Lupin's Inquest


my first lupin fic, by crackerjack

**Nighthood belongs to Cinar. I don't have anything to do with them. Arsene Lupin belongs to Maurice Leblanc. I don't have anything to do with him either.***

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The Louvre
Paris, France
10:30 pm

The guard coughed as he made his rounds of the Louvre. HE felt confident as he rounded a corner. NO one could steal anything from the louvre. NOt on my watch, he thought, determined. All of a sudden he heard footsteps that were not his own. He turned to face the intruder when he felt a tingle on his neck. He tried to swat it away, but he fell, and saw no more.

***
The countess Mey Hem chuckled to herself as she stepped out of the dark. They always fell before they knew what hit them. It was a sight she had seen countless times before, but she never grew tired of it. But there wasn't time to stare. Quickly she located her target. She removed it from it's restingplace with ease, and replaced it with the world famous calling card. Her job completed, she crept back throught the shadows and left back through the window from whence she came.

****
The guard groaned to himself as he woke up. He felt quite stiff, but he managed to stand and remove the object from his neck. He recognised it as a tranquiliser dart. Terrified, he took off down the hall to see what the intruder might've taken, hoping against hope that he hadn't targeted what he suspected. But it was no use. As soon as he got to the place where he hoped the famous artifact might still be, all he saw was an empty display case . Almost empty. In the middle there was a small calling card. His eyes broadened in terror as he read the inscription.

-With the compliments of Arsène Lupin-

Now the guard felt faint. Arsène Lupin had stolen the Mona Lisa. . .

*-*-*-*-*-*

The Patio
Lupin's Apartment
Paris, France
7:30 am

Arsène Lupin poured himself a glass of juice and raised it to his lips. From inside, another man joined him, holding a copy of the day's newspaper.
"Anything in the News, Grognard?" Arsène asked the other man.
"Yeah, boss. " Came the reply. "Listen to this: The Mona Lisa was stolen last night. Last night the Louvre was broken into. It is believed the thief first immobilised the guard and made off with the famous painting. The police have not yet named a suspect, but there is speculation that the famous Arsène Lupin is responsible."

Lupin chuckled. "Now where do you think they got an idea like that. Arsène Lupin indeed."
"You'll get your chance to find out. Ganimard's giving a press conference this morning.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Kelly Kincaid looked over her young companion as the plane landed. He was asleep. Kelly had expected as much. They had been on the plane ever since the news came in. He hadn't slept at all during the first half of the flight.

"Max," Kelly nudged the boy so he woke gently "Max, we've landed." Max rubbed his eyes and said simply.
"okay kelly." When they had gotten off the plane, made it through customs and were exiting the airport, waiting for a cab to go to the press conference, they found a man waiting for them.

"Miss Kincaid, can i help you with your bags?" he asked. Kelly did not recognise his voice, but she couldn't help but think that there was something about him that seemed oddly farmiliar. Max was wide awake by this point and was grinning at the man.

"No, I've got them." she said. She was perfectly capable of carrying herself, but she surrendered them to the man when he said

"But I insist." for when he spoke again, it was not in the voice he had spoken only moments before. This time, the voice was familiar. It was the voice of Arsène Lupin.

"Lupin! You didn't have to pick me up!" she exclaimed.

"I know, but I happened to be in the neighborhood, and since I knew you were going my way, I thought I'd come over and offer you a lift."he explained. A few minutes later they arrived at the car where Grognard was waiting for them.

*-*-*-*-*-*

In front of the Police station
Paris, France
10 am.

Inspector Ganimard and Sargeant Folenfant stood in front of the station and waited for the last of the press to arrive . Arsène Lupin had struck again, stealing one of France's most precious relics. Ganimard was getting to old for this.

"You can start now, inspector. I think they're all here." Ganimard didn't reply, because just then, another car pulled up, and Kelly, Max and another man got out, presumeably from her paper. Ganimard allowed some time for them to join the crowd, then he began.

"LAdies and genleman: as you may have heard, the Louvre was broken into last night and the Mona Lisa was stolen. We believe the thief entered through a window, immobilised the guard and stole the painting.
"Was it really Arsène Lupin?" someone asked. Ganimard confirmed this.
"What do you think he'll do to the painting?" came another question.
"It'll be more valuable to him as it is. He should keep it in very good condition. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be expected at the Louvre soon." Ganimard started down the steps towards his car, with Folenfant right behind him. As they drove off, the jounalists filtered off to write their artilces and fairly soon the only ones left were Kelly, Max and their companion. It was, of course, Arsène Lupin.

"I think i'll join them. Someone's trying to pin this one on me, and i'd like to know who. Could I offer you a ride?" he announced. Kelly declined his offer this time, saying she needed to finish her article. Arsène got into his car, removed his beard and hair and waved to his friends as Grognard pulled away.

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END, PART ONE.


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