* * * *

It only took a few more moments to get the story from the initial reports, hot of the press. The name was Amanda -- no last name given -- and her fingerprints were currently being run through the database for matches. She was found at the Cascade Museum next to a brutally-killed security guard, with a sword in her possession. The sword was not from the Museum. Also in her possession were some very expensive jewels, which were part of the latest exhibit. Very expensive. Enough to kill for.

That's not what intrigued Ellison. What intrigued him was her ingenious means of obtaining the jewels without triggering the alarm. In fact, the alarm wasn't set. It was a frantic call from a dying security guard, babbling about a woman with a sword.

"I don't understand," Sandberg muttered aloud. "It looks like an open-and-shut case!"

Ellison nodded, "It just might be that. But the cases that look like that rarely are. Let's see what Amanda has to say."

* * * *

The 'discussion room' was a plain white room, as immaculate as any hospital room could be. There was a rectangular table in the center, where the individual who did the talking faced those who asked the questions. There were no headlights that would shine into the face of those who talked, but the lights did shine more in that direction. There were no one-way mirrors, but there were a few hidden cameras and microphones that recorded in cinema-quality. There would be no question of inadmissible evidence because of poor recordings.

Amanda looked very unconcerned. In fact, she felt quite at home. That's the first thing that Ellison noted to himself. No fast pulse, no sweating. He didn't even smell the fear or nervousness -- but he did smell some overpowering perfume. Not in the manner that would kill even plastic plants, but rather in the manner that threatened to distract him. Funny thing... he found her physically unattractive, especially with her punk hairdo. He didn't like punk appearances. She'd been through the system before, and she knew how to use it. That was the sign of someone with a shady past, and it was confirmed by Amanda's records. Not much, except for a few international thefts. All in Europe. All high-profile crimes which were dismissed either because of lack of evidence or undisclosed reasons.

A glance over at Sandberg showed that he was openly overpowered by Amanda, in one sense or another. Maybe Sandberg went for the punk look...?

"So, Amanda." Ellison forced his smile. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

She surprised him. "I stole the jewels, but I didn't kill those guards. Why else would I have gone through all that trouble to sneak in through the security room without them noticing me, if I could have killed them in the first place?"

He sighed, "You have a point there, but then again, I could think of a million reasons to argue both sides. The basic facts are that you were caught in the security room, next to a dead guard and the stolen items in your possession, with a sword in easy reach. You admit to the theft, so that leads me to ask... who else was working with you? If you didn't kill them, somebody had to, and frankly, I don't see you working alone on this."

"I would have loved to have some company, but I didn't have any takers."

"Do you realize that you're committing legal suicide? The statements you've made have been on the record, and that's all the court needs to put you away for a long time."

She dropped her smile and looked intently at Ellison, "Detective. There is a murderer out there, and if you insist on believing that the murderer isn't out there, you'll find more people dead."

He nodded, "I believe you. I really do. But I need some help here!" He held out his hands helplessly.

Amanda sighed, "There's nothing I can give you."

"Then I'll have to look at the scene of the crime myself..."

Amanda shook her head as the detective and the observer left the room, smiling to herself. The detective looked like he knew more than he was letting on, and the observer seemed... to be very happy to see her. "Good luck."

* * * *