A Game Called Chaos Read Online Free Page B

they pretty much took me at my word. They looked over the condo, but didn’t find anything.”
    â€œYou mean, aside from the mess,” Joe said.
    â€œYeah. They said the place had probably been robbed by someone who knew Royal was on vacation.”
    Joe nodded. “We gave Rosenberg a similar story,” he said. “It makes a certain amount of sense.”
    â€œOnly if you can believe the robber just happened to miss an expensive computer sitting in plain sight,” Frank said.
    Chelsea smiled. “Yeah. Jewel Ridge must have dumb crooks. Anyway, the cops kicked us out and sealed up the place—until Royal gets back, of course. They let Winters go because they really didn’t have anything to hold him on. None of us even saw him in the condo. They promised to keep an eye on him, though, and also said they might want to talk to you guys. Check in with them before you leave.”
    â€œWe’re used to checking in with the police,” Joe said.
    â€œOkay,” Frank said, “it looks as if Royal may have put one over on Rosenberg, too. Rosenberg wouldn’t have called Royal here if he knew where Royal is. In fact, he seemed surprised when Joe and I hinted that Royal was out of town. Winters doesn’t know Royal’s gone, either. That sure doesn’t leave us much to go on.”
    â€œExcept for the riddles,” Joe said. “I’ve beenthinking about them. If ‘My past is the key to the future,’ maybe we need to know more about Royal’s past. What can you tell us, Chelsea?”
    â€œWell,” she began, “I did some research when we were trying to lure him to Viking Software. His is one of those typical came-out-of-nowhere computer genius stories. Apparently, he and Anne Sakai became friends in college—they had a mutual interest in computers and adventure gaming. Together they came up with Katherine Chaos and the Chaos saga idea. In their spare time, they programmed Caverns of Chaos. It sold well and they landed a contract with Wondersoft, but their second game, School of Chaos, really took off.”
    Chelsea took a sip of her drink and continued. “The two of them became famous in the computer gaming community. They traveled all over the world doing gaming conventions and promotional appearances. It probably helped that Anne looked a lot like the game’s heroine.
    â€œBut in the end I guess that was a double-edged sword. Anne got a lot more attention than she wanted. Maybe she was really a loner at heart. So she cut out on the tour and went on vacation in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, she never came back. Her private plane crashed at sea and she died.”
    â€œWow. What rotten luck,” Joe said.
    â€œYeah,” Chelsea said. “She was at the top of her profession before her death. I guess Royal took it pretty hard. But he did do another game, Forest of Chaos, without her. Unfortunately, it didn’t do as well as the first two.”
    â€œFor which Royal blamed Rosenberg,” Frank added.
    â€œRight, but the game really wasn’t as good. With the new game, Royal seems to be back on track,” Chelsea said. “A Town Called Chaos is a great game.”
    â€œWhat about what Winters said,” Frank asked, “that Anne was the brains behind the games?”
    â€œWell, if that were true, you couldn’t tell it from the new game. It’s way better than the first three. Personally, I think Sakai’s death shook Royal, that’s why the third game didn’t turn out as well. Winters is just a jealous crank. A talented crank, but a crank nonetheless.”
    â€œDid Sakai have any relatives who could still be involved with the game?” Joe asked.
    Chelsea wrinkled her forehead and thought a moment. “I’m not sure. I think she had heirs, but Royal never mentioned them. If you like, I can check at the office tomorrow. Do you think they might know where Royal