ＳＩＮＧＵＬＡＲＩＴＹ ２１０１: Ⱥ NɆØ-ĦᵾNŦɆɌ ȻĦɌØNƗȻŁɆ

Chapter 4: The Flip

As I unholster my weapon, I cautiously step into her compact one-bedroom apartment, a fortress secured with an intricate array of locks and advanced security measures. She moves gracefully to my side, her hand reaching behind me to close the door. Contrary to the dilapidated exterior of the building, her apartment is a surprising that of luxury and comfort. I find myself wondering how she manages to afford such nice shit without any apparent source of income, unless she's involved in some less than legal activities.

Her living space is adorned with sleek, modern furniture, and in one corner, I spot an impressive home system setup. It's a virtual quantum computing rig, one of the most sophisticated I've ever seen in a residential setting. While I'm not the most tech-savvy individual, I have enough knowledge to recognize that this setup is professional-grade, rivaling even the system used by our tech team at the police station. The only difference is that she doesn't have to abide by the same legal limitations that we do.

The room is dimly lit, bathed in an array of neon and black lights, giving it a hipster vibe. I turn to her and request, "Can we get some more light in here?" My voice competes with the pulsating electronic music filling the room. She strides over to the coffee table in her living room, picks up her universal remote, and adjusts the sound. The music volume decreases, and the lighting transitions from a warm, low-intensity glow to a much brighter illumination. "Is that better, officer?" Her tone carries a hint of condescension, but I choose to ignore it. "Yes, that's better. Now, I just need to ask you some questions."

I retrieve my data pad and set up Lisa, my AI assistant, to record our conversation. "Why did you run? Did you witness something you wish you hadn't?" She doesn't respond immediately. Instead, she saunters over to her sofa and settles down. The sofa is an unusual design, prompting me to ask about its origin. She lets me know, "It's a Togo, designed by French designer Michel Ducaroy. There's a fun fact for you." She gestures for me to join her, and I take a seat across from her. She then pulls out a spliff, lights it, and takes a long, drawn-out hit, holding it in for several seconds before exhaling.

"Do you smoke?" she asks. "No, I'm more of a drinker," I reply. She nods in understanding and then addresses my earlier question. "I ran because we're dealing with the Iron Dawn here. They have a lot of enemies right now, so there's no telling who stabbed that girl. I've been keeping up with the news, and I understand why you're taking this case so seriously. She was a cop, specifically assigned to the Gangs unit or whatever you call it. I didn't want to get caught up in this, so I panicked and ran. I know that dealing with these gangs can easily lead to a premature death. But I was so terrified that I practically gave the cop my full name. I just couldn't think of a plausible alias on the spot. But don't you find it strange that out of all the people at that show, we are the only three witnesses who remained after the cops arrived? Everyone else was quickly ushered out, as if they were trying to hide something. I'm very perceptive, you know. I pick up on things like that."

I look at her and acknowledge, "You've made some very valid points, and trust me, I was wondering the same thing. I arrive on the scene to find only three witnesses and a handful of venue workers who claim to have seen nothing? It doesn't add up, which is why I need to somehow find a way to speak with whoever runs the Iron Dawn. They may have information that could shed light on what happened. So, you're saying you didn't see anything, which makes you a dead end too." I drop my gaze to the floor and run my hands across my bald head, a clear indication of my mounting stress. Then, like a beacon of hope, she interjects, "Wait a minute. I had my back turned to the victim at the time of the stabbing. But I had my dynamo cam up on rotation, Its a floating cam that follows a pre programmed track I determine in case you were wondering. Maybe it caught something while it was doing its rounds. I had it circling around me, taking pictures of the event. I didn't set it for video, though I wish I had now. But I can pull up the footage. I totally forgot about that. I was so terrified of having my door kicked in by cops, or worse, some gang member, that it slipped my mind."