Lesotho Promise

Tracy: Hey! you are early today.
David[smiles]: Save the sarcasm, Wifey! Is Nathan asleep?
Tracy: Yes. He waited for you till 11:30.
David: Ohh! I am so sorry. I completely forgot. I was about to leave early for home, to take him to the museum and then something urgent came up and I completely forgot.
Tracy: It's alright. He knows your inability to remember stuff. So Detective Mills, what mystery did you solve today?
David: Well.... other than discovering my inability to remember stuff and how sarcastic you have become, nothing special.
Tracy: Oh, so this isn't special....

Tracy switches on the TV.

News reporter: The 'Lesotho Promise' is a 603 carat diamond stone. The South African Diamond Corporation, expected to sell the diamond for more than 20 million dollars at an exhibition held at the 'National Museum of African Art' here in Washington, before it was stolen.

David: Since when do you follow the News?
Tracy: Since the day I married a detective from the FBI.
David: They assigned me to this case few hours ago. Now I am one of the lead detectives on the biggest robbery of the decade.
Tracy: Which means you are the dad who wont be seeing his son until the case is solved.
David: Tracy, come on!! Its just a matter of days. And I promise we will take that museum tour together.

David: But why would he want to go that stupid museum anyways? Why not the Star Wars Premier or the NBA playoffs? It's like he has got all your genes and none of mine.
Tracy: Ok Ok. Lets argue at the dinner table, shall we? I am starving.

Next Day, FBI headquarters, Washington, D.C.

David: Durham, did NSA send over those satellite recordings of the crime scene?
Durham: Yes Sir, they are on the shared drive, where you had asked.
David: Good. Inform everyone, Conference Room B in 5 minutes.


David[talking to his team]: As everyone is aware, last night at around 2230 a mammoth diamond, the Lesotho Promise was stolen from the National Museum of African Art. I am ashamed enough to say that no suspects have been identified so far. Our best guess is, there was someone on the inside, because this place housed a security system that could rival most missile silos. And breaching it ain't no one-man-job. Now, it is needless to say that how crucial it is to obtain this stone back. Not just because it's worth more than the Statue of Liberty, but because it's a question of National Pride. The stone belonged to the South African Diamond Corp. It's obvious that the political repercussions are going to be immense. The Director has already been breathing down my neck. So, lets stop wasting time here and get that damn stone back!

Det. David Mills and Det. Jack Carter discussing the case in Jack's office...

Jack: These satellite recordings are totally inconclusive. There is no recording of the Art Museum for like 25 minutes during which the robbery occured.
David: Oh Come on now!! What are the chances of a satellite hovering over D.C. at that exact moment!
Jack: What about Chatter? Anything there?
David: Nope. We cant expect robberies to be monitored through Chatter. And this doesn't look like a terrorist activity anyways.

David: Relax. I am pretty sure something would come up from the huge interrogation being carried out. Phew! 212 possible suspects. Largest one I have ever seen.
Jack: How are we doing there?
David: Nothing conclusive so far. The security guards at the time of the robbery are being grilled pretty severely though.
Jack: When are you leaving for the crime scene? I will accompany you.
David: Let's go.

About a month later....

Tracy: Hey, You okay, honey?
David: Yeah!
Tracy: What's wrong?
David: Nothing................. Well, it's that darn diamond theft. All leads have exhausted. I am just unable to figure out where it disappeared. Its been like a month now and still not a single suspect or clue. How can a stone so precious disappear in thin air? Every major agency across the globe is on alert. But still.....

David gets a call from Jack ....

David: Hi Jack!
Jack: David I got a lead. You remember Springer?
David: Yeah! He is the chief engineer of Chrome Securities. The Company that setup the security for the Lesotho exhibition.
Jack: Yes. He just called 911 and reported a break-in into his house and an attempt on his life. I am on my way to his place.
David: Give me the address. I will be there in a few minutes.

David arrives at the address...

David: Det. David Mills, FBI. Where is Det. Carter?
D.C. Police Officer: Please come with me Sir.

David is shocked to see Carter's body lying on the floor. He is already dead. Springer's body is lying at some distance.
Most of the furniture is broken, suggesting a brawl and quite a few gunshots on the wall. Both Jack and Springer have guns lying beside their bodies.

D.C. Police Officer: It seems the gunshots were from their respective guns, suggesting they killed each other. Det. Carter reached here before we could. He was tipped of by an insider inside the D.C. Police Department. I think he was suspicious of Mr. Springer and was monitoring him. Det. Carter was still alive when we reached.
David: I want a full forensics report tomorrow morning, on my desk.
D.C. Police Officer: Yes Sir. One more thing Sir, Det. Carter was saying something about a Sarah Tops in his final moments.
David: What? What exactly did he say?
D.C. Police Officer: His voice was very low and I could not make out the sentence. But his last words were 'Try Sarah Tops'.
David: Try Sarah Tops? Are you sure Officer?
D.C. Police Officer: Yes Sir. I am sure he said that.
David: Is there anything else that you could make out from what he was trying to say.
D.C. Police Officer: No Sir, that's all I could make out.
David: Thank you Officer.

Whoever this Sarah Tops is or was, quite possible could lead to the diamond or maybe even had the diamond. Jack would not kill a key suspect unless he had no other choice and unless he had got the information he needed. David runs the name across all databases of all known agencies, but nothing comes up. No reference to any Sarah Tops. Springer's profile and accounts were already verified during the investigation. A re-check does not provide anything conclusive. He had covered his tracks well. The case runs cold again.

About a month later.....

David: Hey kiddo! you ready?
Nathan: Yess!
David: Excited?
Nathan: Hmm.. not really, given that we are 2 months late for it.
David: Oh come on now!! You know I was busy? Dont you?
Nathan: Yes Dad.
David: Ok, now lets go before they dont allow us in.

They leave to visit the 'National Museum of Natural History'. As David parks his car, he gets a little pensive. The National Museum of Natural History is right in front of the National Museum of African Art, from where the Lesotho Promise was stolen. These two museums, along with several others are a part of the 'National Mall' in Washington D.C.
The museum's collections total over 125 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. It's main attraction being the remains of dinosaurs.

As David and Nathan are taking the tour. David suddenly notices something. He stops and stands still, staring at a 10-meter long dinosaur skeleton. There is a bright reflection falling straight into David's eye. The tag of the dinosaur says 'Triceratops'.

A tribute to my favorite story since like the fifth grade. Hope the modifications in the storyline weren't a letdown.