Chapter 5: Who are you? Really?
(Putting ^ after " indicates Carmen speaking a language other then English, even if it's written in English. I don't want to burden my readers with having to look at cliff notes to understand what is going on. I will only use other languages as I see fit or with words that are relatively recognizable for an English reader. What language others are speaking is not relevant enough to mention on the whole. If they do become relevant I will use the same format, and I will also let you know what language is being spoken.)
"Carmen Sandiego?!" Zenigata stood abruptly pointing at her.
"Please calm down Inspector." She replied with a calm look in her eye, and tone in her voice. "Spitting ramen everywhere isn't a very attractive look. On either of us." And she flicked an arrant noddle from her coat sleeve. He calmed and sat back down, glaring at her. The lady in red only smiled in return.
"What are you doing here?"
"What? Didn't C.H.I.E.F. tell you I like to drop in on my pursuers every now and again?"
"Wait! How did you..."
"You underestimate me Inspector." And with those words her food was place in front of her. "^Thank you.^" She smiled at the cook and picked up her disposable chop sticks to pull them apart.
"You're really just gona sit here and eat with me?" Zenigata looked more then a bit confused.
"Why not?" She looked moderately confused stopping mid motion of bringing some noodles from her bowl. However she didn't wait for his answer before she continued. It had been a wile since she had had any ramen that wasn't instant. Zenigata just stared at her. "Do I have something on my face?" Carmen asked confused noticing him staring at her.
"Who are you?" He blurted out.
"Well that was outa left field." She looked back confused.
"You just pop out of nowhere, in front of someone that is trying to catch you." He only took a breath when Carmen interrupted with her answer.
"You say that like Lupin doesn't do the same thing." She took another chopstick full of noodles. Zenigata pouted slightly still staring at her. Carmen smiled at his reaction. "Some how I don't think that was the answer you were looking for." She chuckled slightly. "Your noodles are getting cold Inspector."
"Huh?" Zenigata snapped back to himself for a moment looking at his cooling bowl of ramen.
"We can continue this once you have finished." Carmen smiled and continued to eat. Begrudgingly Zenigata did the same. All the wile keeping a close eye on the lady thief in case she decided to make a run for it.
**You can't trust a thief.** At lest that's what he told himself, but Carmen was a lot like Lupin, a man whom Zenigata had a tiny bit of trust in, even thought rationally he shouldn't. Sure she was cocky beyond all belief with an ego the size of Texas, but at the same time she had a sincerity and warmness to her he couldn't quit pin down. She seemed to be a lot more honest then even most normal people.
"^Ah, that hit the spot.^" Carmen said with a smile. "^Thank you, that was the best meal I had in a long time.^" She told the vendor, in Japanese of course. Placing down money for her and Zenigata thinking he may forget in his over zealous pursuit of her. It was funny how she would speak perfect Japanese to the man running the stall but spoke to Zenigata in English. She didn't force him to speak it back, but refused to answer him with any other language. The inspector too had finished his food, long before Carmen in fact, and he just waited for her.
"So are you going to tell me?" Zenigata said flatly.
"Tell you what?" She asked in return.
"Who you are?!" He growled slightly at her apparent memory loss.
"Oh that." She replied carelessly. "No." A simple reply followed by a smile. "Good night Inspector." Carmen then stood to leave.
"Oh no you don't!" And true to form Zenigata clapped a pair of cuffs on the tall woman.
"Really? We're doing this again." Carmen seemed unimpressed.
"You ARE going to answer my questions."
"And then you'll let me go?"
"Uh well, no..."
"Then what incentive to I have to answer your questions at all, let alone truthfully?" Carmen made a valid point. Maybe Zenigata would have to make a concession to get his answers. He was left with two courses of action it seemed. One, promise to release her after he got his answers, or two, try and take her in with no answers and have her escape shortly after. Having read over her records from Crime Net, it seemed she never stayed in custody for any longer then she felt like. "Well?" There was a clear note of annoyance in her voice as she waited semi-patently for Zenigata's answer. "I really don't have all night."
"OK, fine... I promise to let you go, no strings attached... IF you answer me truthfully." Those dark eyes stared intently at Carmen's one visible blue one.
"Deal." She held her hand out for him to shake.
"Wait?" He looked down at a pair of uncuffed hands, how and when? Carmen only smiled. He shook her hand and this time cuffed their hands together. With a triumphant smile Zenigata led Carmen to a place where they could talk.
(Happy 2020 everyone. And see you next crime.)
