Worth More Than a Sapphire

Chapter 11: It's Like A Mixer Up In Here

"I wish I had more time to change," you said quietly.

"I would've told you to pack an overnight bag if I knew."

You had had enough time to swing by your own home, and in that time you quickly changed and combed your hair, but not much else. You hadn't even had the time to recover your phone, still lying on the floor in the purse that was discarded as you were carried away. You shivered at the memory.

"What are the other two like?"

Zenigata let out a low laugh with little humor in it. "You'll find out."

Always a good sign.

Seeing Lupin so close to the jewelry store almost made you nervous, like he was going to reveal a stolen piece of jade or something. You masked your discomfort and strode closer to him, keeping an eye on Zenigata. As you expected, he, um... Didn't look overjoyed about the circumstances just yet.

"There you are!" Lupin called out. "How are you feeling?"

You weren't really sure if you were supposed to take Lupin's concern at face-value, but Zenigata seemed to. "Tired. Achy."

"All good things, I see. Oh, did he do that for you?"

It took you a second to register that Lupin was speaking to you. "What? OH, my-- yeah, he wrapped up my arm." Before you left, Zenigata cleaned your scrapes off one more time. It made the surface raw and sensitive again, but he covered it up before any further harm came to it.

"Told you he was romantic."

Zenigata flushed and turned away.

Lupin clapped his hands together loudly. "So! The other's are indoors. This may be hard to believe, but none of them really wanted to stand out in the open to wait. Jigen said something about shooting a sitting duck, but it's nothing personal."

"I'm sure," you and Zenigata responded blankly in tandem.

"I'm not crazy about it myself." Lupin paused, then walked inside. "Let's get this show on the road."

To your surprise, Lupin walked straight past the doors of the store, passing the exact spot he insisted you meet at. You opened your mouth to object, but couldn't find the right question to voice. So, you just followed him down the street some more, past a little curve and in front of an old store that had been closed as long as you'd lived here. Of course Lupin would choose a place like this. He couldn't really stay out in public brandishing his garish jacket.

He swung open the door with a heavy push, practically knocking it back on the wall. You followed, but only after you were sure the door wasn't going to come back to hit you in the face.

Inside, Lupin led you to Jigen, along with two others you didn't know, but recognized. Standing beside Jigen was a man a little taller than him, with long black hair and an... old-fashioned form of dress. The other was a woman who looked like she'd just stepped off a Paris Vogue runway without any effort, with eyes that sparkled almost inhumanly. It didn't take long to figure out who was who-- Lupin only kept ties with so many people. He made a show of introducing you to them, as they both nodded.

The woman was the first to speak up. "Pleased to meet you," she said with a smile. You wondered how she got her makeup to look like that, without any visible flaws. Looking down, you saw her hand extended, and you took it gently, not even shaking it. "Fujiko Mine."

The man spoke up as Fujiko released your hand, "Goemon Ishikawa." He hesitated. "The Thirteenth."

You tried to mask your shock at the idea of naming 13 people in a row the exact same thing, but realized that if he was dressed like that, his history was clearly important to him, and it was best to keep on polite relations with everyone. Especially with how Goemon kept his grip on his sword.