Mina and Taro Case #3 Shadows on the Marina

The charred scene unfolded before Mina and Taro, a full blanket of smoke and black.

Boats at the Yacht Club were now torched coffins-- two owners had lost their lives.

Detective Mina Tan's eyes swept over the damage. She turned to the forensic pathologist. She knew that destruction was often a smokescreen for a deeper betrayal.

"The fire seems accidental, but the pattern of destruction looks odd." The clinical pathologist intoned. "You may want to instruct the fire guys to look for an accelerator."

There it was. The confirmation she needed.

Taro, his nose glued to the burnt floorboards, circled around them

Mina's head snapped. She knew her canine sleuth partner had sensed something--something diabolical-- cleverly hidden in the ashes.

But that had to wait, at least until she met the owner of the marina, Adrian Koh.

His office, urban and chic, held the marina in its picture-perfect view.

"Welcome to my professional abode."

A polished greeting.

The man before her snagged attention immediately; well-built, donned in a tight tee and a custom-tailored Gucci vest. Every bit the successful developer.

But he wasn't all put together.

At least, not then.

Shaken, he thumped his fists on the table, then cradled his forehead. He glared at Mina.

"Tell me, who would do something like this?"

Mina's senses told her --distraught.

Yet beneath it all--rehearsed.

Taro growled softly.

Something was off.

"So someone turned the Marina into a scrap heap and broke into your company's server room? Stole data your company needs?"

"Yes. But it was just--equipment logs. Nothing sensitive. "

He wrung his trembling hands.

"I've heard about how you managed to tease out a few war bunkers. I'd like to hire you to find out whether this was commercial sabotage. How much do you charge?"

Taro's eyes scaled the walls, cutting her answer short. Then, he sniffed the edges of the walls. His nose a finely-tuned radar, he settled down by a drawer.

Mina walked over to it and squatted beside the canine sleuth. "What've you got, buddy?"

Taro looked up at her, eyes keen.

A single tap on the drawer with his paw.

Slowly, it opened.

Inside, a silver tracker.

She whirled round to Adrian, now sitting comfortably behind his desk.

The case was just beginning. And not favourably.

Mina slipped the digital sleuth into his pocket.

Adrian swivelled in his chair.

"You're welcome to that. Just an extra. My company makes those."

Taro growled--

Louder.

More urgent.

Assertive.

Mina turned to her newest client, a professional smile matching unreadable calm.

"Alright, Mr. Koh. Tell me more."

Outside Adrian's office, out of the odd periphery of his view. Mina knelt beside Taro.

She ruffled the hair on his head.

"You're not our tech guru's fan, are you. Taro?"

Tech whiz and the head of the digital department at her office. Jesse. had armed her mobile with AI Sleuth Assistant. Leah.

While she was sceptical of the bot's usefulness, she needed all the help she could get.

Leah went over the silver bug faster than a pair of eyes could blink.

Adrian Koh was almost finished packing his briefcase for the day.

With deft fingers, Mina flicked the tracker into her pouch before the tech guru could step out.

She dialled Jesse.

"Hey, pal. Job for you. Signal for you to trace."

"Leah could do that. But if you prefer the human touch..."

"Definitely. Get on it."

"Yes'm!" Click.

Mina grinned to herself. Jesse would get back to her as fast as Leah could.

Her restless feet didn't like waiting, so she and Taro scaled the Marina, letting Time play his card.

At its edge--a nondescript fuel shed.

Nondescript to all but Taro.

The dog's nose twitched, and he withdrew.

With a whimper that Taro wouldn't let out.

The sleuth-dog duo made their way round the shed. Taro sniffed. Then sat.

Mina caught up with her partner.

Beyond the shed, a dinghy warehouse.

A door.

And a broken lock.

Mina made her way in, her footsteps quieter than mice. Inside the shed were crates of clean equipment--someone knew they were coming.

And didn't want them there.

Taro growled. And barked once.

Mina snapped photos, unaware of a third pair of eyes.

On them.


________________________________________



But Taro was. The alert German Shepherd sleuth sniffed the air.

And nosed Mina gently.

She snapped her head round. Taro was facing the door to the warehouse.

Hocks up.

Tail stiff.

Teeth bared.

She lowered her camera, a prickle running down her neck.

Mina crouched behind a crate, gently drawing Taro back with her. Her fingers met a bump beneath the dust, and she drew a quick breath.

There they were.

Fresh.

Smudged.

Footprints.

Someone had been to the warehouse before them.

A clang jarred her eardrums. Then, a sharp bark.

Taro's.

Before Mina could stop him, he bolted to the warehouse door faster than a shot from a revolver, his bark sharp and loud.

The former athlete in the female sleuth kicked in. She raced after Taro, past a line of crates. Past the broken lock.

A black blur darted past an oil drum.

"Stop! Police!"She shouted, out of breath.

But it had gone. Escaped. Through a break in the fence and into a back alley.

Taro stopped at the fence, his fury erupting in a volley of barks.

They'd lost this round.

But not completely.

On the ground lay a dark leather glove.

With a distinct scent that drew Taro's nose.

On its surface--fibres. Enough for a DNA trace

But whoever it belonged to--knew Mina now.


___________________________________
The ping of her mobile.

It was Jesse.

"That tracker's been busy. It pinged at a warehouse near the Pasir Panjang port.

Mina noted the info on her mobile, then gave Taro a quick back rub.

"Looks like Adrian's not the only player in the tracking game."

Mina frowned. Whatever Adrian Koh was involved with was cyber-nuanced.

The sharp screeching of wheels. She caught sight of a red car driving hurriedly out of the parking area.

Taro snarled, hocks raised.

They hadn't been alone.

Digital --and physical-- danger,

The red car wasn't anything a savvy sleuth, a top-notch tracking canine, and an untraceable Nissan could not fix.

They tailed the red car, out of sight but locked on.

And arrived at another warehouse--in the same area.

It was Adrian Koh.

The Eclipse's undisputed leader.

And it hit Mina.

A cold case---children had disappeared.

Inconsolable parents, crying over phone lines.

A few wealthy entrepreneurs had reported their little ones missing.

The warehouse.

She knew.

And so did Taro.

The dog snarled.

Mina and Taro tailed Adrian, staying close but hidden.

Her voice was steady over the car radio. A note to Detective Boon, a surveillance contact she had met while on an assignment from Los Angeles.

She needed his help. Desperately.

And a surveillance van.

The sleuthing duo's nondescript Nissan followed Adrian's red Porsche to the opulent Raffles hotel--an establishment complete with Victorian pillars, whitewashed marble, and classic white windows.

Boon and tech expert Jesse soon arrived to monitor Adrian remotely. Their van was an indistinguishable shadow in the hotel's parking area,

She stepped into the hall with Taro--to marbled archways and servers ready with wine glasses.

And there he was.

Confident.

A picture of youthful arrogance.

Mingling with other business gurus, owning the world, unaware that he was being watched.

Mina approached, her gait calm and stoic.

"Congrats on the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Adrian. A boon for a man who's always three steps ahead."

She turned to the crowd, unable to resist a smirk of her own.

"In case you didn't know--" everyone was in her nod--"Adrian really loves children. Enough to bring them in--in droves."

Adrian stood tall---but his eyes were darting from one door of the ballroom to another. "Thank you, Miss Mina. I...am glad to accept my award."

He started backing away to one.

In the van, Boon and Jesse pressed on Leah, the detective's AI assistant.

Security lockdown.

Adrian took several more steps backward.
Then--

A low growl.

A pounce.

A snarl over his face---paws gripping, secure.

Taro.

Mina watched as officers led Adrian Koh out of the ballroom, his head hung.

Boon and Jesse remained in the surveillance van, securing recordings they had gathered from the scene for prosecution.

For the missing children-- justice.

For their families--some closure.

For herself-- satisfaction in having been a sleuth that mattered.