I watched through the glass as Ruby gradually got further and further away from me. Her fury was evident in every one of her strides. She wasn't a person who got angry that often, but when she did she was scary. That's what happens when you're capable of snapping someone in half with your bare hands. At the moment, it didn't take a detective to guess who she was imagining beneath her fists.

The other thing I knew about people who didn't get angry easily was that, when they did, they were usually fully justified. This was one of those times. My own brief flash of anger had been doused by shame. I couldn't bear Ren's reproachful stare. I knew who he thought was the instigator. I slunk from the building before I did anything else stupid.

Damn it. Just when life had been on the rise, I'd managed to fuck it all up in less than an hour. Ruby had been angry. Properly angry. And hurt. And it was all my fault. I deserved everything that was coming to me.

I was glad I had such a long walk home. It would give me plenty of time to reflect on what a despicable person I was. I hadn't thought about the risk to her. Not really. I'd been focussed on my cases, trying to survive. I hadn't thought about what I was asking Ruby to do. She'd been right. It would have cost her job, and quite possibly landed her in prison where piggies don't do well. I'd done the same here, again. I'd seen her as a source, nothing more. I'd 'paid' her, and I'd wanted information in return. I couldn't believe I was even capable of doing that to my friend.

She was a cop through and through. It had never been princesses or housewives for Ruby. She'd always pictured her future-self in a uniform just like her mom and dad's. It was what she'd worked so hard for. Studied for. Exercised for. The day when she'd finally earned her badge had probably been the happiest of her life. And she'd risked it all for me.

That should have told me just how close we were. It should have painted a giant neon sign in the sky that even an idiot like me couldn't miss. It hadn't. Instead I'd treated her like shit, and she'd never even said a word up to this point.

One part of me wondered if the damage was irreparable. Had I broken the bonds that were so strong? Lost her? That terrified me. She'd been a part of my life for so long. Ever since she'd tagged along with Yang to a playdate. With years and decades spent together, I couldn't even begin to imagine my life if she never wanted to speak to me again. I wouldn't blame her. It was only what I deserved.

Goddamnit… I just didn't know what to do. Whether I should rush back to the station to apologise, take the coward's way out and send her a text, or simply wait for her to calm down. I didn't have a clue what would be best. It was a cruel irony that whenever I'd had in an argument with someone like Yang or Nora, Ruby had been my confidante. Now she couldn't be, and it sucked.

No. I didn't believe it was terminal. I couldn't afford to believe it. If I did, I might as well just step in front of one of the taxis rushing by. Our friendship was too strong for even an idiot like me to ruin it so completely. With a lot of hard work—and a lot of grovelling—we'd be able to move on. I'd talk to her tonight after her shift. Once she'd had a chance to process what an imbecile I was, I was sure she'd decide on a fitting punishment. Whatever it was, I'd take the penance.

With that resolve in mind, I managed to actually look where my feet were going and stop wishing I'd trip into the middle of the road. The sunshine was entirely at odds with my mood. It should have been raining with great storm clouds roiling overhead. But the city contained millions of people, and surely only one was as much of a fuckup as I was. It wouldn't be fair on everyone else.

And even considering how much I had messed up, I had nothing to show for it. Absolutely nothing. It wouldn't have been worth it even if Ruby had handed me the music box right there—our friendship had a value far greater than fifty grand—but if I'd come away with the slightest clue then it wouldn't have been entirely for nought.

The only new information I had gleaned was that the feds were asking questions. That complicated things. And not only because it meant Ruby wouldn't touch this with a ten foot barge pole. If the feds were involved it meant I was stepping into something far more serious than I'd anticipated. They wouldn't have got off their asses for a minor burglar. The guy must have been prolific. Judging by his calling card he wanted to make a name for himself, and he'd managed that.

Part of me knew Ruby was protecting me as much as herself. This wasn't just some unfaithful spouse. Ruby wouldn't have wanted me to get mixed in this either. To be perfectly honest, that fact made me think twice. Weiss was paying me an awful lot of money, but let's just say I didn't have the best health insurance. Or any at all really. That had been one of the first of my expenses to go. I was willing to bet new knees would run me up more than fifty grand.

Of course I was exaggerating. A bottom of the barrel investigator like me wasn't exactly going to be on the radar when the feds are on the case. I probably wasn't in any more danger than I had been this morning.

Surprise, surprise, my office was empty when I got back. There wasn't a long line of people waiting in the corridor. I threw open the windows again—I couldn't afford air conditioning—and stared at my laptop screen. Ruby had always been my most reliable source, but I did have a few others. I just had to work out who might be able to help.

I always did my best thinking on the move. I don't know why. I didn't get it from my parents for sure. They'd complained enough times about me wearing holes in the carpets. That was the least of my problems in this office. I scooped up a can of soda from the mini-fridge and held it against my sopping brow.

The burglar was leaving a calling card. Why? What did he have to gain? Notoriety certainly, but how did that benefit him? It had only gotten the feds involved. Burglars worked from the shadows, and here one was thrusting himself into the light. It didn't make any sense. Not unless…

Maybe he needed to be in the light. Maybe he didn't just rob people of valuable possessions. Maybe instead, he stole specific items. Things to order. Maybe the business card was just that, a business card, an advertisement for his skills. He left it behind to prove that he'd been successful and let everyone else know. His name might just have been his biggest asset.

I'd stopped pacing. I'd even forgotten the drink in my hand. It was a guess, but my instincts screamed I was right. It made sense. Perhaps the only logic that did. The guy stole to order, and someone had paid him to target Weiss.

There were two items in her safe that had been worth the effort. The diamond tiara and the music box. Both were likely worth millions. If I had to bet, I would have put my money on the target being the music box. In fact I was putting my money on it. To the right collector, at the right underground auction house, something with its history would have been worth far more than its weight in gold.

So, I needed information on a criminal. I knew lowlifes—addicts and thugs who'd be willing to point me in the right direction for a few notes—but they were strictly street-tier informants. They wouldn't have a clue about this. That narrowed my pool of contacts down, but one of the people left might just be able to help me.

I almost ran back to my laptop. Suddenly I couldn't wait to get on with the case. This was what I lived for, why I'd chosen this career over any other. When it came down to it, a case was only a series of problems that you had to solve one by one. I'd almost found the key to another.

I booted up PuTTY. It's a free program one of my friends made me download. I don't pretend to be completely computer literate. I can use one, but I'm no hacker. In the shows the protagonist would be able to do all this while touch-typing and standing on his head. I had to dig out my notebook and find where I'd written the IP Address and Port number I needed. Opening the connection brought me to a black screen where green text flashed. I don't know why there wasn't a proper UI. I guess it would be too easy.

login as:

Yeah, it was lucky I'd written my username down as well as all the instructions I needed. I wish I could have called my contact, but they were a little strange—and that was coming from me, someone who owned a plastic breastplate and wore it at weekends.

I hadn't chosen my nickname. My contact had. They thought it was funny. I wished I knew people with actual senses of humour.

login as: wh1t3kn1ght

wh1t3kn1ght's password: **********

Linux kali 3.14-kalil-686 pae #1 SMP Debian 3.14.5-1kalil (2014-06-06) i686

Last login: Tue Aug 02 14:11:48 from

wh1t3kn1ght: ~$ Collodi

The screen changed, a bitmap image of a puppet appearing at the top of the page. I was in the right place. But now I needed to connect to the chatroom and hope my contact was there.

Collodi: Auto Response is set to - wh1t3kn1ght

Connecting to port 6667 of server .co [refnum 0]

[0] /join #th3w0rksh0p

wh1t3kn1ght [~wh1t3kn1ght ] has joined #th3w0rksh0p

[Users (#th3w0rksh0p: 2/2)]

Channel #th3w0rksh0p was created at Wed Aug 10 11:38:27 2016

Collodi: Join to #th3w0rksh0p was synched in 0.309 sec!

[#th3w0rksh0p]

My cursor flashed. I was in, and there was another person. The easy part was done, now came the hard part. I only had to not screw it up as badly as I had with Ruby earlier. That really shouldn't be too difficult.

wh1t3kn1ght Hey

I waited. Hoping. Not quite praying. Not yet at least. I wasn't particularly religious, but everyone needed a miracle occasionally.

G3pp3tt0 hi

wh1t3kn1ght I missed you last week

G3pp3tt0 i was busy

That might have been the truth. They often had things come up at the last minute, but on other occasions they just hadn't fancied hanging out. Normally if Ruby wasn't there.

wh1t3kn1ght I'm sorry to hear that

wh1t3kn1ght We're meeting again this Saturday if you want

wh1t3kn1ght Or not

wh1t3kn1ght It's up to you

G3pp3tt0 i'll think about it

G3pp3tt0 so what do you want?

wh1t3kn1ght What?

G3pp3tt0 u only come on here when u need something

Did I? The simple green on black text accused me. Did I do the same thing to G3pp3tt0 as I did to Ruby? We were friends, but only because we hung out with the same people. We didn't have all that much in common. It wasn't like we were going to talk about coding. I suppose I did only call on them when I needed help on a case. Just another thing to feel guilty about. Maybe I'd accidentally kill a puppy as well the way my day was going.

wh1t3kn1ght Sorry

wh1t3kn1ght But you're right

wh1t3kn1ght I need help

G3pp3tt0 with what?

G3pp3tt0 i'm busy

They always got straight down to business, and I didn't know if that was a 'piss off' kind of busy, or if they genuinely were.

wh1t3kn1ght A case

wh1t3kn1ght It's juicy

wh1t3kn1ght The feds are involved

I played my trump card. The same fact that had scared Ruby off would only be enticing to G3pp3tt0. Let's just say, they danced on both sides of the law. It was a fact that Ruby tried her very best to ignore, but I found it useful.

G3pp3tt0 really?

wh1t3kn1ght Yes

G3pp3tt0 what's the case?

wh1t3kn1ght I need to show you

wh1t3kn1ght Can I come to your place?

It wasn't strictly necessary, but I'd always preferred talking face to face. Less chance for confusion. I knew where they lived. It was a bit of a trip away, but I could get there. Paying G3pp3tt0 a surprise visit might have been easier than this digital cloak and dagger. They'd made it very clear the only way they were opening her door was if the person was invited. Only Ruby could just turn up and be let in, but that was Ruby for you. I challenge you to find the person who can say no to her when she does her puppy dogs eyes. Seriously, she should place herself under arrest when using them. They were WMDs. A smile spread on my lips before I remembered what had happened this morning. It vanished like the morning fog.

G3pp3tt0 didn't reply. My cursor continued to flash. My fingers drummed a rhythm into my desk without me noticing. If there was any skill I lacked as PI—apart from not being a dick to my friends—it was patience. I could wait, but I couldn't do it gracefully. Five minutes or more ticked by.

G3pp3tt0 fine

G3pp3tt0 48 minutes.

[~G3pp3tt0] had left #th3w0rksh0p

I'd never say they weren't precise. Forty-eight minutes. Forty-nine and they might not open the door even with the invite. With that time frame lunch was out of the question, and so was a leisurely stroll. It would have to be an Uber. Weiss' check better clear.

I arrived at G3pp3tt0's door in precisely forty-eight minutes. Well, actually I'd waited around the corner for ten, but that was just the price I had to pay for information. So was the Uber fare. I swore they were gouging now that they'd cornered the market. Yay for monopolies.

G3pp3tt0 lived in a nice apartment complex, much nicer than mine. Not that it was saying much. The carpets in the hallways had just actually been vacuumed this decade. Still, in my opinion it was trying just a bit too hard. No one could actually like the art deco paint scheme. More tolerated it with barely hidden disgust. Or maybe that was just me. I'd never been what one would call cultured.

It was easy to find G3pp3tt0's door if you knew what you were looking for. It appeared the same as every other one, unless you looked up. A camera peeked through a hole in the ceiling tiles. I waved at it after I knocked. Like I said, they had some peculiarities.

And that included the number of locks on their door. From top to bottom, bolts were drawn back, chains undone, locking bars removed. It would take a guy with a battering ram a couple of hours to get in. Of course that's precisely why there were so many locks. If the police ever tried to breach G3pp3tt0's apartment, all they'd find was fried hard drives. There was even a microwave just for that purpose.

With the final, heaviest clunk, the door was pulled back. A frizzy orange haired head peered past it.

"Were you followed?"

The first time I'd come here, I'd laughed, thought it was prank. It wasn't. She was being deadly serious. Serious enough that I'd walked the last few blocks just to appease her.

"I wasn't. It's nice to see you Penny." I refused to call her by her screenname in person. That would just be weird.

"Good. Come in." I was barely through the door when she slammed it shut and started the lengthy process of locking it. The entire backside was filled with mechanisms. It was only when she had finished did she remember the second part of what I had said. "Oh… It's good to see you too."

She did mean it. Penny was… unique. I'd asked Ruby once, and apparently Penny knew that too. She was getting some help, and in most ways she was much better than she had been when Ruby first introduced me to her. Even so, she still sometimes flitted between paranoia and boisterous enthusiasm.

"So what do you need to show me?" She didn't wait for me to answer. "Do you want a drink? Something to eat?"

"Just… water please." Penny's apartment might have been nicer than mine, but at least I could move around mine without tripping over cables every three steps. No one would ever have to ask what Penny did for a living. Her electricity bill must have been through the roof and then some. Computers and servers flashed from every direction. The tower against the wall had seven monitors, all filled with scrolling black and white text.

"You said the feds were involved?" Penny asked over the clink of ice.

"Yeah. They are. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Nope. It just makes it interesting. So tell me."

Penny was to the point, I could be too. "My client got burgled. I was hired to recover her property. The burglar left a business card of sorts. I reckon he must steal stuff to order. And if that's the case, he's probably on the internet somewhere. I figured you'd be able to find him."

Penny rolled her eyes. She didn't make any attempt to hide it. "He won't be on the internet."

"Why not?"

"Because he'd only be there if he's a complete and utter moron." Oh… I guess I was too. That's where I would have looked. "People like that, they're on the dark web. You know? Tor, etc. The Silk Road before it got shut down. Sites that like."

The names rang a bell, but like I said, I'm not particularly computer literate. "And you could find him? On the dark web?"

"Possibly. But what's in it for me?"

Unlike when I asked Ruby for help, this had always been a transaction. "I'll owe you one."

"You already owe me one."

I'd forgotten about that, and half-hoped she had as well. "I'll owe you two then." I gave her my best smile.

"Or you could pay me."

My stomach sank. "Or I could do that. But not right at this moment." I didn't quite have the funds.

"I trust you." A warmth filled my stomach. I might have been a two-bit investigator, but I always kept my word. It was a point of pride for me. "Plus I don't know how difficult it will be. What have you got on this guy?"

"Not much. Just the card. It's on here." I passed her the USB. A normal person would have just plugged it into their computer. Penny didn't though. I don't think she trusted anyone with her hardware. She inserted it into a smaller system off to the side, presumably scanning for viruses or malicious code. Reassured of its safety, she pulled the pictures up on the big screen. I heard the slightest intake of breath.

I leant forward. "You know something?"

"Yes. Your burglar's not a 'he'. This symbol belongs to a group of people. A gang if you will. They call themselves the White Fang."

A/N: So this probably wasn't as much of a cliff-hanger as it would have been if it wasn't blindingly obvious it was the White Fang. Oh well, that's the problem with writing fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed the introduction of an old face. There will be a lot more explanation next week.

Thanks for reading and if you can please leave a review. A follow/favourite is always appreciated and stay safe everyone.