A gentle breeze blew through the air, rustling the leaves in the nearby trees. It was a welcome relief on such a warm day. The sun sat high in the pale blue sky, beaming down on the city. The sound of children laughing and playing could be heard over the light traffic that passed down the road. A car horn honked loudly as a child darted across the road to retrieve a toy, and a mother apologized repeatedly. It was a beautiful summer day in Central City, and the residents were taking advantage of it.

Well, most residents. First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was sitting behind her desk, the door shut and the windows drawn closed. A small table lamp sat on her desk, creating a small orb of artificial light in the dark room. Her colleagues had retired to the mess hall for lunch, but she elected to stay behind. There was much work to be done. The depressing atmosphere of the office was very much the opposite of what was going on outdoors.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she jotted down a few notes on the file before her. It had been a simple case; the burglar confessed at the scene and there hadn’t been a need for a trial. It was very much cut and paste. If only all of the cases could be that easy. Shutting the file, she placed it on top of a small pile that had formed on the edge of her desk and picked up another.