ICPO Inspector Zenigata rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet as he waited. The late afternoon sun in Rome was still bright enough to heat up the cement patio he was on; making the inspector wish he had left his trench coat back at the hotel. As if the heat during the walk over wasn't bad enough he had become lost on his way to the museum and finally had to ask for directions from a road construction crew who were busy demolishing the street a block away. After several minutes of bleaching in the sun the museum curator, a man dressed in a conservative, fussy fashion, came to the door to welcome Zenigata.
"Inspector Zenigata? I am Stellio Valenti. Please come in." Stepping through the doorway Zenigata shivered as he moved from the warm Italian day into an entry way chilled by air conditioning. "I apologize that my staff did not immediately let you in," Valenti said as he lead the inspector into the museum. "Even though the museum is closed they could at least have allowed you to wait in the foyer. They decided to err on the side of caution since there are so many undesirable elements who would be interested in gaining access to the museum."
"That's exactly what I'm here about. Have you heard of the thief Lupin the Third?" Valenti admitted he had. "The latest message from Lupin stated that he would be in Rome to deal with 'absconded royalty.' There's a chance he might be referring to the Queen's Necklace."
"I suspected that's why you were here. The local authorities have already contacted me about the possible theft."
After passing through the main hall, Valenti conducted Zenigata to an exhibition of jewelry. Valenti passed displays that were filled with riches and information about their history and stopped in front of a lone necklace on display in the middle of a wide cabinet.
"The Queen's Necklace. Lovely, isn't it? The diamonds had to be re-fitted but the original gold setting is still intact. When I acquired the piece for my collection I was told that the necklace had something of a history with the original Arsene Lupin."
"I'm not familiar with the details of the case but it seems that through some bizarre reasoning Lupin feels he has a claim to the necklace since his grandfather once stole it." Zenigata turned a critical eye on Valenti. "Did you just say 'my collection?'"
"But of course. A majority of the pieces on display are from my own collection."
"This display belongs to you? That's very impressive."
"It took a great deal of work to assemble but it was worth it. Ah, it looks like you're going to be spared hearing about my obsession for the moment," Valenti said as he saw two men coming towards them. "Inspector, have you met the officer on the case?"
"Detective Argento," a man said as he approached the pair. "Glad to be on the case with ICPO." Unlike Valenti, who looked as if he could exist in no other environment than a climate controlled museum, Argento looked as if he had been born several centuries too late. Instead of wearing a suit and tie, Argento looked like he would have been much more at home marching with a Roman Legion. Zenigata felt the bones in his hand bend and strain from the pressure of Argento's firm handshake.
"In addition to helping with security, Argento has been a great supporter of our institution over the years," Valenti added.
"Good to meet you. So where are the rest of your men?"
"This is my partner, Baldi." A thin, severe looking man to the side of Argento nodded as a way of introduction. "The other four officers assigned to the case are taking a look around the museum to familiarize themselves with the surroundings."
"There are only six men on the case?" Zenigata squawked. "Do you know who you are dealing with?"
"Don't worry Inspector," Valenti said. "This museum has security devices that Lupin couldn't even dream of. My collection is quite safe."
"Also, this is all the men we can spare," Argento added. "As long as the Princess is here Lupin isn't the most important person visiting Rome at the moment."
"'Princess?'"
Queen for a Day
The following is a parody. All characters presented in the story are copyrighted and trade marked by their respective owners.
Lupin III, the most notorious criminal of his age and a man wanted by law enforcement officials the world over, walked through the evening streets of Rome without a care in the world. The cool night air and the sound of a city that was awake and alive all night long was invigorating. It was as if a city as large and old as Rome had so much activity to it that it kept moving even while it slept. The night was so busy Lupin had even seen an attempted burglary go bad. The would be burglary had ended when the thief fell off the security wall he was trying to scale and landed roughly on his arm. While Lupin was familiar with botched robberies he didn't have much sympathy for a burglar who was so unprepared he didn't even bring along something as simple as a rope to help him climb. Unlike the man with the now injured shoulder, Lupin had planned his next crime out well in advance. By this time tomorrow the world would find out that Lupin had struck yet again.
Rounding a corner Lupin came upon an old man loudly hustling a young woman out of a building onto the sidewalk. Lupin's relaxed mood sank away at the sight.
"What's the problem?"
"She's the problem." The old man smelled of sweat and heavy cologne. "She thinks she lives here and keeps trying to get into my apartment."
"So who is she?" During their conversation the girl had been swaying on her feet like a pendulum. Losing her balance, she fell backwards and stumbled into Lupin.
"Don't know, don't care. If you like her, you can keep her." With that the old man went into the apartment complex and shut the door behind him.
"Hey, come back here!" Lupin tried to go after the man but the girl in his arms had gone limp and refused to get back on her feet.
"This had been a nice evening up until now too. Hey, sleepy-head, what's wrong with you anyhow? Do you live around here or do you just bother strangers all night?" In spite of Lupin's questions and shaking the girl was barely conscious. Lupin turned her around in order to talk to her directly but stopped when he saw her face.
"Wha-?" The look of surprise on Lupin's face gave way to a sly grin. "Maybe this is my lucky night after all."
"Good morning!"
The eyes of the young woman slowly fluttered then shot open when she saw her surroundings. Although she was already curled up in the bed's sheets she unconsciously pulled herself further into them.
"Where... am I?"
"You're in the best hotel room that can be rented in Rome during the middle of the night. It may not look like much but it does have its own bath and shower which is more than some places can say."
A man with a silly smile on his face was sitting backwards on a chair, his crossed arms resting on the back of the headboard.
"All right." The young woman kept the sheets pulled up around her as she sat up in bed even though she realized she was still fully clothed. "Have we already been introduced?"
"I'm sorry; you probably don't remember much from last night, do you?" The man stood up, kicked the chair to one side, caught it with one hand, and tossed it behind him. "Lupin the Third at your service."
"The gentleman thief?"
"That was how my grandfather was known at least. It seems my reputation has preceded me."
"Some of my father's... business associates have been troubled by you in the past."
"Your father must be in quite a line of business if he knows some of the people I've gone after over the years. Now if I remember correctly you're Anya, right?"
"Yes, yes that's right."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance once again Anya," Lupin said as he sat back down in the chair. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing out on your own last night?"
"I'm in Rome to... finish my studies. The schedule I was on was becoming too much so I decided to go out last night and see the city. But earlier in the evening I took something to help me sleep. It must have been more effective than I thought since I don't remember much after I left the main gates."
"Ah, that explains it. You should be more careful about playing hooky since you weren't in a good way when I came across you. I didn't know what to do with you so I rented this place so you could sleep off whatever was in your system."
"You did all this for me?" Looking about the room Anya saw Lupin's blazer still folded up as a makeshift pillow on the couch. "That was a very, very kind thing to do. The title of gentleman thief suits you."
"Anyone would have of done the same," Lupin said, waving off the compliment.
"Thank you again for your help last night," Anya said. "I'm sorry to have turned you out of your bed. I've taken enough of your time so if you'll excuse me-"
"Wait wait wait wait," Lupin said, waving his hand at her as she started to move. "Now why were you out of your room last night? If I had to guess I would say you were out because you were so bored that you couldn't stay inside a moment longer even though you were full of sleepy pills. You skipped out of your school because you were looking for something more than the usual routine, something fun, even if it was just a stroll around the streets of Rome. Is that close?"
"I suppose so, yes."
"So what would you say to doing something really out of the ordinary? Something you've never done before? A totally thrilling experience that only a man like me could provide?"
As Lupin gave his pitch he slid forward with excitement until he was barely perched on the edge of his chair. The further Lupin inched forward the further Anya pushed herself back into the headboard.
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
Lupin held up a newspaper folded open to a photograph of Princess Ann, a member of European royalty who was currently touring Rome. Black hair framed her large dark eyes and was pulled up to better highlight her long, graceful neck. She was the embodiment of poise, class, and elegance and she looked remarkably like the young woman in front of Lupin.
"It's nothing illegal, or that illegal at least. You won't get in any trouble I can promise you that. All I want to do is have a bit of fun with some people and you can help me out. If you don't want to, that's fine. You can head off and have a nice Roman holiday. But if you do play along not only will you have a good time, I'll make you queen for a day."
"'Queen?'" Anya took the newspaper from Lupin and studied the picture. "I would like to hear what your idea is Mister Lupin."
"Freshen up and I'll tell you about it over brunch," Lupin said as he hopped out of his chair and headed out of the room. "Don't take too long because you have a big day ahead of you."
Anya came down to the lobby to find Lupin smoking and chatting with someone. The two men were a study in contrasts. The sharp black shirt and slacks Lupin wore made his yellow tie and red blazer stand out even more brightly. Between his striking outfit and his animated personality there was no mistaking that Lupin was in the room. The other man was dressed in shades of black and grey that seemed designed to make him fade into the background. Most of his face was obscured by a beard and a low slung fedora which combined with his relaxed, rumpled posture to give the impression that he didn't want to leave an impression.
"Anya, this is Jigen, our chaperone for the afternoon."
"Hey there kid," Jigen said, giving a slight tug to the rim of his hat.
"Ready to eat?" Lupin asked as he led the group out of the hotel.
"I'm ready for anything," Anya replied. "You may find it funny but I've lead a rather sheltered life. Here you have something big planned for me to take part in and I've never even done a lot of simple things. I've never driven a car; I've never tried a cigarette..."
"You shouldn't start, it's a bad habit," Jigen said as he flicked his still smoldering cigarette butt out into the street.
"...I feel like I've missed out on so many different experiences. I doubt whatever you have planned is simple but I'm sure it's going to be memorable."
The trio settled on a sidewalk cafe that featured a good view of a nearby intersection. For a good portion of the meal Anya seemed happy to do nothing more than watch people as they went by.
"You've been awfully quiet. Aren't you interested in what I have planned?" Lupin finally asked.
"Hopelessly fascinated, but I figured you would tell me in due time."
"Phew, you're a cool one. All I need for you to do is stand around and look pretty. Since you are already doing that you might as well be dressed up as the princess who's visiting Rome right now."
"Princess?"
"Princess Ann is on a goodwill tour of different European cities and her current stop is Rome. I'm planning on having her make an unexpected visit to a certain someone with you filling in for Ann."
"You want me to help you use Princess Ann's name to commit a robbery?"
"I'm not robbing anyone," Lupin said. "It's more a matter of returning something to its rightful owner."
"But surely someone will notice the difference. I hardly think anyone would mistake me for a princess."
"Now you're just fishing for compliments. You'll make a perfectly proper princess. While I'm thinking about it here are a few things to help you along. First, a little walking around town money."
Anya took the folded pile of bills from the thief. "Thank you. Is... this very much?"
"You don't get out of that school much, do you?" Lupin laughed. "It should be more than enough to get you through the day. The other item is this ring I whipped up. I didn't have time to get the proper seal to go with it but I think it looks appropriately royal and will go great with whatever princess outfit we find for you."
"You made this yourself? It's very lovely." Anya brushed the top of the ruby and silver ring. What felt like tiny hairs tickled and pricked the tip of her finger.
"The ring is filled with monofilaments and other gizmos so you probably shouldn't fiddle with it too much."
"I'll try to keep my hands to myself," Anya said as she tucked the ring away in her pocket.
"We have time before we have to get started so how about we go see some of Rome first? There's no reason we have to make this whole day a working vacation. After some sightseeing we can worry about turning you into the best fake princess in town. Are you ready to start?"
"So I'm to be the face that launches a thousand ships? Ready whenever you are."
"Do or die, that's the spirit. It seems all that time in boarded up in school is paying off if you're paraphrasing Shakespeare."
"That was from Marlowe," Jigen corrected. "I'll take care of the bill and catch up with you two in a moment."
While the gunman went to pay for lunch Lupin and Anya headed down the street. When the two of them rounded a corner that led off the main street into a secluded side road a man ran up to them.
"Hey there you two, could I bother you for a second?"
"Huh?"
"I'm Scott Putens of Reuters news service." Putens took Lupin's grunt of surprise as an official welcome to begin his introduction. "I'm in town to cover Princess Ann's visit. You've heard she's in town right?"
"Uh..."
"Yes, we've heard all about it," Anya said as she wrapped her arm around Lupin's and moved in next to him. Lupin did his best not to look surprised.
"What you probably haven't heard is that her Highness is under the weather and isn't doing any of the public appearances she had scheduled for today."
"That's a shame."
"That it is, especially since I now don't have a story to write. Since I need to submit something I thought I would ask some people who are visiting Rome at the same time as the Princess what they thought about her."
"That's a lovely idea-"
"But we can't be of any help," Lupin interrupted. "Y'see, her family doesn't know she snuck off to Rome with me," Lupin patted Anya's suddenly tense arm, "so the last thing we need is to get quoted in a newspaper article. Good luck on the story but I'm sure you understand why we can't help out."
Anya, still locked to Lupin's arm as they walked away, whispered, "Why did you interrupt me? I wanted to show you I could handle a strange situation."
"You're spending the day with me, how much more strange of a situation could you come across? Besides, that's the sort of guy who needs to be turned away as quickly as possible. If he had his way he would have followed us around for the rest of the day."
"I suppose you're right." Anya broke into a merry grin. "So how was I? If I'm going to pretend to be a princess I'm going to have to be good at lying and I think that was a good demonstration of what I can do. Admit it; I'm a very good liar."
"Okay, okay, I admit you're much better at lying than I first thought."
Lupin glanced behind them at the reporter. Putens was doing a poor job of pretending he wasn't watching them leave. Watching the whole thing from the intersection was Jigen. As Putens started after Lupin and Anya Jigen strode up, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. Lupin's partner gestured about; from the little Lupin could hear Jigen was pretending to be a lost tourist asking for directions. Putens was trying to move away from Jigen but couldn't seem to figure out a polite way to escape Jigen's barrage of questions. When Putens looked away to see how far much further Lupin and Anya had gotten from him Jigen struck. The gunman slammed a fist into the reporter's stomach, causing the tall man to fold up from the sudden blow. Jigen's second punch caught Putens in the face, knocking him back against the wall of the building he was in front of. Grabbing the front of his jacket, Jigen half shoved, half dragged the dazed reporter into a nearby alley. There was the muffled crash and then Jigen came back out of the alley by himself.
"If nothing else you're a better liar than some people it seems," Lupin added.
Sitting on a park bench, Lupin and Jigen munched on gelatos. Anya was nearby listening in on a tour as the guide described the history of a fountain.
"Hey Jigen, what was the problem with that reporter?"
"That wasn't a reporter."
"Hmm?"
"When I tapped his shoulder to get his attention I felt a holster under his jacket."
"He was armed? That's interesting. I wonder who he really was? Was he concerned about us-" Lupin pointed a finger at Anya, "-or her? What's also interesting is that the attempted burglary I saw last night didn't make it into the morning paper. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal but the burglar was trying to break into the compound where Princess Ann is staying while in Rome. Now who do you suppose didn't want news of that getting out?"
"So any news about what happened last night at the royal quarters has been suppressed, the embassy cancels all of the Princess' appearances for today, and then someone starts following us after we picked up that girl," Jigen mused. "What does it all mean? Wait a sec, do you think that girl is actually-"
"I'm not saying that's who she is, but I'm not saying that it isn't her either."
"No wonder you were so eager to drop our old plan once you found her."
"Whoever she is there must be more to this than she's telling us since most girls looking to spread their wings for a little bit don't join up with a gang of career criminals. But if it is who we think it is it sure would be fun if she was out slumming with us."
"Don't forget that whatever the truth about her is, she's still an amateur at this sort of thing. You had better not let your desire to have fun turn into something you can't get her out of."
"We've been walking around Rome all afternoon with her, how could I forget her? Don't worry Jigen, if there's one thing I'm not going to forget about it's a girl."
"Hrmph. Still, it was nice of the kid to buy us ice cream."
"She used my money but it's the thought that counts. Speaking of which, I'd better go round her up before she wanders off with the tour group."
As Lupin walked along the sidewalk edge near the street a city bus pulled in to let off passengers. Standing in the back doorway of the bus, his attention focused on Anya, was Putens. Lupin slowed his pace so that it matched the bus. As Putens began to step onto the street Lupin smashed his gelato cone into Putens' mouth with one hand, grabbed Putens' extended leg with the other and flipped the man back into the bus. Putens, stunned, lay sprawled in the exit aisle as the bus pulled back into traffic.
"I wonder if he'll take the hint this time," Lupin said as he watched the bus head down the street. The brief look of concern on Lupin's face disappeared as he came up to the young woman. "Say Anya, we have a little time before we have to get going. Are you ready for a quick course in driving?"
"I would love to, but do we have time for that?"
"Sure we do. Besides, there's a chance you might have to drive the getaway car later so it's best to be prepared."
"Oh dear."
"I'm kidding! C'mon, it will be fun."
"The roads seem a bit crowded for someone who is just starting out. Are you sure this is safe?"
"Don't worry, the streets of Rome will teach you everything you need to know about driving except the legal rules of the road. Just watch out for the buses, they're a killer."
Later that afternoon the trio headed to the hotel that Lupin had been staying at before he had come across Anya.
"I'd like to thank you two for spending the day with me," Anya said, "I had a wonderful time."
"It was nothing," Lupin replied. "I couldn't think of a better city to spend the day in or better company to share it with."
"When we set out this morning I must admit I was worried you were going to get me to do something I shouldn't. Oh, I mean I felt safe enough around you, but I was worried that you would trick me into committing a crime or something like that. But now I'm certain you're good enough never to be that dishonest."
"Um, quite. But don't start thanking us yet, the day's not over. We have a few more things to do today, the first of which is meeting up with the rest of the people who are helping us out."
An unlikely pair were waiting outside the hotel. One was a young woman wearing a light summer dress that emphasized the curves of her body as she moved. The other was a man dressed in traditional flowing Japanese clothes. It was a testament to the nature of Rome that the woman was being observed by everyone who passed by while the man didn't receive a second glance.
"So this is the poor girl you pulled off to a hotel last night? Here I thought you had outgrown that sort of behavior by now Lupin."
"Jealous?" Lupin replied. "This is Fujiko," Fujiko gave a wave and a smile, "she will be accompanying us on the job as well as helping you pick out what you'll be wearing."
"The man with the sword is Goemon. He'll be giving you a quick lesson on how to keep your cool during the mission. Watch this." Lupin took an apple he had bought at lunch out of his jacket and tossed it into the air. Goemon crouched down, closed his eyes, and rested his hand on the wooden hilt of his sword. When the apple was at the top of its flight Goemon's eyes shot open. He let out a yell that was part battle cry and part emotional release. There was a blur of movement and light and then Goemon slid the Zantetsuken back into its wooden scabbard. The apple landed back in Lupin's hand. The impact with Lupin's palm caused the apple's skin, which had been sliced by Goemon's blade, to spiral off in one long stream.
"Who better to give you a crash course in how to carry yourself in a subdued regal manner than a modern day samurai?" Lupin hefted the handful of sliced skin and apple for emphasis. "With his training you'll be able to hold yourself in an aware but detached manner befitting a princess."
"Lupin," Fujiko sighed, "that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Don't you think there's any difference between being a lady and chopping someone up with a sword? No wonder you're still single."
"I didn't think it was that big of a stretch..."
"Honestly. Change of plan, I'll instruct Anya." Fujiko took the other woman's hand. "Come along dear; let's leave the boys to their work."
"But what about her clothes?" Lupin asked.
"Goemon can pick them out."
"What?" Goemon's stoic demeanor slipped when he heard what he was being asked to do. "I don't-"
"Just find something that's looks royal but not too overdone. Or maybe a classic look but not too old fashioned. Anyway, I'm sure you'll do fine." Fujiko patted the flustered samurai on his shoulder as she pulled Anya off into the streets of Rome. "Bye everyone!"
"Gee, thanks for volunteering to do the shopping Goemon," Lupin said. "Get in touch with us once you pick out something."
"Wait, Lupin! Don't make me..." Goemon's protest trailed off as Lupin and Jigen left on their tasks. The nearly invincible fighter stood helplessly on the sidewalk for a moment before he went back into the hotel in the hopes that someone working the desk could direct him to the nearest dress boutique.
Two hours later Fujiko and Anya, bundled down with packages, met up with Lupin on the way back to the hotel.
"Where have you two been?"
"Out getting something for Anya to wear," Fujiko replied. "You didn't think we were really going to let Goemon handle something like that, did you? Oh, and we spent all the money you gave her, sorry about that. So how are the preparations going on your end?"
"Jigen's out parking the limo so I thought I would- you spent all of it? Did you buy her a full wardrobe? What were you doing shopping anyway? Weren't you supposed to be training her how to act like a princess?"
"She's a natural. She'll be fine, trust me," Fujiko cooed. "Don't fret so much. Remember, you're not the only one who can change plans on everyone at the last minute."
While Fujiko soothed Lupin's anxiety Anya walked off by herself. Coming to a wrought iron railing Anya looked over the edge into the dark pit below. She began to lean over the railing to get a better look but the fence shook disturbingly when she applied even the smallest amount of weight with her hands. Stepping back a pace, she tried to determine whether she was looking at yet another excavation of Rome's past or some simple construction work. While she stood alone a thin man approached her.
"Hello there miss. I've been looking everywhere for you."
Spotting Anya out of the corner of his eye, the excited chatter of Lupin died in his throat. He didn't know if Anya knew the man who was speaking to her but whatever he was saying seemed to upset her.
"And here I thought we had lost those guys," Lupin muttered.
Leaving a confused Fujiko behind, Lupin approached Anya and the thin stranger as quickly and quietly as he could. His plan was to burst in on the conversation in a loud manner. If there was a problem he could use the confusion he would create to get Anya out of there but if everything was fine he would only come across as momentarily brash. Coming around one side of the man Lupin went for the most loudly casual attitude he could manage by both lounging against the railing and slapping the man on the back as a way of introducing himself. A friendly pat became a desperate grab for the man's arm as Lupin's weight on the railing caused it to break loose from its moorings and fall into the pit below. Lupin's tug threw the man off balance, sending him stumbling into the precariously balanced thief. Both men pitched each other off the edge and into the pit below.
"Lupin!"
Anya ran to the edge of the hole but was unable to see anything in the darkness of the pit. Fujiko, burdened down with the packages she was carrying, ran up to the younger woman. Before she could speak to Anya she heard the sound of someone rapidly coming up behind them.
Goemon had been two blocks away when he saw Lupin tumble down the hole. At a full run the samurai covered the distance in a matter of seconds. Goemon leapt between the two women, in mid-air pitched a package containing a dress he had been out shopping for into Fujiko's already full arms, and dropped into the hole after Lupin.
Anya stared into the pit that the three men had disappeared into. Fujiko's attention, however, was focused on the woman next to her.
"Anya, who was that?"
Anya gave a slight jump when she realized she was being spoken to.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"The person you were talking to who fell into the hole with Lupin. Who was that?"
"I don't know. He said I had to come with him since he said he knew who I was but he didn't explain what he meant."
"Is that right?" Fujiko looked at Anya with a sharp look. "Maybe you should-"
Fujiko's declaration was cut short when sounds came from inside the hole. Goemon, springing from one side of the pit to another to propel himself up, leapt out of the hole.
"Goemon!" Fujiko said. "But where's Lupin?"
"Lupin... is missing."
Twenty minutes later Anya was standing on a hotel balcony looking down at Rome. The early evening sun covered the neighborhood in a light red tint, making the scene look more like a painting than reality. Earlier in the day she would have been delighted at the sight but now all she could do was stare at the pit across the street. Everything had seemed so carefree and easy before that accident. What had gone wrong?
Lupin's partners had wanted to discuss matters after his disappearance and had politely but firmly sent her out onto the balcony so they could be alone. She could understand their desire to not include an outsider in their plans but it left her feeling even more unsure of what was going to happen to her next.
"Anya? Could you come in here a moment?" The hint of accusation and anger that had been in Fujiko's voice earlier was gone. Anya stepped into the hotel room to find the other thieves waiting for her. Jigen was slumped in a chair while Goemon stood against a wall, his hands resting on the hilt of his sword as if it were a cane. Fujiko settled herself onto one end of a couch while Anya perched on the other.
"It's like this kid," Jigen said. "Lupin and whoever that guy was vanished after they fell down that hole. We don't know where they went or what happened. All we can do now is either sit around and do nothing or try to do the job anyway. We're going to try to dream up yet another plan-"
"The third one in as many days," Goemon added.
"-and hope that we might also come across some clue as to what happened to Lupin as well. But you don't need to worry about any of that."
"It wasn't our intention to get you involved in something this messy," Fujiko said. "All you were supposed to do was be seen from a distance giving the ring to someone. Trouble is, to pull off that plan we needed Lupin. Right now we're trying to come up with something to do that doesn't either involve him or you."
"Have you thought of anything yet?" Anya asked.
"The only thing we've thought of so far is something that involves you in the scheme even more than before," Jigen said. "But since we're going to be keeping an eye out for clues about Lupin as well as pulling off the job we wouldn't be able to cover you like we should so we ditched it."
"This plan you mentioned, what would I have to do?"
"What you have to do is get in a cab and go home. Like I said, we're not using it."
"That's not fair. Lupin disappeared because he was helping me. The least I can do is to do something to help him."
"Anya," Fujiko said, "this could be a very serious matter and isn't something we can ask you to take part in. If you insist on helping we'll let you join in but remember that you're going to be on your own. Do you still want to help?"
"If it will help Lupin, yes."
"Good for you," Fujiko said. "Now I'll tell you what you have to do while Jigen and Goemon get everything ready."
That evening a limousine wound its way through the busy streets of Rome until it arrived at Valenti's museum. Unable to find a proper parking space, the large vehicle simply stopped in the middle of the street, pinning in three smaller cars that were parked against the curb. The chauffeur stepped out of the car, went up to the museum, and began to pound on the locked door. The continuous barrage went on for two minutes until Valenti finally appeared at the door.
"The museum is closed," Valenti, in the mot puffed up manner he could muster, said, "and there are no exceptions. Please come again tomorrow."
"I think you'll want to bend the rules this time," the chauffeur said as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
Valenti looked past the chauffeur and gasped when he saw who was stepping from the limousine. The inflated manner Valenti had when he thought he was driving off an over anxious visitor vanished at the sight of the young, aristocratic woman he saw before him.
"Is that the-"
"It sure is," the chauffeur replied. "So quit talking to me and go introduce yourself."
Valenti nodded in agreement. The curator hurried between the parked cars as he called out a greeting.
"Your majesty, I'm honored that-"
A sharply dressed woman stepped between the girl and Valenti.
"You are Stellio Valenti, correct?"
Valenti nodded again. "Yes, your... um..."
"Please, this is strictly an unofficial visit. As the representative of my employer I have a proposition for you concerning an unlisted item in your collection. May we step into your museum?"
"How... how did you know about that?"
"Please, Mister Valenti, we have our resources. May we step into your museum?"
"Of course, of course. Right this way."
Anya quietly kept pace with the group as it entered the museum. Valenti's previous bluster was lost as he continued to thank her highness for visiting his humble museum. Fujiko glanced over to Anya and gave her a wink. Valenti was too far gone in his own little world to notice.
"An unlisted item?" Anya whispered.
"You'll see. Just follow my lead and let me do the talking."
"I never imagined how unnerving this would be. This isn't at all like what I thought it was going to be when Lupin convinced me to help him."
"You should never trust a thief, and that includes Lupin," Fujiko said. "One of the few differences between me and Lupin is that I'm more honest about my dishonesty."
"That's not helping me relax," Anya hissed. Fujiko only smiled and brushed a finger past her lips to let Anya know the conversation was over.
"Oh yes, here we are," Valenti said as he reached the Queen's Necklace exhibit. "Don't worry about these three men covering this exhibit. They will, I assure you, keep everything in the strictest of confidence."
Anya, wearing a dress she had purchased earlier that afternoon, did her best to maintain a calm appearance in spite of the difficulties around her. While Anya had always known what Fujiko had told her, having it openly stated that she was trusting a group of untrustworthy people was disturbing. But it was upon seeing the three men in the exhibit hall, however, that Anya nearly slipped out of the regal character she was supposed to be playing. The first two men, a foreign officer named Inspector Zenigata and a burly policeman introduced as Inspector Argento, were two people she didn't recognize. But Argento's partner Baldi was someone she had seen before. The thin, somber man was the one who had accosted her outside the hotel and who had fallen into the pit along with Lupin. If Fujiko recognized Baldi she didn't give any indication and Anya had no way of alerting her. All she could do was try and remain in character and hope that Baldi didn't recognize her.
Baldi was watching Anya but from his expression it was impossible to tell if he thought she was Princess Ann or the woman he had been talking to earlier. His stare was interrupted when Valenti pushed past him.
"Here it is," Valenti pried at the casing on the stand that was holding a collection of jewels. What looked like solid marble split apart. Inside the hollowed out stand was a small but very sturdy box.
"Her majesty is wearing her family's ancestral ring, isn't she? If she would be so kind..." Valenti said as he waved to lock on the top of the box.
Anya glanced at Fujiko and saw her give a barely perceptible nod. Anya stepped forward and placed the back of her hand against the crest. The tiny mechanisms in the ring whirled and vibrated as they silently picked at the lock. A wreath of dirt billowed from the box as the lid slowly rose on its hinges. Nestled inside was a reflective green disc.
"It's the crest," Valenti said in a hushed awe. The curator slowly reached his hand in but once he had a hold of the crest he quickly snatched it out of the box.
"It is the crest," Valenti repeated. "After all these years of owning a chest that would destroy it's contents if it wasn't opened by the royal seal I finally get to see the crest. The crest, which was rumored to hold the secret to a fortune in gold and art hidden during the Great War. The crest, made out of emerald brought in as a gift to-"
"The crest," Fujiko interrupted, "which is stolen property that rightfully belongs to the family of her majesty."
"Oh yes, there is that," Valenti said. "Would you not bring my name up in this? I would rather not let it get out that I purchase stolen goods."
"It has never been publicly announced that the piece has been missing from the household for over a generation now and we would rather not let the information get out now. You will be generously compensated for both the piece and your silence on this matter."
"So this visit is strictly confidential?" Argento asked.
"Of course. Even the staff at the embassy weren't informed of where we went."
"Excellent."
Argento pulled a large hand gun out from under his jacket and slammed it into the back of Zenigata's head. The Inspector staggered from the blow but remained standing. Before he could recover his bearings Argento jammed the barrel into Zenigata's ribs.
"Don't move and keep your hands where I can see them." Looking at the two women, Argento added, "That goes for you two as well."
Anya gasped at the sight of the gun. Fujiko only narrowed her eyes at the sight and quietly said, "Tch, I knew I shouldn't have said that last part."
It was Zenigita, a man rarely at a loss for words, who yelled, "Argento! What the hell are you doing?"
"Stellio was right," Argento said, "that crest is a lot more than the symbol of the royal family. When I acquired the piece for Valenti's collection I learned that it held a secret to a fortune hidden during the chaos of the First World War There were only two things that kept us from it. The first was that damned box that would destroy the crest if we tried to tamper with it. The second was that we needed the hand of a member of the royal family as well in order to reveal the hidden treasure vault."
"When I heard Princess Ann was coming to Rome I knew it was our chance but our initial attempt at kidnapping fell apart. We were so desperate that Baldi was out searching the streets of Rome today because of a rumor that the princess had snuck out of the embassy to go off by herself. Now it turns out luck was finally with us when the princess walked right into our hands."
"Do you honestly think you can kidnap the princess and spirit her through Europe?" Fujiko said.
"Of course. The way it's going to play out is the highly decorated Zenigata here will get killed by the kidnapers and I will then vow to track them down. It's the perfect cover. Who would believe a respected Italian officer like me was the kidnaper? But remember that I only need her hand," Argento said as he pointed the automatic at Anya, "the rest of her could stay here dead on the floor if she doesn't cooperate."
"Charming," Fujiko muttered. Anya continued to stare, horrified, at the gun in Argento's hand.
"You won't get away with this Argento," Zenigata said.
"There's an original line. Baldi, take the crest. Valenti, once we're back in town you'll get your usual cut. Ladies, follow me and you won't get hurt."
Argento's partner tugged the royal symbol from Valenti's hands. Turning around, Baldi swatted Argento's shoulder with the crest. The large officer yelped in pain and dropped the gun from his suddenly limp fingers. Baldi deftly kicked the gun away from Argento before it landed on the ground.
"Kidnapping is pretty low but you don't even have the smarts to open a box?" As Baldi taunted his partner the tired drone of his voice was replaced with a more jaunty tone while his body shifted from a tired slouch to a more assertive stance. "Honestly, you're the worst excuse for a villain I've ever seen." Baldi's fingers dug into the skin under his chin and pulled up. The mask and make-up used to create the illusion of Baldi peeled off, revealing the face of Lupin beneath.
"Lupin!" Anya yelled.
"Lupin!" Zenigata shouted.
"Lupin?" a suddenly nervous Valenti echoed. The curator pulled a small plastic controller out of his pocket and frantically pounded on one of the buttons. The floor of the museum shuddered as large, unseen fans whirled to life. Previously unseen trap doors under each piece of art rattled and snapped open. Statues and pieces of pottery made an audible popping noise as they plummeted out of sight. Every painting was sucked off the walls by the air being pulled into the trap doors. The Queen's Necklace and other jewelry on display shuddered in their moorings before they were also pulled away by the air pressure. In an instant the museum was devoid of art.
"Now that's something you don't see every day," Lupin said as he looked at the suddenly empty room.
"The security measures that protect my collection are unique and foolproof. My art will never fall into the hands of a thief like you!" Valenti waved the security controller about for emphasis.
"We'll see about that. Hi there Pops, how's your head?" Zenigata, busy rubbing the back of his skull, only grumbled in response. "Hello ladies," Lupin waved to Fujiko and Anya, "I'll be with you two right after I have a chat with Argento."
"The 'absconded royalty' in your note wasn't the King's Necklace at all, was it? You were after the crest all along." Argento continued to hold the shoulder that Lupin had struck.
"That's right. I had heard stories that the crest was missing but never anything useful until I heard the rumor that Valenti might have it. This whole escapade was started in the hopes it would rattle Valenti enough into revealing where he had hidden the thing. Still, I wasn't sure I was on the right track until I saw you screw up your kidnapping attempt last night. Thanks for letting me know that there was something in Rome so valuable that someone would risk kidnapping a princess and thanks for landing on your shoulder so hard that you can't even hold onto your gun properly. Out of all the people who help me on my capers so far you've been the biggest help to me during this heist."
Anya had recovered enough from the series of surprises she had just gone through to notice that she was now seeing a different side of Lupin. The carefree smile and bouncy movement were gone. In their place was a confident stance and a steady, superior smirk. It was the look of a master thief enjoying the challenge and danger of the work he loved.
Anya wasn't the only person to see Lupin's expression. In a burst of desperation Valenti scrabbled to grab Argento's gun off the floor. Fujiko slid one foot back just enough so that it connected with Valenti's legs as he ran behind her. Argento's silent partner tumbled off his feet and landed heavily on the hard marble floor.
"Stop it Valenti, you're just going to hurt yourself," Lupin said. "Just admit that you lost."
"You're acting very smug for someone who made such a foolish mistake," Argento replied.
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
"You forgot about the men I've been keeping in reserve in case of an emergency. It seems you weren't paying much attention when you were impersonating Baldi."
"Or maybe while I was impersonating Baldi I ordered them off the case. Maybe there's nobody out in the hall. Maybe I replaced them with my own men. Why don't you try calling them and find out?"
Argento looked much less certain of himself after listening to Lupin but he loudly snapped his fingers and whistled anyway. At first there was silence but then the sound of movement could be heard in the halls connected to the display room. Footfalls echoed through the museum as a squad of police officers came out of hiding and rushed into the room. They quickly surrounded the small group and stood silent. The only sound in the room was Zenigata's laughter.
"What the..."
"It was awfully nice of you to leave Baldi tied up in a hotel room with a note pinned on him to turn him over to me. You must have thought the room cleaners would find him tomorrow morning." The thrill of out foxing Lupin had allowed Zenigata to shake off the clubbing he had received. The Inspector was now puffed with energy. "Too bad for you he got free of the chair he was lashed to and tried to crawl out of the hotel in his remaining restraints. The local Carabinieri picked him up and turned him over to me two hours ago."
"That guy was wirier than I thought," Lupin said. "I should have trussed him up a bit better."
"Ah, men," Argento said. "Good to see you. I want you to-"
"Shut up Argento," Zenigata said. "The local Internal Affairs had been suspicious of you and you partner for awhile and this was the perfect opportunity to finally catch you in the act."
Turning his attention back to Lupin, Zenigata grinned. "Not only did I get to help out a fellow police force but I caught you as well; this has turned out to be a pretty good day. Here I was worried that I wouldn't be able to shake off that cheap shot Argento gave me before you tried to flee the scene of the crime but you got so caught up in talking about how great you are I'll be able to arrest you personally."
"What? Oh, that. The only reason I spent so much time talking to Argento and his little buddy was because I was waiting for the smoke bombs to go off."
The serious smile faded off Zenigata's face, replaced by panicked realization. As the inspector opened his mouth to shout out a new set of orders smoke billowed into the museum.
Valenti, already at wit's end from having his collection threatened by Lupin, shrieked at the sight of his museum being gassed. The curator scrabbled on his hands and knees to make one last grab for the gun but Lupin was faster. Lupin skipped the royal crest across the floor and into the gun, sending them both spinning out of reach. Valenti yelled again as both his salvation and a priceless piece of art careened across the floor. Blinded by the smoke, the only target left to the police officers was the sound of Valenti's voice. The officers piled onto the portly museum owner en mass.
In the confusion Argento snatched up the remote control that Valenti had dropped in his tumble to the floor. A sequence that Argento tapped into the keypad caused the floor under his feet to shake. The disgraced officer disappeared as he was sucked out of the room by the museum's security system.
Anya stood frozen, unsure of what to do. She could hear the sound of the police in the room as they ran in and violently restrained the one suspect they could hear. As someone came out of the smoke toward her she tried to remain silent, hoping they wouldn't notice her. By the time she realized the person was heading directly toward her she didn't have time to make a noise before she was scooped off her feet.
Instead of being able to issue orders that would have stopped Lupin all Zenigata had done was swallow a mouth full of smoke. He tried to stop his officers from running off into the gloom to follow the shrill yells of Valenti but could only get out a series of loud, gasping coughs. His hacking worked as a signal as much as Valenti's yelling did, allowing Fujiko to dash directly towards him.
"Fujik-yeow!"
Fujiko shoved Zenigata's as she dashed past, pushing him off balance. Before he could regain his balance Lupin, with Anya unceremoniously tossed over his shoulder, ran past on the other side.
"Watch where you're going Pops!" Lupin yelled as he shoved Zenigata in the other direction.
Zenigata spun and fell flat on his back. Dazed, the inspector laid on the floor a second before he sat up and shook his head to clear his jumbled thoughts.
"That way, they went that way!" Zenigata yelled. "Forget about that idiot Valenti and get Lupin!"
Ignoring his burning throat, Zenigata blindly thundered through the smoke filled hallways in his pursuit of Lupin. He burst through the front door and saw a limousine pulling away from where it had been double parked in the street.
"You're not getting away in that Lupin," Zenigata laughed. "To the cars!"
Zenigata was delighted with his luck. The small cruisers of the Roman police force would be much more maneuverable in the narrow, twisting roads of the part of the city they were in than the large limousine Lupin was driving. It was now only a matter of time before he chased Lupin down.
The head start the limo had was soon lost as the cruisers sped after it. Just as Zenigata had hoped the limo pulled onto a long road that branched off into two narrow lanes, neither of which the luxury vehicle could fit into. Zenigata leaned forward into the dashboard of the car he was riding in, his zeal at soon being to able to capture Lupin getting the best of him.
With a sound like a cork leaving a bottle the front half of the limousine split apart. Two motorcycles sped out of the opening. A cycle run by a man in a dark suit and hat with a passenger in traditional Japanese clothing raced up the left lane. The other cycle, being driven by a woman with a man in a bright red jacket sitting behind her, ran up the right lane. Zenigata was going to yell out more orders but his voice caught in his throat when he realized the split limo was now blocking the entire road and was starting to roll back down the lane. The officer driving the car Zenigata was in tried to swerve to avoid hitting the limo but only succeeded in slamming Zenigata's side of the cruiser into the limo's trunk. The police cars following behind attempted to stop but were following so closely they ended up slamming into one another until the entire lane was plugged with cruisers. Zenigata, dazed but undaunted, fruitlessly tried to open his jammed door and screamed orders at the pile of police vehicles around him.
"The right lane, Lupin went up the right lane!" Zenigata yelled. "Clear up this mess and get after him!"
Valenti was correct when he stated that the security system in his museum was unique. The entire floor of the museum was honeycombed with hidden trap doors. At the touch of a button powerful fans located underneath the museum would pull the art and anything else near the trap doors out of sight and into a holding pen. A second set of fans would then blow the art through an underground pneumatic tube to an armored safe house six blocks away. The entire device was built around protecting the artwork from both theft and damage. The tube, safe house and every other object that the art could possibly come into contact with was covered with soft padding. The fans and safe house were armored and only accessible through a door shuttered with combination locks. The tube itself was hidden from sight, embedded in the thick cement of the street except for the section that had been exposed by Lupin and his gang when they had been posing as a road construction crew the day before.
Goemon stood in the excavated area next to the tube. In one continuous sweep he pulled out the Zantetsuken, sliced through the tube, and returned the sword to its scabbard. One half of the severed tube went limp while the section from the museum wriggled and hissed from the air being forced through it. Goemon grabbed the writhing tube and hoisted it onto a stand he had set up earlier. Jigen, still dressed in his chauffeur's uniform, ran back from dumping smoke bombs into the museum's ventilation system and braced the other side of the tube. The two thieves held the tube in place as the art flew out of the sliced opening and into the cushioned trailer of a truck parked next to the construction zone.
The art made a steady roar as it exited the tube. Finally the noise died down as the last piece from the museum landed in the truck. Goemon gave a quick shake to the tube to see if there was anything left stuck inside that could be jostled out. The samurai then shut and locked the back of the trailer while Jigen started up the truck.
As the duo drove away from the scene of the crime the tube started to rumble again. The pair looked in the truck's rear view mirrors to see if a new shipment of art was coming but instead saw Argento propelled out of the tube. The air pressure in the tube blasted Argento through the air with the force of a cannonball but without a padded area to land in the would-be criminal mastermind could only let out a disoriented scream before he slammed into a building across the street. Both thieves winced at the ridiculous and bizarre death they had just witnessed.
"Yeesh, what a way to go," Jigen said.
Fujiko weaved her motorcycle with expert skill between the slow moving cars and pedestrians in the street. After several minutes of furious driving she slid to a stop. Now that the roar of the bike's engine was no longer ringing in her ears she listened for the sound of sirens. Hearing the approaching wail of police horns she smiled and revved the bike back to life. The jolt jostled the Lupin puppet that was riding behind her loose, causing it to sag to one side. Fujiko reached around, shoved it back into place, and set off again.
The man in the dark suit and hat pulled his motorcycle up to a curb. The person behind him in Japanese robes was holding onto him tightly and laughing with delight. Dropping down the kick stand, Lupin flung off the hat he was wearing and turned his reversible blazer inside out so that it was back to its normal bright red hue. Anya slid off the bike, stepped out of the kimono she was in and smoothed out the dress she had on underneath. Once she finished daintily placing the robes on the seat of the motorcycle Lupin snatched them up, wadded them into a ball, and tossed them into an open window.
"That was wonderful!" Anya gasped. "But I still don't understand how you went from disappearing down that hole to being in the museum."
"That's easy. Baldi cushioned my landing so I was fine when we hit bottom. With both of us out of sight I realized I finally had the chance to learn who had been following us all afternoon."
"People had been following us?"
"Don't worry about that now. Anyway, I told Goemon to tell you that I had vanished while I figured out what was going on. Later when the gang sent you out of the room I phoned them and told them what the new plan was. We intentionally kept you out of the loop so that if anything went wrong you would be seen as an innocent duped into helping out instead of an accessory. It was for your own good even if it seemed like a mean trick to pull."
"I'll say. But speaking of tricks, you weren't planning on 'just playing a trick' on the curator of that museum, were you?" Anya asked. "You planned on stealing that crest as soon you knew where it was."
"Well... maybe."
"Maybe?"
"In order to be a criminal of world renown you should always be unpredictable in what you do. The only way to pull off a truly spectacular heist is to make people think you have revealed your hand while keeping the big surprise in store for later."
"Even if that means lying to a young woman to get her to help you?"
"Lie is such a strong word. Mislead, perhaps."
"Fujiko was right; she told me I should never trust a thief."
"That's good advice. Now for a change of subject, does this street we're on look familiar?" Lupin asked.
"Should it?" Anya replied. As she tied her hair, which had been loose to complete her Goemon disguise, up and back she looked around with a growing sense of realization. "Why yes, this does look familiar."
"It should. This is where we stumbled across each other last night."
"You're right! This is where... this is where we say goodbye as well, isn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. If there's one thing I know, it's that you're supposed to get a princess back home before the magic spell wears off." Lupin patted her on the small of the back to get her to start moving. "Your boarding school is around here somewhere, right?"
"Oh yes, yes, very close by. And, yes, this princess should be getting home." Anya took a few steps then twirled around. "Lupin, before I go there's something I must tell you. I-"
"Ah, ah, ah. Remember what I said? You should keep a few secrets to yourself if you want to be a successful thief."
"You're right, a bit of mystery never hurt anyone," Anya said as she stopped at the landing to the apartment building where they had first met. "Still, I do want to say that I had a strange but very enjoyable time. Except for the kidnapping and threats of dismemberment it was terrific fun. You-"
Before Anya could complete her thought Lupin was yanked from the motorcycle by a handcuff that had latched onto his neck. A surprised Anya stepped back into the shadow of the door frame as Lupin crashed to the pavement.
"Zenigata! How did you get here?" Lupin twisted on the ground as he pulled at the manacle around his throat.
"So it's 'Zenigata' and not 'Pops' or some other patronizing name when I have the upper hand is it? Not that being respectful will do you any good." Clutching the long handcuff cord in both hands, an exhausted but triumphant Zenigata looked down at Lupin. "I knew that if I kept searching after we lost that other motorcycle I would come across you eventually."
"All you did was stumble across me? You got lucky old man."
"It doesn't matter how I did it, what's important is that I won!"
As Zenigata bellowed with laughter Anya took a step out of the doorway. Lupin gave a quick, negative shake of his head, urging her to remain hidden instead of trying to come to his aide. Zenigata, overcome with joy at capturing Lupin, had forgotten about Anya. All Anya could do was watch from her hiding spot as Lupin was pulled to his feet, properly handcuffed by the Inspector, and led away.
Once she was alone on the street Anya noticed something was weighing down the back of her blouse. Reaching around under the bottom of her shirt she pulled out a disc that had been slipped under her clothes. It was the royal crest.
The next afternoon a wedge of police officers cut through the crowds at Roma Termini Railway Station. In the center was Lupin.
"What are you going to charge me with anyway?" Lupin asked. "I didn't rob that museum. I was busy being arrested by you."
"You didn't but your partners did. They did such a good job cleaning out that museum that we might have trouble convicting Valenti on charges of selling and receiving stolen goods. At least we have him for kidnapping and attempted murder. Not that you have to worry about any of that," Zenigata said as he shoved Lupin in the back to make him keep in step with the police escort, "since you're going to be on the next train to Paris where you'll be charged with every other crime you've ever committed."
"That's going to take awhile. You'll be forced into mandatory retirement before the trial even starts."
"Hrmph. Speaking of your partners, who did you have playing the princess? They almost looked convincing."
"We shaved Jigen. Once you get past all the smoking and drinking he's actually quite delicate."
Zenigata was going to give Lupin another shove but stopped when he saw that the phalanx of officers surrounding him and Lupin had quit moving and were pulling apart to let someone in. Three people stepped into the opening. On one side was an older gentleman in an expensive looking suit. On the other, with one side of his face bruised from where Jigen had punched him, was Putens. In the middle was a petite young woman with black hair.
"Huh, I didn't fall for this trick the first time. Is this another one of your schemes Lupin?" Zenigata's sneer vanished when he saw the look of blank surprise on Lupin face. "Huh? Do you mean... is that the actual princess?" he wondered aloud.
Lupin remained silent. Zenigata, uncertain of how he should handle himself in a situation that didn't involve police work, stepped around Lupin and tried to mumble out a greeting.
"Are you Inspector Zenigata?" the young woman said. Zenigata nodded eagerly, happy that she had initiated the conversation. "I wanted to thank you for all the work you did in foiling the work of those two art thieves and would be kidnapers. I will never have to worry about my safety when men like you are around."
"Thank you, but it was all in the line of duty your highness," Zenigata said. "But why did you want to say this in a train station? There are-"
"Please Inspector, this is an informal visit." the princess said.
"Oh, right. Form a circle, men!" Zenigata yelled to the police around him. "We don't need a bunch of tourists listening in!" The police formed a ring around the group, blocking out any outside interference.
"Thank you. I also wanted to thank Lupin."
"What? What did he ever do for you?" Zenigata wheeled around to find Lupin smiling innocently.
"Don't give me that look!" Zenigata snapped.
"Many things were taken from the museum but Lupin made sure that the crest that belonged to my family was returned to... an associate of mine. It had never been revealed that the crest had been stolen so we are most grateful that Lupin let us not only recover the crest but do so quietly."
"I see, that does sound like the honorable sort of thing Lupin would do," Zenigata conceded. "Since we have more than enough charges on Lupin as it is I'll make sure any mention of the crest stays out of the trial as well."
"That's very kind of you but my family would like to be certain of that," Princess Ann said. "In order to properly thank Lupin and to keep any mention of this incident from coming up my father is going to present a request in Paris this afternoon to have Lupin released."
"What? I'm not going let Lupin get rewarded for only stealing most of the items in the museum!" Realizing who he was talking to, Zenigata tried to suppress his emotions. "Isn't there some other way this could be handled?"
"There were some other details that Lupin handled for our family that have not come to light that we are grateful for as well. If it makes you feel any better Inspector I understand your frustration with events that are out of your control."
Zenigata ground his teeth, torn between his obsession with capturing Lupin and fear of having his name associated with yet another international scandal. The inspector looked over to where Lupin had been but discovered that, thanks to the distraction of Princess Ann, he had escaped.
"Lupin, it- where did he go? Wasn't anybody watching him?" The police officers who had been standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs to the group were dumbfounded by Lupin's disappearance.
"It seems Lupin has solved our problem for us," the princess said.
Zenigata's face was beginning to flush with rage but he stopped, sighed, and pulled himself up. "I guess so. It was an honor to meet you, your highness." Addressing the still confused officers around him, Zenigata said, "All right men, we're going back to the Interpol office. Before we go catch Lupin yet again I want to know if our work is going to keep getting undone by politics."
The police split from their circle around the princess and trailed after Zenigata as he stalked off to the nearest exit. Princess Ann and her small entourage slipped through the crowd to the exit. The few people that noticed the young woman looked and whispered to each other, uncertain that they were actually seeing who they thought they were. The only one in the crowd with enough courage to speak to her was a man in a dark suit.
He tugged at the rim of his hat and said "Hey there kid."
The princess glanced in his direction and nodded slightly, but it was impossible to tell from the look on her face if she recognized the speaker.
After watching the princess leave Jigen stuffed his hands into his pockets and headed into a crowd who were exiting a train. As he walked through the sea of people Lupin fell in beside him.
"Well, everything turned out pretty nicely in the end." Jigen glanced over at his partner and was surprised to see him scowling. "Huh? Is something wrong?"
"Are Fujiko and Goemon around?"
"They're working on a way to get everything out of the country. I only came by to see if you felt like escaping and wanted a ride back to the hotel."
"Get a hold of them. This isn't over yet."
Three days later a young woman and an older gentleman entered the front door of a large, ornate house in Paris. Behind them a tall man pulled in a wheeled cart of luggage.
"That went better than I ever thought it would," the old man said, "and it was all thanks to you."
"Thank you father but I'm just glad it's over," the young woman said. "I've only been gone a few days but I missed being home."
The girl stepped from the entrance hall into the main parlor. Doubling as an art gallery, the room was filled with paintings, sculptures and other works of art. Lounging on a French provincial couch was Lupin.
"We missed you too," Lupin said. "We were wondering if you three were ever going to come home!"
Anya gasped at the sight of the thief in her home. The older gentleman began to move toward Lupin but stopped when Jigen stepped from inside the doorway of the parlor. The man identified as Putens fumbled with the front of his jacket as he tried to reach his shoulder holster. Before he could reach his gun Goemon glided in from his hiding place in an adjacent room. A crack on the knuckles from the scabbard of the Zantetsuken knocked Puten's hand away from his gun. Before Putens could yelp in pain Goemon swung the sheathed sword back up and hit the man under the chin.
While the group was distracted Fujiko moved in and checked the luggage. With a quick, professional search, Fujiko found the royal crest tucked in between a collection of button down shirts.
"Well done Lupin but how did you get here?" the old man said.
"It wasn't Ann or Anya or whatever her name is that tipped me off. Thank you Fujiko," Lupin said as Fujiko sashayed behind the couch and handed Lupin the crest. "It was you." Lupin pointed a finger at the old man. "I didn't remember your face when you first pushed Anya out of an apartment complex and onto me but I did remember the cologne you were wearing. You were better dressed when I saw you at the train station accompanying the 'princess' but you still smelled like you bathed in the same brand of cologne. When I realized you were the same man from that first night I met Anya I knew my meeting her was a set-up."
"Very well done Lupin," the man said. "But how did you find out who I was?"
"That was easy. After you three left the railway station Jigen and I trailed you back to your hotel and checked the guest registry. If you're going out of town to commit a crime you shouldn't sign in using your actual name."
"It seems we've been found out," Ann said. "Perhaps it's time I properly introduced myself. As I'm sure you already know I am Nicole Bonnet and this," motioning to the older man beside her, "is my father, Charles Bonnet. The poor fellow you kept hitting is my cousin Simon." The man who had earlier identified himself as Putens nodded slightly in greeting but was busy nursing his latest batch of injuries.
"Since you've had the run of my house while we were away you've certainly discovered that I am not only an art dealer but an art forger as well," the elder Bonnet said. "My father used his talents for forgery to move into upper society so you could say I'm keeping a tradition alive."
"Yes, yes, I know all about keeping the family business going," Lupin said. "So what was this all about? Some sort of initiation ceremony for Nicole?"
"Heavens no, she's always disapproved of my extra-legal activities and has urged me to retire! I wish I had listened to her before I created that copy of the royal crest."
"You mean this isn't the real deal?" Lupin flipped the crest in his hand, looking for some sign it was a forgery.
"Both the crest and the trap laden box are perfect replicas and are, if I may be so bold, one of my finest creations."
"It's a fake?" Fujiko asked as she leaned over Lupin's shoulder to get a better look. "So where's the real one?"
"It is probably with the real Princess Ann. It was only a rumor that it was stolen but it was a popular enough rumor that I was able to successfully sell that copy."
"So since the real one was still hidden under lock and key there was little chance of your deception being discovered; very clever. Hey, Jigen, want to take a closer look at this thing?" Lupin pitched the crest across the room to his partner.
Bonnet blanched as the crest sailed by his shoulder. "While the crest may be a forgery it still represents many hours of work and could almost be considered a work of art in its own right. Try to be careful, or at least don't use it for a game of catch."
"That thing also caused a lot of people, including your daughter, a hell of a lot of trouble. Keep your priorities straight." Lupin replied. "So let me guess, you were in Rome because of the fake crest, right?"
"Right," Nicole answered. "Father sold the box and crest to Valenti in Rome recently. At the time it seemed like the perfect plan since he thought Valenti would never do anything with something he thought was stolen property."
"But then when you found out Princess Ann was going to be touring Italy you felt you had to do something, right?"
"No, it was because of you."
"Me?"
"None of us believed Valenti or anyone who worked with him would have the ability to bother the Princess in order to test out the rumors about the crest being the key to a hidden treasure. You, however, could have stolen the fraudulent crest or gone after the Princess or any number of things that could have led back to my father. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take."
"Then our meeting outside the embassy was...?"
"Luck, mostly. Simon was watching the museum while father and I stayed near the embassy. I'm not sure what we hoped to accomplish but we had to do something. Me being dumped into your arms was an impromptu move on my part. At first I was only hoping to distract you a bit but once I realized that you thought I might actually be Princess Ann in disguise I decided to play along. That way I could either make sure you weren't going to disturb the crest or your sense of chivalry would keep you from stealing it in front of the woman it was supposed to belong to. I'm afraid I was as dishonest with you as you were with me."
"So you were pretending to be a princess pretending to be a truant student?" Lupin said. "Sheesh, that's more complicated than one of my plans. But a girl throwing herself into the arms of a strange man in the middle of the night? You were taking quite a risk."
"It was risky but your reputation isn't nearly as bad as you may think. Poor Simon tried to talk his way into coming along with us as an escort and then later tried to follow from a distance to keep tabs on me but that didn't turn out very well."
Simon, still in obvious pain from his latest beating, could only nod silently in agreement.
"Not only did she trick you she managed to talk you out of stealing the crest without you even realizing it," Jigen said. "Women will be the death of you yet Lupin." Jigen casually flung the crest away. Even though Goemon's sharp reflexes allowed him to easily catch the forgery Bonnet still looked sick at the way his work was being handled.
"Ah, but what a way to go! But now the question is what do we do with the Bonnet family. Over here Goemon," Lupin said as he waved his arms. Even though Goemon's throw was accurate Lupin still managed not to catch the crest properly. Lupin, making odd chirping noises, bobbled the crest in the air from one hand to the other as he tried to get a firm grip on it. The trouble ended only when Fujiko snatched the crest and placed it firmly in Lupin's hand.
"Thanks again Fujiko."
Bonnet looked ill.
"Relax Charles," Lupin said. "You'll be able to fill your place with fake crests with all your new found free time since you're retiring from the business of selling forgeries."
"He most certainly is," Nicole said. "After this adventure I couldn't imagine he would ever want to take the risk again."
"Of course my dear. That, and Lupin now knows my secret. If I tried to sell a forgery he could ruin me in an instant."
"Now there's a healthy self-preserving attitude," Lupin said.
A buzz went off inside Lupin's blazer. Lupin pulled out a small device and checked its screen.
"It looks like our reunion here is almost over. Zenigata is back in Paris."
"When did you plant a tracking device on Zenigata?" Fujiko asked.
"The last time I got arrested. He probably won't notice it until the next time he takes his coat in to get dry cleaned."
Lupin paused as he heard the faint but distinct sound of police sirens getting closer.
"Or else it's such a nice day that Pops left his coat back at the office. Anyway, we're out of here. Hey Fujiko, want to take a swing or two at Simon before we leave? You're the only one who hasn't had a shot at him yet."
Fujiko instead cuffed Lupin in the ear with the back of her hand at the suggestion. Lupin squawked in surprise.
Jigen and Goemon stepped back from the men they were guarding and headed out the front door. As Lupin and Fujiko left to join their partners, Lupin stopped in front of Nicole.
"This time I'll just hand you the crest instead of slipping it under your clothes. That seems like an easier way to handle things."
"Yes it does. That was, however, a clever trick of yours to slip the crest into my blouse without me realizing it."
"Here I usually only use that move to separate women from their clothing, not stick things down their back. Anyway, take care of yourself and make sure these two," Lupin pointed to the men on either side of her, "stay out of trouble, okay?"
"Most certainly. Again, I'm sorry I took advantage of your good nature. Never mind not trusting a thief, it seems you can't even trust the daughter of a criminal."
"But you did it for the best of reasons, plus you put yourself at risk when it looked like I needed help. That was really courageous and sweet of you and the sort of thing that most people who double cross me don't bother with."
"Good bye Lupin. It's too bad we had to meet under such strange circumstances. It seems I wasn't the princess you thought me to be."
"That's okay. Truth is, I've had my fill of princesses over the years anyway."