Chapter 4: Get out of my mind

Zenigata woke felling recharged. He sat up pushing the blankets aside. The morning still had a lingering chill of the night before, so he pulled one back around him as he went about his morning routine. It wasn't till he was making his coffee and some instant oat meal he found in one of his cupboards, that he realized the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders was the one Carmen had sent him.
He frowned a bit and tossed it onto the sofa. He had been grateful for the extra warmth it had provided last night but, he still wasn't comfortable with the source. Excepting a gift from a thief, and one he was currently tailing as Lupin took his little hiatus. Just felt wrong. He figured he'd just try and forget it. After finishing his coffee and oat meal Zenigata got his trench coat and hat and left for the office.

Once there he was greeted by a very excited Officer Jeremy, the young man had become the inspectors right hand since he started dealing with Carmen Sandiego's crimes, and he was over the moon about it. He had looked up to Zenigata since he joined Interpol about five months ago.

"Inspector?" Jeremy addressed him as he hung up his coat just inside his office door. "Did you have a relaxing day off?"

"Yah I guess." He sat down and looked at the papers on his desk.

"So any new intel on Carmen Sandiego?" He looked up at the young man. Jeremy shuffled throw the papers he was holding.

"No..." There was a long pause as he continued to scan through them. "Wait!" He pulled out a paper with only one thing written on it. He handed it to Zenigata.
It read: Inspector turn on your computer.
And on the bottom it had a water mark the vateran inspector had never seen before.

"Acme?" Zenigata turned to his out dated desk top and pressed the on button. No sooner had it booted up then he was greeted with a floating head on a fusha back drop.

"Whew! I thought you'd never pick up. Was startin' to get claustrophobic in there. You really need an update." The talking head rambled till Zenigata interrupted him."What, what... who are you?"

"Huh? Me?" The A.I. stopped and blinked owlishly at him. "Well I'm CHIEF, the head, no pun intended, of ACME. The agency that up until recently was heading up the Carmen Sandiego case." Not only was Zenigata looking strangely at his computer screen but curiosity got the better of his new young assistant and he too looked at the monitor. "Hello there." The A.I. addressed Jeremy with a smile. The rookie meekly waved at him.

"Ok enough pleasantries, what's this all about?" Zenigata grumbled.

"Oh right." The blond A.I. chuckled a bit. "I don't know why you're chasing Carmen too but, I thought I'd let you have a little peek at her Crime Net file."

"Why?"

"Uh... well maybe you as a veteran of the game have some in site my gumshoes don't."

"Gumshoes?" Zenigata raised a brow. "And you call my computer outta date." He scoffed a bit. "But thanks. How long have you been chasing her?" The man was curious, as he clicked around on the crime net page CHIEF had put on his computer screen and shrunk himself so they could continue to talk.

"Um..." The head sweated a bit. "Well all total about a decade. But Zach and Ivy only started on her case about 2 years ago." He finished with a smile.

"Ten years? Not very good are you?" Zenigata commented.

"And how long have you been chasing Lupin?" CHIEF shot back indigently. Zenigata glared daggers at the AI.

"Whatever." He grumbled and ignored CHIEF as he continued to read.

"Oki doki then. Have fun." And with that said CHIEF with a big grin blinked off of the other's computer screen. With the A.I. gone from his computer Zenigata was free to browse though Carmen's file undistributed. Jeremy took this time to leave as well so the inspector could work.
Zenigata spent most of his day reading. Carmen's file was huge. Her rap sheet was just as extensive as Lupin's but more impressive. She had stolen monuments , landmarks, and historical artifacts, all with little collateral damage. After hours of reading Zenigata got up from his desk and decided he needed to get something to eat. It was sometime after noon maybe about two-ish, he didn't really care. He shut his computer off making a note of where he stopped. He had printed out a few pages so he could continue to read as he ate. Even when not chasing Lupin he was for sure a workaholic. He grabbed his coat and the papers leaving the office without a word.

Walking a few blocks away from the office Zenigata found exactly what he was looking for. A nice little ramen stand he would often vises when he had the time. It was nice and old fashioned, much like himself and he sat ordering a big bowl of his favorite ramen. He decided to not drink as he was still technically working. If it had been any later in the day however, he might not have made the same decision. He read as he waited and as he ate.
The part he had printed out was a more personal look at the lady thief and her past, or at lest what ACME knew of it. Including her time working at ACME as their greatest detective yet to be out done.

"Well that explains a lot..." Zenigata muttered slurping up some noodles.

"What explains a lot? I'll have the same." A smooth female voice broke the inspector's thoughts, as a familiar, tall, red tinted, silhouette sat next to him ordering a bowl for herself.


(Happy Halloween)