Rocks on the Block was a museum Mina hadn't visited since she was a little girl on a class field trip. Back then, she was trying to learn the difference between ingenious and sedimentary rocks. Now, it was the difference between gem thievery and stone cold murder.
She waited in the entrance, pacing on the glossy tiled floor. She weaved between the columned pillars propping up the roof, and recounted the facts before she went into the dual crime scene.
The Rubylove was indeed stolen and reported heavily this morning, not just by Ear Hearing News, but the tabloids. It was Maria Santiago's certified brand of jewel thievery. Sometimes she'd even be so bold as to wear some of her stolen rocks in order to taunt the police and make fabulous fashion statements at the same time. That was another thing she recollected about the Maria she had met in prison. Nowhere was a glistening rock on his body and Chief O'Law hadn't confiscated one either. This was quite telling for a Maria fan.
As for the murder victim, he was connected to the case indefinitely. Jeremy "Jem" Diamond was the manager of the museum and a middle aged man who seemed to love the rocks as much as Maria loved to steal them. His fingers were lined with rings flashing emeralds, peridots, rubies and sapphires. Another thing that made the man calling himself Maria suspicious--he did not know who he had killed. Jem's museum was an obvious target for Santiago, but why would she target his life too?
This case was as hard as a diamond and as red as a ruby. And to add to the rock metaphor, she had bought some pink crystal rock candy to munch on. She hoped the sugar would stimulate her brain on this rocky case.
Instead, it just gave her a sugar rush.
"Oh my lawdy!" she gushed as she shuffled in her heels to the first crime scene.
It was dead center in the museum, where a bunch of glass from a shattered ceiling was bandaged around with yellow police tape. There was no blood or a body or anything, just glass and tape.
"Geez, calm down kid," Raven squawked from behind her. "You're an attorney, it's not like you haven't seen a crime scene before!"
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"Of course," Mina said, throwing her hand aside. "But those were boring old murder scenes. This is where the heist was!"
She practically skipped around the crime scene. Her mind imaged the passion, the romance, and the thrills that were often absent during a murder case. Maria had stolen the gem and ascended straight through the glass ceiling. She squealed over the fact that it was also a metaphor for female criminals becoming just as notorious as male ones.
Unfortunately, aside from that shattered glass, there wasn't much to this crime scene. Unlike bodies, broken ceilings didn't have many parts to examine. She sighed when she realized she had to go to the true crime scene: Jem Diamond's office.
The office was down a long narrow hallway, a far distance from the exhibits. Mina's sugar rush had begun to wear off until the door to Mr. Diamond's office flew open and she got a burst of adrenaline. "What the hey…oof!"
She bumped into someone with a large trench coat who reeked of French food. Toppling onto the floor and shaking the dizziness from her head, she realized the culprit was none other than Inspector Croix-Saint.
"Do you mind leetle girly?! You just got your rock candy in my snails! What do you have to say?"
"I should be the one calling you out!" Mina exclaimed. "You got garden mollusks in my candy. That's infinitely grosser!"
Raven chuckled as he helped his protege up. "How about we just celebrate unusual food combinations instead of criticizing them. I love me a good pumpernickel and pickle sandwich now and then."
But Mina wasn't just ready to shake his snail covered hand just yet. "What are you doing here, Mr. Sus-cargot?"
The detective was as curt and blunt as usual. "Doing my work, haw? So I won't starve!"
Mina puffed out her cheeks. "Considering what you eat, that might be a good thing!"
The man clutched his escargot covered croissant like an old woman clutching her pearls. "I don't like your tone, Miss hoser. Now if you excuse me I have bigger fish to fry!"
He stomped off, leaving Mina fuming and Raven concerned. "The nerve of that guy!" Mina shouted, balling up her fist. "But hopefully there's some good evidence in there to brighten my day."
Raven muttered sadly. "Hate to break it to ya, kid. But Mr. Wanna-pean got the best dibs on all of that juicy stuff. He probably left ya with nothing but the snail shells."
Mina wordlessly barrelled past her mentor.
She opened the office door, hoping it wasn't true…but it was.
She could imagine his weedy laugh as he said, "Sorry, m'dear. But zat is how the croissant crumbles."