Chapter IV. Free Agent Falco Lombardi.
The next starships from Hong Kong, Earth Federation had come to Coneria Spaceport. At Earth time GMT 19:00, 6th October in Earth year 2147. After landing on the Coneria spaceport, doing the procedures that are surrounding the identity, he finally went back to his old home.
When he stepped out of the streets, he deeply breathes in.
"Ah, I almost forgot what it is like to breathe in a breath of air from my home planet."
But his reassurement did not last for long. For he already saw a black car with people in black glasses coming out.
"Mr. Lombardi, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"We are the agency from the Investigation Forces of Coneria. Please follow us to the crime scene. Lieutenant Pigma is waiting for you."
The word 'Pigma' made Falco feel weird.
"Isn't he the..."
After a distant and long travel in the car, Falco finally arrived at the crime scene. With yellow police tape setting up a barricade which doesn't allow any civilians to pass or go in. The area is Highway 86. At a warehouse stop.
When he wanted to pass through the tape a police officer stopped him.
"Please show your identi..."
Falco already showed his agent card. It wrote: "EFID, 1st grade Free Agent. Falco Lombardi. With his picture of his head printed at the right of these details.
"You may pass now, sir." As the police officer was then called by his colleagues to work something out, and went there.
"Time for my analyzer I brought on earth to show me what it's got." Thought Falco. As he took out his device from his coat.
The analyzer was code-named: CEA (Crime Evidence Analyzer.). It automatically connects to the local internet and can find out any related material to the piece of evidence. It has a universal-grade 10 authorization that allows the user to access the most sensitive information the local country has. Making the investigation more smooth and quick. Falco went to the Earth Federation just for this piece of million-dollar splendid equipment. So that he can run things more quickly.
Wearing plastic gloves, Free Agent Falco Lombardi is ready for action.
He first glanced that there was a tent. So he asked the police officer what the tent's for.
"Oh. That thing. The place where the victim is placed. Just another dead body lying around here. Feel free to find anything that's useful here."
Falco then went down to the tent, uncovered the cloth, and looked at the corpse. He took the analyzer out, and then scanned the body with it.
The analyzer then displayed a hologram. It showed up: "The victim seems to be drowned in water. But there are no signs of struggle. There will be no chance that the victim is killed by gunfire as there are no marks of any metal. However, there seem to be atoms of Silver. Which can be traced in several locations to my geological analysis, one is in an apartment, one is in a shop, and the strongest signal is from the local police station."
"Police station?" Thought Falco. "This may be caused by a cop. Or whatever it is..."
The analyzer then detected traces of signals.
"Please open the victim's hands. There are positive signals of evidence hidden in there."
Falco then opened the hands of the victim. And discovered a rose.
"Rose, which is signified as a sign of love and passion, is always a gift to your beloved ones in valentine's day. The Victim's rose seems to have a trail of its flower powder. Now analyzing..."
While analyzing, Falco looked out of the tent. It was raining. Heavily, with a gust of autumn wind. Autumn is the season of the Tempests. The wind wasn't very cold, but Falco felt it was freezing. He held his jacket tight and went back into the tent again.
"The victim also was last seen in the Cecil Market, which was in a location 60 km further. So that makes a lot of possibilities which can occur in the case. More than 600 families are detected within the radius meaning that suspects were too many to be narrowed without further detail."
"Gracious!" Thought Falco. "There's cold weather, there's little to none evidence, then now there are too many suspects! I must get a shelter for today."
"Analysis completed. Please follow my route to the origin of the flower trail."
Falco then followed what the analyzer said. He then walked to where he came from.
"According to my analysis, the powder trail ended here. I also saw that there are tire tracks here. Probably an imported car from Earth. Since evidence of some bacteria on earth are found, the car has the highest possibility to be imported from the Earth Federation. The car's identity is unknown. But I can use the tire tracks to estimate the car's brand and model using the pressure applied to the dirt to estimate the weight thus the brand and model of the car. Please scan the area in front of you."
"Tire tracks in this weather? The rain would have washed away all of them. This thing's good."
He then scanned the ground but with doubt that he was scanning the right piece of ground.
"Analysis completed. Making an estimate of the car did not make any upgrades or transferring of parts, this will be a Dodge Viper from the Earth Federation, which is liked by both Coneria and the Earth Federation for his fast speed and its excellent handling in turns. However, it is uncertain that maybe a replacement of parts had affected my analysis. So please be considerate about this issue."
"OK. I'll remember that detail. Anything else?"
"There is some blood sample detected. Please go to the fence near you."
Falco then walked to the fence just like what the analyzer said. He used his UV light to scan the fence himself. Blood it is.
The analyzer was scanning the DNA of the blood.
"Scanning completed. The blood is identified to be the victims. Apparently scratched this by accident. I think I have seen something besides you. Please look around."
Falco then looked around like the analyzer said, and found a bottle of painkillers.
He gave it to the analyzer and told it to scan the bottle.
"Acetaminophen." Said the analyzer. "The most widely used painkillers in Coneria and Earth Federation. There is a manufacturer. But I'll need more time to find where it came from."
"I think I have found what I need to find. We'll go home." Said Falco. He was exhausted by all this stuff. All he wanted was to go to a shelter so he could sleep in. Or even better- seeing his good old friend.
"OK. Can I see Lieutenant Pigma now?" He walked and asked the guard he had encountered at the entrance.
"You can see him. When you are back at the police station."
After getting into the car, he took his mobile device and checked the time. It was already 5 in the afternoon. And he spent about an hour at the crime scene.
After a long ride to the police station in the city of Coneria, he went in. The police HQ was completely different. The last time he went here, the old, vintage design remained. Bits of wood falling from the wall, with a couple of almost broken wood shelves right at the side of every office desk. That was, when he was still young and committed crimes. The wooden floor was completely worn out and it just left a big crater at the side of the lieutenant's office. Legend said that a soldier got mad here and killed a bunch of people. And shot an RPG grenade right at the office. But he missed and just hit the floor. So there was that big crater. But everything changed. The floor had changed from oak wood to a brand new solid made, double-ply glass floor which made a reflection of anyone who was looking at it. The walls were repainted and reconstructed as granite and it was painted white. The desks were brand new, and computers are all the newest technology in Coneria.
When he asked the reception lady where Lieutenant Pigma is, the lady said that he was processing a case, so he must wait for a while outside his office. He saw a box with a small hole on the top, it was written: "Donate now for the next Lieutenant who will be awarded for distinguished servicing for the CPF." With a silver ring inside an anti-theft device.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. But what's that ring for?"
"This ring? Every new lieutenant is given a ring that is for the services he had made. We rely on donations only. Would you like to donate a part of your salary to let the new lieutenant get what he deserves to get? Any kind of currency will do. HKD, USD, RMB, Pounds, Conerian Dollars, anything."
Falco then put 500 HKD to the donation box right next to the board. He forgot to transfer his money from HKD to CD when he went here from Earth.
"Thank you very much, sir. And may I ask your name again?"
"I'm a Lombardi. Falco Lombardi."
"Please wait in the chair beside the lieutenant's office, Mr. Lombardi. I'll call the Lieutenant to get you shortly."
As Falco walked to the Lieutenant's office, he thought that everything has changed.
After waiting for a while on the chair, Pigma finally came out.
Falco thought that, for he has changed, Pigma would change too. So in a respectful manner, he greeted him, with the French word Hyacinth has taught him: "Bonsoir. This is Falco Lombardi. Free agent from the Earth Fede..."
"Oh, the Arwing pilot?"
"Uh, yeah."
"You should know you are lucky that I accepted you." He said in his high-pitched, disgusting voice.
"Oh, how thankful I am." He tried to hide his sarcastic tone.
"I'll bring you to your office."
As they walked, Pigma remained utterly silent, leaving Falco behind trying to catch up with him.
When Pigma opened the door Falco tried but cannot stop having a disgusted yet mad appearance on his face.
The room was nothing but a wasted locker room with a small table on it. The wall paint is barely sticking to their positions, not even a chair is placed.
"What! The! Hell! Is! This?!" Shouted him. Turning his head to Pigma.
But Pigma seems to be ready for everything. For he already pulled out a gun and pointed at Falco's head. Right at his forehead.
"You think that I will let my enemy's friend get away so easily?"
"There...don't get that mad yet. Put down the gun. Or you're in trouble with the Earth Federation. The President is fond of me. If he knows that I'm dead because of you..."
"Blah, blah, blah. From now on, you can keep up with your investigation as the way you want to. But if I tell you to do something, will you do so?"
"I will, sir."
"Good. Now you may go."
After Pigma telling that he might go, Falco rushed out of the police HQ. Not minding everyone's eyes that gazed at him as he stumbled, tripped, and ran to out with all his speed. He doesn't know what to do next. But then, came in a car.
It was a blue, Nissan Skyline. It did not have any passenger, nor driver. But inside it was only a note and a blank cheque. With a distinctive signature of the president of the Earth Federation.
The note has written the kind words from Hyacinth and noted that the car has different functions. With a key which used to turn on the engine at the back of the note, which has been stuck with sticky tape.
"Okay, I admit it. You are resourceful, Hyacinth." Thought he.