he came home to his apartment late in the afternoon. the place looked different in a very subtle way. it took him a few seconds until he realized that certain things were missing. pictures on the wall, framed certificates from his various schools. notes pinned to the refrigerator.

he called his friend, also a police officer, to tell him about this strange break-in and asked him to come over. the friend said he would do so. while he was waiting for him to show up, he continued to look for missing objects, when it dawned on him that they had taken everything that could identify him. whoever broke in did a marvelous job. all of his personal belongings were gone. everything that showed or gave proof of his existence as a person had been taken. no pictures of him anymore, no letters, no bills, nothing. his home had been turned into an impersonal furnished apartment

Why would anybody try to erase him ? he had not yet discovered, that his friend was involved in this.