mayor of Venniers, I'd like to thank you for your work.
- There's nothing to worry about. It's what we do.
The burgomaster excuses himself and returns to his car, accompanied by his two bodyguards and his wife, all with smiles on their faces: they're sure they're going to live another day, avoiding being murdered in the early morning. The man Gatito has caught growls, but the policeman's furious gaze silences him in an instant. He turns and squints.
- All that's left is to catch the chef... and you're done.
A little further on, a school bus waits on a street corner. A man is at the wheel, a cap on his head hiding his hair and part of his face. He waits patiently, though his patience is wearing thin. He looks at his watch and grits his teeth.
- What are those idiots doing...?!
He'd made sure they'd come and understood the codes he'd entered on the 'Sleeping Little Beauty' site, so he wasn't afraid they'd be there. What's more, the guns were still there an hour before he got here, so he wasn't worried that the police or anyone else had figured out the code. Sure, one day they'd figure it out, but he'd just have to change the way he coded, especially since he already had some ideas in mind. If too much attention is paid to the site, he might even find another way of posting codes and assassination jobs. He looks behind him at the bags under some of the seats.
- Having to pay them is annoying, but they won't accept it otherwise.
In reality, there's no money in the bag: if they get paid while he's still on the bus, there's no guarantee that one of them won't kill him on the spot, so he prefers to give them the money to ensure his own safety. During Conri Tanisha's murder, he had given the money to each of them in a small abandoned house. Here, he already had his plan in mind.
- Afterwards, these are assassins who accepted without being sure of getting paid in the first place, but considering what they put on their private wall…
He hadn't forgotten the messages indirectly addressed to him: death threats if he didn't pay them. He could have stayed hidden in his corner, but assassins like that would probably find out his real identity if they really wanted to, so he preferred to play it safe. In any case, he has enough money and has stolen a fair amount a few years back, so he can use it for these assassinations. However, he's afraid that if he continues down this path, he won't be able to pay everyone... While he's in his thoughts, someone knocks on the bus door. The man behind the wheel stands up, observes the person in front and blinks.
- I beg your pardon…
The man is dressed in an open jacket and his red hair contrasts with his darker skin.
- All your men are under arrest.
Dash Tarway smiles and the man behind the wheel opens his eyes wide. He turns on the power directly and prepares to flee, but that's not an option:
- Don't move!!!
- Stay where you are!!!
Several men shout and come out of the corners; even the one who just knocked pulls out a pistol and aims at the driver, frowning.
- I'd advise you not to make the slightest move.
The driver grits his teeth... but complies by bowing his head. The police enter the bus and grab the man, handcuffing him and forcing him outside without delay.
- So the police figured out the codes in time... Shit.
The man spits at Dash, but Dash avoids the spit by smiling.
- We had a lot of help from smart people.
- …
The man doesn't respond and is taken away by several policemen, while others go to look inside the bus.
Meanwhile…
The girl with the fox tail eats her breakfast while chatting with Korone and Minos, amused by their jokes. While she's laughing, her phone vibrates in front of her, left on the table in case someone should call or text her. She grabs it and stops her laughter before looking at the message. Korone and Minos look at it, interested, and Deshya reads them the message with a smile.
- ‘A total of 8 people were arrested and the mayor is safe. Well done, you three.’
A message from Deshya's father, Gatito Oveja. Minos and Korone smile and the three of them clap their hands in delight: they've just saved someone's life, after all.
The day before, when they had just arrived in Gatito's office, they all sat down on chairs, and Mariah was the only one who sat cross-legged on the desk.
- So you've figured out how to solve the codes, I take it?" she blurts out, looking mainly at Minos Kiyon.
The man nods with a smile.
- I know who is going to be murdered tomorrow, the exact time and even how it's going to happen. Well, I wasn't alone, so I won't take all the credit.
He gently turns his gaze to the two girls beside him and they smile happily. Gatito clears his throat and crosses his arms.
- No need to beat about the bush and throw flowers at each other, is it possible to know what the codes say?
- We've taken a long time to work this out, so can I have the joy of explaining everything?" asks Minos.
Gatito sighs, but Mariah hops on the desk.
- I want to know!
- Same, to be honest," Dash admits.
- ... Well, okay.
Gatito's eyelids droop.
- We're members of the police force and we have time to do this..." he thinks.
Minos thanks them and begins his explanation.
- I'll get straight to the point, then; there's no point in taking all my time.
He crosses his legs and keeps smiling.
- The coded messages are separated into two parts: the first with numbers and the second with symbols of all kinds.
- Yet there are numbers even at the end of the lines?" says Gatito, surprised.
- It's just to make it hard to see. For example.
Minos takes out his phone and looks for his screenshots before showing them to the police.
- If I take the line "04[9]951XDadt49:8e++a", it's possible to see that the "X" separates the "049951" from the rest, even though there's a 49 and 8 after it. For the line "95[3]43014654--dzs12", the "95343014654" is separated from the rest by hyphens, even if a 12 is at the end.
- Okay, I understand.
- In the biography on the account of Alveva589, the man who started talking about the Sleeping Little Beauty site and never denied being the author, it says the following: "God's creation. In my first moments, I'm between 1 and 1000 of the I754 constant. Observer of the five.
- …
Gatito still doesn't understand, thinking. Mariah and Dash listen without trying to find the answer, since Minos, Deshya and Korone already know the truth. Pera, who is sitting next to her daughter, remains silent with a smile. Minos continues:
- “God's Creation" offers no clues to the code, as it must simply reflect the egocentric personality of the man behind Alveva589.
But the rest is important.
Minos turns to Deshya, who speaks in turn.
- As Minos just said, there are two parts to the coded messages: in short, in the biography, we can understand that the "In my first moments" refers to the first part.
- So the numbers," Mariah thinks out loud.
Deshya agrees.
- What we didn't understand was especially from the constant of I754, but also the "between 1 and 1000".
- However, what allowed me to discover the truth was not necessarily the biography, but two things: what Deshya said and then, one of the numbers at the beginning of the lines.
So Minos continues, seeing as Deshya isn't the one who figured that part out. Mariah smiles as she looks at the girl in the fox sweater.
- What number are you talking about?" asks Dash, intrigued.
- 4159. This is the tenth line of the third message. However, the 1592 in the first line of the first message made me realize the truth.
- 4159 and 1592…
Mariah ponders and squints: she's taken in by Minos's deduction and so decides to think about it in turn. Desha speaks next.
- I've noticed that some numbers come from the same grouping! Like 0288, 02884 and 5028841.
- Taking all this into account…
Minos stares at Mariah with a smile. The woman opens her mouth and finally smiles.
- 4159... 1592... So 41592…
She sighs and turns to Dash, who blinks.
- I don't know..." he admits.
- Why don't you put a number in front of it?" she suggests.
- A number?
She nods. Dash looks up.
- Which one?
- Go for the first one!" says Korone.
- With the 1? 14159... Ah!
Dash and Gatito open their eyes wide and Minos smiles broadly.
- You mean…
- The first few decimal places of "pi"?!
They say it at the same time, so Mariah laughs. She plays with a curl of her hair while staring at Minos.
- So you mean that the numbers at the beginning of the lines are decimals of pi?" she asks.
- That's right.
- Wait, is that really possible?
Gatito asks this question.
- There's an infinite number of decimals, so how can you tell?" he asks, shocked.
Minos is about to speak, but it's Korone who speaks first.
- The biography tells you how!
- Really?
She nods.
- Between 1 and 1000. In short, between the first and the thousandth decimal places!
- Aaaaah!
Korone chuckles when she sees them react like this. Dash swallows and turns to Minos.
- But if you didn't understand these numbers, how could you understand that we're talking about pi?" asks Gatito.
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- It says so in the biography.
It's Mariah who answers, but she looks at Korone with a smile.
- I want to know how you could know such a thing, though," she said, addressing the little girl.
Korone blinks and then smiles.
- That's because when Minos the handsome figured out that they were probably decimals of pi, I looked it up on the internet and saw that pi is called 'Archimedes' constant'!
- How does I754 translate into 'Archimedes'? Gatito asks him in astonishment.
In reality, Mariah isn't sure, even if she suspected that's what it was. However, she gets her answer from Korone, who replies with her usual smile:
- It's the Syracuse cadastral code!
No one speaks. Even Minos and Deshya, who already know this, watch the little girl with the same silly grin.
- She figured out it was the land registry code without even looking on the Internet... That's not even being a genius anymore, that's being inhuman..." thinks Minos.
- I really need to understand how she can know that..." sighed Deshya inwardly.
- T-The cadastral code?" asks Dash.
- It's called a cadastral section prefix," replies the blond haired man. It's what makes it possible to uniquely identify parcels that come from merged or absorbed communes.
- Why choose something so complex?! And why Syracuse?!
Dash can't quite figure it out, but Minos answers him without hesitation.
- Because they needed something findable, but something that would require an enormous amount of research. Using Syracuse's zip code would be far too simple, as simply putting '96100' on the internet would give that on the first search. He could have put in Syracuse's ISTAT code, which is '089017' and would have appeared to be a T9 code or something like that, but that might be far too complex. Well, looking for the various possible constants, I'm sure that coming across Archimedes' constant, which is therefore 'pi', would lead to the same answer we have.
The policemen are all stunned, even Pera. Minos doesn't stop explaining.
- Once you'd understood that the numbers at the beginning of each line are decimals of pi between the first and the thousandth, it was easy to work out what to do next. If there's only one number in square brackets, it's because that number has to be taken into account, which is easy to deduce. You simply have to find out which decimal place that number is. For example, the "05820[9]" in the third coded message is the fifty-fifth decimal place. In short, the '9' in square brackets means '55'.
- Why do it in the first thousand decimal places?” Pera asks, agreeing to speak during this exchange.
- Because, as I said before, there are far too many decimal places in pi, so certain groupings of numbers are bound to repeat themselves, making the code very complex to understand, if not impossible. Also, it didn't really need to go above 1000 decimal places, but I'll explain why.
When he finishes his sentence and goes to continue, Korone cuts him off by addressing the policemen in front of her.
- Also, since Minos forgot to answer, the reason Syracuse was chosen is because it's the city where Archimedes was born and where he died!" she explains.
All eyes are on her now, and she scratches her hair.
- I saw it on the internet while searching, hihi.
No one retaliates and Minos continues.
- Before understanding the actual code, we simply had to solve the mystery of the '+'.
- The mystery of the '+'?" repeats Gatito.
Minos nods.
- 62[0]89+62[0]89" and "2862[0]8+2[0]89". You might think that the '+' symbol means the end of the first part of the message, but in reality it's not the case. The same number is in square brackets and it's the same number grouping, so it's the same place in the decimals. Why do this, though?
No one answers, so Minos explains without delay.
- At first, I thought I had to add the two together, but it didn't make sense to me when I realized which decimal place it was.
- Which one is it?" asks Dash.
- 77.
- …
Mariah is the first to understand.
- Wait a minute, wait a minute. If it's 55, 77... Eh.
She smiles.
- Let me guess.
Everyone turns to her and the police detective speaks.
- It's multi-tap code, isn't it?
- What's this?" asks Pera.
Mariah closes her eyes and lowers her head, still smiling.
- The SMS code, or T9, could be something like this: '627424'. What I said means 'Mariah' when coded like that. With multi-tap, it would be more like '6 2 777 444 2 44'.
- That's right," smiled Minos.
- C' is '222', 'S' is '7777', 'A' is '2'. To do it again simplest, 'A' is '2', 'B' is '22', 'C' is '222'. Next, D' is '3', 'E' is '33' and 'F' is '333'. It's as simple as it sounds.
Gatito wasn't familiar with this way of coding, so he listens carefully. Dash is impressed by Mariah, but even more so by Minos, Korone and Deshya.
- And you understood that?" he asks.
The man with the long blond hair nods.
- We have to take into account the decimals between the first and the thousandth, so the 'S', which is '7777', can't be put in. So he put the '77' twice, and the '+' symbol between the two doesn't tell us to add them, but to put them together, which makes '7777'. The 'Z' is '9999', for example, and he should have put the '99' twice, but this letter wasn't used once in the whole code.
- Eeeh…
Dash lets out this little noise without adding anything. Gatito is next to speak.
- What does it mean? What does it mean?
- Before I say anything else, there's also the second part of the code.
- It's true that it sounds like a lot of gibberish... It's not just to lead people on a false trail, then?" asks Mariah.
Minos shakes his head, but offers Deshya the chance to explain, since she was the first to understand. She happily accepts and starts talking.
- In the biography, it refers to the 'Watcher of the Five'. He's not talking about the numbers '5' or the letters 'C', 'I', 'N' and 'Q', but about another way of looking at the message. That's also what the clue posted on the Internet about me is about.
- What clue?" asks Dash.
He hadn't looked into Sleeping Little Beauty, so he didn't know much about it. Mariah had taken a brief interest out of boredom and because it seemed to concern Deshya, but knowing Minos was on it while talking with Gatito, she figured they wouldn't need her help.
- "The fox detective offers you the horned path" is what was posted on their site before the codes began," Deshya admits.
- Fox detective... I understand it's about you. However, the 'horned'... path? What about it?
Dash scratches his cheek, unsure if he understands. Deshya smiles.
- It's really stupid. It's so silly that, honestly, I've been thinking about it, thinking of the silliest thing possible," she confesses.
- Ah? And so...?
- My surname is 'Oveja', which means 'Sheep' in Spanish. When they say 'horned', they mean sheep's horns. Anyway, that's not a clue as to how to understand the code, but it does explain that part of it is in Spanish.
- And how do we understand the second part of the code?" asks Gatito.
- Simply observe the five. Ignore the decimals of pi and observe them.
- The-The Five?
His father sighs and crosses his arms.
- Just tell us.
- Not funny," Deshya pouted.
However, she complies.
- For example, in the first line of the first code, it's "[1]592aPoET9èmme)xq". If I remove the decimal points of pi, it's "aPoET9thm)xq". Now it's time to look at the five.
She smiles broadly.
- Take into account all characters 5 by 5.
- How's that?
Her father is still lost and Deshya turns her gaze towards him.
- In "aPoET9thme)xq", 'a' is the first character. P' is the second, 'o' the third and 'E' the fourth. In short, 'T' is the fifth. Then '9' is the sixth, 'è' the seventh, the two 'm's the eighth and ninth, then 'e' the tenth. The ')' is the eleventh, 'x' the twelfth and 'q' the thirteenth, so who cares? So you have to take into account the characters that are in a place that is a multiple of '5': in short, the 'T' and the 'e'.
- Te…
- Simply do this for each line and repeat. If any lines are short, it's because there are no more than five characters after the decimal points of pi, so you don't need to take them into account.
- ... I believe you can understand that.
The police inspector touches his head and Mariah laughs. Pera tries to reassure her husband, but the latter places one hand in front of him, the other still on his forehead, and looks at his daughter.
- So what? What does this code mean?
Deshya looks at Minos and he nods, signaling that she can explain. She smiles and stands up.
- The first code is "3 33 88 99 0 7777 66 444 7 33 777 7777" and "Techo al frente". In short…
She smiles.
- "Two Snipers and Roof Across the Street.
Her fox tail swings behind her back.
- The second code is "333 88 444 8 33 0 22 88 7777 0 7777 222 666 555 2 444 777 33" and "Salida del sol. ". Anyway…
She turns her face to her father.
- "School bus escape" and "Sunrise", i.e. dawn.
Korone and Minos rise in turn and Deshya finishes.
- The third code is "5 666 44 66 0 6 444 222 55 2 777 8 33 999" and "Hotel azul brillante". Which is…
All three have a determined look on their face.
- "John Mickartey" and "Hotel Bleu Vif". Basically, the burgomaster of Venniers and the hotel in Sléron, the town just at our north.
- The Sléron police were kind enough to let us act," admits Gatito.
He's eating a pudding surrounded by his wife, two daughters and Belium's top detective, Minos Kiyon. It's 4.45pm and he's chatting with them.
- We managed to arrest the seven murderers who were at the scene, as well as the man behind the Alveva589 account: he was the one on the school bus," he confesses.
- Why did he go there? I thought he would have posted codes like that so he wouldn't have to meet them in person..." asks Deshya.
- He hasn't confessed to everything yet, but when we asked him, he simply said that he intended to explain to them that he's just an assassin like them, since no one can know that he's their leader. However, we went to his house and found his account, his plans and some stolen money.
- Who was he?" asked Minos.
- ‘Maurice Herod', a 47-year-old man who's already been in prison for a few months for assault in the street. 1m82 and a resident of Shiru, he doesn't really have any friends and spends a lot of time on the internet talking about his views on life and death. A detestable man whose head has been eaten away by religion…
- Is that why he put 'Creation of God' in his biography?" says Korone.
- When he created his Alveva589 account, that was all he had in his bio, but he quickly added the rest when he thought of this plan. He wrote in some very dubious and illegal sites about Sleeping Little Beauty and was writing in a way to make assassins, murderers and ill intentioned people understand that he'd like to make assassination plans. Honestly, he's very lucky that this worked, because most of the time, they assassinate their target, take the money owed to them and do everything to find the leader of the operation to kill him or give him to the police, then gain popularity, money or recognition from us, which can help them in case they're captured.
- I can't believe it's that simple..." says Deshya.
Gatito finishes his pudding and places his spoon on the table.
- Well, he's especially lucky that he ran into people who just wanted to have fun killing. There's shit in this world.
- Darling, your language…
- Bad word!" says Korone.
Everyone starts laughing, but Minos quickly regains his composure and addresses the policeman.
- Do we know more about the operation, the site and the man?
- Although Maurice didn't speak with his employers, they themselves were chatting online to solve the code and find out who would do what. So we knew there were indeed seven of them on site, but we managed to locate the other eight, but one of them managed to escape and another ended his own life. Well, we shouldn't worry too much about the one who got away, as he seems to have been more of a 'spy' in their camp.
- A spy?
- Apparently, he was a man known on the Internet for infiltrating certain operations and giving details to the police, but this time he didn't act. This is most likely because the other members of the operations didn't trust him and had created a different chat box without him knowing.
- Why run away, then?" asks Deshya.
- There's one man left who was in their group, so he'll be sent to the police station and questioned there. I suppose that's his reason for fleeing, but I wonder how he knew they'd been spotted..." replies Minos.
- It's a mystery that doesn't interest me. Anyway, a suspicious man has been spotted in the town of Lamur, where he lives, so there's a good chance he'll be caught soon.
- Perfect!
Minos is happy to know this, but Gatito keeps talking.
- It seems that the name for the site has a meaning, too. Sleeping' does speak of 'sleeping', but rather of rest: eternal rest, sleeping forever, hence death. Little' is because he saw each of his victims as 'small' in this world, men and women who are seen as popular, powerful or 'big' in the eyes of society, but 'small' in Maurice's eyes. Finally, 'Beauty' is about the beauty of death, as he considers life to be beautiful only because we die. In short, he's a weirdo.
Everyone nods and Deshya feels a chill down her spine, thinking that such people exist in this world.
- Finally, Maurice had intended from the start to make coded messages like these, but he started simpler to make sure that the few people whose attention he drew to the illegal sites would understand without too much trouble: he wanted people with a modicum of intelligence.
- I see... At least this site will be able to rest for good.
Minos smiles and stands up, making the chair creak on the floor, which makes Deshya tense up. She is patted on the shoulder and the blond-haired man flashes her his handsome smile.
- You've been a great help, and it was you who came up with some of the code, so as promised, I'm giving you a third of my money! Oh, you can say you don't want it or don't think you deserve it, but I don't give a damn!
- I wasn't going to turn it down," admits Deshya.
- Perfect then! You have to accept that money isn't all bad!
They both start laughing, while Deshya's parents squint.
- I hope it doesn't go to her head, our darling," says Pera.
- I'll kill him otherwise," replies Gatito coldly.
Minos stretches and looks at the time on his phone, his suitcase ready and stowed beside him.
- It's barely 6.30pm…
He smiles and turns to Deshya.
- How about a little dance?
She blushes and blinks.
- A-A dance?
His question had been direct and out of the blue. The man nodded.
- I know a good bar not far from here. Don't worry, no alcohol for you and I won't touch it neither!
- B-But why dance?" she asks.
- Why?
He remains speechless for a few moments before smiling broadly.
- We stopped an assassination! We stopped someone from dying, Deshya!
He grabs her hands and nods.
- Even if I've already solved several cases and saved many lives, what difference does it make? Whether I'm saving a life for the first time or the thousandth time, it doesn't change the fact that I've saved a life! Well, most of the time I'm called in to find out who the murderer is and I can't save the person, but who cares!
His smile is brilliant.
- We allowed the police to arrest Maurice and his men, and save the burgomaster of Venniers! Don't we deserve a bit of fun? Plus, we're going to get paid, hehe!
Deshya chuckles and then laughs, amused by the man's radiant energy. She finally nods and tells him she'll ask her parents if she can. He accepts and Korone arrives next, descending the stairs.
- Are you leaving?" she asks.
- We're just going to a bar to dance a little, but I think you're too little for that. Don't worry, I'll make sure your big sister doesn't do anything stupid!
- Don't be stupid either!
- I'm an adult, I won't do anything stupid!
- Adults are the ones who make the most mistakes.
Minos wants to retort, but thinks before shrugging.
- You win this point.
- Korone is better than Minos! Wahoooo!!
She leaps into the air before running down the hall, stretching her arms out to either side like the wings of an airplane. Minos starts laughing as he sees her run, but when she reaches the kitchen and he can't see her anymore, he squints weakly.
- This girl... White hair, mauve eyes... Is it possible—
- My parents don't mind!
Minos turns his face and Deshya returns to him. He smiles and extends his hand, turning it over.
- Let's celebrate our success, Deshya!
- All right!
And as planned, they both go to the bar Minos was talking about. There aren't many people there, given that it's a Thursday and not even past 8 p.m., but that's just as well for both of them: Deshya doesn't need to be too self-conscious, and Minos won't be recognized by everyone. On the dance floor, which isn't the biggest, but big enough for several dozen people, Deshya and Minos dance together to the rhythm of the different music that's playing. Minos grabs Deshya's hand and twirls on the floor herself, around him and even once at the door for a few moments at the end of the music. She laughs happily and her fox tail can't help but wag in all directions. She has to be careful that her hood doesn't fall off, but she's lucky and it doesn't happen once, especially as she sometimes holds it up. They drink different juices - but no alcohol, of course - and enjoy the two hours they have left there, happy to have solved the mystery of Sleeping Little Beauty and saved the burgomaster's life. They dance until they have no energy left, and Deshya drops into Minos's arms to finish, fanning himself but smiling. An evening that makes Deshya feel like she's living life to the full.
- This is where we part ways," admits Minos.
Deshya has joined Minos as far as Tetazo's guardhouse, accompanied by her father who is driving them: walking alone in the evening can be risky. Minos bows gently to the two of them — or rather, the three of them, as Korone is in the car, greeting the man.
- It was an honor to be on a with you!" said Deshya, bowing in turn.
- Ahah, same for you!
He stands up and clutches his suitcase in his hand.
- I hope to see you soon, Deshya Oveja.
The girl blinks, but eventually smiles back and nods.
- I hope so too, Minos Kiyon.
He then turns to the police inspector.
- Gatito, a pleasure to see you again.
- Don't hit on my daughter over the phone.
- Would you stop?
The police inspector smiles and apologizes.
- More seriously, a pleasure. On the other hand, more seriously, you can come see my daughter whenever you want, but please.
He squints.
- Don't put her in danger, okay?
The detective rubs the underside of his nose.
- It's not my aim and it never will be, you know that. After all…
He squints in turn, but his expression is different from Gatito's.
- ... Eh.
He doesn't finish his sentence and greets the girl in the car.
- I'll see you again, little Korone!
- Okiiii, handsome sir 2 !
- N-Number 2?! I'm not first?!
- Hihi, that's for Maruno!
- Maruno...?
- A-Ah, a school friend," Deshya explains.
- Eeeh... I see!
Minos laughs before turning around, suitcase in hand.
- My train's coming and I've got to get back to Bexel, so I'll see you soon! I don't promise to talk every day, since I'm pretty busy, but I'll send you one or the other message when I can! Oh, and I'll reply as soon as I can if you send me anything, but don't spam me, ahah!
- No promises!
- Ahahah!!
Minos laughs as he waves them off, pulling away and rejoining his train. Deshya smiles with joy radiating from her body and Gatito gently grabs his daughter with one arm.
- Let's go.
- Hm.
They return to the car and Gatito starts the engine. Deshya takes one last look in the direction of the station and can't help smiling: she's become 'friends' with Minos Kiyon, one of her favorite detectives, so how could she possibly feel anything else? So they all return home, Sleeping Little Beauty's case solved…
- Oh, big sister!
- Yes?
- What are you going to buy with the money Minos is going to send you?
- ...No idea.
- Save it for later," his father replies.
- ... I'll see!