Lupin the Third: The Del Monte Ruby

Chapter 9

Note: Just a short chapter for now. A big thank-you to the couple folks who are reading and voting this! You've repeatedly made my day! 
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"It's been two days since we've come here. Three, counting the trip," said Jigen the following morning. "The kid still hasn't spilled the beans on Del Monte. You need to get her to talk, or this was a wasted trip."

As was typical, Jigen was draped across the couch, puffing on the ever-bent cigarette. Goemon sat in his usual spot at the window, for all appearances, meditating.

"You know he's just gonna leave if there's nothing for us," said Jigen, jerking his head towards the meditative samurai. "Don't get me wrong; I like the girl, but I think she's dragging her feet on purpose." He gave Lupin another of those scrutinizing looks from beneath his hat. "You need to have a talk with her. Today. Now."

A dressed-down Lupin – just a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up and yellow tie, but with the new addition of the tie clip gifted to him by Ruby – let out a long sigh as he set aside his cup of coffee.

"You're right. I can't argue with that. We've been here too long already. It's time get some answers. I just wanted to give her time. She's been through a wild ordeal and this was her first moment to really unwind. But..." Lupin's expression grew serious. "I wanna know what Del Monte is hiding just as much as you two. Whatever he's got, it's gotta be worth a bundle to the right person. So, let me talk to her."

Jigen took another long drag on his cigarette. "She should be up. Spent a whole hour in the shower this morning. Used up all the hot water," he added irritably.

Once more, Lupin stole off to Ruby's room. He knocked on the door. "Ruby," he called. "You up?"

Jigen had said as much. This was just a courtesy.

"Ruby? We need to talk."

He heard her voice pipe up from the other side of the door. A distracted, "Huh?" Followed by, "Oh. Yeah. C'mon in."

When he entered, Ruby was lying on her stomach on the bed with a laptop in front of her – Jigen's, in fact. And she was in a state Lupin had yet to see her.

Thus far, he'd seen Ruby in a floofy gown at Antony Del Monte's soiree. But he'd mostly grown accustomed to seeing her dressed like himself – in the black button-down shirt and trousers, sometimes with the jacket and tie, but mostly without. Boyishly, in other words. But now, she was dressed quite the opposite.

Ruby wore casual but trendy summer clothes befitting a girl her age. And yet, seeing her in such a manner did not go without effect. It was as though Lupin were truly seeing her for the first time. She wore a white, lacey halter crop-top combo over a pair of blue denim shorts, stylistically torn and frayed at the ends. Her legs were up at a 90-degree angle, crossed at the ankles, and she was munching on a cream cheese bagel while she typed.

"Hey, Lupin," she greeted without looking up from the laptop.

Whatever she was doing had her quite absorbed. The closer Lupin got, the more he could see of the way the clothes formed to her body; a body that he hadn't realized was so shapely, and that only now, seeing her like this, was he realizing that in her 'Lupin' get-up, she must've most assuredly been wearing a flattening sports bra.

No longer.

Ruby seemed unaware of how short her shorts were. Yet they were hardly scandalous. Lupin had seen much worse. So, what was it? Was it merely that Lupin – not remotely prude; quite the opposite, in fact – had never considered that a girl like Ruby could, and was entitled, to wear such clothes if she wished? He'd gotten so used to the whimsical, childlike tomboy cosplaying as his shadow, that he never...