Bang, bang! Pause. Bang, bang! Pause.
A repeating rhythmical pound of a ball bounced across the office back and forth. From the hand to one corner of the room onto the desk and back to the hand.
In the center of the office stood a desk staffed with amounts of paper, files and books in a careless fashion.
Around the small room stood small shelves filled with leather bound books. In one other corner upon a small wooden table stood a bowl with decanter filled with cold water and above them a small wooden framed mirror was hung on the wall.
All the walls of the small office were painted in plain dark pine tree green. The floor was parquetted with firm oak. On one wall was a small window overlooking a busy side street of Paris.
The ball continued to bounce on the same location, the empty corner, desk and the hand.
A young man in his mid 20s sat in his wooden office chair. Leaning back and letting one arm hang over the backrest. His crossed legs were half on the desk and piles of paper.
He wore a sand coloured long arm shirt with long coffee black trousers and dark expanders over his broad shoulders.
His long wavy hair was raven black and reached to his shoulders. The yaw and upper lip were clean-shaven. His big grey eyes were half closed glancing beyond the window.
He gave a sigh and continued bouncing the ball.
"Bonjour old friend! You seem very bored." Popped a young man with a boyish face on one side of the door frame. Upon his clean-shaven face was a broad grin and held half hidden behind his back a folded newspaper.
"What makes you think that I am bored, Jean?" Gave the man sarcastic with a dry grin; facing slowly to Jean at the door as Jean entered.
"Have you read the news today? Some dead woman was found in the Seine. New facts have been revealed!" Gave Jean excitedly while showing the article on the desk and tapping with a finger at the article.
"Oh that story. It's a closed case for me. That woman was murdered because of money; the same old reason nearly in every case I've had till now. Boring, boring, boring. A person killed because of this, because of that. Can't I solve for once here in Paris a case where a person or object has gone missing, or least something in that direction?"
"Sorry if I annoyed you Daniel. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Jean looked questioned at Daniel.
"No, not that I know. I'm sorry Jean; it's just I'm bored. I need some case; give me work!" Daniel sighed.
"And the piles of paper won't suffice?" Wondered Jean sarcastic crossing his arms with a smirk and looked at the pile of paper on the desk.
"They're already done."
"Oh really!" Gave Jean doubtly and picked up a sheet. "It looks blank to me." And showed a blank paper.
"Yesterday I've some sketching so I pulled out some blank sheets." Explained Daniel and pulled from a pile few sheets of fine pencil sketches of people.
"Some." Scoffed Jean amazed. "It looks a lot to me and how on earth can you afford so much paper and pencil of its finest quality?"
"Have you ever heard of spending money?" Asked Daniel with a grin.
"Oui, but in a different fashion. Not for paper or pencil."
"There you go, everyone spends money in its own fashion." And grabbed the newspaper from Jean's hands. Quickly he turned few pages and held it up.
There was a knock. Daniel quickly lowered the newspaper.
André and Firmin stood by the door totally pale and had dark rings under their eyes. "We are the new owners of the Opera Populaire. This is my friend André and I'm Firmin, which one of you is detective Daniel?" Introduced Firmin wearily and asked, moving a finger between Daniel and Jean.
"I'm Daniel and this is my friend Jean." Gave Daniel standing up and gestured a hand to Jean.
"It is of the utmost confidential, detective." Noted André serious and tried to suppress a yawn.
"I see; Jean if you please." Gave Daniel politely to Jean.
Jean went out and closed the door behind him. Just as the door closed André opened his mouth to speak. Daniel quickly halted him with gesture of a finger and headed to the door. He opened the door and saw Jean eye to eye. "Confidential Jean, please! They're my clients."
Jean gave an annoyed sigh and walked off.
"Pardon for my intrusion a moment before. Jean is a good lad but too young to be here. Now pray take a seat and tell me gentlemen what keeps you away from a good night's rest?"
André and Firmin blinked at each other for a short moment of surprise. Then took their seats and faced Daniel. Daniel seated in his chair and give his fullest attention.
With some hesitation Firmin began. "Do you attend to the opera, detective Daniel?"
"No, unless a case leads me there."
"Then we presume you haven't heard of the opera ghost."
"Only a word once or twice on the streets. Please gentlemen come to the point." Gave Daniel lightly annoyed.
"Well this ghost has cost us a lot of trouble since we came. There has been nothing but disasters. Frightening the audience with a hideous sense of humor and costing our nerves." Firmin paused. "Until now we've done our best to keep it quiet to the press-"
"Yet overnight we get far less audience than we have feared! That is the worst thing that can happen to an opera house." Interrupted André.
Firmin quickly revealed a black-rimmed letter from his coat. "We are getting daily threats from that ghost. One thing we can be sure it is a man in flesh and blood. We want you to catch him as soon as possible."
Daniel examined the letter very closely and held it up to the window for some light. The letters were written in red ink with a thin felt fountainpen and the hand writing reminded that of a child's yet the choice of words were that of an adult with education. The paper itself was one of the finest quality money can buy in Paris, thick and cream coloured aside the black rims. The seal that was broken had a dark wine red colour. What Daniel was able to make out, when holding the letter closed, a shape of a human skull as the full seal. A threatening letter in an open and exaggerated manner, like theater itself. If it is the Phantom's handwriting then he is no ordinary man to encounter, mentally speaking. But if dictated to a child to write, why? To reveal none of his true personality and knew that the managers will take it this far? What if then again not? What sort of man is he if that is his true handwriting?
Soon Daniel noticed the content of the letter and turned to André and Firmin. "Did the manager before you mention anything of this?"
"Yes he did." Answered André
"Then this clearly states that you haven't held to what others have done before you such as the salary which I can see is a high sum. Why not holding to it including box five?"
"As you have mentioned it is a large sum. We need it for stage props in the future and at the moment repairing the damages that were caused by that so called ghost!" Noted Firmin angered.
"In addition box five is one of the best seats in the house." Noted André.
Daniel remained silent and listened carefully, sometimes wrote some notes on a blank paper.
"We want you to catch that miserable man, ghost or whatever he calls himself. Because last night we received news that he has also kidnapped a woman, a simple chorus girl who has been the understudy of our greatest opera singer and diva, La Carlotta. Carlotta has lost her voice over last night during the performance and ever since cannot sing or even speak! Our nerves are close to an end! Please help us detective!" Begged André with folded hands.
"By all means, have I shown any refusal during this description of yours? I'll gladly take up your case!" Spoke Daniel excited and offered his hand to shake.
"Mérci, mérci! This news has lifted already a weight off our hearts." Thanked Firmin relived with a smile while shaking heartily hand with Daniel.
"I fear, you should not yet let the weight off your hearts. The case isn't solved or even close to be solved." Daniel grinned with excitement. Eager to learn and know what sort of man the Phantom is he will encounter soon.