Professor Layton and the Shining Stone

Disclaimer: The Prof and his many friends aren't my property. BTW, good luck with that cool looking crossover, Team Layton…

Rating: PG.

Summary: The rarest treasure in America, known as the Shining Stone, has been stolen from the house of one of the Professor's colleagues. Together with his self-proclaimed apprentice, Luke, and his unofficial adopted daughter, Flora, Layton has been asked to unravel the mystery…

I'm actually quite impressed I've managed to carry this fic this far. Makes everything all worthwhile. Keep reviewing guys, I like reviews.

Here's the next chapter, and the solution to the last puzzle.

"…the first, the fourth, the ninth, the sixteenth, the twenty-fifth, the thirty-sixth, the forty-ninth, the sixty-fourth, the eighty-first, and the hundredth barrier. So ten barriers in total are still open."

Luke looked bewildered. "More maths, Professor?"

"Well, yes," said Layton. "The barrier will only be opened if they are toggled an odd number of times, so I had to think of numbers that had an odd number of factors (numbers that can make up another when multiplied) so they had no option but to open. So I thought of square numbers almost immediately. Like four times four."

The man scratched his head. "Well, if you say so. Thanks for your help. I'd better tell the manager about this."

And with that, he walked off, toolbox in hand. Layton, Luke and Flora meanwhile, stepped through the first barrier, and walked to the flight back to London.

Once all three were on board the plane, and getting comfortable in their seats, Layton noticed a familiar looking inspector and his vertically challenged assistant trying to find an empty seat. Chelmey in turn saw Layton, and walked over.

"Oh, hello, Layton," Chelmey said gruffly. "You're back rather early. Not enough evidence, or something?"

"I wouldn't say that," Layton replied. "I just stumbled across some interesting information, and I wanted to confirm it back in London. And give May no cause to worry. So how is your investigation?"

Chelmey gave a grunt of annoyance. "Well, I went to that old mine, the Black Eagle mine, or whatever it's name is, and then before I knew it some policemen found me and took me in for questioning! It took me ages to convince them I was a fellow inspector! But, eventually they believed me, and they showed me a few things that they found were being used to smuggle gems out of Africa. Old tin cans, ordinary bracelets, the works. But apart from that, not much, so I'm heading back." He sounded annoyed, and Layton had no trouble guessing why. Layton, a simple archeology professor, had gotten further into the case than Chelmey (again) and probably had an idea about the thief, too. But then, Chelmey's face lit up. He just remembered something, and, hoping that it would give him one over Layton, he said to Barton, "Hey, Barton. Pass me that note we found."

"Yes sir." Barton reached into the inspector's briefcase and took out a piece of notepaper. On it, it read,

'IHDXK VHFIXMBHG TM AHMXE. PX'KX NLBGZ FR VTKWL MABL MBFX. LBW.'

"This was found at the hotel in Germany, where we stayed." Chelmey looked at Layton suspiciously. "And the girl at the desk said one of the rooms was ransacked. Yours."

Layton sighed. "Well, on the way to Germany, I noticed that we were being followed by a woman. So I decided to track her, to see how she would react, and I followed her up to her hotel room, she broke out of the window, and when I got back to my room, it was a mess." He was careful not to mention the badly-spelt note that Layton took with him, and what it said, in fear of more questions.

Chelmey raised an eyebrow. "So you say. So out with it. What made you leave in such a hurry? And who was following us?"

"We already explained to the hotel staff about the affair. I just wanted to leave before things got worse. We were already pressed for time in our investigation. And that woman was someone from SNATCH, I think."

"SNATCH? How can you be sure?"

"You investigated that woman's room, correct? Do you remember seeing a red tin can...?"

"SNATCH use tin cans to smuggle jewels," Luke piped up.

Chelmey paused. "Yes," he said slowly, "I do remember that. So you think that woman overheard about the Shining Stone and followed us in the hope we would find it for her?"

"I would think so," nodded Layton, relieved that the inspector believed their story. "I think she gave up when she was discovered, however."

Layton paused. Deciding to carry the conversation further, he added, "So, about that note...?"

"Ah yes," Chelmey said. "Looked at it all day. Didn't have the foggiest clue what it said. Any thoughts?"

Layton looked at the paper. This was very similar to the note in the package they recieved on the train. If the note really was by someone from SNATCH, would the same code apply here too? He frowned in concentration, and began cracking the message.

Post note: Well, how does Layton get the answer? This puzzle is worth 30 Picarats, I would think. Here are the key facts:

'IHDXK VHFIXMBHG TM AHMXE. PX'KX NLBGZ FR VTKWL MABL MBFX. LBW' reads the note.

Same code as before applies here.

TASK: Decode the message.

Sorry about the late update. Real life sucks. I'd rather have one where exams didn't suck.

Next time in P.L.A.T.S.S (what a strange abbreviation), it's back to London to find the final piece of the puzzle that is the mystery!