Professor Hershel Layton sat on the couch as he stared at the newspaper with wide eyes. "Robber on the run" Was the heading this morning. He frowned a bit and read the details. "Funny…they never said they had proof she had actually robbed the bank…just that she had the money…" He shook his head, chuckling. "Oh, it's probably just your imagination Hershel." He picked up the remote and flipped on the TV, turning it to the news. A building was surrounded by police officers, all of them armed. Just as they started to enter, they started falling like flies, one after the other.
Layton watched, his mouth hanging open in pure shock. "Wh- what's going on?" He exclaimed, leaning forward as if getting closer to the television would answer his question. The screen turned back to the reporter, and she looked just as shocked as Layton. "F-for anyone just joining us, this is the apartment where the robber is supposedly living. It looks like these police officers might be-." She froze in place as she listened to something the camera man was saying. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "The officers are dead; they appear to have had heart attacks!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Thirty police officers don't just have heart attacks at the same time in the same place!" He shouted, even though the woman couldn't hear him. "It's just not possible!" His gaze caught a figure standing on the edge of a window on the screen. It was slowly climbing down, long black hair hanging from their head. He gasped and waiting for the screen to zoom in on the person, but it never did.
He wasn't going to wait, he had to act now. Rushing across the room he grabbed his coat and adjusted his hat, pulling his keys from his pocket. The Professor bolted out and hurried into his car, slamming the door shut as he drove off.
Arriving at the apartment he watched the same figure run across the street, unnoticed by anyone else. "What on earth..?" He murmured. "Why is no one else noticing this..?" He pulled over onto the side of the road and parked, jumping out of the car. He ran as fast as he could after the figure, narrowing his eyes. "You there!" He shouted. "Stop!" The person turned to face him, and their identity was revealed.
It was a girl, maybe a teenager, with soft blue eyes and long, flowing black hair. She wore a grey hoodie and slightly ripped blue jeans.
He relaxed; the girl didn't seem like a threat to him. "Excuse me miss, I apologize for yelling- but is everything alright?" He murmured, his eyes wide with concern. The girl gave him a smile. "No, I'm fine. I'm just getting out of here before I'm next." She shrugged. "I'm training to become a detective, I want to solve this case and find the robber so I can prove myself to my parents." She neatly tucked some of her hair behind her ear. He nodded a bit, frowning as he began to stroke his chin. "Pardon me for asking, but have we met before? You look very familiar…" Was that fear he saw flicker in the girl's eyes? "N-no, sir. I mean I know who you are," She said hurriedly. "Professor Hershel Layton, right?" He smiled. "Yes, you are correct. May I ask your name?" She bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "J-Jessica." She said urgently. "Jessica Parks."
Layton laughed, shaking his head. "Your real name, my dear. I'm not going to ask what you're hiding, but you could at least be honest with me." The girl froze in place, violently shaking her head. As she spun around he caught sight of a notebook in her hand. As he read the title he frowned, raising an eyebrow. "How…odd..?" He cocked his head to the side. "I know it's not polite to pry…but I believe this is one mystery I will not leave alone." He said simply, walking back to his car.
