Note: Just another sad reminder that anything from the Ducktales universe doesn't belong to me, except for the OCs. Those 're mine and I'll do whatever I want with them. So there. Take that Disney! :-p

I'm not sure how satisfied I am with this one, but I wanted to at least push something out just to keep myself motivated to continue writing on this story. Once again life is throwing curveballs at me so finding time to write is going to be a bit difficult. But don't worry; I'm still trying to keep at it, and seeing the reviews that some of you have posted are definitely helping to move things along. So as always, thank you, and enjoy!

Also, you might notice a difference in the way I'm writing when some of the Boys are talking. It's because I'm trying to find a way to bring those charming accents of theirs to life; it's easier to picture them all when you can hear their voice in your head as you're reading it! Personally I think it's more fun that way. I hope it turns out okay, but if it makes it more difficult to read then please feel free to let me know and I'll immediately stop!

This story isn't just mine, ya know; it's yours, too! :)

Beagle Without a Mask

Chapter 18

The Longest Weekend…

"Well," Bigtime finally states, then reaching out to the laptop sitting on the kitchen table to pause the video. "It ain't near as bad as I thought it'd be."

"Not bad? Seriously?" Bonnie stops pacing around the room to look over at him in surprise. "How is this not bad?"

"Easy." He crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair. "Cuz it ain't you."

"But she looks just like me!" She moves to stand behind him, gesturing. "It's no wonder that crazy old duck thinks I'm the one who's been robbing him!"

"Bon, I understand yer upset," he consoles. "Ya got ev'ry right to be. But we've watched it twice now and this grainy ol' footage just ain't enough to pin a bank robbery on ya! If this is the only evidence he's got then it'll never hold up in a courtroom. Trust me." He places a hand to his chest. "I would know."

She begins to pace again, biting at her nails before coming out with "But who is that girl, and what would make Glomgold think she was me? It's not like I have a criminal record for him to cross-reference! Of all people to throw the blame at, why me? I've never even met the guy before, let alone give him a reason to suspect me of breaking and entering!"

Bouncer— having stayed quiet as he leans up against the wall next to the door— finally adds "Real question is how's he even know about ya?" He looks to Bigtime. "It ain't like we evuh had heart-to-heart talks wit' duh guy when we was workin' for 'im."

"Yer right," Bigtime agrees. "Flinty's never been the sentimental type, and I sure as heck ain't about to involve him in our lives. You?"

Bouncer shows a grimace. "Not a chance." He then frowns. "Bankjob, maybe?"

"Nah. Even he ain't that stupid." He rubs at his unshaven chin. "He musta' found out on his own somehow. But it still don't explain why she'd be his first choice, though."

Bonnie gives up pacing, plopping down into one of the many chairs surrounding the table. She pulls at her hair as the events of the day run through her mind while her brother's continue to analyze the odd situation.

This whole weekend had turned into one big nightmare, all of it beginning with the news of Bankjob's plans for infiltrating the policeman's charity ball. Everything seemed to snowball from there. A threatening call from Flintheart Glomgold: Confessing to the others that she would be attending the same event that happened to be their next target: Learning the truth about why she might not be like the rest of them: Finding out that she may have suppressed memories from her childhood.

But the icing on the cake had been the inevitable arrival of the "proof" that her blackmailer had claimed to have. It was a lot to take in, and she wasn't sure how much more she could handle before finally freaking out-

"Hey."

Bonnie nearly bolts up out of her chair when Bigtime nudges her in the arm. She looks to him with wide eyes, expecting to see a comforting expression. She's surprised to find what may be contempt, most likely directed at Glomgold. But she can't help feeling that it might be meant for her.

"Ev'rything's gonna be fine." he offers calmly. "I promise. But I need ya to trust me… okay?"

She sits up a little straighter, managing a soft "okay" before drawing in a calming breath. "So where do we go from here?"

"First thing's first; we get to the bottom uh this whole mess." He stands, holding out his hand. "Lemme see yer phone."

She blinks up at him, producing from her back pocket the small grey device. "What for?"

He doesn't respond yet, first flipping it open to stare down at the screen. He presses a couple of buttons before turning it around for her to see. "The last number on here; that was him, right?"

She reads it before nodding. "Yeah. Why?"

"Why do ya think? I'm gonna call him and put an end to all this. Tryin' to hire Bankjob without talkin' to me is one thing, but blackmailin' a member uh the family is where I draw the line." He goes to exit the kitchen, hanging back to speak to Bouncer first. "Stay here and make sure Bank don't try to guilt trip her into thinkin' we still need to go through with this," he orders. "It's bad enough he still thinks this whole thing is still a good idea."

"Yeah sure." Bouncer gives a hesitant nod. "What about you, though?" He glances around the corner of the open kitchen door to survey the living room. "He's gonna be awful mad when he gets back in here. 'Specially after what ya said about bringin' Ma into it-"

"I'll be fine," he snaps. "Just stay with Bonnie for now." When he pauses, Bonnie can feel him looking back at her before continuing, even though her eyes are glued to the frozen image on the laptop. "He's been soundin' pretty desperate lately… and you remember what happens when a Beagle starts thinkin' the way Bankjob is, right?"

"Yeah." Bouncer looks to him somewhat dejectedly before nodding again. "I remembuh."

"The last thing this family needs right now is another rogue Beagle to worry about, so keep yer eyes peeled." He then doubles back to add "Oh and, I'm gonna...send Jenny in here with ya. Make sure he stays away from her, too."

"Why? Did somethin' happen?"

"Not exactly." He shrugs. "But from what she's told me he's gettin' a little too, ya know; friendly. It'd be safer if we kept an eye on her, at least until he cools off."

"Really?" The larger goon actually smirks. "Cuz if I didn't know any bettuh I'd say you was a lil' jealous-"

"Well yer wrong!" Bigtime defends adamantly. "Bankjob's just bein' his usual scummy self and I ain't in the mood for it. Case closed!" He jabs a finger up at him. "And no one asked you, so buttout and do what I tell ya to do. Got it?"

"Okay okay!" He brings up his hands defensively. "Sorry I mentioned it. If ya want me to keep an eye on 'er, I will. It ain't a problem, Boss."

"Good." Bigtime nods, though spins back around to bark "and for the last time I ain't the boss, so stop sayin' it!"

Bonnie is fully brought back to reality at her brother's neurotic tone, just in time to see the kitchen's swinging door close behind him. She looks to Bouncer as he continues to stand guard. "What was that all about?" she asks, seeing him eye to door wearily.

"Long story." He must've sensed her troubled stare, giving a deep sigh. "So, evuh since dat night he wandered off to Duckburg— and over the past few months— he just, ain't been 'imself." He shrugs. "He's been actin', I dunno… diff'rent."

Bonnie offers the door a quick glance. "How's he been different?"

"Not wantin' to be called Boss, fer starters," he says with a hint of irritability. "But evuh since I can remembuh we've always called 'im duh Boss, and it ain't nevuh bothered 'im b'fore." He shakes his head. "Dat ain't even duh worst of it; I can't think of a single plan he's come up wit' in duh past four months dat we've actually tried!"

"Wudda ya mean?"

"Think about it, Bon" he nearly exclaims, though lowers his voice to keep from being overheard. "When's duh last time ya saw us on duh news, or in duh papers? Actually doin' somethin' to get us thrown in duh slammuh?" He gestures at her thoughtful silence. "See? It's been awhile. Well, mainly cuz whenevuh somethin' comes up— like dis charity event at McDuck's bin— he barely gives it a second thought!" He throws a glance at the door before joining her at the table. He points to the open newspaper in the middle of it, still keeping the volume down to a minimum. "He's known about dis fer awhile, Bon; way b'fore Glomgold made a deal wit' Bankjob.

"Most uh duh guys don't know it, but I asked 'im once if he had anything planned. Ya know what he said?" He gestures somewhat helplessly down at the article. "'What's duh point? Whatevuh I come up wit' ain't gonna work anyway, so why bothuh?'" He looks to her sadly again. "I ain't nevuh heard 'im talk like dat; sayin' he's givin' up wit'out even tryin' first." He shakes his head in disbelief. "Somethins' gotta be buggin' 'im." He slumps forward in what might be defeat. "Just wish I knew what it was."

Bonnie frowns, puzzled as to why it is she's hearing this from Bouncer and not Bigtime directly. She'd never known him to keep secrets from her; when someone in the family— not excluding their mother— was ever arrested and put on trial, he would sit her down and calmly explain to her exactly what was going on, and that Ma or certain others wouldn't be coming around for a while. He'd always led her to believe that she was too smart to be left in the dark, and that he respected her too much to lie to her. Up until earlier that morning, she truly believed that he'd never kept a secret from her, unless it was to protect her. Though he never had a problem with telling her about anyone else, talking about himself in general had never been one of his strong points; even if it was with her. It was more than understandable that he'd kept his own problems hidden from everyone.

Despite this handicap, she still felt that he owed her an explanation as to why he and the rest of the Beagle clan would keep such a traumatic event under wraps. At the time, it was probably for the best. That much was clear. But it was the fact that, after all these years, he never thought to bring it up; not even once. The lack of faith in how she'd react to a rare moment of negligence on his part actually hurt more than the forgotten memory ever could.

"There's… somethin' else."

Bonnie looks up at him when he continues. She waits patiently as he rubs at the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. When he finally does, it's barely audible.

"He um… he ain't talked to Ma yet. Since he's been back home, I mean."

"Whoa, wait, what?" Bonnie gapes at hearing this. "That was like, three days ago! Right?" She watches him nod. "Why? But more importantly, how is that even possible?!"

"Wish I knew," he admits. "Usually Big can't go twenty minutes wit'out wantin' to keep her in duh loop; let alone three days." When he finally meets her gaze, she's thrown off by the excess emotion he tries to hide. "He's been like dis fer a while; even b'fore Ma got sick. I ain't sure uh what to do, n'… I know it sounds kinda, well… stupid, but… I'm real worried about 'im, Bon"

"Bouncer it isn't stupid," Bonnie offers gently. "It's actually very sweet." Though she's unable to hide a smirk when he expresses slight distaste in her choice of words, it soon falters. "But yer not the only one." She sighs, reaching out to close the laptop before slumping forward onto the table, resting her head on her crossed arms. "I'm worried, too."

They sit in silence for a few minutes before Bonnie looks up to see him staring glumly down at the table, tracing some of the faded floral designs with his finger. Despite the gloomy conversation, she can't help smiling at the break in his usually gruff composure.

Moments like this were rare among the Beagle Boys, especially for Bouncer. The reputation of being the ever-obedient tower of muscle that always followed Bigtime around more than preceded the large goon. The public saw him as big, mean, tough, and downright rotten to the core. Though these were traits most all Beagles were known for, Bouncer had always taken them very seriously. Intimidation was important in their line of work, especially if their lives were ever to depend on it.

But while everyone else knew him as just another one of the Bad Guys, she grew to know him as something else entirely; a big brother who's loyal, compassionate, and very protective of the people he cares about. Before she'd met Jennifer Anne he'd had the biggest heart she'd ever seen in anyone, and if you took away the influence that came with the name Beagle, he was just a big teddy bear.

Heaven forbid someone actually say any of this to his face, though; deep down he was a sweetheart, but if the wrong person ever compared him to a cuddly stuffed animal he wouldn't hesitate to bash their teeth in!

"Ya think he'd actually go straight?"

He'd said this so quietly she thought she'd imagined it. "Huh?"

"Bigtime," Bouncer explains, still fixated on the table. "What if he's tired of all dis?" He gestures to the surrounding room with disinterest. "What if it ain't good nuff for 'im nomore, and he wants somethin' else outta life?"

"Like what?" Bonnie sits up a little, now watching him carefully.

"I dunno." He shrugs absently, now picking at some of the flowery laminate that's already been peeled up. "Prob'ly not havin' to worry about bein' on duh run from duh law… or have time fer a hobby. Ya know, like...fishin' or, buildin' model airplanes or whatevuh...

"Or maybe," he finally murmurs after having zoned out for a few seconds. "He just...wants a life of his own, ya know? Meet someone nice, n'… settle down." His gaze drops. "Start his own family." He must've just noticed her intense stare, clearing his throat and crossing his arms to keep from fidgeting. "But hey, I'm just guessin' is all. I mean...who really knows, right?"

"I'm sure he's just got a lot on his mind," Bonnie offers, watching as he pulls himself back together. "We all do."

"Yeah." Bouncer sighs quietly. "Maybe."

She still eyes him with interest. "But let's say he doesn't have the stomach for it anymore, and he'd rather go off and do something else." She waits for him to look over at her again before continuing, choosing her words carefully. "Would you resent him for that?"

"Course not," he says without pause. "If a Beagle ain't happy doin' dis den he shouldn't do it; Bigtime ain't no exception. Duh way things 've been 'round here who can blame 'im?" He frowns, looking back at the kitchen door over his shoulder. "If anyone's got a good nuff reason to quit, it's him."

"What about you?" she asks simply. "Are you still okay being in the middle of all this… or is there somewhere else you'd rather be?"

Bouncer looks on at her for a moment with the blankest stare she's ever seen. He furrows his brow in thought, eyes back on the table. A long silence fills the air until he finally comes out with "Huh."

"What?"

"Nuthin. It's just I...ain't nevuh thought about it b'fore."

"Never?"

He shakes his head. "Nope."

"How is that possible?"

"Dunno." He shrugs, looking to her with an innocence that says he's just as surprised as she is. "I guess cuz...it just nevuh came up."

"Are you telling me," Bonnie continues, finally sitting up all the way. "That you've never thought about doing anything else with yer life, other than being a convicted felon?" She holds up her index finger. "Not even once?"

He doesn't answer, now deep in thought about something; most likely from her first question.

"So yer saying that this—" She gestures to his prison uniform. "—is the only thing you've ever wanted to be?" She pauses, watching him as he continues to think. "Haven't you ever had any ambition to do anything else; no matter how crazy or farfetched it might be?"

Bouncer still isn't responding, only sitting in his chair quietly. He no longer looks fascinated by her reasoning, now showing an expression of either concern or uncertainty. Considering the topic of conversation it could easily be both. She realises a little too late what terrible timing it was to bring this up to him; being confronted with a life changing decision shouldn't be something to worry about right now.

And yet, as terrible as it sounded, maybe this actually was the perfect time to bring it up. After all, the whole reason that most of them were even involved in crime was because of Ma Beagle's influence. Although her passing would leave most of them emotionally scarred, it could open up new opportunities to those who may've wanted something different when they were growing up.

Bonnie scoots her chair closer to him, offering a glance at the kitchen door. "Bouncer," she began in a much less irritated tone. "Ya know… it's okay if you have. We all feel that way sometimes." She places a hand on his arm, offering a warm smile at the slight panic in his eyes when he looks to her again. "There's nothing wrong with wishing you had a different life… or wanting to have a family of your own. I'm pretty sure you're not the only one that's thought about it."

He blinks at her understanding response. "Really?"

"Of course!" She almost laughs. "I mean, it's only natural that some of you would want to have kids of your own, what with us coming from such a big family and all! Not to mention wanting to branch out and start a new life… and finding someone to share it with." She continues to smile as his expression morphs into some form of enlightenment. "But no matter what Ma or anyone else says, just know that I'm behind you a hundred and ten percent; no matter what it is you decide to do." She gives him a reassuring pat on the arm. "It's your life, Bouncer; don't let anyone else tell you what you should and shouldn't do with it."

It must be difficult for him but he manages a similar grin, placing his larger hand over her smaller one; his eyes actually glazing over. "Tanks, Bon. I um… I needed to hear dat."

"Anytime, big guy-"

"Hello all!"

Both siblings jump at the chipper greeting. Bonnie glares over at the young red-head who'd barged into the kitchen, receiving a clueless shrug in return.

"What? It's not my fault it's so easy to sneak up on people around here," Jennifer defends. "Sorry, but when Bigtime said to join you I assumed you were expecting me."

Bonnie frowns. "That was nearly twenty minutes ago. Where've you been?"

"My mom called me," she grumbles, taking the seat across from her. "She says her and dad are going to be out of town for the next few days. I might have to go and see if their house is still in one piece." She stops suddenly at noticing Bouncer rub at his eyes furiously. Her annoyed tone immediately drops into one of doting concern. "Oh, Bouncer! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, uh… I'm good." He roughly clears his throat, giving an involuntary sniff. "Just… allergies or somethin'." He gives an indifferent shrug when her caring eyes still look on at him. "Jus' dat time uh year, ya know?"

"You said yer mom wants you to check on things?" Bonnie asks this quickly so as to draw attention away from a Beagle Boy on the verge of crying; it was the least she could do for him.

"Hm? Oh yeah. That's what she's asking, anyway." Jennifer had been consoling him by rubbing on his back until Bonnie had said this. Instead, she folds her hands on the table in front of her. At seeing her brother's obvious disappointment, Bonnie couldn't help but regret saying anything. "Their neighbors have something else going on, otherwise they'd do it. So it turns out we'll still have to go into town after all. But it can at least wait until morning."

"Swell." Bonnie folds her arms behind her head, leaning into the back of her chair. "Like we don't have enough problems floating around, now we gotta house-sit." She rolls her eyes at her offended look. "I'm kidding! Jeez, don't be so sensitive."

Jennifer glares at her before letting out a sigh, propping her head up on her fist and drumming her fingers on the table. "So why exactly am I in here?"

"Bankjob is pretty upset over this heist being cancelled," Bonnie offers. "We're worried he might do something drastic. It's safer if you and I just steer clear of him for now; at least until he calms down."

"That bad, huh?" Jennifer asks, receiving matching nods from both her and Bouncer. "Whoa…" She goes quiet before coming out with "Does it have anything to do with that Plan B thing he was talking about earlier?"

"Plan B?" Bonnie furrows her brow. "Jenny where did you here that?"

"Earlier today," Jennifer explains. "When all the guys were having a meeting in here; the door was open and I overheard Bankjob say something about having me around for a Plan B." Jennifer stops when Bonnie looks to her appalled. "What? What'd I say?"

"Tell me she's not serious." Bonnie had said this with forced calm, directing it at the one who'd been sitting in silence and trying to mind his own business. "Please tell me that conversation didn't happen." At seeing him pick at the worn laminate again she nearly loses her patience. "Bouncer?"

The burly dog is unable to hold back a cringe. "He uh… mighta' mentioned somethin' about a Plan B. I think. Hey but we weren't really gonna do it!" He waves his hands defensively when she abruptly stands. "All he did was mention it, Bon, I swear— "

"I don't believe this!" Bonnie throws her arms up, once again pacing about the kitchen. "Of all the reckless, irresponsible plans you guys have come up with to get at that stupid money bin— "

"To be fair," Bouncer points out. "He's the only one dat said it. We all thought it was a bad idea— "

"— this has got to be the most despicable one yet! I mean, what kinda jerk plans to use his sister's best friend as his Plan B?! Oh he is such a dead man—"

"Whoa hold up, kid." Bouncer gets up to plant himself between her and the door before she storms out of the kitchen. "You ain't goin' nowhere yet."

"Lemme by," she barks. "He can't just—"

"Kill 'im later, okay? Now ain't a good time." Although he looks down at her sternly there's a hint of sympathy behind it. "Sorry, Bon, but ya can't just go after 'im like ya normally would. You ain't nevuh seen 'im when he's been dis angry. But I have." His hardened expression falters. "Trust me, it ain't pretty."

Her hands rest sternly on her hips. "Bouncer—"

"Bonnie I ain't messin' around," he shot back, then pointing at the table. "Take a seat n' calm down."

"But I can— Hey!"

The larger Beagle pins his sister's arms at her sides, picking her up and plopping her back down into her chair with ease. "Take a seat," he states simply, pushing the chair forward so she's back at the table before returning to his own chair. "Calm down. Don't make me say it again."

"You can't just—" Bonnie bites her tongue when he jabs a cautionary finger at her. She decides not to press her luck, instead slouching down into a pout to grumble in defeat.

Meanwhile, Jennifer had no doubt been watching all of this with building curiosity. "Sooo," she began slowly. "Is someone gonna explain what a Plan B actually is, and what it has to do with me?"

Bonnie goes to respond but stops at seeing her brother shoot her a glare that says "Don't even start with me". She keeps her mouth shut while Bouncer takes the reins on this one.

"It's pretty much how it sounds," he began. "A fail-safe in case somethin' goes wrong durin' a job." He leans onto the table. "It can be anything; extra dynamite, stealin' a getaway car, or even havin' more than one place to meet up at in case we're separated. But sometimes, it means takin' a hostage." He pauses to look on at her somewhat apologetically. "Dat's, sorta what he had in mind when he was talkin' about usin' ya." When her reaction is one of bewilderment, he avoids her gaze. "It usually works bettuh if it's someone in on duh whole thing. And if it's a woman; sorta like a damsel in distress kinda deal. But Bankjob don't speak fer all of us." His shameful expression morphs into one of determination. "Ain't no way I'd let ya get mixed up in somethin' like dat; honest."

Jennifer still seems put-off by the idea of being considered for such a thing, but gives an appreciative smile regardless. "Thanks, Bouncer. That's actually very sweet of you." She follows it up with a playful punch in the arm. "Who knew you'd turn out to be such a big softy?"

"What can I say?" He offers a bashful shrug. "I guess ya bring out duh best in me."

Bonnie glares at them in silence, feeling nauseous at the doe eyes her brother gives the somewhat heartened Jennifer. She holds in a disgruntled sigh, pinching at the bridge of her nose. This weekend was never going to end.

"A misunderstanding?" Flintheart laughs from behind his desk, nearly dropping his phone's receiver. "Is that the best ya can do, lad?"

Bigtime gives a sigh on the other end. "Look, Flinty. I know it sounds hard to believe, but I'm tellin' ya the truth; there ain't no way that's Bonnie! Believe me, I know my own sister!"

"Riiiight." The old duck rolls his eyes, still entertained by the goon's claim. "If that ain't a Beagle breakin' into one uh me banks then I'm really Darkwing Duck!" He points at nothing in particular. "Now first thing's first; whatever it was she took from me I want it back! No exceptions! Get it from Scrooge if ya have to, but—" When Bigtime laughs at this, he furrows his brow. "I don't see what's so funny 'bout yer own sister bein' accused uh breaking and entering!"

"Sorry, but uh," he chuckles. "If ya knew my sister you'd be laughin', too."

"Why do ya say that?" he gripes.

Bigtime laughs for a moment longer before finally coming out with "Well… ya see," he began simply. "There's a reason Bonnie ain't got the same rap sheet as me and the boys. And it ain't just cuz she's a goody two-shoes, neither."

Glomgold narrows his eyes. "What're ya gettin' at, lad?"

"Flinty," he states. "Bonnie don't do crime cuz she's terrible at it!" He laughs again. "She's about as coordinated as Baggy tryin' to juggle faberge eggs! There ain't no way my sister could pull off a bank heist, let alone break into one the way that dame did!"

"Say what?!" He bolts upright in his office chair. "Tell me yer jokin'!"

"I wish I were, Flinty." Though he's apologizing there's still a hint of amusement in his voice. "And that I had bettuh news for ya. But I'm willin' to stake my reputation on the fact that there's some broad either tryin' to get yer attention, or get at yer fortune. And if someone's told ya otherwise they're pullin' a fast one on ya, cuz that is definitely not Bonnie Beagle!"

He grits his teeth. Despite the convincing case the mystery caller had made at the thief being the young woman in question, he still hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he wasn't getting the whole story; especially when he'd revealed to him that he was an officer of the law. Flintheart Glomgold didn't like being taken advantage of, especially by a cop who was just as crooked as he was!

As if things weren't aggravating enough, now he had to worry about who it was that had actually infiltrated one of his banks. Thankfully it had only been the one time; after his last conversation with the unknown officer, he'd notified every one of his bank managers and demanded they go through their surveillance footage over the past two years with a fine toothed comb, then report anything out of the ordinary the moment it was found. To his immense relief they'd come up empty handed. But the strange thing was that they hadn't been able to find any recordings matching the date he'd given them, which made him start to question whether or not the event had even taken place. Despite the possible deception, he now found himself at a crossroads; confront the faceless lawman about the wild goose chase he'd sent him on… or go along with the charade, if only for the sake of his own amusement.

His mind had been made up, deciding to go with the latter of the two. But that was before a rather illuminating call from Bigtime Beagle…

"Sorry about all the confusion, Mister Glomgold," Bigtime offers with great sincerity. "I can only imagine what a pain this has been for ya."

Glomgold grumbles to himself before coming out with "Nah, lad. I should be the one to apologize. I had no right to up and accuse one uh yer own kin like I did."

"Hey, no hard feelin's, Flinty! Oh and about not goin' after McDuck this weekend; I know you were set on him havin' a lousy party, but with Ma not doin' so good I'd rather not force the boys to do somethin' if their hearts ain't gonna be in it. I hope ya understand."

"Say no more, lad." Glomgold was absolutely irate, despite coming off as lenient to the young criminal. "I shoulda' known to wait and see what ya had to say about all this; I've known ya too long to not have given ya the benefit uh the doubt." He bangs a fist on his forehead out of both frustration and embarrassment. "Bah! And I shoulda' ne'er let that little rozzer talk me into believin' all that drivel about her bein' a criminal mastermind!"

"Uh… rozzer?"

"Yes, a rozzer," Glomgold clarifies. "Ya know; a policeman! I'm surprised yer mother didn't teach ya that one. It's been around fer ages!"

"Wait." Bigtime's tone changes from understanding to irritable. "Is that where ya got that crappy footage from; some cop gave it to ya?"

"Aye," he says. "Came in the mail the other day. Then he'd called me up outta the blue, expectin' me to drop ev'rything and watch it!" He throws his arm up. "I'm a businessman! I haven't got time to play games!" He shrugs, giving a cackle. "Though I was lookin' forward to watchin' Ol' Scroogie squirm at that ball uh his after you lot and yer sister had cleaned out his warehouse!"

"Don't suppose ya got a name to go with the badge?"

"Trust me, boyo; if I did I'd love nuthin' more than to give it to ya!" Despite the damper on his mood, he chuckles again. "Oh how I'd like to be there when ya git yer hands on the no good rascal tryin' to pin a bank robbery on yer own sister. What a show that'll be!"

"Yeah." Bigtime laughs as well, though it's not near as upbeat as it'd been before. "It's gonna be one helluva show, alright. Count on it."

"Well good luck to ya. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about yer mother; I truly hope she pulls through this. One of a kind, that woman is. My condolences."

"Thanks, Flinty," he says simply. "That's means a lot. I'll pass it along to 'er."

"Not at all, lad. And if it's not too much trouble, apologize to Miss Bonnie for me; I imagine she wants me defeathered after what I'd accused 'er uh doin'!" He shrugs to himself. "Can't say I blame 'er."

"Sure. Yeah, I can do that," Bigtime responds half-heartedly. "Thanks for sheddin' some light on this whole thing."

"Oh and Bigtime!" Glomgold blurts, hoping to catch him before he ends the call. "Ya might wanna have a word with that brother uh yours that I talked to; Bankjob, I think." He furrows his brow. "He don't seem to be too fond uh ya. Sorry to say that I may've pressed a few buttons on my end to get him all riled up. But somethin' tells me it's only a matter uh time."

The silence on his end of the line is so long he's afraid it's already gone dead, until "Time b'fore what?"

"B'fore somethin' bad happens, obviously!" he barks. "How long did ya think a thug that size was gonna keep takin' orders from ya before bein' pushed too far?" When there's no response, he adds "All I'm sayin' is that there's somethin' in the way he talks about ya; almost like he's made up his mind about—"

BEEP BEEP

Glomgold glances at his caller ID, grimacing. "Blast it all!" He speaks into the receiver again. "Bigtime, I'm gonna have to cut this short; my accountant is on the line and I've been tryin' to find 'im all afternoon! Good luck to ya, lad. And watch yer back!"

Bigtime stares down at the flip phone, listening to the monotonous tone of the ended call before closing it. He takes a seat on one of the numerous beds, rubbing at his eyes before looking up at the bedroom window to see the surrounding darkness outside. Though there's really nothing to see, he keeps his eyes trained on it, going over the conversation in his head.

If there was anyone who grated on his nerves more than Bankjob it was that rich old creep. Remembering his chummy attitude during their conversation had nearly made him throw up, especially when he'd lied about Bonnie's coordinative skills. The truth was out of anyone in the family, she had a true knack for grace and stealth; much like their mother. He was glad that she hadn't heard what he'd said, though. Despite not agreeing with her family's lifestyle she still took pride in this, and the comment would've definitely earned him a swift smack in the back of the head. Yet another uncanny trait inherited from Ma Beagle.

But as sickening as the conversation had been he knew he had to play nice in order to get any answers. It hadn't been easy but he'd also managed to call off the job entirely, trying to make his reasons for doing so sound as justifiable as possible. He wasn't surprised that he hadn't made too big of a deal out of it. After all, he was ridiculously wealthy; someone with that kind of cash always had a tendency to get bored with things far too quickly. If he had a dollar for every past job his family had been hired to do for the old geezer, only to be told 'nevermind this is taking too long', he'd have to get his own money bin to keep track of it all!

His detest for the shifty billionaire and his eldest brother is pushed to the back of his mind, having something far more important to think about; the security footage of Bonnie's doppelganger had been provided by a cop. But why? Bonnie had been right about not having a criminal record for someone to use against her, so what could an officer at the Duckburg Police Department possibly gain from trying to frame an innocent woman? More importantly, who would want to?

Bigtime finally stands, knowing he had to fill Bonnie in on what he'd found out, though the part about one of Duckburg's finest trying to frame her he might keep to himself for a little while. Mainly since she would be attending a charity event that would be filled with nothing but cops!

This made him pause. What were the odds that his sister— a Beagle— would be invited to such an event, all the while a police officer was attempting to entrap her through Flintheart Glomgold, getting him to convince her that she had to help her family stage a robbery at the same ball? Not to mention threatening her with bogus security footage of a woman that he assumed was her. This whole ordeal was getting more and more confusing, and he wasn't any closer to figuring out what exactly was going on. He had a bad feeling about the entire situation down in his gut… and his gut was never wrong.

He opens the door and steps out into the hallway. Directly across from him is a room he'd been avoiding for the past few days. He goes to stand before it, searching either side of him before raising a fist to the closed door. But instead of knocking, he lets it hover for a moment while he ponders why it was he wanted to be on the other side. He stands there long enough to hear a gentle snoring coming from behind the door. He finally lets his hand drop, glaring at the faded wood.

No, came the voice in his head. Not today… not now.

He makes his way down the hall before he reconsiders his decision.

Another chapter down!

Naturally, it looks like Bonnie was right to be worried about some of the boys falling for Jennifer. Obviously she's got more in common with Bigtime, but ya never know; love is a funny thing. Stay tuned to find out what happens…