“I will take it.” Mireya said and put the box back in her backpack.

“Okay.” Tom agreed. “Will we continue?”

Follow-up minutes, after almost an hour and a half their search didn’t any another results – everything was just the stuff of a classical resident of Las Vegas. Nothing superfluous, mystical and mysterious.

“Are we done?” Tom asked, coming to the door.

Mireya looked around for the last time. “Yes, completely.” They left Leandra’s apartment, taking with them the first answers…

In the morning at the Los Angeles police station, Adrianna studied Leandra’s biography comparing it to the biography of Mireya; it seemed to her these two girls were like two opposite shores of different oceans, but still they were really friends. Good friends.

“Hale?” Captain Locke walked past her. “Go to my office right now.”

When Adrianna entered Locke’s office, he went down into his seat and looked at her as if expecting some explanation. Adrianna was silent, waiting for questions or answers.

“I have to get you away from Leandra Ray’s case.” The Captain said.

“What…?” Adrianna stepped toward him. “Why? What did I do wrong?”

“People above me talked about it. They learned about your friendship with Mireya Rothe who is currently on the wanted list.”

“Do they consider me an unreliable worker?”

“They gave me to understand that. They suspect you may have an unofficial connection with her and you can deliberately hide her current location and moreover, they assume that you could help her escape. After all, you violated the protocol, leaving the suspect alone with herself.”

Adrianna nodded. “Yes, I admit my mistake. But Sir, I want to prove her innocence, but I would never insist on her being released from responsibility.”

“That’s much the better for you.” The Captain got up. “They don’t insist on your removal yet, but trust me it’s only a matter of time.”

“I understand. But can I continue for now? Do we have something new?”

“Yes, and you will not like it.” The Captain took the document from his desk and handed it to the detective. “Look at it. This is an extract of Leandra’s e-mail. She corresponded with someone with a non-tracked email, and it was a person with MJR initials – Mireya Jalinda Rothe.”

Adrianna grinned. “This is only speculation! Even the judge would not accept it! And you know, I had a friend named Michael Jerry Rogers. Maybe it’s his fault, eh?” Adrianna felt her blood getting hot.

“Adrianna, calm down.” The Captain raised his hand. “I want to clarify – it’s all really conjectures, but if it was Rothe, we will prove it.”

“How?”

“According to information from the messages – read this dialogue that you see before you.”

Adrianna looked down at the document in her hands,

Leandra: “You know, I like living in that house on wheels. Sorry you’ve been there only a few times.”

M: Well, my room in the hostel was not bad either.”

Leandra: “By the way, how is our mutual friend?”

M: “We will not talk about it. I’m going to attend a lecture about psychology in Seattle. August 26th. Will you make me a company?”

Leandra: “Only if I’m not the third extra.”

M: “Of course you are not! (smiley) You are the only one!”

Leandra: “You’re cute! Okay, I have to go. I’ll see you at the party tonight. Do not forget about the bikini! (winking smiley)”

Adrianna looked at the Captain. “Have you checked everything?”

The Captain crossed his arms. “Yes, Adrianna, we checked it out, comparing the time of correspondence between events in the life of the victim. It was a couple of days before Leandra Ray moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. There are general photos in her social network. She and Mireya Rothe were at the party of their common friend Tim Murray. A party with a bikini. The house on wheels, owned by Ray and Mireya Rothe, of course, visited it. And by the way, judging by another correspondence from Facebook, Mireya flew to Seattle on August 26 for a lecture on psychology and returned the next day, there’s even a picture of how Leandra meets her at the airport. Then… a few months later all the messages became hostile.”

“What exactly was said in them?”

“That Leandra made a serious mistake, decided to return once again. And that she would pay for what she did if she really did it. Leandra returned. And now she's dead. What kind of a serious mistake did she commit?”

***

“We are leaving Las Vegas.” Tom told Mireya, driving his car along the highway

Mireya was sitting next to him, studying Leandra’s music box. “Yes, that’s a good idea.”

“What are you trying to find in it?”

“Well, Leandra was talking about some kind of secret in this a damn piece of a wood. I think there is a double bottom or something like that.”

Tom chuckled. “And are you really going to look for that secret? Gosh, she could mean anything like storing a picture of a guy that she was crazy about. You understand everything too literally.”

“No, you see everything superficially.” Mireya teased.

“Sometimes I do.” Tom smiled. “But I don’t live with illusions.”

“Hey!” Mireya slapped Tom on the shoulder. “Do you think I live with illusions?”

“Partly! What did you do before?”

Mireya looked at the road. Indeed, she didn’t even contact Rick to explain to him what had happened in her life. Although, for sure, it did not matter anymore – the police had already notified him and she had already been dismissed. “I was a graphic editor.”

“Not bad.”

“Well, yes.” Mireya looked at Tom. “What about you?”

He looked at her. “I’m here illegally, do you remember?”

“But you did something, right?”

Tom stopped the car in front of a red traffic light. “You know that I worked with Leandra. I already told you.”

“But that is not everything?”

“No.” Tom pressed the gas again, looking at the green light. “Okay, if you insist. In addition to this entire hacking world, I was also a con man. It’s nothing spectacular. I told people that I was like a psychic. It was stupid.”

“And how did you do it?”

“With Dennis’ help, who was looking for information about my clients. Well, it also was just my fantasy.”

“Oh…” Mireya exhaled. “It’s disgusting.”

“Yes, you’re right, Lady.” Tom grinned.

“So where are we going now?”

Another incoming call to Mireya’s cell phone didn’t allow her to get an answer; she took it out of her pocket and looked at the caller's name. “This is Dennis.”

Tom turned the steering wheel and stopped the car on the roadside. “Well, answer him.”

Mireya pressed the green button. “Dennis? This is Mireya, Tom is with me.”

Dennis said from the other end, “Then turn on the speakerphone.”

Mireya did so.

“Are you are brother and sister for troubles now?” Dennis said as if mocking.

“It’s a long story, my friend.” Tom said. “What do you have?”

“Okay, I was trying to track down Leandra’s phone as you asked, Mireya.” Dennis paused. “You see… The signal comes from the hotel room in Los Angeles where she was killed.”

“What kind of nonsense?” Tom exchanged glances with Mireya. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely I am!” Dennis answered. “I’ve checked several times to make sure I also know what it looks like, Tom.”

“It’s clear…” Mireya thought about it. “Is there something else?”

“No, that’s all.” Dennis said. “Our Boss is here, I have to go. Good luck there.”

“Thanks for the info, Dennis.” Mireya said and the phone interrupted.

“So Leandra’s phone is in the room where she was killed.” Mireya ran her hand over her forehead.

“Yup…” Tom snorted. “And her killer is hiding under the bed. By the way, why did you ask to find her phone number?”

“I needed it.”

“I got what you mean. But what for?”