Not much to this chapter, save for a quick mystery. But I don't plan on getting too in-depth. After all, this is just an old episode with a new character, and some new twists. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Persona series, Lupin the Third, or any other referenced media.
Forty-Seventh Caper: The Detective Thieves, The Pinned Castinets
The elderly Countess Isabelle de Monboisont finished her writing as she sensed the presence of two people behind her. She smiled as she swiveled her wheelchair around. "Lupin the Third," she noted, "And Phantom Thief Joker." Both master thieves gave their own theatrical bows. "I could hardly call myself a gentleman if I dawdled when summoned by a lady," Lupin noted. "And I am never one to pass up the chance to perform before an audience," Joker said with a smirk, "Besides, when you mentioned the Pinned Castinets in your note, I almost had to investigate."
Isabelle smiled. "Naturally, I have every reason to believe that one of the people I'm inviting here tonight has all six. As for you, Lupin..." She hit a switch and revealed a sealed glass case with an emerald ring inside it. "Your reward will be this ring." Lupin looked shocked. Joker was confused at his expression, until Isabelle revealed a set of pictures that showcased Lupin's failed attempt at stealing the ring. Joker laughed at the sight of them. "Jeez Lupin, at this rate your title of Emperor of Thieves will be mine for sure." Lupin looked dejected. "Hey, even monkeys fall from trees, you know!"
He then became serious. "So why the sudden interest in offering it as a reward? It's been a family heirloom for years and a keepsake of your spouse." "Three years ago my husband Philippe was killed while in Paris," Isabelle explained, "The assailant was never identified." 'Even before Hawk Moth Paris was a dangerous city,' Joker noted. "I remember reading about that," Lupin said, "The law got nowhere with the case and it wound up going cold." Isabelle nodded. "But I'm still investigating, and I'm on the verge of discovering my husband's killer."
"And it was during that time that you learned about the Pinned Castinets?," Joker asked. "Yes," Isabelle replied, "I've whittled the suspect pool down to three individuals, one of whom made a particular purchase. That's how I discovered that he had the Pinned Castinets. I'm not entirely sure if he's my husband's killer or not, but he is likely involved." A knock came on the door as a young maid opened it. "Your guests for the evening will be arriving shortly, Madam." "Very good, Marie," Isabelle said. Lupin and Joker noticed that Marie didn't use the door handle to close the door.
"I've invited our three suspects here for the evening," Isabelle explained, "And I'd like you two to figure out which of them is the killer. Joker..." She slipped the phantom thief a piece of paper. "This man is the one with the Pinned Castinets. Consider it payment in advance. My estate will provide you with a more monetary reward upon completion of this task." Joker raised an eyebrow at the way Isabelle said that sentence. Lupin, however, was a little exasperated. "This isn't normally what I do. But I supposed if anyone could catch a criminal, it'd be another criminal."
Joker shifted back into Ren and put in a call to the Agreste manor. It was Emilie who picked up. 'Oh, Ren. Good of you to call. Adrien and Nino have been wondering when you'd hang out again.' "I'm afraid this isn't a social call Missus Agreste," Ren said, "Do you remember the cold case from three years ago? Involving Count Philippe de Monboisont?" There was a pause. 'Actually yes. It's sad to think about. You see just hours before he took his fateful jog, he was talking with me and Gabriel about our expedition to Tibet.'
Ren overheard the drawbridge coming down as the first of the three cars started pulling in. The first was Frederik Ottaway, a notable sommelier who was famous for his collection of rare and priceless gems. He had been trying to pressure the Count into selling the ring. Next was the Count's nephew, Allen DuBois. His father had a business that went under, and committed suicide when the Count refused to help. Allen supposedly had a grudge against his uncle, but he had little other reason to kill Philippe due to his successful career as an investor.
Ren raised an eyebrow when he saw how Allen's car dragged through a rain puddle, as if it had more weight than Frederik's car despite being of a similar model, and with nothing in the car other than Allen. It was particularly suspicious that only the back wheel seemed to drag. Finally, there was Pierre Schmidt. He used to own a company that sold security tech, until the Count bought it out and Pierre was let go. Currently he eked out a meager living as a computer repairman. Judging from his clumsy method of entering, Ren suspected the man was slightly sloshed. Ren finished his talk with Emilie before joining Lupin.
"I spoke with a friend's mother who was in Paris at the time," Ren said, "Her social circle can confirm all the alibis these men have." Lupin nodded. "Yeah, the police already verified that their alibis were airtight. But Isabelle has a plan to entrap the killer using a bluff." Ren nodded as he took a cup of coffee. Coffee was something of a hobby of his, and he could recognize a particular blend with just a taste. If he put his mind to it, he could have become Hope's Peak Academy's Ultimate Barista.
"So what's the bluff?," Ren asked. "The killer had tried to pry the Count's ring off of his finger after he died," Lupin pointed out, "Several witnesses can confirm this. In fact, such a crowd was gathering that the killer decided to flee. Isabelle's bluff involves a fake chemical that can supposedly preserve DNA." Ren chuckled. "If such a chemical truly existed it would be worth a fortune to CSI labs across the world. But not even Speedwagon can create such a formula. DNA just breaks down too easily for preservation to be possible. Unless she popped it into a cooler for three long years."
"No such luck," Lupin said with a shrug, "But Isabelle expects the bluff will cause the killer to panic and try something drastic in order to cover their tracks. That's where we come in." Ren nodded before he got a phone call. To his surprise, it was Gabriel. "What's up, Mister Agreste?" 'Emilie mentioned that you were asking about Count Monboisont's murder,' Gabriel said, 'I don't know if it's significant, but the father of one of the leading suspects, Allen DuBois, was a superstitious man. In particular, he thought that having identical twins was a bad omen. I'm sure you've heard some superstitions that identical twins have two halves of the same soul. Well, Mister DuBois took it seriously.' Ren nodded.
"What did he say?," Lupin asked. "Something that makes me wonder if our killer found a way to be in two places at once," Ren said, "We know that the Countess is using the new NZ facial recognition system developed by her husband's corporation, but if identical twins are involved..." Lupin nodded. The system wouldn't be advanced enough to detect the subtle differences that even identical twins possess. "Things are definitely going to get interesting tonight. While I'm busy setting the scene as Detective Jim Barnett the Third, why don't you see if you can find your prize for the evening?"
Joker noticed that the three suspects were already arguing with each other over motives and alibis once they realized why they were gathered. He waited for the precise moment, and got it when the power went out just as Isabelle was talking about the chemical. Joker's sharp eyes, viable even in the darkness, spotted the gunman as they slipped into the dining hall. Joker took out his calling card and carefully slipped it into the gunman's pocket just as they fired off a shot, delivering a fatal injury to Isabelle.
Joker quickly returned to the hall and resumed his normal identity as Ren before bursting into the dining room. "Detective Barnett, I heard a gunshot while the lights were out!" "I'm afraid our gunman's already found their target," Lupin said sadly, cradling the dying Isabelle. She had just enough strength to activate a lockdown that prevented anyone from leaving the castle until the next morning. After a bit, Lupin approached the three men. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Detective Jim Barnett the Third, and this is my assistant Ren Amamiya, an intern from the Speedwagon Foundation."
The suspects returned to their rooms for the evening, whilst Marie made sure to lock the door to the dining room in order to preserve the scene. Ren looked at the body of Isabelle, having been laid on her bed. "I somehow suspected she's pull this stunt. She said her estate would be paying me, not her own self." "I must be slipping in my old age," Lupin said as they returned to the crime scene, "I never anticipated she'd go this far just to find her husband's killer. Ren, did you see anything in the darkness with your natural night-vision?"
"I spotted someone in the hall during the blackout," Ren said, "But my night-vision is only strong enough to let me know where I'm going. And whoever it was had to have found a way to trick the facial recognition system since no alarm went off." "How did the killer even know where to aim in order to kill the Countess?," Marie asked. Lupin walked over to the wheelchair. "It's powered by electricity," he noted as he hit a button on one of the armrests, setting off lights in the armrests, "These lights would have let the killer line up the shot." Ren checked out a large covering of pollen just underneath a side table with a flower arrangement on it. Marie confirmed that the spot had been clean prior to the incident.
Additionally, the curtains in the hallway were all closed, and not by Marie. The sudden flash of a lightning bolt led Lupin and Ren to consider why they had been closed. "Did anyone leave their rooms prior to the incident?," Lupin asked. "Just Frederik," Marie replied, "He wanted to examine the castle's wine cellar. I told him that I needed to ask the Countess's permission first and he returned to his room." "So you didn't see Allen or Pierre outside of the dining room then?," Ren asked.
"Actually I did see Allen while he was in his room," Marie clarified, "The door was cracked open. I saw him quite clearly as he looked out to the balcony. The sight of his face in the reflection left no room for doubt that it was him inside the room." Lupin and Ren looked at each other. "Unfortunately I can't confirm Pierre's whereabouts prior to the incident in the dining room," Marie said sadly, "But his door never opened prior to that, so I can assume he never left it." Lupin nodded. "Well, we have enough information to nab the killer. Isn't that right, Ren?" Ren smirked. "Indeed."
The sight of one of Joker's calling cards on the dining table was a bit of a surprise to the three men. Frederik picked it up and read it. "Martin DuBois, I am the Phantom Thief Joker. Tonight I will steal the Pinned Castinets from your possession." Allen took a few steps back in shock, but Frederik and Pierre were confused. "Who's this Martin?," Pierre asked, "And why does he share Allen's last name?" "Because he's Allen's twin brother," Lupin said as he entered, "His identical twin, at that. Earlier this evening I spotted Allen's car as it dragged through a rain puddle. There were signs that the back tire was heavier than normal."
"Indicating that a large weight was in the trunk, yes?," Frederik said, "I've seen enough crime shows to pick up on such signs." Lupin nodded in confirmation. "And unfortunately the facial recognition system wasn't precise enough to pick up on the subtle facial differences that even identical twins can have." "But surely the cameras would have spotted this man if he existed!," Allen argued. "Unless they took the time to remove the tapes," Lupin countered, "And before you suggest that Marie could have done that, there's a very good reason why she can't." He helped Marie remove her gloves, revealing them to be heavily bandaged.
"I got them badly burned three days ago," Marie explained. "The Countess confirmed this prior to the incident when I saw Marie closing a door without even trying to use the handle," Lupin said, "That is why Marie is the only staff person here tonight. Speaking of the incident, did any of you notice that the curtains in the hallway have all been closed?" "Yes, actually," Pierre admitted, "But why go to all the trouble. We were all in the dining room and the doors were closed." "Not the entire time," Lupin clarified, "There was one moment when the door was wide open."
Pierre and Frederik looked at other, realization dawning on their faces. "During the blackout!" "Exactly," Lupin said, "There's a thunder storm brewing outside, and the killer didn't want to risk a lightning flash lighting up the room at the wrong time. Little did he realize, my protege Ren possesses exceptional night vision. While he couldn't identify the shooter he saw in the hall, he can confirm one existed." "But how could this man have even spotted the Countess in the dark?," Allen pointed out. "That one's easy," Frederik interjected, "I seem to recall the glowing of lights coming from the Countess's wheelchair. I'm guessing that's the answer Detective Barnett?"
"On the money," Lupin replied, "Speaking of which, Joker should be carrying out his promise soon." Sure enough, Joker smashed his way into the hall via one of the windows, knocking out a man who was a dead ringer for Allen. Joker observed the group looking at him and grinned, revealing the six colored butterfly brooches between his fingers. "Jewelwing, Greater Ruststain, Dawn Gauzy, Oilbox, Mourning Bell, and Ghost-girl," he noted, "My job is done here. I leave the rest to you, Detective." He immediately leapt back out the window.
Shortly afterward, Ren came running up and spotted the scene. "What did I miss?," he asked, feigning ignorance. Lupin pretended to get him up to speed. "Allen's alibi is that he was in Sicily during the incident," Ren noted, "I suppose at this point all we'd need is a polygraph test to find out whether it was Allen or Martin who pulled the trigger." Allen didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to throw his brother under the bus, but at the same time being an accomplice was the lighter sentence. "I was the one who killed the Count," Martin said, making the choice for him.
Allen sighed. "But we both are responsible. Father put Martin up for adoption since he felt that identical twins were a bad omen." Martin nodded. "I ran into Allen by chance and he told me Father had committed suicide after his business failed. When I learned Uncle Philippe wouldn't help him, the two of us plotted revenge. He headed for Sicily to maintain an alibi, and I waited until the Count was in plain view. Since I was stricken from the family tree, the police would take any sightings of Allen as a case of mistaken identity."
In the end both brothers were arrested for their conspiracy. Lupin decided to let Isabelle keep the emerald ring so she could greet her husband while still wearing it. He also mused that being a detective brought similar thrills to being a thief. "I might consider doing this more often," he decided, "Should Joker succeed in taking my title." He was in his Fiat with Kirei. "Either way it makes the guilty suffer," Kirei said, "If you decide to go that route, I'll be there with you. We could our own detective agency. Of course, I'll need to think up my own new identity." The two friends laughed as they drove away from the castle.
Next time, the world of music gets a little too cutthroat when new band Kitty Section finds their ideas stolen by corrupt music producer Bob Roth. Not one to let such evil stand, Joker and Violet decide to deal with this man and his enforced nepotism. After all, not even a Phantom Thief would stoop so low as to steal music. Read and review.