Chapter Two: A Night In Paris
"Wow!" said Luke admiring the flight. "I still can't believe we're traveling across the world! I wonder where our first destination will be at, Professor Layton."
"Well, Luke," said Professor Layton, "Professor Sycamore and I've been studying the case files and already decided to venture to the nearest Klaww Gang member."
"Indeed," said Professor Sycamore. "Our first destination will be at Paris, France, where we're just about to land! Brace yourselves, everyone!"
The Bostonius lands at Paris, where it is now night time.
"According to the files, the Klaw Gang member, Dimitri Lousteau, resides here and is in possession of the Clockwerk tail feathers," said Professor Layton.
"And his profile sickens me from the moment I read it," seethed Professor Sycamore. "The Klaw Gang seems more viled than I thought. Dimitri is an international forger, once a young aspiring art student, rejected from the community due to their distaste of his artwork, leading him to take his approach in the criminal underworld."
"Dimitri owns a nightclub in Paris," said Professor Layton. "However, his intentions with the tail feathers aren't specified in his criminal records. Whatever his goal is, we need some plan to retrieve the Clockwerk parts back from him."
"Right! Then let's be on our way!" said Emmy.
O-O-O-O
As Professor Layton, Emmy, Luke and Professor Sycamore depart from the Bostonius, they arrive in the streets of Paris.
"Wow! Paris sure looks beautiful at night!" said Luke.
"Indeed!" said Emmy as she captured photos with her camera. "Look! There's a fashion store, a cafe and a ice cream seller!"
"My! This city sure has such lovely trends, and their food is quite a delicacy!" said Luke. "It kind of reminds me of London."
"Yes, it certainly is delightful to be in this city and surrounded by its fine culture," said Professor Layton. "But let's not forget why we're here. In order to learn anything about Dimitri's nightclub, we have to ask some of the residents here to tell us what they know. Also, Dimitri's men are patrolling the streets, so we must avoid any contact with them."
"Do you think we could also have dinner and visit some areas while we're here, Professor?" Luke asked him.
"Ho ho! Luke!" the professor laughed. "I'm sure some stores are still open for some leisurely activities. And I already see one person avaiable at this hour," he said, referring to the first citizen they see.
"I see a lady over there," said Emmy. "Let's go talk to her."
The lady they encounter has blonde hair and wears a red evening dress and make up such as red lip stick and eye shadows.
"Good evening, miss," Professor Layton said to her. "We were wondering if you knew anything about a recent night club here in Paris."
"Pardon? You mean zat recent one zat opened a few months ago?" the french lady asked in a thick accent. "I take it you are not around here since you do not know zis city zat well."
"No, this is our first night in Paris," said Luke. "We're from London."
"Oh, british people," she sighed. "I never thought you had such absurd fashion."
"Weird?!" exclaimed Emmy. "What's wrong with my attire?!"
"You wear a suit," explained the lady. "Suits are for men. They do not fit a woman. I, Adrianna, have never worn such an odd outfit like zat before, and I hope I never will. And you!" she said to Professor Layton. "Why on earth would you wear a top hat if you are going to a night club instead of an opera?"
"And what's wrong my attire?" asked Professor Sycamore.
"Hmm..." Adrianna gapes at Professor Sycamore. "I must say zat suit looks fine on you. And those glasses you are wearing make you look like an intellectual."
"Well, I'm glad you like my wardrobe choice," said Professor Sycamore relieved.
"However, zat haircut is ridicule!" Adrianna then chided him. "And I'm sure zis man and boy have bad haircuts as well, which is why they wear such hats!" she then insulted Layton and Luke.
Professor Layton and Luke remain silent.
"Please, madam," said Professor Layton. "We only ask that you tell us where the night club is."
"Hmph, if it's to get you unrefined british people off my back. Ze nightclub is only a few miles down zis avenue."
"Thank you," said Professor Layton. "Might I add one more question before we may venture there?"
The woman sighs in annoyance. "What is it?"
"Since you visited the night club, do you mind if you describe the ambience there?"
"Still you try my patience with questions?" cried Adrianna. "It was like any night club with flashing lights, a discoball, and a dance floor. Though oddly they constantly serve food with spice."
"Hmm?" said Professor Layton. "Spice, you say?"
"Yes. They insisted everyone to taste some. It tried ze spice, and it was dreadful! I just could not stand ze scent of it permeating ze night club during my first visit, so I decided to never come back there again. Now, if you may excuse moi, I'm off to my night shopping spree." Adrianna then leaves.
"That lady is quite disdainful to other's appearances," said Luke.
"I concur, Luke," said Emmy. "She ridiculed my clothes!"
"And my haircut," said Professor Sycamore.
"Come now," said Professor Layton. "The lady was decent enough to give us directions. The night club is down this avenue. We shouldn't delay ourselves."
When Professor Layton, Professor Sycamore, Luke and Emmy arrive outside the night club, they find no one else there.
"Where is everyone?" asked Luke.
"It seems as though the night club is closed," said Professor Layton.
"Really?" said Emmy. "I was really hoping we could get in and investigate!"
"Might I suggest we sneak in?" asked Professor Sycamore.
"I was thinking we might learn more about the night club if we asked other civilians who attended there," said Professor Layton.
"Let's ask those two girls over there to see what they know," said Emmy.
"It's too bad the night club is closed," said one of the two teenage girls.
"Oui, I had no idea about zis!" said the other girl. "When will it open to ze public again?"
"Excuse me," said Professor Layton, "I couldn't help but hear you say that this nightclub is closed."
"Oui, I'm afraid you are too late, monsieur."
"Well, I would like to hear any knowledge you possess relating to the Black Chateau. Was there anything suspicious rumored to have happened there?"
"What are you, some sort of police officer?"
"No, wait, I recognize zis man from ze papers; he's Professor Layton-ze British detective!"
"Actually, I am an archaeologist and no detective, but yes I am Professor Layton. Now, could either of you elaborate on your experience at the night club?"
"From the looks of it, you two appear rather young to be allowed entry," said Professor Sycamore. "Nightclubs impose a certain age restriction."
"The night club was open to practically everyone in public, regardless of zeir age," said one of the girls. "Even infants were allowed inside."
"Hmm?" said Professor Layton.
"We were delighted with not only our entry, but ze parties ze night club hosted as well."
"Ze only refreshments they served were food covered in spice. Ze spice came in a sweet variety that I simply indulged in!"
"What can you tell us about this spice?"
"I heard that everyone in Paris had a taste of it. In fact, ze staff was so adamant to serve it that they refused to let anyone leave until they tried it."
Professor Layton remained silent as he pondered to himself. "Thank you. You answered everything we needed to know."
"Well, we are glad we could be of help. Au revoir!"
After they left the two young women, Professor Layton, Luke, Emmy, and Sycamore converse amongst each other about what they have learn from the citizens.
"All right, let's sum up the information we gathered," said Professor Layton.
"The night club lacks a certain age restriction and allowed practically everyone in Paris," said Professor Sycamore.
"They serve spice related foods and made the Parisians try it before allowing them departure from the club," said Emmy. "Seems pretty fishy to me."
"But the one thing we haven't figured out is what Dimitri intends to do with the Clockwerk tail feathers," said Luke.
"Hmm..." pondered Layton.
"What is it, professor?" Luke asked.
"From what I learned after reading his case file, Dimitri commits forgery, so what if he's using the tail feathers for a massive counterfeiting operation?"
"But what does spice have to do with his criminal behavior?" asked Emmy.
"Why, this case is more confusing that we thought," complained Luke.
"The only way we can find out answers is if we sneak into the night club," said Professor Layton. "I don't believe that we'll learn anything else by asking people now."
"All right, let's go," said Emmy. "If we run into any guards, I'll be sure to knock their lights out!"
Suddenly, they were rattled by an unexpected crash nearby.
"What was that?" asked Luke.
"It came from this way!" cried Professor Sycamore.
Professor Layton, Sycamore, Luke, and Emmy rushed to the cause of the noise and saw the nightclub's massive peacock sign crashed and destroyed a fountain in front of it.
"Oh my, what happened here?" flabbergasted Luke.
"Oh dear, I'm afraid somebody else has beaten it to us," said Sycamore.
"Look, Neyla and the authorities are already here," said Emmy.
"Who's that other law enforcer she's with?" asked Luke.
"I insist we meet with them, pronto," said Professor Layton.
Neyla hauled Dimitri in handcuffs onto the back of a prison transport truck when Professor Layton, Sycamore, Luke, and Emmy approached her and the other police investigator with her.
"Ah, Professor Layton," said Neyla. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Neyla, you know these people?" asked the investigator. It was a female with thick dark blue wavy hair tied in a braid in a golden hairband. She wore a brown leather jacket, yellow gloves, and long dark brown combat boots.
"I met them at the crime scene in Cairo. They agreed to lend their services in the case."
"My name is Professor Hershel Layton from Gressenheller University. I specialize in archaeology. With me is my trusty apprentice, Luke Triton."
"Nice to meet you," Luke introduced himself.
"I'm Emmy, another associate of Layton."
"And I'm Professor Sycamore, I also specialize in archaeology."
"My name is Inspector Carmelita, I work at Interpol and volunteered to work on this case."
"I never expected other we'd come across other police organizations as well," said Professor Layton.
"With all due respect, you four shouldn't concern yourselves in this," Carmelita told them. "It's best to just leave it to the authorities."
"Excuse me!" snapped Sycamore. "I'll have you know that I was the one who discovered the Clockwerk parts, so I'm accountable for the theft that started it all."
"Please excuse my colleague," said Professor Layton. "He is mighty upset ever since his discovery was stolen and is trying to justify his actions. We deserve the right to know what has happened here."
Carmelita briefly hesitated before she could answer them. "The perpetrators of this break were the Cooper Gang, and here's their calling card to prove it." She held up a card in the shape of a blue and white raccoon head. "They always leave this around whenever they commit their crimes around the globe, and I vowed to bring them to justice one day."
"They robbed Dimitri of the tail feathers that he was using to print counterfeit money," added Neyla. "The design is so subtle, you can hardly tell it's fake."
"Once again, my life's work is stolen from me!"
"If there is competition in collecting the Clockwerk parts, we need to catch up with the Cooper Gang and the rest of the Klaww Gang," said Professor Layton.
"We just heard reports of the Clockwerk wings held display at a royal ancestral palace in India," said Carmelita. "I'm sure that's where Cooper will make his move."
"Thank you for that bit of info," said Professor Layton. "We'll make our way there at once."
"Don't think I trust you, though," Carmelita interjected, "since none of you are cops."
"Please, Carmelita," said Neyla. "I've heard of Professor Layton and his noble deeds. I'm sure he'll be able to help us solve this mystery."
"Let us hurry back to the Bostonius," said Layton. Before returning there with everyone else, however, Professor Layton pondered to himself. "That Neyla..."
O-O-O-O
"Ah, I see you've returned," Reymound welcomed Layton, Luke, Emmy, and Sycamore back on the ship. "though I take it you have not obtained the tail feathers?"
"I'm afraid not," said Sycamore. "Someone else beat it to us. They call themselves the Cooper Gang."
"Oh, dear. What now, sir?"
"Set a course for India," said Layton. "The authorities located another part there."
"Very well," Reymound took the controls and resumed piloting the Bostonius. "Buckle up, everyone."
Mysteries
Clockwerk: Professor Sycamore discovered a mysterious creature during one of his expeditions. It was an ancient owl, and yet it was comprised of advanced, intricate machinery. These mechanical parts of the owl remained intact and possess great potential over the millennium it remain inactive. How is that possible?
The Klaww Gang: An international group of criminals have committed a heist at the history museum of Cairo where the Clockwerk parts were displayed. They divided these parts amongst their members and are now using them to conduct their various schemes. Who hired these conspirators and what is their true purpose for Clockwerk?
The Cooper Gang: Another organized crime syndicate made off with Professor Sycamore's discovery after stealing a Clockwerk part from a Klaww Gang member. Why would they dare oppose the Klaww Gang?
Dimitri's Nightclub: Dimitri's nighttime operations is affiliated with spice. He ordered his entire staff to feed it to all the citizens in Paris. But why was he so eager to serve it?
Professor Sycamore: Despite its dangerous potential and advanced machinery, not much is known about the owl, Clockwerk. Professor Sycamore devoted himself to reclaim his discovery, yet he is something of an enigma himself.
Neyla: The new constable from Scotland Yard volunteered in the case of the museum robbery and agreed to help Professor Layton and company. However, Layton finds something about her suspicious... Could she be hiding a secret?
