A summer breeze floated through the open windows of the Veccio home bringing with it the happy squeals of playing children and the smell of line-dried laundry. Ray stood, hands in pockets, in the doorway watching the energetic children run up and down the sidewalk. He smiled softly , shook his head, turned and walked into the kitchen. The refrigerator door creaked as Ray swung it open in search of a cold drink. Having found one, he sat at the kitchen table and ran his hands along the smooth, varnished, surface.

"Peace and quiet," he whispered to himself.

He sat, listening, savoring the lack of noise. No ringing phone, no women yelling back and forth at one another, and no children getting underfoot. It was just him, all by himself, alone. The rest of his family had left for along weekend. He had been looking forward to some time to himself, but now he wasn't sure if he was enjoying the peace and quiet he always whined about when the house was full of boisterous family members. The ring of the phone punctuated the silence.

"Yeah, this is Ray," he answered.

"Hello Ray," said a decidedly feminine voice.

"Well hello," he responded, spirits brightening, but utterly confused as to who was on the other end of the line.

"You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Umm...well"

"Are you busy"

"No, just before you called I was having an incredibly boring moment"

"Well then, what would you say to meeting for a cup of coffee?"

"Umm sure, listen I don't mean to be rude, but, who are you?"

"Meet me at the coffee shop on the corner in an hour and you'll find out."

A click signaled the end of the conversation. Ray sighed and headed up the stairs to his room to get ready for his "date".

An hour later Ray was sitting at a table waiting expectantly for his mystery woman to walk through the door. Fifteen minutes later he was still waiting. He was moving to leave when the owner of the shop approached and sat a plain white envelope in front of Ray. He turned it over in his hands and then opened it. Inside was one 3 by 5 card it read:

"I provide volumes of dreams and knowledge to those who request it."

"What the..." Ray looked around for the owner, but he was no where to be found.

"I hate riddles," he mumbled as he walked to the Riv."dreams and knowledge...dreams and knowledge.." Ray repeated the words to himself as he drove through the city streets hoping that, somehow, the mantra would reveal its meaning. He pulled up next to a rundown apartment building, stepped over the figure lying in the doorway and climbed the stairs that led to his friend's apartment.

"Hey Benny, you in there?" Ray inquired as he knocked.

"Oh, hello Ray," Ben greeted,"I thought you were taking a day to yourself."

"Yeah well....Listen, do you know anyone that provides volumes of dreams and knowledge to all who request it?"

Ben looked Ray up and down with concern in his eyes."Ray, I think you've been out in the sun too long."

"Benny, I'm serious. Here, look at this." He said as he handed Benny the index card.

"A riddle, how fun."

"I'm glad you're amused, but what does it mean?"

"Well, what do *you* think it means, Ray?"

"If I knew what it meant, do you think I'd be here asking you?"

"Well, no, but give it a go. Just say whatever comes to mind when you thing of the description on the card."

Ray took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Guru, teacher, encyclopedia, books...." Rays eyes popped open and a rare smile graced his lips as he said "the library"

Ben smiled, "Shall we?"

******************************************************************

"That was pretty neat," Ray exclaimed.

"What was?" Ben inquired.

"That trick."

"It's not a trick, Ray. It's called free association. You see..."

Ben was interrupted by the crackle of the police radio. He looked over at Ray who had a decidedly perplexed look about him.

"Ray?"

"You're not going to believe this Benny, but the library has just been robbed."

"I thought you were taking the day off,Detective." Lt. Welsh stated as Ben and Ray walked into the library.

"Well, sir," Ray replied,"I was having a wonderfully exciting day when I suddenly realized that it was time to renew my library card, so here I am.

So, what's all the excitement about?"

"A book was stolen."

"A book. They call in the calvary because some punk wanted his own copy of Moby Dick?"

"Not quite," said a voice from behind Ray. "They stole the original manuscript of L'Morte D'Arthur(did I spell this right?) that was on loan to us."

"So, any clues as to the identity of the perpetrator?"

The librarian shook his head. " All we found was a plain envelope lying beside the display case."

"And may I see that envelope," Ray inquired.

The librarian turned and hurried to get the envelope. Ray suddenly realized that the Mountie had disappeared.

"Yes here it is," the librarian said as he handed Ray the envelope.

"Thank you."

Ray opened the envelope and in it was another card. It read:

"Well, you solved that one, but can you figure this one out? I've seen the

beauty of life captured in cloth and stone."

Ray shook his head in frustration as he thought. "Artist, Painting, sculpture...art museum."

Now all he had to do was find Ben. He should have known it was a bad idea to bring him to the library.

"Benny," he yelled, drawing various glares from people trying to read.

"I'm right here Ray, there's no need to yell."

"Come on, we gotta go."

"But I just found the most fascinating book on...."

"Come on!"

"All right. Come on Deif."

The trio piled into the car.

"Where are we off to this time?"

"Museum of Art"

"Ray, I never thought you would be the type..."

"Look," Ray interrupted,"there was another card with a riddle on in. It said to go the the Museum of Art, so that's where we're going."

Ben sat in silence knowing better than to try to explain himself. Ray and Ben arrived just in time to here the curator make the call to the police.

"Hi, I'm Det. Ray Veccio, what's the problem?"

"The problem?" the curator roared. "The problem is a rare medieval tapestry has been stolen from the visiting collection."

"Was anything found at the scene of the crime?"

"Just an envelope, but I don't think it's important. Anyone could have dropped it."

"May I see it?"

"Well, yes, I suppose," the curator replied as he shuffled through a stack of papers on his desk. "Ah yes, here it is."

Ray opened the envelope and pulled out the card.

"I'm beginning to lose faith in your abilities as a detective. You have

one more chance. I house tombs of rulers and weapons of fallen Champions."

Ray ran to find Ben. He found him gazing at a white canvas with a big red square in the middle of it.

"Come on, we gotta go."

"But......", Ben complained as Ray dragged him out of the Museum.

"So where.."

"The Museum of Natural history. She's gonna steal a sword, a shield, and a suit of armor."

"Ah..." Ben replied, "and you know this because.."

Ray just smiled sarcastically at his friend. "you mean you haven't figured it out yet?"

"Well, no."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't been running around looking for books on caribou mating habits, or staring at pictures of squares, you would have."

"Yes, of course you're right Ray. I have neglected my duties. Remind me to reprimand myself when we get home."

Ray, Ben, and Deif sped through the Chicago streets in the Riv at speeds only safe for stunt men and fighter pilots.

"Ray, that was a stop sign."

"Look Benny, we're on our way to a crime scene, I'm a cop. I can go through stop signs if a want to."

"Ray, I really don't think..."

"I know Benny, I know.."

Ray brought the Riv to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the museum, barely missing a teacher and several third graders in the process.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" He yelled at them.

"Ray, I believe they were on a field trip."

"Yeah well, they should still be in school."

Ray ran into the building, his shoes rapping on the marble floors. He turned corner after corner until he found himself in Medieval Europe. Suits of armor hung in their display cases like marionettes waiting for the puppeteers to pull their strings. Battle axes, great swords, and mass weapons, waited, ready for the fight. Ray scanned the area, Benny standing beside him doing likewise. Suddenly, Benny tensed his attention drawn to a semi-hidden corridor at the opposite end of the room. He silently beckoned Ray to follow him. As he rounded the corner of the corridor a shaft of metal struck out at him, catching him on the forehead and sending him crumpling to the floor. Ray ran to his friends side, made sure that he was still alive, and then took off after the sword wielding vigilante. IT didn't take long for Ray to catch up to the person, because she was clad in a full suit of armor, carrying a center-grip shield, and lofting a sword. Ray pulled his gun.

"Freeze," he yelled.

The figure froze.

"Lay down your sword and shield and put your hand on your head."

The figure didn't move.

"Don't make me shoot you."

"Shoot? Are you crazy," a booming voice shouted as a frantic man stepped in between Ray and the perpetrator.

"Listen man I don't know who you are or what you're trying to prove, but that person is gonna cost this museum a lot of money if you let her go."

"This suit of armor is over 500 years old. I'd rather you shoot me than it."

"All right, I promise not to shoot the tin man. Now, get out of the way."

The man stepped aside as the armor clad figure started to run down an adjoining corridor. Once again, Ray caught up to, and tackled her.

"Oh no..You dented it." the man wailed, his hands pulling at the few hairs left on his head.

"Well at least it doesn't have a hole in it."

Ray slowly helped the figure to her feet and removed the helmet, and a cascade of firey red curls poured out.

"Congratulations Detective, you got your man," she laughed as several cops began the process of extracting her from the armor.

"Wait, who are you?"

She simple smirked at him as she was led away.

"Well?" Benny inquired of his friend.

"Well what?" Ray sulked.

"Did you arrest him?"

"It was a her, and yes." Ray paused, staring at his friend. ""How's the head?"

"Oh, well, she hit me with the flat of the sword, so no permanent damage was done."

"Well that's good."

They walked back to the Riv which was still perched on the sidewalk.

"Ready to go home?"

"Yes Ray."

Ray dropped Benny off and returned home just in time to hear Francesca scream something about marinara sauce at his mother.

"So much for a quiet day alone."

THE END!!!!!

Thank You Kindly,