Table of Contents

Discovering the Case

Mission One: Interviews

Mission Two: Entering the Royal Castle

Mission Three: Putting the Clues Together

Mission Four: Finishing Swiftly

DISCOVERING THE CASE

    The cold winds of a night in Paris whistled into the sky. Harsh thunder grumbled outside the window, and people ran for shelter. Alexandre, a well-known, admired detective, stared outside the window. Rain dripped outside of the stone house he lived in, which was separate from his older sister, Eléa. Tapping his foot on the ground, he shuffled through messy papers of unsolved cases. As he looked through the documents, one caught his eye. He looked at the article, the header saying, “Stolen Royal Jewels! Detectives Have Yet to Solve This!”

    “Hm? How come I have not heard about this?” Alexandre wondered. Reading through the article even more, he realized that there were close to no clues

previous detectives had gathered. His eyes soaring through the pages, Alexandre thought to himself. “I surely cannot solve this by myself…and given that other detectives failed to solve this, the perpetrator must be good at covering his tracks.” As he thought further, an idea sparked into his head. His older sister was a detective, just like him, solving cases overseas. “Eléa, my dearest sister! She can help me solve this case.” He quickly picked up the sleek, black telephone on his desk and dialed his sister’s number. 

    “Hello? Detective Eléa Auclair speaking.” A sturdy, clear voice spoke on the other side.

    “Ah, yes. Well, if it isn’t, my dear older sister. How have cases been going for you?”

“I recognize that voice…” Eléa paused. “Alexandre. How cases have been going is out of the question. You called me for something important, yes?”

    “Correct.” Alexandre cleared his voice before speaking again. “There is a case that has been going on for a few years, and no detective has been able to solve it. Looking at the clues and tasks, it seems to be a two-person job. You popped into my head just as I thought there was no way I could handle this alone. So? What do you think? How about you travel back to Paris for a while so we can work together like we used to?”

    Eléa paused for a few seconds, it being as silent as a mouse on both lines. “Deal. I will schedule a meeting with my agents to let them know I will be gone as well

as a flight as soon as possible. I will meet you at the Eiffel Tower at midnight tomorrow. Do not keep me waiting.”

    A smile slowly crept on Alexandre’s face. He was delighted to hear the news. “Then it is settled. I will see you tomorrow. But for now, goodnight, sister.” The call ended with a beep and one final slash of thunder. Walking out of his house, he got out his umbrella, and headed to the police station. As he looked up at the dim lights, he waited for the elevator doors to open as he quietly stepped in. Waiting for the elevator to reach the correct floor, thousands of questions were going through his head. Who would do such a thing? What was their motive? As he was pondering his thoughts,  

he did not realize he made it to the floor already. A close friend, Imani, a fair and influential police officer, snapped a finger in his face, bringing him back to reality.

    “Zoning out again, Detective, aren’t you? What are you here for?”

    He quickly looked through his bag, spreading the papers on the nearby desk before her. He talked in a firm tone, finally addressing why he was there. “I will be reopening this case, Officer Lawrence.” With a surprised face, Imani organized the papers. 

    “Are you sure about this, Detective?” She scanned the papers again. “It seems risky to do this alone.”

    “I am. I will start this case tomorrow, and I am

determined to solve this case even if my life depends on it. The truth needs to be told no matter what,” Alexandre declared with a serious look in his eyes. He gathered the papers once again, stuffing them in his bag, and shortly adding, “And I have company with me this time.”

    With a smirk, Imani added, “Then you go out there and plan your day for tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how this plays out.” As the dangerous storm cooled down, Alexandre knew he had a long day ahead of him.

MISSION ONE: INTERVIEWS

    After hours of resting, Alexandre felt the warm heat of the sun on his cheeks. As he opened his eyes, he saw the beautiful, shining sun creeping through his curtains. Once he was awake, he began preparing and planning his day. Happily looking forward to solving the case, he sprung out of bed and started getting ready. However, things were not going so well for Eléa.

    After a rough night's sleep and a long discussion with her agents, Eléa was finally ready to board her flight. Walking into the crowded plane, getting weird looks from a few people, she settled down in the back. As each hour passed, she constantly checked the time. Finally, after what seemed like years, the plane landed, and she arrived in Paris.

    Basking in the cold breeze of the night, she went straight to the Eiffel Tower. Focusing on her steps and the sounds of her clacking boots, she looked up at the night lights, the streets still wet from rain, and the citizens all around her, all distant memories to her. As she looked around, she bumped into just the person she was looking for, her dear brother Alexandre. "I apologize for the wait. My flight took far too long."

    Alexandre chuckled. "Do not worry about it in the slightest. You are here much earlier than I expected. Now, let me talk to you about the case in more detail." He cleared his throat, and Eléa blinked for a bit. Alexandre spoke again, "You alright?"

    "Just…observing the place, that's all. If you do not mind, give me a few seconds."

    Alexandre laughed. "Of course, of course, take your time." As Eléa continued looking around, she could have sworn that she saw a shadowy figure out of the corner of her eye. She did not just see it, but she felt it. Felt a sharp, dangerous gaze on her and her brother, like a snake ready to catch its prey. Turning around, she saw nothing, but the darkness of the city. Brushing it off, she faced Alexandre again.

    "We can now discuss this together," Eléa spoke. Alexandre nodded. As he was about to talk, he got interrupted by Imani.

    “Detective Alexandre and…Detective Eléa? I have not seen you in years! How have you been?"

    Eléa sighed, "Both you and my brother are so outgoing, it irritates me a little bit. I have been fine, but this case is more important. Why did you come here to meet us?"

    Imani looked around and whispered to the two of them. "The perpetrator could be anywhere. I am worried that talking in public will be a bad idea. So, I will allow you two to stay at the station tonight so that you can discuss and gather information. I looked through old files, and I found one that is a couple of years old. Have a look." She gently threw the file to Eléa and Alexandre, the cover saying, "The Case of the Lost

Jewels." Though there was not much new information, there were a few people involved in the case, such as the royal family the jewels were stolen from and some other citizens who heard about the case. As they flipped through the pages and walked to the station, Eléa started brainstorming.

    "I now know about the case, so I have a plan. We will interview and inspect the area near the castle where the robbery took place to gather more clues. Alexandre and I will work on doing that together. Imani, you will be in charge of patrolling smaller areas to make sure nothing suspicious is happening. Understood?" The three agreed on the plan and walked to the police station, each keeping an eye on their surroundings and

any person who could be the perpetrator. 

    That whole night, the three of them stayed up, organizing paperwork and writing down people and victims to interview who had relations to the case. They wrote down areas, such as the Royal Castle, the nearby retail store, a distant jewelry shop, and most importantly, tried to find a way to get in contact with the royal family whom the jewels were stolen from. A few citizens, the retail store's owner, nicknamed Koko, the merchant from the distant jewelry shop, known as Miss Diamond, and the royal family were all main victims of the case. With this information, they knew who to interview and how to track down the perpetrator.

    Mission one: tracking down the retail store. Opening up a map, Eléa grabbed a pin and clipped it onto the location. Taking a red marker, she drew a firm and big circle around the location. "Here, to the right of the famed art museum, there is a store, and the owner, Koko, has relations to the case. She was faced with a robbery the same day, so she must have information. Let us start here." Alexandre nodded and rolled up the map, grabbing a bag of proper tools needed for their journey, which were fingerprint-detecting devices, pens and paper, and investigation glasses. They got into a police vehicle driven by one of Imani's agents and made their way to the retail store. Once they arrived, the car stopped outside, and they carefully and silently

exited the vehicle. They then opened the store's doors and scanned the area.

    "Madam, we are going to investigate this store and interview you to get a lead on a cold case. Do we have your consent?" Alexandre asked. The owner, Koko, looked at the two detectives and nodded her head.

    "As long as you find that wretched monster who almost destroyed my store, do whatever you want!" Koko exclaimed. The two detectives started scanning the area. The store's backroom had a few small pieces of shattered glass collecting dust on the floor from years ago and a large closet, causing them to wonder what was behind it. Using teamwork, they slowly moved the closet and saw what laid behind it. A torn glove,

perhaps owned by the perpetrator, was on the floor. That was all the evidence that they had collected. They made sure to seal everything in a protective case and kept it safe in their bag. Alexandre and Eléa then approached the owner.

    "Madam Koko, the day that the royal jewels got stolen was the same day your store got robbed. Based on these previous inspections, we can infer that the same person who stole the jewels was the same one who robbed your store. Mind telling us what happened from your perspective?" Eléa asked.

    Koko started, "Well, I don't remember much. All I remember is a deep and threatening voice and dark hair, but in terms of anything else, I'm not sure."

"Thank you for the information, Madam. It is very much appreciated." As both Alexandre and Eléa bowed to thank her and quietly left the store, they filled up a few pages of their notebooks. Now that they have acquired some information in terms of the perpetrator's identity, appearance, and piece of clothing, they were ready to conduct their following interview. Heading back to the police vehicle, their next stop was to Miss Diamond, the leading merchant at the Palace of Jewels, or the luxurious place where the royal family got their jewels from. This interview would be more challenging as the woman sometimes acts a bit dramatic. Arriving at the place that looks similar to a castle, though it is a small building with a big sign saying "Palace of Jewels" in bold

letters, Alexandre and Eléa take a deep breath before entering.

    "Miss Diamond," Eléa stated with her hands on the entry desk. "You sold jewels to the royal family, yet all of them were stolen. Do you have any intel about what happened, or were you involved when the predicament took place?"

    The woman stares at the two detectives. "No, I do not have any intel, but I do believe that the royal family has more evidence than I will ever provide. I am not pointing the finger at anyone, but the day I sold the jewels to them, a tall man, I'd say about the age of twenty-four, maybe twenty-five, was outside with a jealous gaze. Though I thought nothing of it, now 

looking back at it, he must have done something behind my back." Miss Diamond explained. "With the high technology that the royal family has access to, I suggest that you talk to them if you have not thought about that yet. Years have passed, so the man might not match any of the descriptions I am giving you currently."

    "Thank you, Miss, we appreciate all the information. Is there any security camera footage of him available from years ago?" Alexandre added. Miss Diamond nodded, guiding them to the security room with all the footage. She looked through the security records and flipped through the files for each year, stopping at the one that had a specific date in the 1980s, which was the date when everything happened. In the footage, a man

with a black hat covering short dark brown hair and a tanned complexion is all they see. Recording that in their notebook, they thanked the woman once again and went outside to the most exquisite and refined place, the royal castle. Now, acquiring much-needed information such as the perpetrator's gloves, the suspected age, and, in general, the identity of the perpetrator, their last destination surely could give them the final answer they were looking for.

MISSION TWO: ENTERING THE ROYAL CASTLE

    Finally arriving at the royal castle after a long day, Alexandre and Eléa forgot about one thing, that was making it past the guards. Despite having a warrant to search the castle and permission from the royal family members, one guard refused to leave them alone.

    “How do I know that you two are not going to make matters worse?" the guard asked in a stern voice. He was covered in armor, making it impossible to see his face. 

"Listen, we have the papers that confirm we have a warrant. Permission from the royal family was granted to us as soon as we opened the case. Any proof you may need, we have countless documents of to show you. Can you please allow us inside?" Alexandre pleaded.

The guard remained unmoved, protecting the gates even further. Shortly after getting kicked out of the premises, Alexandre and Eléa had to think of a last-minute plan. "Great, now we will not be able to conduct a search! That guard…" Alexandre clenched his fists, staring outside the big golden gates.

    All of a sudden, an idea sparked in Eléa's head. "Obviously, that guard is keeping us away from entering the front…so we might have to enter differently." She grabs Alexandre and looks up, seeing the sky turning dark and stormy, the rain slowly pattering on the ground and then quickening up. "Every time bad weather occurs, the guards make sure to get an umbrella out so if a royal family member walks out,

they will not get wet. That guard, who is wearing his armor and holding an umbrella, can probably not see much. More so, the sky is darker, and with the hundreds of trees around the castle, we may have a chance to sneak and jump the fence. It may seem risky, but yet again, we got permission to enter the castle, so who is to dictate how we do it?"

    Alexandre's eyes widened. "I am not so sure. After all, they do have security cameras, and wouldn't that irritate that guard even more?"

    "It won't if we do not get caught. Follow my lead." Eléa grabbed the umbrella from her bag, pulled it up, and slowly crept across the damp grass. With her brother behind her, she hid behind a tree, looked around, and

then continued to walk. They arrived at the back of the castle, covered by a tall wall that seemed impossible to jump over, but these detectives always had a solution. Eléa firmly stuck the umbrella between the bricks of the wall, looking at Alexandre and saying, "Use it to help you climb up the wall."

    "What?" Alexandre stuttered. "We are not climbing that high, we would fall!"

    "Nonsense. Just hold on." Grabbing Alexandre, she swung herself on the umbrella and leaped up. Soaring through the air in a second and almost falling straight down, she unhooked the umbrella and used it as a parachute when they were falling back down. Successfully getting to the other side with stains on their

clothes and a few cuts adorning their arms and legs, they found a way to get in. "Now we have to open this door. Give me a second." Eléa grabbed a bobby pin from her hair, undoing the small lock of the door. Alexandre opened the door, allowing Eléa to enter before him, and there stood a beautiful view.

    A statue of the family was in the middle of the first floor. So many divine designs and patterns, silky carpets, and detailed paintings around them. They saw a figure from the corner of their eye that turned out to be the queen. "Greetings, Your Majesty." The both of them said, bowing down.

    "Greetings. You are here to help solve the case of our stolen jewels, correct?" the queen asked, the detectives 

nodding in response. "Very well, here is all we have." She sent the two to a private room that contained all security footage, documents, and witnesses around the castle. As they observed the information, Alexandre noticed something.

    "This guard, named Milo Perez, seems to be the same guard we saw earlier. He is known to be strict and tough and always has an eye out in the castle. However, he has not been shown in any reports, nor has he been interviewed. Never in the years he has been working at the castle has he ever taken off his mask. Using this information, we can assume that he must be hiding his identity. That can also relate to why he was the only guard who refused to let us in." Alexandre pointed at

the document that had the guard's information. "He is currently thirty-four and is assumed to have a tanner complexion. Does he remind you of anyone?" 

    Eléa connected the dots and looked at Alexandre. "Our suspect for the case was rumored to be twenty-four or twenty-five when the case happened, which was ten years ago. That means that his present age is thirty-four, which is the same age as this guard. His tanner complexion is also information we got about the perpetrator from Miss Diamond's security footage. Being with the royal family as they bought the jewel could only be done if that person was a guard, and this man was. His behavior also shows that he is cautious of us figuring out his secret. But, with that torn glove we acquired,

I found out on the ride here that it has evidence of fingerprints on it, and so do the tiny pieces of shattered glass we picked up at the retail store. We need to find a way to get his fingerprint without revealing what we are doing." Eléa thought for a moment, but Alexandre sprung up.

    "We can get one of the maids or butlers to send him a cup of any beverage. That way, when he grabs it, we will get evidence of his fingerprint. If he does not fall for that, how about we give him a sword for him to hold? Surely, he would accept the gift." 

    "And where, my dear brother, would we find a sword?" Eléa wondered. Alexandre pointed to a glass case holding an ancient sword. Eléa looked back at