CHAPTER TEN: THE HUMAN GLITCH

He rested his head against the window, watching the passing trees as the train neared its destination.

Eight years. Eight long years and he still remembered the face – the face of a boy who would never forgive him. The face of a boy he wasn’t sure was even alive anymore.

Handling child abuse cases wasn’t really Victor’s call. It was just his cover. But that case, that infuriating case, was so…

He couldn’t let it go.

His unsolved mystery: The case of Giovanni Green.

***

It was late at night. He lay awake, blankly staring at the ceiling as he assessed the situation. Why did Cherry avoid him? 

James crinkled his nose, furrowing his brows. She never avoided people. Not him.

Tim sat up on his bed, yawning and stretching lazily as he shot a glance at the digital alarm clock sitting on his bedside table. He had been preoccupied with his book for at least an hour.

He rubbed his eyes, turning to James, “Don’t you think it’s time to call it a night?”

James turned his head towards him, “Perhaps it is.”

Just as Tim reached out to the lightswitch next to his bed, they heard an object shatter. James abruptly sat up on his bed, “What the hell was that?”
“I think it came from the Gemstones’ bedroom,” Tim replied, swinging his legs out from under the covers.
James rolled his eyes. If it wasn’t one sister, it was always the other. He motioned towards the door, stepping onto the floor himself, “Come on, might as well check it out before your aunt and uncle find out.”

They crept out of their room and towards the bedroom next to theirs. James’ hand reached out to grab the doorknob. He sighed in disappointment at the audible noise the Gems made scrambling inside. If they’re going to get in trouble, why can’t they at least do it right?

He swung the door open. 

Blue was the only one awake, sitting up on her bed and stroking her sleeping rabbit, which rested peacefully on her lap. She was staring out the window, gazing mournfully at the starry sky, when they walked in.

“Blue,” James called, eyeing a brand new and shiny flower vase sitting on top of their nightstand. Wasn’t it supposed to be an antique? He and Cherry were warned of its significance to the Garnets when they set up the room for the quadruplets. “We heard something break.”

She smiled innocently, “It must have been from Silver and Cherry’s room.”
James stared at his sister, scepticism evident in his gaze. “I see...just go to bed soon, alright? It’s already 2:30.”

Blue nodded diligently and waved them goodbye as they gently shut the door, finding themselves once again in the hallway. Tim looked over to Silver and Cherry’s bedroom door, noticing a dim light creeping from underneath. The pair heard hushed, but panicked, whispers inside. They shared a suspicious glance. What were their sisters up to?

***

Silver sat at her desk, her face expressionless. She had activated Sarah not moments ago to stop the second hacker in the police database and now–
Now she didn’t know what to do.

DO NOT MESS WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE HUMAN GLITCH.

Questions raced through her mind. Unanswered. Unsolvable. There was nothing more she hated than something she didn’t understand. It was…terrifying.

It was why she wanted to solve the mystery shrouding her parents’ death. So that she could find peace. So that she could rest knowing her parents were given the justice they deserved.

“Silver,” Cherry sat on her bed, analysing her sister’s actions with careful calculations. “What do we do now?”

We... A sense of calm washed over her. Until it didn’t–
The knob turned. The door burst open. The jig was up.

The shadows of both their brothers loomed in the doorway. Even in the darkness, it wasn’t hard to miss the unmistakable judgement on their faces. Cherry groaned, falling back onto her bed, “What the actual hell, James?”

Silver immediately slammed her laptop shut and began to sulk, “Tim, you always come in at the worst time possible.”

***

“Alex!” Max burst into her study. “It’s an emergency!”
“Good God! Maxwell Banker!” She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tossed the papers she was reviewing back onto her desk. “Will you please stop coming in at 2 a.m. for God’s sake?”
“It’s an emergency, Alex,” he repeated aggressively, regaining his posture, a stern look on his face. “There was a break-in.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. Those were words she hadn’t heard in over 12 years. At least with not such graveness.

“Where?” she said through gritted teeth. “When? How? Who?”
“Well–”
She stopped him midsentence, scoffing silently, “Don’t tell me. It was the museum. Someone finally decided to have at it with our prized jewels.”
“Alex–”
“Or,” she interrupted him again, letting out a dry laugh. “Or did they decide a bank was much more valuable than those priceless artifacts?”
“Alex, if you will please just listen to me!”
“Of course, Max!” she swung her arms in the air. “If only I had listened to you. Implemented the restrictions you asked me to do ever since the fire struck. Ever since the Garnets died.”
“Alex, it was not your sister!”

She froze.

“Then…” Alex began slowly after a moment of silence. “Then why are you here? If it isn’t Ashlynn?”
“Well, for one thing – her file was stolen.”

“This…” a voice spoke from behind him. “Is an interesting development.”
The man stepped into the room’s light, the doors slamming shut behind him.

Victor donned his black bowl hat, concealing his clean-shaven head, “I know I’m a little late to my sister and brother-in-law’s funerals, but I honestly didn’t think I’d miss this much.”