Thief in the Night
A Lupin the Third fan fiction by Lywinis
Chapter Four: Trials of the Mind, Body, and Spirit
Goemon was worried. Sachiko-chan had been in the papers for weeks now, and no one even bothered to comment. Lupin would look at the front page of the paper, then shove it aside with a grunt. Jigen looked as worried as the samurai. Fujiko was walking around with a rather self-satisfied smile these days. Goemon was sure the jealous woman had something to do with it.
There was no contact with the young woman awaiting trial. Pops had her, and he was using her to get to Lupin. Goemon had sat down to pen her a message many times, then had gotten up to do something else, because the words wouldn't come. His calligraphy brushes failed him. Usually he could pen a haiku in code, or a symbolic drawing, but all he could see was Sachiko-chan in danger. He nearly snarled to himself as he sat on the rooftop meditating.
Transcend, samurai, came the voice of his master. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and sat quietly, in search of enlightenment. Her face swam in front of his eyes. He willed it away. It came back, that mischievous grin as she held up the bottle of sake. He willed it away again. She kept coming back, more and more. The more often she came back, the more often she wore an accusing face, as if to say "Why, Goemon? Why didn't you do anything?"
Transcend! snapped the voice of his master. He tried to concentrate, and then finally sighed in resignation. Footsteps approached as he did, and his keen ears told him Lupin was looking for advice.
"What is it, Lupin?"
Lupin leaned against the railing of the rooftop balcony, popping a cigarette from a crumpled package in his pocket. That was so unlike Lupin; normally he had a case. The Gitane Caporals he held looked like they had resided in his jacket for quite some time. The samurai knew how much Lupin paid to import them, and he also knew he carried a case, but a lot about Lupin looked disheveled nowadays. He hadn't shaved in about a week, from Goemon's perspective.
"Did we lose our way somewhere, Goemon?" Lupin asked, his voice slightly muffled by the filter between his lips. Goemon didn't answer; he stared at the sunset, waiting patiently for Lupin to get his thoughts in order. Lupin puffed his cigarette into life and stood staring at the sunset.
"I keep thinking I've failed as a gentleman. Like Cara was more than anything I could have ever wanted and needed, and I threw her away. Not once, but twice." He put his hands behind his back and slumped his shoulders. "I think I failed in one of my most cardinal rules. But…Fujiko is all I've known for so long." He took a long drag on the cigarette and held it for a few moments, finally expelling the acrid smoke with a sigh.
Goemon studied his friend's jacketed back. He waited a few moments, trying to think of a suitably comforting word. Lupin smoked in silence.
"You do as you will, because that is how you have been and how you always will be. You feel you are bound by your morals, and so you are. If you want to right your wrong, then for Buddha's sake, have some dignity about it! You've let yourself go, Lupin."
Lupin looked at the unusually stern samurai. "What's got your kimono in a knot, Goemon?"
"What do you think? Cara sits in prison right now for something she had a minor part in. You stepped in to do something, and ended up coming back with a bruised face. You did or said something that made her so angry she refused your help."
Lupin looked at his feet, the cigarette smoldering quietly on the rail beside him. "I know. What else can I do?" Other than impersonating the judge, he thought to himself.
That was it. He straightened, a glimmer of the old creative fire back in his eyes. "Are Pepé and Henrìk back from vacation?"
"I don't know. Ask Jigen, he's their contact."
Lupin strode off, a man with a purpose. Goemon watched him go, then settled himself more comfortably on the rooftop. He found, to his surprise, that his calm state of mind had returned, and that meditation came easily.
Jigen flipped irritably through the newspaper, looking for something that wasn't about the Brouligiere scandal. He sighed and settled in for his daily dose of torture. He began to read.
Brouligiere Woman Charged with Jewel Robbery!
…Earlier this month, Cara de Brouligiere, the famed "Ruby Princess" was charged by Inspector Koichi Zenigata of Interpol with the robbery of the Sutton Hoo burial excavation site. Apparently a cat burglar of longtime standing and reputation, Brouligiere stole out the gems in the cleaning room, then removed several tons of gold from the actual burial site. Inspector Zenigata had this to say on his current apprehension of the woman: "Brouligiere is just an accomplice. The real threat here, the one with the connections and the one who is still running free, is Arsene Lupin! I hope he's reading this right now, so he can see that I'm right on his tail!"
The prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Gregory Callahan, had no comment. Ms. Brouligiere's trial is set for the twenty third of December 2005.
The object of Zenigata's wrath stormed through the door and into the sitting room. Jigen looked up idly, and wished he had more of the Oban Cara had given him. His hands itched. Lupin stood in front of him, waiting to get the gunman's attention. Jigen paged through the paper, his hat crammed down over his eyes. Lupin and Jigen's friendship had been on the rocks ever since word of Cara's arrest had gotten to them. Jigen wasn't about to break his stony silence, but he wouldn't stop participating in Lupin's daredevil robberies. He liked the money, just not the man at the moment.
Lupin was patient, Jigen noted sarcastically. He waited a whole five minutes before he yanked the paper away from the gunman. He hunkered down, and Jigen's hands itched even more when the thief was eye level with him. "Jigen, I know you're mad at me right now, but I need to know if Pepé and Henrìk are back from vacation."
They had gotten back about three days ago, in fact, but Jigen was pissed at Lupin, and so he said nothing. Jigen nodded now, however, wondering about the look in Lupin's eyes. Lupin grabbed Jigen by the shoulders and quickly outlined the plan. Jigen sat back and pushed his hat up with a casual flick of the thumb.
"Lupin, you are one crazy bastard. But yeah, I like it."
Lupin grinned and called Goemon in. They didn't have much time.
Fujiko disliked Chicago. She didn't just dislike it; she hated it. It was cold, windy, and it made her sneeze. She was swearing in a steady stream under her breath as she pulled her rental car into the parking space in front of the courthouse. Why did people live where it was so cold? She decided it was one of those mysteries of life she wasn't meant to understand.
She sat in the car with the engine running for a few minutes, savoring the heat, then grabbed her purse and nearly ran into the warm lobby of the courthouse. The bailiff, a man barely out of boyhood stared at her legs as she walked by; she tipped him a suggestive wink. It was merely natural for Fujiko. She'd been at it for so long, she barely even registered she'd done it anymore. Making her way into the courtroom, she flashed a special pass Callahan had given her, allowing her to sit in the back. She was going to enjoy this.
Her hair was dyed a fiery red, the ruddy tones blending well with her natural hair color. Her green contact lenses and the smattering of cosmetic freckles she'd applied made her look as if she'd stepped out of an Irish propaganda pamphlet. She flipped her elegant new hairstyle out of her eyes and settled down to watch the proceedings. They would begin shortly. It was a shame she wasn't able to bring popcorn in; she would have liked a snack. She nearly laughed aloud at the smug thought.
Cara had been a liability. She had gotten in the way of her biggest target, and the only one she repeatedly struck: Lupin. She didn't like rivals in her territory. It was a shame, really; she could have grown to like the other woman, but Cara had to get in the way. She saw how they looked at each other. She had no illusions about her relationship with Lupin; why should Cara be any different? Hell, Cara probably had him on his knees begging for her even after she was gone, the way he mooned after her during the heist.
Her lip curled into an ugly sneer, and she hastily smoothed her face. No wrinkles. Her body and her beauty were the only weapons she had that really made any difference. Still, she couldn't help that grimace, especially thinking about Cara with Lupin. She knew he had other women, just like she had other men. But it was a slap in the face to have one brought in as an accomplice. It violated her territory.
She nodded to Callahan as he passed. He tipped her a wink of her own and a small smirk of possession as he made his way up to the prosecuting attorney's table. She sighed inwardly. It was a shame she'd have to kill him after this. He was a bright young attorney, and he had a lot of potential. But he knew who she was, and he obviously expected more than the usual favors that men in power wanted. She couldn't, wouldn't be tied down. She had riches to gain and men to squash. It was in her blood, and she was what she was: a creature of habit.
She wondered briefly who the judge was. Putting it out of her mind, she decided she'd either bribe or sleep with him later to tip the scales even more in her favor. Folding her arms over her low-cut blouse, she waited.
It was only a matter of time.
Zenigata paced. He knew it was almost trial time, and he was nervous about the part he would have to play in the conviction of Cara de Brouligiere.Her old man had leaned on his commanding officer at Interpol; Brouligiere was a name with weight. He was sure that if she got convicted, it would be the end of his career as a detective and back to Takahata and his beat as a regular officer of the law. He pulled his Shinseis out of his inner pocket and lit one up, puffing nervously.
Either way, this would end badly. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his greasy and tangled hair. He knew he looked like crap; he'd been on the road and up for weeks now, and had had very little sleep. Sighing out a plume of bluish smoke, he looked out at the coming storm. Snow would pile up, causing traffic jams and even power outages. He knew the judge, wanting to get out of here early, would ask the jury to make a quick yet fair decision. That would mean that he might not even get to take the stand.
He had nothing against Cara…except for the fact that she'd shoved a peanut up his nose and had flipped him onto his back when he'd tried to arrest her. But that was just business. He knew she had no personal vendetta against him. She'd merely been trying to escape capture. It was the nature of the vicious cycle they played. Lupin and his gang ran; Zenigata gave chase. He had given up his entire life in pursuit of the wily Lupin, even his daughter and his ex-wife. If he'd been happy before, he couldn't remember, but he was content with knowing that sooner or later he'd get the drop on Lupin for good.
His brow darkened at the morbid train of thought he was on. Plopping his hat back on his head, he leaned against the wall. His hand absently scratched at his stubble and he finished his cigarette, crushing it out in the ashtray right beside him. All he had to do now was sit and wait, and he was a man of action.
This was the hardest part for him.
Cara brushed her fingers through her snarled hair, wincing in the mirror the lady officer held up. The orange jumpsuit she wore made her skin look drawn out and pale. Her eyes had large black patches around them, but her jaw firmed as she thought of the battle ahead. Callahan pissed her off. She didn't know why, but she did not like him. She wouldn't let him lead her anywhere she didn't want to go. A smirk crossed her lips as they came to cuff her hands to be lead out. She would show them. She wasn't the prodigy of her father and the most famous thief alive for nothing.
The two officers leading her out of her cell exchanged glances. Her smile was a little forced and glazed. She was going to have a tough time in court today; Callahan was known for playing hardball. Cara hardly noticed. Her eyes were fixed on the stormy sky. She didn't have much time.
Her briefcase was waiting on the table; she saw it as she entered. It was her focal point as she waited for the judge to arrive. There was no shuffling of papers, no last minute notes on her side of the courtroom. Her hands had been released, and she rubbed her wrists absently as she watched her briefcase. Her hands had taken a beating over the last month or so; they were rubbed raw and chapped from the many times she'd been cuffed and led around.
Time seemed to slow for her. She saw every second as a countdown to a pivotal moment in her life. Callahan was watching her, his eyes hard in the harsh light of the courtroom. She winked at him, and he jerked back as if he'd been slapped. She smiled inwardly. Good. He was nervous. She liked him that way; he would make mistakes.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Michael Danaher of the state of Illinois." There was shuffling as the court stood. Only she rose quietly, smoothly and with the inner grace of a cat. She remained standing until told to be seated, then sank into her chair with that same boneless grace. She could feel Callahan sizing her up, but she refused to look at him again.
"The case of the State of Illinois vs. Cara de Brouligiere is now in session, the Honorable Judge Danaher presiding."
Cara took a deep breath and ran her testimony through her head. She was going to come out of this victorious if she had to throttle Callahan to do it. She smiled to herself. She liked that idea.
They made their opening arguments, Callahan going first and delivering a smooth rhetoric about how Cara had plotted the entire caper with Lupin the Third, painting the gentleman thief in the harshest light possible. The jury looked unmoved, but Callahan wound his way into the chinks in their armor. Cara watched him, her pale eyes never leaving him. She nearly made him stutter a few times; this amused her to no end.
Then it was Cara's turn. She stood with that fluid grace she made look so easy, and turned to address the jury. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Honor, I stand before you today, without a lawyer. I do so because I find the thought ridiculous that I should need one in a case that I am so obviously innocent. I do not wish to insult your intelligence by dragging this out any farther than it needs to go, and all I ask is you judge me fairly and I will respect the court's decision." She inclined her head to judge and jury, and then sat down respectfully. She noticed Callahan was staring at her again, and she winked. He uttered a silent oath and shifted some papers around.
She sat, her hands in her lap, her head held high.
The Inquisition had begun.
Author's Note: GAH! Another chapter! Because people were threatening to withold cookies from me. I DEMAND COOKIES! Because I love you people, I have another chapter already in the works. That's right. It'll be done within a few days, just be patient. Till then, keep those reviews coming!
Lywinis
