"Alright, did you get a chance to make a list of everything that was missing?" Max held his notepad, continuing to make note of any details Mr. Rodriguez could remember. 


The officers had already done their sweep to collect pictures and other evidence found at the scene. From what Max gathered, there wasn't a lot to go off of. The Rodriguez family were extremely lucky that they weren't present during the robbery, but that made it difficult to determine what did or didn't happen. 


To make it worse, their alarm system never went off. Just like the first two victims, using the same security system, law enforcement was never alerted to the break-in. Max made a mental note to get Harris on the ball with contacting the company.


"That is the interesting part of all of this, sir. My safe was untouched. My wife's jewelery is all accounted for. Nothing of real value was missing. Just a few of my son's belongings went missing, though, I don't quite understand how a remote control drone and a walkie-talkie device are worth this much trouble." Mr. Rodriguez was beside himself, seemingly shocked, but reveling in gratefulness that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. "However, when I went to review the footage, that message seemed rather cryptic. That's the main reason I don't want to treat this as just some punk kid messing with my son." 


Max agreed, and that message indicated something deeper at play here. He concluded that Mr. Rodriguez would need to bring his son in for questioning, just to get a better understanding of what went missing. He packed away his notes and excused himself back into the wasteland of reverberating heat. 


As he made his way to where he left his vehicle, he paused to observe the customers perusing the lot. It wasn't likely that the suspect was interested in the Rodriguez' fortune - but just in case, he wanted to get an idea of anything that stood out. 


The lot had their own cameras watching over it, the same company that provided surveillance at the victim's homes. Max was unsure whether he felt that Mr. Rodriguez was a dedicated customer, or a naive one. If this turns out to be faulty service, he may need to invest in an upgrade. 


This heat was too much to stand around looking. The sun pulsed a sting into his retinas. He needed water. 


He shuffled into his car and jabbed for the AC to kick into gear. 


Max started away to continue on to the precinct. Traffic wasn't so bad for being the day after a holiday. Except maybe in school zones. However, he enjoyed the drag of time as he cruised through the crowds of kids making their way to West End High School. It was nice to get a burst of nostalgia as he watched the changes the district had made over the last 15 years. 


The kids today were rather odd, all carrying their own personal cell phones, and barely talking to eachother. However, there were small groups of those coming from more humble families, who didn't have their noses fixed on a miniature computer screen. 


And there were some students walking independently, too consumed with carrying their massive book bags, instruments, or class projects. They would be the students too concerned with their education to be worried about whether their selfies were angled correctly. 


And then there were the students coupled together, embracing in ways Max was sure their parents weren't aware of. That wasn't a new concept for the general masses of high school activity throughout the years - but even when he was a teenager, he'd never really seen the appeal in that. 


But days like this, he wondered if maybe that was a long-held regret. In high school, he mostly focused on his schoolwork and whatever activities his family was involved in. 


It wasn't to specifically say he'd never been interested in girls. He just really didn't have any interest in anyone other than the one girl that he really shouldn't have been interested in. At least, that's how he viewed it in the situation they were in. 


Max released himself from his daydreaming, as he realized the crossing guard waving him free to go. From here, it was a smooth shot the rest of the way to headquarters. No more time for nostalgia. Drive.


-----


It was dark. Except for the trail of light glowing around the corner. But it was cold. She didn't want to move away from the heating vent. She stood staring down the trash polluted alleyway, watching the steam of her breath escape her nostrils. 


She waited for Mommy. She said she'd be right back. It's too cold to move anyway. 


It got brighter. More lights. Flashy lights. Red and blue. A car drives up, and a man in black steps out of the vehicle.


The scene fades into a warm and orange day. Her Mommy plays hopscotch but spills her coffee all over the sidewalk. She giggles in surprise. 


A little boy runs laughing towards her. She darts towards the playground, taunting him. After several turns around the swinger, She notices her Mommy, turn to wave at the man in black.


Again, the scene changes. The sky is Grey, the wind is cold. Everyone is in black. Her mommy lays sleeping in a wooden box. The boy is there to hold her hand. 


The man in black speaks to everyone about Mommy. 


The scene transforms - a big room, with loud music, flashing lights, and the boy standing close. Tears are shared for a moment, and the man in black comes to take the boy away. 


Once more, she finds the scene dissolving, this time in a rapid series of moments. The man in black walks towards her as the location changes around him. Home, the alleyway, the cafe, at the movies, in the nightclub, downtown. 


The man in black follows and never lets her sleep. He reaches his hands out to grip at her throat. She stops breathing.


-----


Max stood at the front of the room, drawing notes across the board, waiting for everyone to gather and discuss their findings. 


"Rough night?" Jenna stepped to his side and reviewed the fresh and wet marks that now danced across the whiteboard. 


"You could say that. I went out for drinks last night with some old friends." He paused, realizing she deserves the truth. "Hannah isn't interested in reconciling." 


Jenna stood silent, burrowing her brow. She never liked that woman. A privileged, spoiled brat who needed a swift kick in the ass. Of course, she would never say it out loud.


She felt protective of Max. He didn't deserve to be pushed and pulled like a yo yo. And that was all Hannah ever really wanted. She didn't deserve the love Max poured out to her. And yet, Jenna knew that opinion was something to be picked apart. They'd make something of it. They'd overthink the meaning. She kept it to herself. 


"So what are your options?" She inquired. 


"At the moment, waiting to see what the lawyers can help us settle. I haven't tried to give much thought to it just yet." 


Jenna nodded as officers and personnel began to fill the room. The chief, Captain Stammets, Harris, Amanda, and a few interns here for observation only. 


Kicking herself in the direction of the room, she invited everyone to get comfortable, "Alright, Harris, what do we have on HomeSec?" 


Tom Harris opened his case notes and relayed his findings, "I did speak with them, and they have not had any other reports of system failure. They have information on our victims and are currently reviewing logs to see if they can identify any anomolies."


Max nodded and moved on to addressing the evidence. "Mr. Rodriguez reports that nothing of value, to his knowledge, has been missing, but he will be bringing his son in for identification on what has gone missing. What do we have for the previous break-ins?" 


Officer Riley nodded and began reading his notes, "Both other victims reported similar findings: a recording device, a flash drive, and a small drone. The owners of these belongings did note they weren't specifically brand named items, that they obtained them through friends, in various ways. They may or may not be knock offs." 


Jenna gave Harris an inspired nod, noting their inside joke about kids engineering their own spy gear. "Another update after speaking with Mr. Rodriguez, is that the suspect may or may not have a personal interest in Detective Clyde. Please be on the lookout for any and all mention or reference, as it could be relevant to the case. "


Together, the team worked with the several officers that had been dispatched to the previous crime scenes. In perfect replication, all stories were the same. The residents of these homes were not present. The only real reason they knew there'd been a break in was after reviewing footage afterwards. 


Max shuddered to think about how many break ins were happening without any knowledge of it, simply because most people with security systems would be relying on said systems to alert them to the event. 


And upon searching their houses for their most prized possessions, nobody was actually missing anything of value. 


Their suspect wasn't interested in money. They weren't interested in the rush of violence. They planned specifically to break in when these victims were not home, and all for some janky ass devices, that didn't have any specific value on the market. 


What exactly is the motive here? They all questioned. It must be personal. However, the victims shared no connections with eachother. No relation, no business ties, they didn't share the same religious views. The only similarities were that their teenagers had possession of peculiarly crafted technology. 


They'd need to get their hands on one of these devices, to get a better sense of the value there.


As they prepared to be dismissed, a voice peeked through the shuffle to bring attention back to the detectives, "I don't think it's related to Detective Clyde, but I did shadow dispatch yesterday, and there was a strange call that came in," the whole room paused, to focus on one of the interns, nervously regretting her comment immediately. "I only mention it because it involved a woman describing seeing a man on her surveillance recording sneaking into a home, but it wasn't hers, and the dispatch officer summed it up to a sweet old lady not realizing she was watching a true crime documentary. But I heard this woman, she seemed very concerned, and adamant she knew what she was looking at." 


Jenna, Max, and the captain hesitated to silently check in with each other visually. In agreeance, they dismissed the rest of the room but called the intern back with them. 


The detectives took seats, readying their notes, as the captain invited Sarah to have a seat on a nearby stool. 


Interns were always interesting to watch, as they squirmed in insecurity throughput their learning process. However, it wasn't very often they got one who rose above that anxiety, and took the chance to say the wrong things - just in case it might be right. 


"First, as an intern, you are here for observation only..." Stammets paused with a stern brow.


"I know, my apologies, sir!" She lowered her line of sight, feeling regret for stepping out of line. 


Stammets was very intimidating when he wanted to be, but Max knew all too well. Stammets wasn't angry right now. He was proud. He was grilling the poor girl, just like he does Max and Jenna. This girl has got potential. 


"Second, this department doesn't run on absolutely coloring within the lines. It takes a backbone built to step up when no one else will. It takes a willingness to challenge each other when details go unnoticed." He paused as her face changed from horror to confusion.


Jenna couldn't bear it anymore. The poor girl was traumatized. She snickered, "What he means to say is 'Atta' Girl!' Take a breath." 


Sarah blushed and straightened herself again. 


Stammets, now having his cover blown, submitted to moving forward with the questioning. "Alright, tell me more about the call you shadowed."