Author's Note: Hello All! I realize that I have completely disappeared off the face of the earth for a time, but I am back and eager to be writing again. Work and music ensembles got a little crazy, but it is good to have some free time for writing once again. This is a shorter chapter, but I do hope to have another chapter posted within the next few days if all goes well.

Thank you all so much for your support of this story, and your lovely reviews! They really brighten my days :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Carmen Sandiego.

"So in closing, I hope you can all be welcoming to the newest member of our team here at ACME. Dr. Francesca Romano is an Italian Criminologist who will be working with us for the foreseeable future. She has so much to offer to us and I am sure you will all enjoy working with her." The Chief said to the detectives that were gathered around his main screen at ACME HQ.

Everyone broke into applause at this point and then the Chief opened up the conversation for questions.

"Excuse me Chief, but where is Dr. Romano now?" Zack asked. "I am sure that we would all love to meet her."

"I believe she is in her room at the moment, err, you see jet lag is a bit of a problem and she did just come from Italy to be here. It is just a little bit of a time difference you see and she needs to get fully acclimated." Chief said hastily.

"You mean she did not just take the C5 corridor?" Ivy asked confused.

"Not everyone believes that is the most comfortable means of transport Ivy." The Chief said quickly. "I know many people who would prefer the traditional methods of travel."

"When do you think we will be able to meet her?" another detective across the room piped up.

"Yes." said another quickly. "I would be very interested in discussing different methods and processes with her."

"In due time of course." The Chief said a little flustered. "I am certain that she will be very busy for her first few days here, but we will see how things go. Thank you again for your time. Wish I could stay to answer more questions, but I've got another important meeting to get to so….. Carry on with your work." Like that he was gone and the detectives were left murmuring amongst themselves. Over the next few minutes the majority of them dispersed throughout the rest of the building leaving Zack and Ivy alone.

"What do you think of that?" Ivy asked Zack after a time.

"The new Criminologist? I think this is fantastic. Think of all that we could do with the extra help around here."

"Not about her, the Chief." Ivy said. Did he seem just a little bit flustered to you?"

"Doesn't he always seem just a bit flustered Ive? After all he is rather high energy. In the most literal sense."

"Yes, but not quite like this. I got the feeling that he was hiding something; or at least not giving us the whole truth about things."

"Sis, why would he lie to us about this? A new criminologist, what on earth could that be hiding?"

"Jet lag Zack? Not choosing to use the C5 corridor? That does not sound any alarm bells in your head?"

"Ive, relax, there are a lot of people who do not like using the C5 corridor. Remember even Carmen found the whole thing to be rather disconcerting and she's, well, Carmen. The system has bugs that still need to be worked out. Personally I would not blame someone for not being too fond of it."

"This from the person who threw a fit when Suhara didn't want to use it?"

"I've changed over time. I like to think that all of what we have gone through together has served to make me the mature well adjusted person that I am today."

Ivy just snorted at this. "Believe whatever you want to little bro." she said. "I am going to check up on Dr. Romano's dossier."

"Still suspicious?" Zack asked.

"Of course." Ivy replied. "This whole thing doesn't seem right. Why do we need a new criminologist? Why now?"

"Maybe they just thought it was time to bring in someone new to help us catch Carmen?" Zack suggested.

"Somehow I do not think so." Ivy answered. "If indeed she is a real criminologist than perhaps there is another case that we do not know about that has taken precedence."

"It is certainly possible. Remember we are not the only detectives that work for ACME. The whole goal of the agency does not relate solely to capturing Carmen Sandiego."

"Okay, okay. Would you mind bringing up the dossier for us to read through? You are the computer whiz kid."

"No problem sis." Zack sat down in front of the keyboard and began typing. A few moments later a dossier opened up on the screen. The information was fairly straightforward, all stuff that they had heard earlier on.

"That picture does have some striking similarities to someone else that we know, wouldn't you say Zack?" Ivy asked after examining it for a moment.

"I do not see any of note, what do you mean?"

"The dark hair? The shape of the face?" Ivy said. "Doesn't ring any bells little bro?"

Zack rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it she does look kind of familiar. I just cannot put my finger on what it is about her."

Ivy sighed dramatically. "Come off it little bro, she looks almost identical to Carmen, can't you see it?"

"Perhaps, if you squint." Zack said after a moment. "I would not think too much of it though. Statistically speaking everyone has a doppelgänger."

"Why would her doppelgänger show up here though, of all places?" Ivy asked after a moment.

"I don't know, poetic irony?" Zack offered. "At any rate why on earth would Carmen bother disguising herself to work at ACME again? We all know that she is good enough that she could probably access all of our information if she wanted to anyhow. We would be kidding ourselves to believe otherwise."

"Fine, Ivy said after a moment. I just do not like the sound of this."

"Hey, I understand how you feel. Look at it this way though, in the extremely unlikely event that Francesca Romano is an alter ego for Carmen, we would have a head start on getting her in custody. What better way for us to keep track of what she is doing than to have her right here, under our noses?"

"Maybe you are right. Maybe I am just a bit paranoid. We have been working the Carmen case for an extremely long time; it is natural that I would be seeing things now. There is no way Carmen would be working at ACME." Ivy said shaking her head.

"Of course I am right. I do possess a certain, shall I say, knack for deduction. My skills are legendary after all."

Ivy playfully swatted her brother on the head. "Famously big headed perhaps."

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "That was uncalled for."

Ivy raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you say we call it a night? We've got lots of work ahead of us in the coming weeks and I want to be here bright and early tomorrow morning to meet our new….associate."

"Alright." Zack said. "Let me just close out this program before we leave, covering our tracks as it were."

"Zack, we are not criminals."

"All the same, it feels like an invasion of privacy to be snooping around her dossier."

"I seem to recall that you did not put up much of a fight when I asked you to open it." Ivy replied skeptically.

"As I told you earlier this evening I grow and change throughout every new experience. What can I tell you? I have just reached a higher level of maturity and enlightenment than you have." He said with a grin.

"If I were you little bro, I would quit while I was ahead. Perhaps I would also consider running at this point." Ivy said cracking her knuckles.

Zack did not need to be told twice.

"I take it Zack and Ivy have already read through my dossier?" Carmen asked without looking up.

She was sitting at her desk poring over a collection of documents. The Chief had just popped into a framed picture on her desk.

"I have got to hand it to you Carmen. That was quick thinking on your part to already have that up on the server." Chief replied.

"Always know who you are dealing with." Carmen replied. "A study of basic human nature is key to survival. I presume that they already have some suspicions about my identity?"

"From what I observed they did make some comments that would suggest that, yes." Chief replied with just a hint of anxiety.

"I do love a challenge." Carmen said looking up. Her eyes held the first glint of fire Chief had seen in them since she had come in a few days prior.

"Knowing full well that you will not heed my advice on this matter, I will only say, proceed with caution Carmen." Chief said.

"Oh, I certainly intend to." Carmen said seriously. "Now is no time for a game of cat and mouse."