A/N:

Disclaimer – I am not involved with the copyright/s for Layton Brothers: Mystery Room or any of its affiliates. I'm also not making any monetary profit off of this.

Finally, a rewrite! /tosses confetti ~ I can't promise quick updates however, since I can't access my iPad 24/7 and using YouTube videos just doesn't compare. Some extra notes: first off, any subsequent (terrible) puns made in the story are not my doing. Just to make that clear. Also, I'm of the U.S., born and raised, so I won't be able to maintain any non-American accents very well past the provided dialogue. And while this is a novelization, I'll still be taking some literary freedoms here and there. Hope that doesn't disappoint you.

File No. 000: Freshly Baker.

A thunderstorm raged outside the office window.

"Four years on, and still it smarts."

He was covering his face with his hands, slumped in his chair. A migraine pulsed in the back of his head as two minds warred for control.

The heavens opened that night, and the rain sheeted down. That fateful night, when I lost my way.

"When... he killed me."

. . .

"Detective Constable Baker! Are you paying attention?"

Lucy nearly jumped out of her reverie and guiltily turned away from the window to look at her senior officer, tugging on the bottom of her green, military-esque blouse. "Ee, sorry, Deputy Commissioner," she apologized, rubbing the back of her neck. "I were miles away. It's such a nice day out there, I couldn't help gazing out the window." She beamed at a sudden thought. "All this sunshine must be a good omen on my first day, don't you think?"

"It makes no difference to anything," the Asian man grumbled. "Maybe if you'd seen a lucky red bat... Anyway, look, don't forget you've been assigned to what can only be described as a back-office." He crossed his arms. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's closed down tomorrow, quite frankly."

"Aye, but," Lucy retorted, grinning, "it's where all t'other cases that no one else can solve get sent, isn't it? Where the real stinkers get cracked!" She pointed in emphasis.

Deputy Chan opened his mouth to respond. However, the commissioner, a short, white-haired man in a long blue coat, approached the two in the hall. Chan shut his mouth.

"Quite so," the commissioner said with a smile. "Don't let Deputy Commissioner Chan put you off. I'm sure you'll do very well there."

"Thank you, Commissioner," Lucy replied graciously.

"You'll have to work very hard to prove yourself, Baker," Deputy Chan pointed out, "considering your performance up to now."

Lucy swallowed and adjusted her ruddy orange newsboy cap. "Now, I know I did particularly badly in my exams. But that's just because I'd had a bad Balti the night before."

"Don't worry, DC Baker," the commissioner said with a chuckle. "I've put you with a very special Inspector. He won't let you put a foot wrong, and there's not an officer in the force who can match his powers of deduction." For some reason, Deputy Chan had a double take towards the commissioner.

"Ee, really?" Lucy asked, pleased. "I'll be working with someone that good?"

"Oh yes. He's exceptional. In fact, I doubt there's a mystery he couldn't solve if he put his mind to it."

"That's grand." She beamed. "I'll get cracking then and introduce myself straight away."

As Lucy eagerly hurried off down the hall, Deputy Chan cast a skeptical look towards the commissioner. "Are you sure about this, Commissioner? He's so unstable. You could be putting her in danger."

"We just have to have faith," the commissioner replied after a moment. "For all his faults, I still believe in Alfendi Layton."

Deputy Chan huffed. "Well, I don't."

The two of them walked away, opposite the direction where an utterly clueless Lucy had gone tearing off.