The Puppeteer's Game

Chapter 22: Tearing the Puppeteer's Strings

As they sat in Captain Daniel's office, contemplating the case, a quick buzz from Diego's phone broke the nervous silence. When Diego saw an unknown number flash on the screen, along with the words "Time to Play," he got chills down his spine.

As Diego read the message, his heart beat faster with excitement. However, he chose to keep this piece to himself for the time being because he knew how important it was. Because there were so many unknowns in this case, he felt the need for more information before telling Miguel and Emily about this scary development.

Miguel and Emily brooded over the recent turn of events. They had a feeling that something was wrong. Diego looked at their confused faces and kept quiet, even though his mind was racing with all the possible outcomes.

After they talked with Captain Daniel, Miguel's phone rang out of the blue, breaking the tense mood in the room. As he paid attention to what the person on the other end of the call said, a wave of pallor went over his face.

Miguel expressed a strong sense of urgency. "Eduardo's release has occurred. We need to go to jail right away."

Without hesitating, Miguel and Emily quickly left the office, their hearts racing with a strong mix of fear and determination. Diego quickly followed behind, curious about their sudden haste. He was still thinking about the mysterious message he had received.

When they got to the jail, they saw a scene of complete chaos. They couldn't find Eduardo, also known as "The Phantom." The broken and bent bars of his cell suggested a quick and skilled escape. As Miguel looked around at what was going on, his anger was clear. "What happened?"

Diego was always alert and aware, so he couldn't help but notice something strange. "Take a look at the CCTV footage," he urged, pointing to the prison's numerous cameras.

As they looked at the video, Diego realized that the Phantom had helpers. A mystery person was carefully planning the exit.

Miguel pointed to the screen and told Diego to pay close attention. There must be accomplices."

Miguel's words deeply moved Diego. He agreed and said, "You're right. There is a clear pattern here."

"I'll investigate inside," Miguel said, leaving the monitoring room with Emily.

Miguel looked closely at Eduardo's cell's bed frame, carefully running his fingers along the seams to look for any flaws. Emily stared at him closely, and with each passing second, her nervousness grew. Within a split second, Miguel's hand stopped moving. His eyes were sparkling with mischief as he dove into a hidden crack in the wood. With a sense of wonder and excitement, he pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper.

"You have to see this!" he yelled, his voice full of excitement. With a flourish, he opened the paper to reveal a strange message, written in a hurried, almost silly style. Emily leaned in closer and widened her eyes as she tried to figure out what all the words meant.

The message read, "The crow flies at midnight." Miguel and Emily looked at each other curiously, with faces that showed a mix of shock and laughter. "What does that even mean?" Emily mumbled and laughed out loud.

Miguel couldn't help but smile because he was now fully into detective mode. "This is a secret code," he said, his mind already full of creative ideas. "This strange genius I know can figure it out for us."

Miguel took a moment to look around the room. He looked at everything until he found a seam along the wall that was hard to see. He waved for Emily to come closer and said, "Come here." As she got closer, Miguel skillfully moved the gap, revealing a hidden space. Upon entering, they discovered an odd assortment of items, such as a guard's uniform, a jingling set of keys, and a meticulously designed escape plan neatly folded into a small square.

Emily let out a gasp. "This seems to indicate the involvement of a guard," Emily said. "Who is it, and why?"

Miguel's face turned serious. "We need to look into it. We should try to match these keys to the guards' keys." He suggested that they split up their work and search the guards' changing room in secret for any signs of lying.

Emily gave a quiet nod, and she felt a lot of different emotions at the same time. She had a feeling that they were getting closer to solving the mystery, but the thought of a guard who was lying to them made her very nervous.

As they went their different ways, Emily sneaked into the dressing room for the guards. She walked quietly and with purpose. She could hear the faint sounds of the prison—whispers, keys jingling, and people walking around every once in a while. She was very aware of what was going on around her and was carefully searching the room for any sign that the guard was involved.

While this was going on, Miguel went to the security office to check the records against the keys they'd found. He knew it was a risk, but the situation was so urgent that he had to act. A magician lurked in the shadows, and he needed to halt his evil plans immediately to prevent further trouble.

Emily carefully looked through the lockers, and her heart was racing with excitement. In no time, she found the prize she was looking for—a set of keys that were the same as the ones found in Eduardo's cell. She quickly hid the keys and sneaked back to Miguel, feeling like she needed to act quickly.

At the same time, Miguel was in the security office, carefully checking the official records against the keys they had found. Even though it was hard, he was determined to find a good match. When he finally found a match, it was a guard's set of keys named Carlos Ramirez.

Getting a full picture of what was going on made him feel a heavy weight in his chest. The connection between Eduardo's escape and Carlos Ramirez, a popular prison guard, was shocking.

It was impossible for Emily not to notice Miguel's worry as she gave him back the keys. "Miguel," she told him as she handed him the keys. "I found them in the guard's locker room. They're the same ones we found in Eduardo's cell."

When Emily gave Miguel the keys, his face turned sad. "I found a perfect match in the security records. It's Carlos Ramirez." Migue spoke.

Emily let out a shocked gasp, and her eyes widened in shock. "Carlos? He's been here for a long time, though. How could he be involved?"

With his mind full of endless possibilities, Miguel shook his head. "I don't know, but we must face the issue. "Let's leave."

They hurried to get to Carlos Ramirez's house, feeling both worried and determined as they did so. When they got there, Carlos was standing by the doorway, giving off an air of calmness and confidence.

"Carlos," Miguel said with a firm voice. "We need to talk."

Carlos gave them a quick look, his face betraying his confusion. "Detective, what about what?"

Miguel didn't waste any time. "We found the keys in Eduardo's cell. We've provided you with the same keys."

Carlos's face stayed serious, but there was a hint of uneasiness in his eyes. "I... I'm not sure I get it, Detective. It looks like the keys are somewhere else."

Emily stepped forward, and her voice was tense with need. Carlos, we know you helped Eduardo get away. We accidentally discovered a secret area that housed the getaway plan and the guard's outfit.

Carlos's face changed all of a sudden, showing a mix of shame and fear. "I had no choice but to do it. My family was threatened. I had no other choice but to do it."

Miguel's visage softened, sympathizing with Carlos's troubles. "Carlos, who made that threat? Who was responsible?"

Carlos glanced nervously. He finally whispered, "It's the puppeteer. He's run everything from behind."

"Explain yourself. Eduardo is other than the puppeteer?" She asked Emily.

"I'm not sure. He and I just talked on the phone." Carlos said.

After the shocking news, Miguel and Emily looked at each other in sorrow. The puppeteer, a peril beyond their greatest concerns, was hiding in the shadows.

Miguel spoke with unshakable determination. "We must find him. We need to stop him before he hurts someone else."

Miguel and Emily want to find the puppeteer and punish him. They knew the obstacles and perils ahead, but their determination kept them going.

Miguel felt uneasy leaving prison. Time was running out for the puppeteer. He knew that to catch him, he had to be calm and focused.

The hunt began, and they were determined to win.