Acess Code for Murder

Anne in a Nutshell

- What are you seeing there?

- Something Sophie left for me to read. - She was going to tall but I continued: - She said something about a robbery... - Her eyes widened with despair. - When was the last time something like that happened here?

- Hm, I don't know. I think a long time ago, but I'm not sure. We had to all install these cameras because someone kept breaking into our houses.

- So that was like a group decision?

- Kinda, yeah.

- Interesting. But I'm guessing that's not the robbery she was talking about. - I was going to leave the room but she asked in a depressed tone:

- Who do you think did this?

- I don't know, darling. But I'm gonna find out who did this, don't worry. - I exited the room before she could say a word. She stayed in there for a while, standing on the white rug, next to the corpse. I looked back and she still remained there.

I tried to find Andrew and Ivy, but I asked people along the way what they knew about the robbery. They all had the same reaction as Maggie: their eyes widened and they made up some excuse to throw me off. Not even Maggie could tell me the truth. But then I saw Anne, and she came forth and was honest, but not before getting me away from everybody else.

I don't know why they were still there. If I went through that, I'd want inner and "outter" peace, not friends showing me they were there for me: anybody with a brain, even if it's small, could tell that. All I'd want would be isolation, but we all know that that doesn't work in a world filled with Mr. Nature and people like him (if you don't get the reference read Too Hot to Breathe).

She directed me outside and calmly said: - Somebody stole the diamond ring from my former weeding.

- How long ago?

- 2 weeks.

- Oh wow. How old are you? - She looked intrigued but, in my opinion, she seemed way too young to have been married.

- 34. We divorced 10 years ago. - I raised my eyebrows in a sense of amazement. - Like Bryan Adams says, "We were young and wild and free."

- How much was the ring worth?

- Some guy told me it was worth 90k. - She took a cigarette out. - You smoke? - I nodded and she gave me one, lightning it up. - He was rich. But like any rich person, he was excentric. And it was only a matter of time until it happened. - She looked into the horizon, her voice growing with nostalgia in a scene way too dramatic for me.

- It happened? - She came back to reality.

- Never mind. The point is someone broke into my house while I was on a job interview, and stole it.

- And where did you have it?

- In a little box inside my closet. - She interpreted my expression as a taunt. - I know I shouldn't keep it there, I'm not stupid.

- So I'm guessing you didn't have any sorts of a security mechanism before?

- It wasn't needed before. I thought this neighborhood was safe, ok? They made me move here after they heard about the divorce, just so that they could keep tabs on me. - She paused, which I interpreted as a "I'm done with the dramatic analysis of my life. Carry on.".

- Who do you think did it?

- I don't know. I want to think it's a stranger but I know it can't be because... - I immediately interrupted her.

- A stranger wouldn't have known you'd be out of the house at the time. Yeah, I get it. You didn't answer my question. Who do you think did it?

She sighed: - I don't know, James. I can't even think of one of these people that would do that. - My silence was taken as a sigh. - It's true. I loved them when I moved here, and I love them more now. They wouldn't have done it James. I know they wouldn't. - Ignoring her dramatic statements, I carried on: