Cookie Run - The Calling Card

Chapter One

Almond could almost feel the weighted hand of responsibility on his shoulder as he set down the coffee cup, facing the cafe window. As he watched police cars drive by, his cheerful disposition quickly faltered, and he let out a quiet sigh. Every day, it would seem that there was something new that he had to handle, and this time was no different. He let a few quiet moments pass in the secluded building before quickly getting up, dropping a fistful of dull coins onto the table that had seemed to lose their sparkle just as he had, and promptly rushed out to the scene. If nothing else at all, Almond could thank his job for making sure that there was never a dull moment, not if he could help it, not a moment of peace, either.

"What would it be this time?" Almond sighed out into his walkie-talkie, expressing more exhaustion in this voice than he wanted to.

"Parfaedia's jeweler's store, sir!" The voice on the other end exclaimed, "Half of the diamonds that were on display have vanished."

Almond couldn't help but sigh, yet again. He wanted to express his frustration but only spoke calmly, lowering his voice to a less coarse tone, "A jeweler store mishap again, eh?" Almond had a feeling that this would end as most jewel thefts do, and he had a feeling he knew who was behind it all, already.

And yet, despite his exhaustion for such a redundant case, he quickly made his way over to the scene, taking long strides to get there as quickly as possible on foot. He couldn't help but pat himself on the back for his commitment to the other officers. After all, it would seem they were almost incompetent without him... he hated to admit this, but it was true. Almond was involved in nearly every case in Parfaedia, this was nothing more than a fact. And yet, he never did receive the reward he truly wanted; a day off.

Nearly exasperated by the time he had arrived, Almond let out a heavy breath and step foot over the police tape that had been stretched out. Lo and behold, it was nothing short of a mess; it would seem that just about every display case, which used to carry diamonds and riches, was entirely barren.

"Thank goodness you're here, officer!" The police promptly handed Almond a printed case file of the ordeal. It was still warm from the printer, and the ink was smudged. Almond could tell they printed it in a hurry.

Almond said his thank-yous with a nod, and quickly began investigating. He knew how much Walnut would have loved to take up this case instead, but he figured she needed a break. After all, she was young. Much younger than him...

His suspicions were confirmed as he studied the scene. The thief was a well-planned one; there were barely any footprints or cookie crumbs to be seen, and every display case that the thief stole from had been neatly shut, just as it was before the incident.

And yet, one piece of evidence on its own made the case just as obvious as if the thief were to have left their footprints everywhere. Blue cheese mold, finely shredded and aged. It could not be seen without a microscope or a magnifying glass, but with the help of one, it was suddenly obvious; this mold was everywhere.

Almond quickly made his way up to the roof of the jeweler store, quick as a flash, it was cold and windy, and Almond felt his coat fluttering behind him as soon as the wind caught onto it, and it was shocking that it managed to stay on his shoulders. He couldn't help but feel a pang of fear instilled in him as he looked down below him, with the building being much higher off the ground than he thought. Almond Cookie quickly gulped, forcing down any fears he had of the height, and quickly made his way to the ledge of the roof, his face contorting into a scowl.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my utmost favourite cookie!" The figure, once hidden in the shadows, was now illuminated by the gentle moonlight. Almond let out a faint hiss in frustration. His sneaking suspicions were right, and Roguefort, who now was revealed, turned to face Almond, their cape fluttering gracefully against the wind, in contrast to Almond's coat, which the wind took hold of so violently, it was a wonder it had not ripped yet.

"Roguefort!" Almond exclaimed with a harsh tone of disapproval, his hand outstretched to toss his almond handcuffs, "You're under arrest for gem theft of the diamonds of Parfaedia jewelry store! Have you ever considered how hard those cookies worked to cut those gems? Not to mention, you even-"

"Catch, Detective!" Almond's words were abruptly interrupted by the charismatic words of the thief. They slipped a hand into their pocket, pulling out an envelope with a lovely embellished wax seal, and tossed it towards him. Almond let out a gasp, as the wind snagged it right out of Roguefort's gloved hand, with Almond barely managing to grasp it in time. Almond briefly grazed his hand across the card, and couldn't help but admire the effort put into it. He had to give credit where credit was due; for a criminal, Roguefort was certainly... Creative.

"Ah, good catch!" Roguefort winked at Almond as he looked up, with small, yet endearing wrinkles on their face as they did so, "I was hoping you'd make it, anyhow. Walnut is a sweet child, but... you happen to be a personal interest of mine. I even made that calling card just for you." Roguefort made their way closer to Almond in slow strides, as if not to provoke him. Almond's face remained a displeased frown, and yet, he did nothing to stop them from getting closer and closer, until it seemed their foreheads would touch if Roguefort got any nearer.

"You are quite clever, though it pains me to admit." Roguefort began.

"It comes naturally when this is the tenth time I've dealt with you. Almond replied hastily, hoping to get this over with, "Make this more interesting, if you want to keep me engaged."

Roguefort looked at Almond with just a hint of surprise at such a haughty comment from him, but quickly adjusted back to a smooth, calm smile, "Is that all you wanted, detective? Why... I'm sure I can make things interesting... you'll see next time."

"Next time, eh? No need to get so cocky, Roguefort."

"Ohh, this will be so fun... You'll see! Just be sure you don't bring Walnut, though." Roguefort placed a hand on Almond's chin, rubbing it delicately. Almond tried to growl at them but found that no matter how he tried to remain calm in this situation, he still felt his face grow warm at the touch, accompanied by the redness of blush. Almond quickly stepped back as Roguefort's hand left his face, but even so, the butterflies lingering in his stomach did not leave him.

"E-Eh...? Fun?" Almond winced to himself at the insecurity and shakiness of his voice; it would seem that the excitement caused by Roguefort had affected him more than he thought.

Roguefort could hear the unsteadiness in him, but only chose to ignore it, at least for now, "Why, that's right, Almond! You and I will have such a fulfilling experience together... I've even written a proper time on my calling card! The exact one you're holding," Once again, Roguefort smiled sweetly, and Almond could feel his heart steadily pound harder in excitement.

"So... It's a date?" Almond stared at the envelope, endowed with hearts and what appeared to be some sort of sparkling glitter or powder. Almond had gotten particularly good at reading all sorts of handwritten letters, but even this had such loopy lettering with so many hearts on it that he could hardly read what it said. 'To my sweet, sweet, Almond' he could barely make out the letters on the front.

"Only if you want it to be, my dear detective. Don't get too eager, though! I know just how hard it is to resist my charm right away."

"If you say so... I'll only be there for evidence for the case, nothing more."

"Great!" Roguefort exclaimed with joy, "But, for now... catch me if you can! Ta-ta! And good luck." And with that, Roguefort leaped off of the building, soaring against the wind. Almond watched with disdain in his tired eyes but knew there was nothing he could do to stop them. Nothing but sit and wait for backup.

"Another exhausting day..." Almond muttered. And yet, he himself didn't believe this fully. As he watched Roguefort leap from building to building, with utmost grace and effort with each jump, Almond couldn't stop a small, giddy smile from forming at the corner of both of his cheeks, which began to blush red once again. Roguefort always induced a strange, childlike excitement in Almond, one that he wished he could fight back easily. Almond looked down to face the calling card he was holding once again and slowly peeled off the delicate wax seal to read the contents inside. Perhaps he would let Roguefort off easy... Just this once.