April 2nd, 9:03 AM
Criminal Affairs Dept.
Det. Gumshoe's desk
As Detective Gumshoe sat down at his desk, he noticed a large, brown envelope placed precariously on top of the rest of his cluttered desk. The recipient's name was scrawled across the top, as well as a message-
To: Ms. Franziska von Karma
Enclosed: Request for Paid Transportation Forms (family, subordinates)
TO BE DELIVERED IMMEDIATELY
The color drained out of his face as the realization of what the price of his "little joke" yesterday finally sunk in. Torture scenes involving him, Franziska, and a whip flashed through his mind as his breathing grew faster. Almost subconsciously, his hand moved to the leather whip that was safely tucked away in his coat pocket.
"One way or another, this is going to have to be returned to Ms. Von Karma…" The detective thought fearfully. The only choice he had in the matter was how it would be done. As he looked around him, an idea popped into his head. Couldn't he just find someone else to deliver the envelope and whip to Franziska?
The thought of not having to come in contact with his enraged boss immediately filled him with relief, until the fact that everyone in the department would know about the incident yesterday hit him. After all, Franziska hadn't quietly whipping him. Or whispering what a foolishly foolish fool he was. So, letting out an anxious sigh, the detective got up to face his punishment.
April 2nd, 9:21 AM
Prosecutors Office
Outside Ms. Von Karma's office
As Gumshoe stood in front of the polished wooden door listening to the elevator music playing in the luxurious hallway, he started to tremble slightly. Getting whipped unconscious one time was unpleasant and expensive enough-his budget couldn't handle it if he needed that many bandages and aspirins again. Looking down at the package, another idea crawled into his head again.
"Ding-dong ditch, only with an envelope and knocking! The perfect plan! Why hadn't I thought of that before?" He thought to himself, an air of excitement surrounding him. As he prepared to knock on the door and drop the package, the door in front of him was torn open, replaced by an angry blue-haired woman standing over him.
"Where can a fool like that coffee boy be? I called him over a half an hour ago…" The rest of the sentence died in her throat as she looked down at the crouching detective. A burning hatred filled her eyes almost instantaneously. He could only look back up into them, feeling as if he had been caught like a child trying to steal a game from a store.
"M-Ms. von K-Karma…" He stammered. Struggling to get up, he tripped on his own green jacket and fell over backwards on the plush red carpet. Instead of a hand to help him get up, Gumshoe was instead met with a harsh whip blow to the chest.
"What are you doing crouching outside my office, fool? Trying to eavesdrop on me? Are you really that stupid as to try to listen to me through a solid oak door?" Her sentences were separated by a whip crack to various parts of his torso.
"N-No, Ms. von Karma, I was just delivering a package-" Looking around, he almost had a mini panic attack before realizing that the envelope in question he was holding. He held it up, offering it to her. Franziska ripped it from his shaking hands, quickly reading the front before marching back into her office. Gumshoe quickly got up before being met with yet another strong blow from her whip.
"In. Now."
He quickly scurried into the office, standing just inside the doorway. A quick glare from Franziska prompted him to shut the door and sit on the plain red couch. As soon as he had done these two things, he mentally cursed himself. By closing the door, he had effectively cut off his only route of escape other than jumping out the window on the back wall and landing 6 stories down. While he attempted to steel himself for the inevitable beating that was to come and distract himself from the fear that was building up inside him, the detective looked around at the grand office.
The right and left walls were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, each nearly full of law books in both English and German. The back wall was a window, with blinds that were tightly closed.
"I bet that window gives a great view of downtown LA…" He thought to himself.
The wall behind him, from what he had seen of the office before, was completely bare. It was the only indication as to what the actual wall color was-a warm tan color. The floor was almost completely covered in an intricately woven red rug, on which were Franziska's desk and the couch he was sitting on. The desk was made out of maple, and was polished enough to reflect the light from the ceiling lamp. The desk, while filled with various papers and files, was still tidier than every single detective's desk he had ever seen-"Of course it is, seeing as how it's Ms. von Karma's desk," The detective thought to himself.
"Why are you staring at my desk?"
Franziska's sharp voice brought him back to reality. Shaking his head slightly, he looked up at his boss, and immediately regretted doing so. The furious look she was giving him was both bone chilling and enticing at the same time.
"Um…I d-don't know, Ms. von Karma."
"Then stop doing it, fool!" She whipped him yet again, forcing his head back down to the floor. Minutes passed by in a tense silence, as his natural instinct for self-preservation both told him to run and to stay. Finally, Franziska's voice broke through the silence.
"What sort of foolish thing would compel you to do what you did?" She asked harshly, not even looking up.
"It was A-April Fools D-Day, sir." He replied.
"What is this foolish 'April Fools Day'? Some sort of foolish American holiday, like 'Valentine's Day' or 'Halloween'?" She barked.
"It's, uh, a day where p-people play pranks on each other. For…er, for fun." Franziska's attention was now solely focused on him. He could swear that the intensity of the look she was giving him was raising the temperature.
"'Play pranks'? 'For fun'?" She slammed her hands down on her desk, resulting in several folders full of papers falling off her desk. "This is an establishment of law enforcement, not a foolish daycare or foolish 7-year-olds!
Gumshoe could only stare at the floor, praying that his punishment would be given to him swiftly. However, as the next few minutes passed once again in silence, the detective realized that this meeting would not be quick or painless. Franziska once again broke the silence in the room.
"Do you know what you delivered to me?"
"Um…I think it was some sort of paperwork." The detective shakily replied.
"What type of paperwork?"
"It was…" He paused for a moment. "Some sort of transportation paperwork. For family and workers."
"Have I told you I have a niece?"
"No…" He had not had any desire to ask Ms. von Karma about her family, and was still reluctant to do so.
"I do. Her picture is right there." She pointed to a small end table the detective hadn't noticed in his scan of the room. On the table, there was only an ornate silver frame. He shifted a bit to see the picture better, and what he saw nearly made him fall off the couch. The little girl in the photo looked almost exactly like Franziska. The only differences were the hair, which was the same color only much longer and curlier, and the clothes, which were the exact same style but with a different color scheme.
"She…she looks a lot like you, sir."
"I know." Even though she was once again bent over her desk filling out paperwork, he could still see a small smirk appear on Franziska's face for a moment.
"Her name is Annabel, and she will be coming from Germany on the 20th." Franziska continued. "She will be staying until the 25th, at which time she will depart for Germany again."
"Ok…" Gumshoe replied, unsure as of whether or not it was the right time to say something. He soon learned, after a whip blow landed squarely in his chest, that it was not.
"Silence, fool! I am not done talking yet!" She roared. He shrinked back into the couch a bit.
"Seeing as how this," She gestured at the pulled blinds behind her in disgust, "is where she's going to be for two entire days, I want her to be protected at all times. From the moment she leaves the runway in Germany until the moment she touches down there again, I want someone to be with her. I will not allow her to be harmed in this hellhole if it is the last thing I do."
The detective was starting to see where he was factoring into all of this, and was liking it less and less.
"While I could easily get trained bodyguards for trip, and have offered to do so, my sister has informed me that I am 'being overprotective'. This comment, and the fact that having two or three body guards follow her for two days would be expensive-even for me-led me to my current option. While I am…reluctant to do this-" distaste was evident in her voice. "-I am assigning you to be her police escort. This task will replace all your cases from midnight on the 14th to midnight on the 18th. It will also serve as your punishment." Before he could get a sound out of his already open mouth, Franziska added, "You will not get overtime. You will protect Annabel at all costs and at all times. This should be an easy task-after all, you have been trained in the use of a gun and she is only seven. I have already attained a temporary international 'License to Kill' for you for those dates. If anyone that you do not recognize tries to touch or harm Annabel, you are ordered to shoot to kill. Listen to me, Dick Gumshoe."
From the deadly serious tone Franziska's voice had taken on to the look that was on her face, the detective could tell that she absolutely expected him to shoot anyone that came near him. Whatever color was left in his face quickly drained out at this comprehension.
"I know first-hand that you can barely walk and think at the same time. I know that you often do incredibly foolish things for no apparent reason-yesterday being a prime example. So let me tell you this-if any single part of her is harmed under your supervision, I will hunt you down and make your life more of a living nightmare than you could even have imagined. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" She demanded. He furiously nodded until she started talking again.
"You will leave at 5:30 AM on the 14th. Be ready. Get out of my office."
"Yessir." Almost tripping over himself to get out, he quickly and clumsily slipped out the door. Nearly falling onto the carpet, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Even though the fact he would be stuck with a seven year old for four days straight couldn't dampen his happiness of being out of Franziska's office. Reaching into his pocket to get out a piece of gum to quell his leftover fear from being in there almost an hour, his hand brushed against a worn leather handle. All of a sudden, he remembered that he had completely forgotten to give Franziska her whip back when he was dragged into her office. The detective slowly turned to look at the door, wondering if the ding dong ditch idea would be helpful now.
"GRAAAAAAHHHHHH!" A terrible yell came from behind the door. "I swear that the next person that knocks on my door is going to get a face full of whip, those FOOLS!"
"I don't think now's a great time…" Gumshoe thought to himself as he quickly shuffled off, still able to hear Franziska shout at what seemed to be a coffee boy.