From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

Overview

The Three Eye Detective Agency gains a patron, and their first assignment for this individual is more of a personal nature—recover some lockboxes that had been stolen from the Atlas Park Bank.

Souvenir

A vial of smoke powder, collected from the Atlas Park Bank after some lockboxes belonging to a certain Mr. Wenkler were stolen in broad daylight. The powder is very fine and seems to shimmer in the light.

Plot

It all started when the Three Eye Detective Agency received the call from a Mr. Wenkler in Atlas Park. He didn't say what was wrong, only that he wanted to meet them. It turned out that Mr. Wenkler had a little bit of a problem: apparently some lockboxes containing some money for his children's college education was stolen from the Atlas Park Bank, and he was commissioning them to get it back. The briefing was cut short by a call from Wenkler's worried wife.

Detective Dolbian, Daisie, and Trent started their investigation at the Atlas Park Bank where they were met by the director. Apparently, the robbery happened in broad daylight. No one--not even the security cameras--saw anything. One minute, the lockboxes were there; the next minute, they were gone. It wasn't much to go on, but the trio elected to check out the crime scene first.

Aside from the empty compartments, nothing seemed out of place, that is until Trent discovered some fine powder in the four corners of the room. Upon closer inspection, some of the remaining compartments also bore traces of the light powder. Suddenly the director exclaimed that it lined up with what was on the security tape. Dumbfounded and perhaps slightly annoyed that he hadn't mentioned this in the first place, they requested to see the tape. The video showed everything appearing normal at first. Then suddenly a whirlwind enveloped the room in a powdery mist. When it cleared, the lockboxes were gone!

Thinking perhaps the Tsoo were behind this (since they like to utilize whirlwinds), Trent rushed a sample of the powder down to the crime lab for analysis. Their suspicions were confirmed--the powder was Tsoo in origin--and the forensic scientists were even able to nail down where the powder was turning up in police investigations--Independence Port.

The Agency raided a Tsoo warehouse where it turned out that the crime syndicate was manufacturing the stuff. They captured a "bookie" and interrogation revealed that the Tsoo had nothing to do with the robbery at Atlas Park. Fearing that they had reached a dead-end, Trent managed to pry from the bookie the location of his records and the last-known buyer of the powder--an acting troupe based in Founder's Falls.

They arrived at the theater where the acting troupe performed, only to find it crawling with Warriors. Suddenly, they heard a scream. Battling through Warriors, they finally managed to rescue a woman named Melinda, one of the four performers of the troupe. One performer, Trevor, had gone out to get some snacks, but the other two, Marco and Giovanni, were still somewhere in the theater. Apparently, the Warriors were looking for something.

Dolbian and Trent found Marco up ahead. Leaving him with Melinda for the moment, they then proceeded to rescue Giovanni, who was backstage. The Warriors were easily dispatched, and Giovanni, grateful for the rescue, immediately planted his haunches on a large magician's box the Warriors were trying to open.

Upon inquiry, Giovanni then began to explain that the Warriors suddenly poured in right after Trevor had left. They immediately began to tear the place apart, apparently looking for some money. Because of this, he seemed to think that Trevor had sent them in because he felt that the other three were holding back on him. Trent then inquired as to the contents of the box, but Giovanni immediately dismissed it, saying it was full of magician's props and the like.

Slightly irritated that Giovanni was trying to shoo them off to find Trevor, Trent switched gears and asked about their whereabouts yesterday and the day before. While Giovanni denied ever being in Independence Port, the question certainly did cause him to sweat.

"What about Atlas Park?"

"I'm telling you, we weren't anywhere near that bank in Atlas Park!"

Trent was silent for a moment. "I didn't say anything about a bank."

That was all Trent needed. Trent immediately placed Giovanni under arrest for robbery. When confronted by the evidence contained in the bookie's ledger, the performer clammed up, citing the Fifth Amendment.

Hearing the commotion, Marco and Melinda rushed backstage and took in the scene. Cooly, Trent repeated his questions as to the troupe's whereabouts and about the box itself. Their answers were useless at best and evasive at worst. But they were clearly nervous. Hoping to provoke a reaction, Trent began to step closer and closer to the magician's box in the center of the room. As he reached for the lock, Marco suddenly threw a knife, slicing Trent's hand. Giovanni was about to spring into action as well, ready to kick the wounded officer down, but only Dolbian's quick reflexes kept the performers at bay.

If Trent was not justified in opening the box before, he was now. While Dolbian kept his eye (and his weapon) on the magic performers, Trent shot open the lock, revealing the ten lockboxes that had been stolen from the Atlas Park bank. Upon this discovery, the performers immediately began to turn on each other, pointing fingers and laying blame. As PPD arrived to take the suspects into custody, Dolbian and Trent put out word for Trevor as well. They then made their way back to Atlas Park to deliver the good news.

Wenkler was overjoyed. Among other things, he promised to make use of the Agency's services in the future. But once again, the meeting was cut short by another call from Wenkler's worried wife.

Before they parted ways for the night, Dolbian stopped Trent one last time. For his dedication to the Agency and his role in breaking this case in particular, he was promoting Trent to the rank of Lieutenant.