A Knights Journey

Puzzle Solver's Annex, Everleason CBD, 12:00 p.m

The puzzle solver's annex was a tall building with a shade of blue. It glows neon at night. It was an impressive building owned by the Artwick family. There was even an emblem halfway up the building that said 'puzzle solver's annex.'

"Every time I look at this place, it astonishes me." Nathanial. "Imagining all the brilliant minds behind those sliding doors is awe inspiring."

"Yes. Some of modern history's greatest puzzle solvers have visited this place." Daniel noted.

"Are you aware of how old this place is? It was built 647 years after the eruption of Mt. Vaniscite. I heard that Winston Churchill was a member of the Puzzle solver's annex."

"Really? I can't really imagine Rhombodian having a connection to Earth that early on." Daniel noted.

"So why did we come here anyway?"

"We're looking for a puzzle solver of course."

"How's that going to help?"

"It's just an idea. But I think I know Simon's pattern."

"The others said that too."

Daniel nodded. "They probably did." Daniel and Nathanial entered the puzzle solver's annex and went to the front desk, a woman name Racheal Music was working behind the desk, typing away at her computer.

"Hello Miss Music." Daniel stated.

"Dr. Smith. I haven't seen you in a while. How's it going?" Racheal inquired.

"I'm looking for a puzzler who plays chess." Daniel replied.

"I'll look through the database."

"Isn't that against policy?" Nathanial asked.

"Not really. People come here sometimes to meet other puzzlers. They can if they want make their profiles more private so that they don't show up in the database. Besides Daniel here is an officer of the law like you are. We want to help out FORMAL as much as we can." Racheal elaborated.

"Oh ok. That's rather interesting."

"So what are the results?" Daniel inquired.

"Our best chess player is Leonard Raycloth. I have his number here."

"Could you make an appointment for me Racheal? It would be rather awkward if I called him."

"Certainly." Racheal stated and picked up the phone and called Leonard's number. "Hey Leonard, it's me Racheal… Well of course you do… I have a man here who would like to make your acquaintance… Daniel Smith, can you believe it… I'm not sure, hold while I ask." She put the phone aside. "He wants to know why you want to meet him."

"Tell him it's important that I speak with him."

"He says it's something important… ok, will do." She hung up. "He said I can give you his address. It's not far. Do you know the hotel by Everleason mall?"

"Huh, I thought that was just for decoration." Daniel stated jokingly.

"Very funny Dr. Smith. He's in room 504." Racheal replied, snickering.

"Huh." Nathanal noted. "I didn't know you could joke."

"Can't everyone?" Daniel noted.

"What I mean to say is that you don't seem the type." Nathanial elaborated.

"Oh, would you rather I be tightly wound like David Lancer."

Nathanal shook all over. "Wow, hearing that name sends shivers down my spine. Are you aware that his gaze feels like his poking a lance straight through your soul?"

"Yes. My brother Ben learnt that the hard way." Daniel chuckled.

Nathanel nodded. So, they were off yet again. Nathanel drove Daniel all the way over to the Everleason mall hotel. There were many cars on the way. It was the lunch rush. A lot of people heading out for some good food.

It took some time to get through all of the traffic and they finally got to the Everleason mall hotel. They parked the car and Daniel and Nathanial went up to the fifth floor and knocked on the door with 504 on it.

Leonard opened the door. He was wearing Russian clothes and inside the room were a load of Russian souvenirs. "Welcome. Are you Daniel Smith?"

"Yes, indeed I am." Daniel replied.

"Why come all this way? Am I a suspect in some sort of crime? Did you find a dead body with a chess piece next to it from one of my old sets? Well, the answer to that would be no. I have never gotten rid of a single one of my chessboards."

"No. I'm here to ask about puzzles."

"Interesting." Leonard noted. "Why would a detective be interested in puzzles?"

"It may help me catch a killer." Daniel elaborated.

"Why don't you come in then Dr. Smith."

"This our first meeting, yet you are already aware of my title." Daniel noted.

"You are making headlines every time you solve a case."

"Huh, you have solved five murders and you're as famous as Sherlock Holmes." Nathanial noted. "I wish I was that famous."

Daniel and Nathanal entered the hotel room.

"So," Leonard stated, sitting beside a table with a chess board atop it. "What would you like to know?"

"You are good at chess puzzles, right?" Daniel asked.

"That's right. I'm a chess grandmaster and I've been a member of the puzzle solvers annex for over three years. I know all about chess and chess puzzles. Are you looking for something specific?"

"Is there, perchance, a puzzle where you take the knight and the knight alone and move it across the chess board?"

"Yes, in fact, there is." Leonard smiled and took out a single knight and put it on the top left square of his chess board. "It's called 'the knight's journey.' The challenge is to take a knight and visit each square once and only once."

Daniel took out copies of the maps he was given earlier and gave them to Leonard. "Does the knight's journey fit with this pattern?"

"Only for the first five moves." Leonard noted, shifting through the papers. "I see that they move to places they can't and sometimes start in the middle rather than the top left of the grids."

"Thank you. Come on Nathanal, let's go."

"Thank you, Leonard." Nathanal stated. He took the maps and they left the room.

In the elevator, Nathanal gave Daniel a very stern look. "So, you are showing people confidential documents now?" Nathanal asked.

"Sorry. At least he didn't ask any questions." Daniel noted.

"That could have been Simon, he could have been the most dangerous man we have ever faced and you told him about the maps."

"My apologies, but at least he was unaware of the true meaning of the maps." Daniel noted.

"Anyway, 'the knight's journey' huh? That's you're theory?"

"Yes, it is. Is there an issue with that?"

"You are well aware of what the issue is. You are not the first one to come up with the theory either, and that detective gave up when that theory was disproven by the fact the pattern changed." Nathanial elaborated.

"Yes, I know." Daniel noted. "But if my theory is actually true then there must be a way to explain the discrepancies."

"What? Are you thinking that your theory is true? But it's a dead end."

"Is it really though?" Daniel inquired. "Is it really? Think about it, he wants to be captured, but he's also avoiding capture. There must be a reason this contradiction exists."

"Yeah, you're right. You think it all comes down to that contradiction?"

"There's only one way to find out."

The elevator door opens and they both stepped out.

"Okay, detective, where do we go? What do we do to find the truth?"

Daniel smiled. "Well, from what Leonard stated, move 6 was an impossible move, the knight moved to a space that it couldn't. But if Simon was keeping his pattern intact, then how did the knight end up in a spot it shouldn't have?"

"Good question. I wonder why nobody else thought of that?"

"Probably because they didn't have something they wanted to protect desperately."

"Wait... who are you protecting?"

"The Calamas family. They have been my friends for a long time. I can't just stand by and watch them be killed."

Nathanial nodded.

"So, Let's discover why move six was so odd." Daniel stated.

"How do we discover that?"

"We talk to someone who worked for the family that move six is associated with." Daniel stated.

"Walter Butley worked for that family at the time they were killed." Nathanial stated.

"Walter? He works for Mikey Shockmann right?"

"Yes. You know about Mikey Shockmann?" Nathanial inquired.

"Rhombodain's youngest millionaire who made it for themselves. Of course, I know him. He turned 22 last February, right?" Daniel asked.

"That's right. So, let's go there." Nathanial stated.

So, they jumped in the car and Nathanial began driving off toward Mikey's mansion.

Were they getting closer and closer to capturing the elusive Simon George? Only time could tell.