Reckless | Tintin

" Before he died Dawes tried to tell us something"

" The victim's name was Barnaby Dawes," Thompson, one of the investigators that Tintin and Ana often worked with on cases, informed the two.

" He was one of the top Agents at Interpol," Thomson continued for his work partner." But we haven't got a clue what he was working on."

" Quite right Thomson, we're completely clueless."

" Interpol doesn't have any other leads?" Tintin asked the two.

" Steady on Tintin," Thompson said." We're still filling out the Paperwork."

" Police works not all glamor and guns," Thomson added." There's an awful lot of filling."

" Well we might have something of you," Ana said, looking up from the paper Barnaby had been holding when he'd died." Before he died Dawes tried to tell us something. Tintin and I are pretty sure he was spelling out a word." She used the pencil in her left hand to point out the blood splotches over certain letters and then writing the letters they were on, down." Karaboudjan."

" Karaboudjan!?" Thompson exclaimed, taking the paper from Ana and beginning to walk to the other end of the apartment.

" Does that mean anything to you?" Tintin asked him.

" Great Scottland yard!" he exclaimed." That's extraordinary!"

" What is?" Thomson, Tintin, and Ana all rushed over to see what the big news was.

" Worthington's have a half-price sale on bowler hats!" The others all sighed.

" Really Thompson!" Thomson exclaimed, snatching the paper from his partner." This is hardly the time... Great Scottland Yard!"

The others raced over to him." What is it?"

" Canes are half-priced too."

" Are you going to take charge of this evidence?" Tintin asked, growing impatient with the two detectives as he grabbed the newspaper.

" Positively," Thompson said, taking the paper as he started to leave the apartment." Never fear Tintin, Miss. Smith, the evidence is safe with us." As he began down the stairs he tripped over Jade, who was simply grooming herself on the landing, causing him to fall all the way to the bottom.

" Thompson?" Thomson asked, not having seen the incident with the cat and thus wondering what had happened to his friend." Where are you?"

" Well I'm already Downstairs," Thompson replied from the ground floor." Do try to keep up."

" Wait!" Ana called to the two detectives as they were about to leave the building." You dropped the newspaper."

" Good heavens, Thompson! Look after the evidence man!"

" Sorry Thomson, my mind is on other things," Thompson said, taking the paper from Ana.

" Ah! Yes! Our light-fingered larsenest."

" What?" Tintin questioned, turning back to look at the two after having watched Snowy and Jade for a minute.

" The Pickpocket!"

" Oh."

" He has no idea what's coming," Thomson told the two Journalists coincidentally.

" Go on Tintin," Thompson said, opening his coat so it would be easier to grab his wallet." Take my wallet." Tintin reached into the pocket and pulled the wallet out, only to realize it was tied there by a string of some sort." Yes, industrial-strength elastic."

" Very, uh, respectful," Tintin said as Thompson took his wallet back.

" On the contrary, it was childishly simple."

" Simply childish, I agree."

" Tintin, Miss. Smith," the two both said simultaneously, tipping their hats.

" Gentlemen," Tintin said, nodding to them.

" Detectives," Ana nodded, doing the same.

" Mind you I expect he's miles away by now." The detectives began to talk as they walked away from the apartment.

" I presume you're talking about the pick-pocket."

" Yes! I mean, knowing we're just a few steps behind him."

A man passed by the building before Snowy passed in between Ana and Tintin, who were both still standing in the doorway, watching the Detectives leave, and started to follow behind the man.

" Snowy, what is it boy?" Tintin asked, taking his eyes off the detectives for a minute to look at his dog." What do you see?"

" I don't suppose you'd fancy a cup of tea?" Thomson asked, unaware that they were being followed.

" No you're quite mistaken, I'd love one!"

" My treat!"

The pickpocket, who was now right behind the two of them, reached into Thompson's pocket, taking his wallet, before beginning to walk away, not realizing the wallet was connected to Thompsons coat. What quickly followed was chaos. Thomson managed to get the pickpockets coat but wasn't fast enough to avoid running into a lamp post.

Tintin and Ana, who had both noticed something was happening down the street, started on their way over to check on their friends but ended up bumping into a nice enough looking old man who politely apologized to them before hurrying off.

" The pickpocket Tintin!" Thomson exclaimed as Tintin and Ana approached him, gesturing with his cane in the direction the older gentleman had gone." He's getting away!"

Tintin gasped, checking his back pocket, the one he always kept his wallet in. Not feeling it there he said somberly," My Wallet, it's gone..." seeing the man off in the distance he wasn't about to give up just yet." C'mon! Snowy! After him!"

Tintin, Ana, and Snowy raced into the road in an attempt to catch the pickpocket but quickly found out the drivers weren't about to stop for them. As the three of them stood in the middle of the street, attempting to dodge oncoming traffic, the pickpocket managed to disappear into the mist.

Just as they were disoriented from dodging so many cars another one appeared and almost ran them over before Thompson and Thomson gabbed Snowy and Tintin with their canes and Tintin, feeling he was being tugged backward, grabbed Ana's wrist, pulling her out of the way as well.

" Gotcha!"

" Steady on!"

" I've lost him, " Tintin sighed before turning to the detectives urgently." You must find my wallet. It's very important I have to get it back!"

" And you will," Thomson said confidently." Leave it to the professionals."

Ana, Tintin, and Snowy began the walk back to their apartment as Tintin tried to figure out what to do next.

" We've lost the scroll," he said as he walked." But we haven't lost the story; Karaboudjan..."

" It's an Armenian word," Ana told him." And that's our lead at the moment."

The two began to walk up the steps to their building before a tall man who smelled like saltwater stood in their way and they were blocked from behind by two more men carrying a box.

" Mister and Misses Tin...tin?"

" Miss. Smith actually," Ana said, trying not to sound to harsh.

The man paid no attention to her." Delivery for ya."

" But we didn't order anything?" Tintin said, sharing a confused look with Ana before turning around to look at the box.

" Well... that's because it's you that's getting delivered!" The man in the doorway covered both Ana and Tintin's mouths and noses with chemical soaked rags that caused them to pass out before forcing them into the box and throwing that box into the trunk of a red car.