16 CHAPTER 16: Anonymous Tip

3 hours before Wolfe arrived at the mansion.

The 3 o'clock sun shone brightly over Zodia as 2 Exilogs dragged in carriages filled with 8 police officers behind them. Exilogs were 6 legged mammalian creatures native to a few parts of Zodia. Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour, they were ideal choices for travel. Living for nearly 20 years, they could grow up to 6 feet high and 10 feet long in the span of that time. The presence of 6 legs demanded well-developed musculature, and this the Exilogs did not lack. Built like monsters, these creatures could end the life of any unlucky human with nothing but a simple flick of their leg. This had originally made it hard to domesticate them, but the citizens eventually accomplished it.

The Zodia Police Force was established in The 300th Galilian year when crime was at its peak. Multiple crime syndicates were born throughout the country every day, each of them with their own filthy goals in mind. The mass destruction and ruin brought onto Zodia got so out of hand that a need for a counteracting force was seen. And so the Zodia Police Force was born.

"We would like to see Mister Haik Vilhorm." A red haired man said to the guards outside the mansion gates. "Tell him the police have received a tip regarding foul play within the premises." The man spoke in a slow, rough voice. His eyes were drooping and his lips stuck in an ever-lasting frown.

The guards demanded an ID to prove the visitors were truly police, in response to which the man with red hair pulled out a blue coloured badge from his breast pocket. The badge was embedded with a golden 'Z' that extended to form the boundary around the rest of it. The intricate design and attention to detail was enough to inform the guards that the visitors were indeed part of the police.

One of the guards rushed into the mansion and asked for Haik, informing him that the police were here to see him. Haik, who was sitting in the comfort of his office chair, walked outside in frustration.

It took him quite a while to reach the mansion gates since he had been gaining weight for the past month, slowly on his way to crossing 150 kilograms. By the time he arrived at the gate his brow was enveloped with sweat and grime.

Irritation became evident on his face as he saw the red haired man standing at the front of the officers.

"What do you want, Abbot?" Haik asked in a stern voice and the red haired man smiled back mockingly.

"Firstly, it's Captain Boaz Abbot to you. Secondly, we received an anonymous tip that there may be a dead body hidden somewhere in your mansion."

Haik immediately retorted to Boaz's statement. "So you're just going to believe anyone who says that? Do you know how many people here would like to ruin my life? Wouldn't have expected such naivety from the renowned Boaz Abbot." Haik said smugly, smiling back as if he had won an argument.

Abbot felt a capillary in his head pop. It was impossible for him to maintain composure in front of any royal, especially Haik.

"Well, I was getting to that part before you rudely interrupted me. We've received 12 missing persons reports accompanied with anonymous tips regarding them for the past week. The handwriting analysis has confirmed that all the tips that came in were written by the same person and we are already looking into their identity."

Some officers behind Boaz mumbled in shock at how much information he had begun revealing to Haik, but were shunned by Boaz himself.

"So you think I'm related to this person?" Haik said angrily.

"Not really." Boaz paused. "But are you?" The straight forward questioning vexed Haik, but before he could say anything Boaz laughed out loud.

"I'm kidding, obviously. No need to get so pent up." His tone then instantly switched to a serious one.

"The reason I believe them is because all the other tips they've sent in have been proven true. The disturbing part is that all the tips until now have pointed at the bodies being hidden in the royals' mansions. One body was found in each of the other 11 mansions, and yours is the last one we were tipped off on.

"I don't know if you royals are part of something bigger, or if the bodies have been planted in your residences to frame you all, but I swear I'll get to the bottom of this."

Haik didn't seem shaken by any of what Boaz had said. He knew for a fact that the police would find no body.

"Fine then, make yourselves at home." Haik said as he gestured to the guards to open the gates. The determined stares from 8 sets of eyes dug into his back as he walked back to the mansion.

A thorough search of the mansion went on for the next 2 hours, but nothing turned up. Haik smirked at Boaz's frowning face as his officers gathered around him in disappointment.

"Search the outside." Boaz ordered and the search went on for another hour, the officers not landing on any results this time as well. "You must feel embarrassed, huh." Haik commented as the defeated officers walked out with their heads held low.

Boaz stopped at the gates, turning back to face the brightly lit mansion. A shiver ran down his spine as the sinister aura in its direct vicinity got to him.

"Something here is definitely wrong," he said to his fellow officers. "The bodies have consistently showed up at every other royal's home. The fact that it's missing from the Vilhorm mansion either means that the final tip is a false lead sent to make us suspect the Vilhorms of foul play. Or that the Vilhorms are hiding something malicious in their shadows that could harm Zodia.

"Either way we need to pinpoint the identity of our anonymous tipper if we want to get any further into this case."

With eyes full to the brim with determination, Captain Boaz Abbot headed back to the Police Station along with his team, ready for a long brainstorming session that could cost him his sanity.