The Missing Mask

     "Good morning!" a sunny-looking Kacheek greeted with a broad grin. "How can I help you?"

     Toxi couldn't help but warm to this friendly Kacheek at once, so different from the typically shy species. "My name is Toxi Cable and I'm a detective on a case."

     The Kacheek suddenly gasped. "Oh, you're here about the mask! My brother told me that it went missing yesterday and I felt so sorry for Dylan! Simon says-"

     Toxi wasn't surprised. If good news had wings, bad news had a jet pack. At the mention of a familiar name, something clicked for her. "Simon is your brother," she guessed.

     "Yup, I know we don't really look alike even though we both wear glasses. He and Dylan have been friends for ages, and I like visiting whenever I get the chance. Though, I'm not sure how I can help you?" The green Kacheek paused, giving the detective a curious look.

     "Well, that's just it. I'm looking for the mask and decided to see if I could find any surveillance of the place or even an eyewitness," Toxi explained.

     "Oh, well we don't have any security cameras here as no one's interested in stealing flowers so we can't help there. While we didn't see anything unusual yesterday, maybe you can check out the café across the street? They have cameras, I think."

     "Thank you for your time…" Toxi paused meaningfully as she waited for a name.

     "Mayflowerie," the green Kacheek introduced herself. "I know it’s not much but I hope you're able to get to the bottom of this case."

     As Toxi left the flower shop, she heard the Kacheek say, "Oh, I can't wait to tell Quiggy that I was able to help with a real investigation!"

     Following her new lead, the Draik detective strode across the street to the café the Kacheek florist had indicated, hoping she would be able to find something that would finally crack the case wide open.

     The café across the street was called Borovan and Fuzzles and had a Virtupets Space Station theme. A Griefer and a Nedler watched her from the front window as she crossed the street. When she opened the door, she noted the ambient green lights and techno music. Since she'd already had coffee this morning, she ordered a Milkyway shake.

     Toxi took a seat by the window and stared across the street at the disco. She wondered where the missing mask was now. Her milkshake tasted like outer space, and she pondered how such a thing was possible.

     "Want anything else?" the Mutant Grundo cashier asked, eager to be of assistance.

     "I was hoping if you have a moment, you might help me solve a mystery."

     Regardless of whether the Grundo had been busy, an offer like that was way too tempting to resist. The Grundo took the seat across from Toxi and leaned in. "Is this secretive? I've always wanted to be a spy."

     "I'd prefer to keep this secret from any suspects," Toxi said, and the Grundo nodded in agreement.

     "My name is Rosie, by the way."

     "And I'm Toxi Cable."

     Rosie's ruby eyes widened in recognition.

     Toxi continued, "I see this café is filled with all the latest Space Station technology. Might you have any security camera footage showing the discotheque across the street?"

     Rosie got up and went into the back room. She returned moments later with an N-4 Info Retrieval Bot. The Petpet looked startled at being carried and his little legs swayed in the air. Molly popped her head out of Toxi's bag to sniff at him.

     "This is Oliver," Rosie said, setting him down on the table. "He likes to spend the night charging on one of these tables. He goes into sleep mode, but he wakes up if he senses movement. He's very good for security, not that we need it much. I'm not sure who would bother a little café like ours."

     "Can we watch the footage recorded last night?" Toxi asked.

     Oliver nodded his little telescopic body and turned around to stare at the wall. His eyeball projected footage from 8 p.m. the night before. Toxi and Rosie watched yesterday's customers enter the disco.

     Toxi instructed Oliver to fast-forward until the disco closed. She watched the footage of the employees leaving for the night and an Elephante locking the door. Although darkness obscured his features, she realized this must be Dylan. Dylan stood for a moment, staring sadly at his disco, before stumping slowly down the street. Once he vanished from the footage, the projection ended.

     "This is great stuff, Oliver. Do you have any more footage after that?" Toxi asked.

     Oliver shook his body in a nod. He showed a Mutant Grundo rushing past.

     "I don't think we need to see any more of that," Rosie said, blushing. "I might have been a little late this morning…"

     "Okay, Oliver. Could you please show me any footage you have from the night before last, beginning from when the discotheque closed and ending when Rosie showed up to open the café?"

     Oliver nodded and began projecting. The first clip showed the employees leaving and a much more chipper Elephante closing the disco and strolling down the street.

     The second clip showed an Ixi entering the discotheque at 3:23 a.m. The third clip showed the Ixi leaving at 3:28 a.m. Could this be Alan? For a moment, Toxi was confused. Wasn’t Alan a DJ and wouldn’t that mean he didn’t have a key? Then, she remembered her was only filling in for Niko on the night of the theft and was typically a bartender. Toxi would have to follow up with him later.

     The next footage began at 4:01 a.m. An Elephante entered the discotheque. At 4:26 a.m., the Elephante left.

     The final footage showed Rosie dashing down the block to open the café.

     Toxi grimaced.

     Seeing her face, Rosie said, "I guess you didn't find what you were looking for."

     "No," Toxi reassured her. "This was very helpful. I don't suppose we could make the footage any brighter or clearer."

     "Sorry about that. Oliver can't capture clear images in low lighting."

     "Even so, I learned a lot. The thief was most likely an Ixi or an Elephante. This significantly narrows down my list of suspects. And it confirms something I've been suspecting this whole time."

     Rosie leaned in close, eager to learn some secret spy knowledge.

     "Neither the Ixi nor the Elephante were carrying anything when they left the disco. Meaning the missing mask and, come to think of it, Niko's missing mug, must still be inside the disco."

     Toxi thanked Rosie for her assistance and then left the café. She shot off a quick text to Dylan, "Found some security footage that has helped narrow down the search. No smoking gun yet but will keep you posted."

     Dylan responded with, "That's great news!"

     Then, the Draik detective shot off another text to Alan. "Hey, I'd like to talk with you a bit more about the case. Are you available for lunch?"

     She knew it was early, especially for the night Whoots like the disco employees were but they had also made it clear that they were available any time if Toxi needed something from them regarding the case. Not expecting a rapid response, she knew there was plenty else she could do in the meantime. So, it was almost an hour later before she heard back from Alan.

     "Yeah, I'm free for lunch."

     "Good. I know a nice little café called Borovan and Fuzzles where we can meet."

     "The café across the street from the disco?"

     "The very same."

     "Alright, I'll meet you there."

     The striped Ixi and pirate Draik met outside Borovan and Fuzzles before entering and taking the nearest available table.

     "You know, I walk past this place every day for work but never actually been here before. Not easy for someone like me who keeps unusual hours," Alan admitted, taking in the futuristic interior, a far cry from the disco vibes of his own workplace.

     "And that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Toxi began.

     Alan looked back at Toxi with a curious look.

     "I was able to track down some security footage of the night before last."

     "The night of the theft!"

     Toxi nodded. "After the disco closed for the night, you were recorded returning to the disco. You entered the building around 3:30 in the morning and left five minutes later."

     "Ah, now I understand. I did have to go back after work that night. But not because I took Dylan's mask. What would I possibly want with that? I mean, even if I did take it, what would I do with it? It’s rather hard to miss and Dylan and I have the same friends. Everyone would know where it actually belonged." Alan shook his head.

     "So why did you go back to the disco that night?"

     "I forgot my scarf that night. Things got busy and I forgot. I made it almost all the way home before realizing it too. It was a gift from Blythe and it’s been my favourite for ages so I didn't want to leave it even overnight. I left it in the booth and the mask was there. So, you can imagine my shock when Dylan told me the mask was missing yesterday. It doesn't make sense!"

     "That was actually helpful, Alan. The more I learn about the particulars, the closer I get to figuring out what really happened."

     The two of them shared a nice lunch where Toxi learned a bit more about Alan and his musical undertakings. He had been a musician for a long time but had never made it big; while he still clung to that dream, he picked up bartending to make ends meet. Dylan was a big supporter and gave Alan as much exposure as he could in the disco. Toxi had to hide her smile as three separate 'pets stopped to flirt with Alan. He was a handsome Ixi, but she had also picked up that his heart belonged to his music and to Blythe, if his glowing eyes and affectionate smile were any indications whenever the pastel Zafara came up in conversation.

     At the end of the lunch, they parted ways and while it had been a pleasant distraction, Toxi knew it was time to get back to work. She had been thinking about the Elephante that had been spotted that night an hour after Alan's visit to the disco. The footage had been helpful but hadn't narrowed the suspect list down too much. While she was certain Dylan was not the culprit, he still had three sisters that could be.

     While she had her suspicions on the true culprit, she wasn't one to succumb to tunnel vision and pick the obvious answer.

     So, which sister had visited the disco?

     And where had the mask been hidden?

To be continued…