Cops & Robbers
Chapter Two- The Thief
"No, no, that doesn't go there," Robin barked. "that's stationary," he pointed to the far end of the workshop. "it goes there."
Robin was thankful for the extra help, more and more people were volunteering, but only half were competent enough to do the work on their own. The other half, he had to micromanage constantly.
"Sorry, Mr. Robin," the girl said, changing her direction with the box in her hands. Robin only nodded in response, he couldn't remember all their names. As of last month, he had over fifty volunteers. He did recognize her as one of the recent volunteers, as her red streaked hair made her hard to forget.
The workshop was extremely busy that morning. He had sneakers being donated and delivered and was getting ready to distribute some stationary. He was having a hard time keeping an eye on all the moving parts. He waded through the mass and went to the middle of the workshop, where he had built a control centre that housed the security system. He tapped a few keys, then a live feed from the workshop came on the monitors. He kept an eye on the feed to monitor where his eyes couldn't see. Behind him, another newbie was stocking the inventory wrong again. Robin whistled to get the young man's attention from across the room.
"You there, stop what you're doing. Check with Ingrid please." He directed the young man to the blonde behind him. Ingrid's own charity had collapsed due to low funding two years ago. Robin had offered to help, the irony of a charity helping a charity wasn't lost on them. Instead, she had decided to help him run the Locksley Foundation. Things had been moving a lot easier with her help. She corrected the young man then threw him a smile from across the large room.
Robin sighed, when one fire was put out, another flared up. Not that he would have it any other way. He picked up the bullhorn that hung from his waist and reminded his staff what a kickass job they were doing. They cheered for a moment before they got back to work.
Robin had cone back to the control centre when David made his way to Robin holding a box against his side.
"What's the good word?" Robin said.
David grinned and opened up the box. Inside were pairs of new sneakers.
"A whole truck load downstairs. We're unloading now."
"Great. Remind to call Phillip and thank him personally." Robin said.
"You got it." David said as he shuffled away.
"Robin," Mary Margaret called from staircase. "We have a situation upstairs."
Robin grunted. Just what he needed. A situation. When he got to the staircase, Mary Margaret wore a grim expression.
"That bad?" he said.
She nodded. "Feds,"
He groaned. "Okay, go downstairs. Keep an eye on the floor for me. Don't let anyone come up." he instructed and she nodded.
The FBI badgered him every once in a while. He couldn't physically restrain them from entering his building, so every few months he spent an awkward few minutes with federal agents.
The federal agents stood in his office. His hands were in his pockets and she was looking around his space. They reeked of bureaucratic bullshit and Robin wasn't interested in anything they had to say. He had been harassed for years. He thought the good he had done would somehow help his standing with law enforcement. Most had backed off but there were those few, like agents Marian Jones and Isaac Heller who didn't. They continued to stop by his place of work. Each time hoping to rattle his cage, each time failing miserably.
Sure, he had done everything they had accused him of. But he had long given up that life. Though he loved seeing them squirm, knowing they had no solid proof. His distaste for law enforcement started long before he began his life as a criminal. Law enforcement twisted words and bended the law they claimed to uphold.
"Marian, Isaac, you look well." Robin said with a lacklustre smile.
Isaac ground his jaw, Robin could never figure out why Isaac hated him so much. His visits had started late last year, since then Robin had developed a distaste for him as well. Today, he was over it. He had too many moving parts to deal with. He didn't need the unnecessary stress of the feds.
Robin folded his arms. "Sorry you wasted a trip. I have nothing to say, as always."
"You don't have to say anything. Just listen," Isaac said. Robin didn't like his confident tone.
"You seem to be up to your old tricks, Locksley." Marian said. "June 29th, twelve a.m. There was a robbery, the Mars family. Over five hundred thousand dollars was stolen. Ring any bells?"
Robin's brows knitted together.
"Really?" Marian said.
"Your old M.O is all over the crime. That and a few more around New Hampshire lately. Where were you June 29th at midnight?" Isaac said.
Robin shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint, I was at a charity event all night. I left just after one a.m. A hundred people saw me there. I had a nice chat with the Mayor, so you can call him to account for my alibi."
Robin's nonchalant seemed to enrage Isaac. He couldn't help but feel good about that.
"You can be sure we'll look into that." Marian said, when it was clear Isaac was too upset to speak. She held up pictures of an arrow left at the crime scenes. It was indeed his method of operations. He was a brazen thief, he never left without leaving his signature.
"How do you suppose I was two places at once?" Robin continued to antagonize.
"You will screw up one of these days." Isaac blurted out. He was suddenly too close for Robin's liking. If he didn't back down, he was sure he would go to jail for killing the man. Isaac wisely stepped away. "And we'll be there when you do."
Marian flung the pictures in Robin's direction and they scattered to the floor.
"You can keep the pictures." Isaac said. He and his partner stalked out.
Robin finally released the breath he had been holding. He rushed over to the pictures, now scattered on the floor. His signature as plain as day but the media had released that detail to the entire world. It could have been anyone. What bugged Robin was why? Why was someone copying him? Or was it the feds playing games in a ploy to catch him.
Robin held down the intercom on his desk. "David and Mary Margaret, see me in my office please."
A few minutes later the married couple walked into his office, worry etched on both their faces.
"The feds gone?" Mary Margaret asked.
Robin nodded, but his unease was obvious.
"Robin, what's going on?" David asked.
"Goddamn feds, that's what." Robin huffed.
"What now?" David said.
Robin showed them the pictures.
"This looks like our work." Mary Margaret said.
"Doesn't it?" Robin said, frustration crinkled his eyes.
"That's impossible, they think this is us?" David said.
Robin nodded. "I don't know what's going on. This novice can ruin everything we've for. They're going to blame me for these bogus robberies. After all I've built." Robin said. He looked out through the screen window at his workers below. The very thought of losing it all made him sick. Too many people depended on him.
"What do you need?" David asked.
"Find out who's doing this," Robin said to them both. They were resourceful if anything. They were also the two people who he trusted the most.
"You got it. We'll see what we can find out." Mary Margaret said.
Robin turned to them again. "I've got too much going on to focus on the feds and their bullshit." Robin said. Could his day get any worse?
Robin had a quick lunch with David before he was back on the ground floor managing inventory. His encounter with the feds was already pushed to the back of his head. He and David were unpacking the last of the sneakers when little John texted him.
Cops at the door
"What is it today?" Robin suddenly yelled.
David and a few other workers looked at him strangely.
"What's going on?" David questioned.
"There are cops outside." Robin said.
"Twice in one day. You think something is going on?" David asked. "Could they be related?"
Robin shrugged, this one July day was going to give him a head full of grey hairs.
Something about a dead girl. They're both hot. John texted.
Robin went over to the control centre and checked out the surveillance feed from the main entrance. He recognized the brunette. He remembered her, the powerhouse detective.
Let them through.
"Robin, what are you doing?" David said. Robin turned to the man.
"That's Regina Mills." Robin said.
"Who?"
"She's the one who caught Will's killer. She's good people." Robin said with a shrug, though he had ulterior motives for waving the woman inside his sanctum.
"She's a cop." David reminded him.
"Yeah, there's that."
"Robin we can't afford to be knocking boots with every law enforcement agency. Not now. We're at the height of donations. If they start poking around…"
"I know what I'm doing." Robin said firmly. "Don't you two have something to do?"
David frowned before ushering his wife away.
"Excuse me," Even her voice was sexy. Heaven help him.
"I'm looking for Robin Locksely."
Robin spun around. "You're looking at him."
"I thought you didn't talk to cops?"
"To be fair, you don't look like any cop I've ever seen." He flirted and her mouth curved into a smile.
"How can I help you?" he said, gleaming of deviltry.
She pursed her lips, staring him down hard. Not that he minded it. The woman's beauty was almost sinful. Her pictures in the newspapers had not done her justice. Standing in front of the confident woman, he was enchanted.
"I'm Detective Mills, this is-"
"I know." he said smiling.
Her eyes went round. "Sorry?"
"I know who you are. Regina Mills."
She faltered for a moment. He didn't need to be a detective to know he was affecting her too.
She ignored his comment and continued. "This is Swan. Your surveillance footage isn't constantly monitored, right?"
"Right." he confirmed.
"We have reason to believe your surveillance cameras may have picked up a horrific murder."
"That's terrible." he said, folding his arms.
"It is terrible." she said pointedly.
"We would like access to your surveillance footage." she said with little confidence. He didn't blame her. His reputation preceded him.
He didn't know how he felt about it. Even though he was enthralled with her it was suspicious that he was visited by two law enforcement agencies in one day. For two completely different matters, sure, but law enforcement had played tricks on him before. He just couldn't tell the real from fake in this situation. The request was invasive, also. Regina may not have realized, but his surveillance system was part of a superior security system he had installed in the workshop. He didn't want anyone else to have an inkling as to the system he ran.
"I'll think about it." He finally said when he realized he had kept them waiting while he was lost in thought.
"You'll think about it?" Swan repeated, narrowing her eyes.
Robin nodded, lips pulled into a straight line.
Regina rolled her eyes. "I knew this was a waste of time. Let's go." she said urging her partner on.
"When I do come to a decision, how can I reach you?" he said cheekily, though she looked pissed.
She dug into her wallet and pulled out her card. Before she handed it over to him, she flicked it out of his reach.
"This is a murder investigation, so don't take too long…you know, to think about it." She placed the card between his fingers and sauntered off.
"I'll call you then." He called behind her. She didn't turn around but she did pause before continuing to walk on.
David came right back to him when they had left.
"They want surveillance footage, thinks it might have captured a crime." Robin reported.
"And?" David said.
"Check out her story, make sure it's legit." Robin said.
"And what if they're telling the truth?"
"Then we hand over the footage, on a USB. No one has to get into our system." Robin said.
"And if they're lying?"
Robin clenched his jaw thinking about the woman.
"Then it's a damn shame."