Mega sorry for the late update, school's been a ball of stress lately and was put on computer probation. The story concludes in this chapter. Shutting up now, starting chapter.

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Krystal had moved her search to the girl's restroom that David said he saw Laura walk into. She was searching vigorously on all fours for any scrap of potential evidence. In her peripheral vision she saw a small glimpse of something under the sink. She picked it up using a paper towel and looked at it inches away from her face. 'Looks like a piece of plastic,' Krystal thought to herself examining the crimson, crescent-shaped shard. 'But why is it blood?' She wrapped the towel around the shard and put it in her pocket. 'That covers this area. Maybe Fox is having better luck then I am.'

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"That's it!" yelled Ellias. "What's taking them so long?"

"Be patient, Ellias," soothed Faye. "The police will be here momentarily... at least I hope so."

"Not the police, those foxes! Professional hero's my tail!"

"Hey, they're trying their best to solve a murder that I bet you're behind!" shouted David.

"ME!"

"How can you say that?" asked Raechel who was still choked up from crying. "Ellias had no reason to kill his own father."

"Oh, COME ON!" yelled David. "Didn't you see his face when his father said he was giving me the company?"

"Yeah right!" Ellias shouted in David's face. "My guess is that you killed him to get your hands on MY families company all the sooner!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

"-STOP!" shouted Laura. "No more fighting! We've all been hurt by this disaster. The best thing we can do is calm down and hope Mr. McCloud does his best."

"Laura's right," agreed Faye. "So sit down and stop acting like idiots."

After shooting each other one last glare, both Ellias and David reluctantly sat back down.

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Krystal walked back to Saimon's office. When she peered inside, Fox was no where in plain site. "Fox? Are you still-"

THUD! "OWW!" yelled Fox after he hit his head under Saimon's desk. Fox managed to successfully rear his head over the desk this time. As Fox rubbed the newly formed lump on his head, Krystal walked over to him.

"Fox, what are you doing under there?" asked Krystal.

"Searching for clues," Fox answered. "So far I've come up empty handed. There's no sign of a struggle and no more visible evidence. How about you?"

"Well, Ellias' alibi checks out, and I found something in the restroom I think might be a clue." Krystal's eyes wandered as she spoke and she noticed a file that was on the desk that wasn't there before. "What's this?" she asked as she picked it up.

"Oh that's a file I pulled out. I remember hearing about that hostile company takeover a few years back."

"Oh..." Krystal started reading everything in the file for Panthera Industries. Assets, debts, staff lay-offs, everything. Then she found the picture of the pair of black and white cats that Fox found. "Who's this?" she asked as she showed Fox the photo.

"That's the former CEO. They said he was found hanged in his house a short while after losing his company."

"That's awful, and who's the little girl?"

"That's his daughter. They put her up for adoption after her father died."

'This girl...she looks like...wait a minuet.' Krystal glanced at the photo, then at Saimon's body, and then she remembered the bloody, crescent shaped piece of plastic. Putting all the pieces together, her eyes lit up with realization. "Fox, gather everyone together and bring them here, I think I know who did it."

"Really? Who?"

"I'll explain later. First get every on in here."

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"Okay," said Fox. "Everyone's here."

"So tell us all ready!" demanded Ellias. "Who's the murderer?!"

"First, let's review the clues," Krystal began. "The first clue was found on Saimon himself. Fox said he found a scratch wound parallel to the stab wound. Our second clue was found in the restroom." Krystal pulled out the paper towel from her pocket and revealed the bloody piece of plastic.

"What is that?" asked Raechel.

"That's what I was wondering. At least until Fox showed me the third and final clue, which happens to be this file," explained Krystal as she slid the file forward, allowing Raechel to pick it up.

"Oh, yes, I remember this. But how is it a clue?"

"Specifically, the clue is the photograph inside the file."

Raechel pulled out the photo and glanced at it.

"I still don't see how this is a clue," said David.

"Look closely at the girl. Who does she look like?"

It took them a second, but soon they saw what she was talking about. "She...she looks like Laura!" said Raechel.

"Correct, and if my guess is correct, she's also the murderer of Saimon Coto," said Krystal pointing her index finger at Laura.

"That's absurd!" yelled Ellias. "Laura would never-"

"No, it's true," said Laura sadly. "I did it...I killed Saimon."

"B-but...Why?" stuttered Faye.

"It's kind of a long story," Laura began. "After Saimon bought out my fathers company, my father became depressed. That company was his life. He stopped eating, stopped sleeping. One day I came home only to find that he had hanged himself in his room. After I was adopted and met you, Ellias, I had no idea Saimon was your father. When I found out, I thought I could put it behind me, but then when he announced that David inherit the company and not you, I became scared that you might do the same thing my father did. I tried to change his mind, but he wouldn't listen to me. Before I realized what I was doing it was too late... I murdered him." Laura fell to her knees as tears welled up in her eyes.

"And when you stabbed him you held the knife wrong. You had your thumb projected forward and your nail also pierced his skin, chipping your nail as well," said Krystal, explaining her theory. "In your hurry to wash the blood off of you, you must have broken your nail off while washing your hands. That's what the piece of what I thought was plastic was."

"Yes... it's all true... Ellias... I'm sorry..." Laura started to cry as she finished her confession. The room fell silent except for Laura's tears of guilt.

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Shortly afterwards, the police arrived and apprehended Laura. Fox and Krystal said their good byes to the grieving Coto family. During the drive back to Starfox H.Q., Krystal couldn't help but remember what Laura said before she was taken away. 'Krystal... thanks you. As strange as it may sound, I'm glad I was found out... thank you.'

"That was some pretty good detective work you did back there, Krys," complimented Fox, breaking the silence.

"Hmm? Oh! Thank you," said Krystal, waking up from her daze. "It's still hard to believe all that's happened though."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But at least Ellias forgave Laura.

"Yeah," said Krystal as she remembered the last thing Ellias said to Laura: 'Laura, no matter what I'll always love you. I'll wait for the day you return. You are and always will be number one in my heart.'

Krystal's thoughts were interrupted this time when she felt Fox's hand take a gentle hold of hers. When she looked up, Fox gave her a loving smile and neither of them said a word. What needed to be said? They both knew how they felt for each other. It was a feeling that can't be expressed by word, but from the heart itself.

The End

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And that's the end of my first fan fiction. I hope you liked it. Please review if you don't mind. Oh and congratulations to every one who figured out who did it before this chapter was posted.