Note/s: I'm sorry, I just had to put a reference from The Graduate (1967) somewhere. Also a BIG THANK YOU to all your reviews and messages. You guys are the best!
Even after splashing cold water on her face in the ladies room, Anna still came out looking like a guilty teenager. After Hans' public display, she had bolted from her seat and narrowly escaped being grilled by a couple of her client's admirers.
Despite the cool water, her body could still feel the heat of their proximity and—
She shook her head violently.
I need a cold shower!
"Miss Anna…?"
The detective turned to her right and promptly gasped in horror. A waiter was holding out a slip of paper. His face and clothes wetly specked from the water droplets she had sent flying.
"Eep! I'm so sorry!"
He blinked, unaffected in the least. "I have a message for you."
Anna frowned. "A message…?"
Kristoff had lectured Anna to avoid being publicly seen with a client as much as possible, especially in the middle of an investigation. Something about not compromising confidentiality and other high-sounding terms he spouted. Well, Anna thought to herself, Hans isn't exactly being subtle. She blushed, once again remembering his rather intimate performance.
Besides! How does a corporate tie end up singing in a late night bar anyway?
She would have to ask him that among a few other things. She stopped in front of the room mentioned in the note and rapped her knuckles against the door.
"Come in."
Anna entered.
"Hans. You wanted to EEEP!"— she let out an unearthly squeak.
There before her very eyes was Hans, bent over with one foot on the armrest of a chair. He was adjusting the garter (who still wore those things?!) that stayed his black mid-calf socks. To complete the scandalous sight, he wore a robe of deep velvet red, loosely knotted. The bottom of which paneled from his raised leg, giving Anna a delectable view of his shapely thigh and—
Anna squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw.
"Detective Anna," He did not sound the least bothered, "would you like a drink?"
"You're not decent!" She shouted, eyes still closed.
"That's not a very nice thing to say to a gentleman."
"I mean—y-your clothes!"
"Oh…" He said, as though it just occurred to him. "I hope you don't mind, Detective. I was just going to slip into something more comfortable. Terribly warm in here."
The air-conditioning was on.
"You were in the middle of changing but you still let me in?" Anna risked it and snuck a peek. She exhaled in relief to find him standing upright. Still wearing a robe, but hey, y'know, whatever.
He flashed her an earnest smile. "I value your company over my own modesty."
WHAT MODESTY?!
Propriety seemed to be a foreign concept to her client.
"Look Hans!" She puffed. "Enough with your…weird games." She cringed at the lack for better term. "You've had your fun! With that silly prank you pulled out there!"
His brows furrowed as one hand flew over his chest. "I'm hurt. I wasn't out to ridicule you or any"—
She cut him off. "Why were you even singing here in the first place?!"
He shrugged, plopping into the armchair. "I came here to unwind. Singing soothes me. Gets things out of my system."
And you couldn't do normal karaoke because…?
"Listen!" Anna pointed a finger at him. "You called me here but I must insist we keep our appointment tomorrow. I only came by to say that." She punctuated the last word with a small finger jab.
Hans tried to appeal her. "But Detective…isn't it serendipitous to see each other like this? Why not," his voice dropped, "…make the most out of it?"
His words oozed with charm, so much of it I could probably make a pretty charm bracelet. …if that made sense… I'm not really good with metaphors…or hyperbole? What would you call—Stay on track Anna!
Brushing off sex appeal and figures of speech, Anna stuck to her guns and shot him a glare. "We'll talk tomorrow. I mean, c'mon!" Her arms swept out to her sides, denoting the small enclosed space they were in. Completely bare except for a couple pieces of furniture here and there. "How do you expect us to talk in here? I mean, it's like!"
"Like what?"
"What do you think?!"
"Well, I don't know."
At this, Anna's patience evaporated. "For Disney's sake, Hans!" She exclaimed, face bright red. "Here we are. You got me into this room. You offer me a drink. You…put on that display earlier in front of the whole establishment. Now, you want us to stay in here and talk while you're next to naked."
He merely tilted his head as he crossed his legs. "So?"
The words flew from her mouth before she could even filter them.
"Mr. Westergård, you're trying to seduce me."
…
…
…
…
Hans actually looked surprised and seemed to be at a loss for words. The first since Anna had met him. Despite the heat in her cheeks, Anna maintained a cold stare…though mentally she was spazzing.
OH. MY. GOD. Anna why can't you just shut up?! You sandwich-brained idiot! You actually said something like that! You don't say that! GOD! While you're at it, why not just tell him he has great legs! And ask for a feel!
The awkward situation turned awkwarder when Hans laughed. He laughed. So much that his shoulders trembled. Anna could feel her legs about to give from the mortification.
When his chuckles subsided, Hans gave her an amused look. "Huh?"
Once again, the words ran away from her. "Aren't you?"
Hans stroked his chin, as though considering the idea.
"Detective Anna…" He finally said, expression sober. "I am not trying to seduce you."
It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice cold water on Anna. She searched his eyes but saw no sly glint or smirk. Was he…really serious? Anna didn't know what to make of this…she was so sure he had been giving her signals all this time! Different emotions immediately welled inside of her. Some anger, mostly embarrassment and…disappointment? Her eyes widened. No that can't be right! I'm just…processing how a detective like me could get it wrong! That's right! She latched on to the idea like a lifeline.
Clasping her trembling fingers behind her, she proceeded to salvage what little pride she had left after that stupid remark.
"….Ah…I'm sorry…I assumed." Anna fumbled with her words. Outrage would have been more sensible, she thought, given the way he had behaved around her but nothing came to her. "I'm so sorry. It's just that…this is awkward…" With a tired sigh, she made to leave. "Sorry again. Just forget about it, I should just go."
Hans stopped her. "Wait, Detective. Please. I really do want to talk to you." He stood and approached her. " About the case. I figured, well, we're here. I have the information. I figured why not? The sooner you have it, the better." His eyes pleaded with hers to stay.
Anna stared at him for a few moments before letting out a sigh.
"Okay, we'll talk."
Naveen tucked the small bag of cookies safely under his arm. It was a small congratulatory gift for Anna on her first detective case. She would appreciate it, being such a sweet tooth and all. He wanted to give it to her before driving to the other restaurant to pick up his Tiana.
His staff pointed him in the direction to one of the utility rooms backstage that had been converted into a lounge area.
When he got there, he poised his hand, ready to knock.
But never did.
"Oh my God! It's big!" came Anna's sudden exclamation behind the door.
Naveen's eyes bulged from their sockets.
"Pretty impressive, right?" spoke a sultry male voice.
"It's the biggest I've ever seen in my life. Oh! Could I?"
"Help yourself."
"Oh wow! It practically fits the palm of my hand!"
The blood drained from Naveen's face. He withdrew his hand, backed away from the door, turned, and strode as far away as his legs could carry him.
Forget the damn cookies!
"But wait!" Anna frowned. "I don't understand I thought"—
"This is a replica of the Blue Olaf." Hans answered, elaborating further. "My great great grandmother had wanted a pair of earrings from the diamond. But she couldn't bear cutting the original, so she had this one fashioned to have a set. Synthetic gems were a thing in the late 1800s…" He then discussed the features of the gem such as its kite shape, deep bottom cut, facets and so on.
Although Anna listened intently, her eyes were fixed on the gem in her hand. "It's so beautiful…"
"…It has the same size, cut, and weight as the original. The same slight blue tinge too..." He scooted a little closer to where she sat in the couch, pointing out a couple of places where the setting had been attached."The earrings broke apart over time, so we were left with just the stones. "
Anna ran her thumb over the smooth surface. "I can't imagine a thing of this size hanging on anyone's ears! Your earlobes would be stretched all the way down to your shoulders! It's so sparkly!"
"The workmanship is remarkable." Hans said. "But unfortunately it's nowhere near as valuable as the real thing."
"You don't mind if I take pictures of it right?" Anna asked. This would be useful data and give Flynn something tangible to work with.
Hans replied with a smile. "Better, I can loan it to you. For the whole investigation. I took it out of the safe so that I could give it to you tomorrow."
"Oh!" well that was unexpectedly considerate of him. She hoped it wasn't to make up for the…awkward stuff that just happened. She immediately groaned in her head. I just want to forget about that forever!
"Gee, thanks Hans. That's very"— Anna's mouth froze on her next word.
A sudden realization struck her.
"Detective?" Hans waited for her to finish.
"Hans." Anna placed a thoughtful thumb on her lips. "Was the Blue Olaf in the same safe as this one?"
"Yes it was."
Anna bit back a smile. If it were possible, exclamation marks would pop right out of her head from her excitement.
"That's funny," she said.
"What is?" asked Hans.
"See…" Anna gave her best detective smirk. "If I were a crook and I broke into a safe and saw two big old diamonds and was none the wiser…" At this point, she was trying not to bounce in her seat from delivering the clincher. "I'd make off with both of them. After all, they look exactly the same."
Hans' mouth dropped. "Detective"—
"It was an inside job, Hans!" The young detective squeaked. "By one of those who had access to the vault and who knew about the diamond."
My first deduction! Oh man, if only I could record this moment! Kristoff would be proud!
For all his good looks and smart mouth, Hans was pretty slow to catch on. "Wait, you're not saying what I think you're"—
Anna made a clicking sound with her tongue. "I know it's a hard pill to swallow." She was on a roll. "But I think one of your brothers"—
"Detective. Stop." Hans held up his hands. He obviously didn't want to hear it. "I know how it looks but trust me when I say none of my brothers had anything to do with the disappearance."
Denial. It was always tough to line up one (or in this case, many) of the family members. Anna knew it was best to approach the situation with utmost delicacy…
"How can you even be sure? You have twelve older brothers! Twelve! That's a dozen eggs! Any one of 'em could be rotten."
…which she did not.
"Detective." Hans stood up, walking to the other side of the room, next to a potted plant. "I don't appreciate this tainting of my family name."
Anna crossed her arms, the stone still clutched in her hand. "Look toots, I'm a detective. I'm all about the facts and hard truth. Not the sappy good faith in others schtick. And fact is, this incriminating information paints a picture." She narrowed her eyes at his back. "And it ain't pretty."
Hans spun around. A cigarette dangling from his fingertips.
Where did he get that? He's wearing a robe!
"Detective please!" He urged. "I promise you. They had nothing to do with it. I can prove it."
Anna was still pondering the cigarette but quickly recovered.
"Err—uh, you sound so sure. Is that your fraternal instinct talking?" She tried to sound casual. "You must really look out for one another, huh?"
"Oh no. I can't stand them."
His deadpanned answer threw her off.
…
…
"Huh?"
"They're a lot of things," he said, placing the stick between his lips, "but they're not thieves."
"Look! Clearly you have a lot to say, so out with it already."
"Fine." Hans muttered, bringing a silver lighter close to his face.
Okay…please tell me his robe has pockets!
His eyes silently regarded her as the orange flame kindled the cigarette on his lips. A hazy trail rose from the glowing end. He talked in between puffs. "The Blue Olaf disappeared about a week ago. There was a company event that day. A dinner party for our shareholders and important clients. It was held at the large function hall in our company building."
Anna tried not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of tobacco. After all, the characters she loved smoked onscreen. Anna could never pick up the habit though. She couldn't even survive a one day tea-tox challenge. "And your brothers?"
"Were all there. So was the diamond."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because…" he paused, inhaling another one. "All thirteen of us went and took it out."
Anna tilted her head. "Wait, what?"
"Remember when I told you that we recently sold the diamond?" he reminded, his hand tapping off the ashy white excess into the flowerpot. "It was that night. We took it out and showed it to a handful of interested buyers."
He pressed on without interruption.
"The diamond was inside a red pouch. The one in your hand was in blue. We had explained the family history bit to them. After we settled the transaction with one of them, we placed it back and returned to the party. I've told you before, the buyer shortly had to go on a business trip and so left the diamond in our custody. Nothing was amiss until after the party and…"
"The safe was empty."
Hans nodded, bending to the flowerpot to snuff the rest of his cigarette in the soil. "There was a three hour period before the discovery. We checked the surveillance footage but nothing. It had been tampered, nothing but white noise."
Anna frowned. Well, this was certainly a disadvantage. Luckily, she was already hatching a plan.
"…Okay Hans, now here's what I think I should do. I need to check the premises, talk to"—
"Detective," he interrupted, "there's no need for that."
"What?!" Anna stood quickly, mouth hanging in disbelief. "But clearly I need to make rounds over"—
"Detective." There was a firm reproach in his tone. "I was left to handle this situation and I hired you. As my private investigator, I just need you to do what I hired you to do. Find the Blue Olaf."
"I know that!" Anna shot back. "That's what I'm trying to do but you're certainly not giving me any leeway in all this!"
"You don't have to worry." He said. "I have names."
"Names?"
Hans nodded, his face unreadable.
"The other potential buyers. The ones who didn't win."
"Can I offer you a ride, Detective? It's awfully chilly tonight."
Anna almost rolled her eyes.
Oh so now you complain it's cold.
"No thanks, I have my own way of getting back." It was called Uber.
After their conversation (while Hans finished changing), Anna had passed the new information to Flynn in the gaming room. She then tried to find Naveen in the bar, only to find Hans there instead. They exited the establishment together (well more like Hans followed her out).
"I live pretty close by." He said, as they reached a street corner. "Perhaps, you'd like to join me for a nightcap. It's terribly late. I could call you a cab from there."
Anna sighed. Did he ever listen to himself? He was sending the wrong signals again! She turned to him with a serious face.
"Hans, let's be square and set this whole thing straight. Our relationship is strictly business."
Hans raised an eyebrow at that. "Detective?"
"Listen," Anna huffed. "I know you're just trying to be friendly or...whatever you call it but you're wasting your time. I don't want any more misunderstandings. An attractive man like yourself is better off getting chummy with other"—
He stopped her there.
"You mean that?"
Anna frowned at the interruption.
"Yes, this is purely a professional agreement between"—
He shook his head. "No, not that," his voice then softened as he clarified, "the part about me being attractive."
Anna really REALLY had to do something with that mouth of hers! How was she getting out of this one now?!
"What? W-well…I'm a detective." She tried to explain like it was science. "My eyes can't lie to me…even if sometimes I wish they could." I really, really wish they could. She inwardly groaned, self-loathing staining her cheeks. This was just pathetic!
Hans studied her face with a half-lidded gaze.
"Well, Detective…it seems I lie better than your own two eyes."
"What?"
"I haven't been exactly truthful to you." He shamelessly admitted. "I told a lie earlier."
Was he mocking her? Had he purposely withheld vital information? Irritation flared from Anna's nostrils.
"You've been fibbing? Are you setting me up to fail or"—
"No it's nothing important," he assured her…followed by a contradictory: "though I think it is important."
"You're speaking in riddles!" Anna growled. "You have to tell me"—
"—The truth, Detective?" He cupped a hand to his lips and beckoned for her ear. Anna glared at him but found herself inclining her head all the same. He leaned down, his mouth brushing her ear.
"I really am trying to seduce you."
…
…
…
…
Anna short-circuited.
"Huh? W-w-what…sedu…did you….HUH?!" The detective was still in shock, completely frozen and slack-jawed.
Hans merely chuckled at her reaction, his breath tickling the suddenly-sensitive shell of her ear.
"And another…" He added, this time pressing his lips to a spot behind her ear.
"I'm not really trying."
Detective log: A system error has occurred. The private investigator will shut down shortly.