Karyn hopped off the late-night bus. It had been a quiet trip. Just her, the silent stone-faced driver, and the tramp asleep peacefully in the back.
She adjusted her clothes. She'd gotten dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of jeans, her black boots, a button-up, and her leather jacket adorned as it had always been with a few of the local police departments patches.
A she stepped into the station, the cop behind the front desk glanced in her direction and gave a silent upward nod. "Ee' eez een eez offeese." He loosely indicated the stairs, eyes bouncing off Karyn and landing back on the small tv on the desk. Karyn nodded back and followed the direction. This was... all familiar. Yeah. She'd been here before. Lots of times.
The odd deja-vu wracked her as she navigated almost on autopilot to... the chief's office? She cracked the door...
"Black, come een. You are taking much longer to come in than I am expecting. Vhat iz escuse dis time?" The chief was a large man, built like a mountain, with a well-groomed black beard and a scar across his eye. Frankly, speaking as the author, I think this man may have had the comically thick russian accent even before Jacqueline did anything.
"Sorry chief. Would ye believe a wenty bed an lost track a the time?" She grinned sheepishly, pushing up her glasses.
The chief crossed his arms, chair creaking as he sat back. "I would be believink dis. I am not vanting to, but I am." He sighed. "Be careful you are not sleepink yourself out of recommendation to Interpol entirely, da?"
Interpol?! Karyn's eyes bugged at that. She- she was slated for-
Yes, of course she was. What the hell was she so surprised by? She'd spent the last four years working towards that goal! Her training with the Lake Point police was entirely towards that end, with the Chief, himself an ex-agent, acting as her mentor and sponsor for the job.
What the hell was wrong with her that she'd forget something like that?
"You are scared straight by that, eh?" He laughed at her confused and shocked face. "Good! Eet is very important you are remembering thees! After all, you are on special assignment. Thees is, as they are saying, sink or svim! Big opportunity to impress. Not every day somesink like dis is handed out to scrawny trainee like yourself!"
"What would that be then, chief? Dinnae say it's somethin daft again."
"That is dependink on your definition. You are knowink Mcmillan family, yes?"
Karyn's teeth grit. This was daft alright. Daft and a side of hash.
"Perhaps. Whatever could ye be askin' for?"
"Hoho! I can see this has you on edge. Vell you Vould do Vell to be bitink your tongue. You are on special job for their beneefit." He reached into his desk and produced a folder. It was handed to Karyn, and when she opened it, her eyes widened once again.
"Hoho... quite the nice piece of jewelry, eeznt eet? Ees the centerpiece of charity exhibition tonight. An international treasure of sort you can hope to see a lot more of eef you are doink well tonight."
Karyn cocked an eyebrow. "So it's some daft fancy necklace Susan McMillan's chargin a mint fer viewin? Where do oi enter into this?"
"Because, Black, they are receiving varning in the mail, two days ago. Somevone is plannink to steal it."
