Page 71 of Rules

"Alright, alright," Law shakes his head. "Here Tobias, let me show you what we've been up to."

Law shoots Mouse a look. She glances back at Sebastian then taps a few keys. The wall monitor comes to life displaying a series of images—Michael's warehouse, both his properties, and several surveillance photos taken around town.

"We went to the properties and did a search for active surveillance equipment," Law informs me. "The warehouse is clean and his houses are sitting empty, no signs of recent activity. We were worried he might have stayed at his work but I need a warrant to check it. I've put in a call to get one. Until then, we have cameras watching all the properties."

"Nice, you don't think he saw you putting in the cameras?"

Sebastian and Law chuckle. "No way to really tell. But, we went in during the cover of darkness so, I'll lean towards no. As of now if it's Michael's, we've got eyes on it."

"I see, and these?" I point to the surveillance photos.

"We've been running facial recognition through every camera we can in town," Keyboard explains, her voice softer than her sister's. "No hits yet, but we're expanding the search radius daily. We've also got programs running on the bus terminal, train station, and car rental agencies within a hundred miles."

"What about his financial activity?" I ask. "Any withdrawals or purchases that might indicate anything?"

Mouse snorts. "It's hard to monitor all his accounts. The guy's got more shell companies than a turtle farm."

"We're tracking but he's crafty," Keyboard adds.

"Craftier than you two?" I can't help asking.

The twins exchange a look that can only be described as predatory.

"Nobody's better than us," Mouse says with quiet confidence, eyeing me. "Nobody."

"Every good chess match takes time," Keyboard matter-of-factly states as she stares at me.

Their stares' intensity alone is enough to make me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it's a computer or smart person thing. The only other one with matched intensity in their eyes was Michael. Him I underestimated, I won't make that mistake about anyone else again.

"Alright ladies, the sheriff now knows how intimidating you are." Law leans forward, totally unaffected by the looks of death. "Anyway, we've also been mapping the break-ins, looking for patterns, commonalities. Which brings me to why I wanted to meet." He slides a tablet across the table. "What do you make of this?"

I look down at the screen. It's a map of Whispering Pines with the break-in locations marked in red. There's an additional overlay of blue dots scattered throughout town.

"What am I looking at?"

"The red dots are the break-ins. The blue dots are properties owned by companies we've traced back to Michael," Law explains. "Some are direct purchases, others came through cutouts, or some are owned by his company, but they all lead back to him in some way."

I study the pattern, and a chill runs down my spine. None of Michael's buildings have been broken into.

"I've been asking myself if he was connected," I state.

"Too close to be coincidence," Law confirms. "These crews are professional, organized, and they're escalating in violence with each job. It's not about the money—they're leaving valuable items behind. As you know, they're sending a message."

"Or creating a distraction," Keyboard adds without looking up from her screen.

I look at her and ask, "A distraction from what?"

"Well, look at it like the Emperor would. He doesn't need the money from some," she air quotes, "petty two-bit robbery. He has millions upon millions. And that is the money we knowabout. He could have double that in offshore or online accounts and investments."

"Meaning," Mouse chimes in, "that whoever funds the robbers isn't doing it from the money obtained during the act. Also,"

"Also," Keyboard takes over, "one would have to ask themselves if money isn't the motivating reason, what is?"

"A personal attack?" Mouse holds up her hands in a questioning way. "No, that would be pointed at one person and once the break-in was done it would be over."

"Yeah," Keyboard nods. "This isn't singularly pinpointed, the jewelry was a perfect example of that. Why not keep it and sell it?"

"Because it's chump change to these people." Mouse enunciates the word "chump" in a gangster type of way. "No, there's only two things these could be." She points to the dots on the sheet.

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