1983
Philadelphia
1:26 AM
In the deadly silence and dim of the night, nothing heard but the creak of metal from a big golden gate hanging open to a concrete walkway in the middle of pruned bushes lead to a stunning old mansion.
The door opens to the even darker lobby with the amazingly symmetrical design. Footsteps barely heard from the right staircase fading as they walk upstairs.
The shadow of the man falls on the door to the stock as he opens it. The attic stock room lighten by a small broken window. He turns on his flashlight only to find a chest visible through a piece of cloth in the flood beam.
He smiles manically, showing his crooked teeth and takes a step closer but then hesitates. He pats the rotten wood of the floor with his foot and makes sure there's no trap. He smiles walking towards the chest this time but his foot gets stuck in ropes. A knot tightens around his ankle and he is pulled up. He couldn't stop himself from spinning and notices someone approaching through the blurry vision.
By the way they walk, the height and small figure, he could tell it's a woman. She pats a cane in her other palm making shocking sudden noises along with the heel of her boots. Her long brown hair and slung coat sway gently and she finally stops in front of him. "You didn't expect that, ha?" Her voice is hoarse but calm.
She rests the end of the cane on his chest to hold him steady. "At least carry a knife next time, I shouldn't be teaching you things."
The 36-year-old famous detective, Darcy palmer standing in front of him with her average 5'6" height. Her mysterious, dark, almond shaped eyes shining as her lips curve into a terrifying grin. "Came here all alone to keep all the money to yourself?"
She hits his chin with the wooden cane. It hurts so bad but it's nothing compared to what people say about the costume made eagle shaped brass head that sweats in her hot hands. There's a rumor that she once gouged someone's eye with the beak of that eagle. Not that she regretted.
"Young Park, would you mind giving a hand?"
Her tone is sweet when she calls for her apprentice. And a young man steps in. Aaron Park, a 23 year-old with caramel gelled up curls and brown tuxedo, His gaze soft and confident despite his excited tone as he yells… "Everyone stay calm! we've got this under control!" He raises his gun. Even in the darkness of the room, the freckles and veins of his cheeks were visible through the thin ivory skin.
Darcy's face falls. "He fell into the trap." His brows knit into a confused look. "Who was screaming then?" He questions, opening his blazer to shove the gun back in his belt.
"That was me, speaking!" Darcy grits her yellowish white –because of cigarette and coffee- teeth and her pupils shrink, visibly offended.
"Oops, sorry ma'am." Aaron pulls out a knife and spins it in his hand then cuts the ropes in one move. The man falls and due to the hard fall, the rotten woods break and he falls into the lobby.
Darcy and Aaron look at him through the hole emotion-less, not even sorry or surprised. "They'd better spend the money on renovation than storing." Darcy says, using the support of her cane lazily as she checks her nails.
A few minutes later, cops arrive with an ambulance and take him away. Darcy is standing at the corner with Aaron behind her, talking to the chief who is standing face to face.
"Darcy Palmer! Takes down the bad guys just as always." Chief says in a dramatic way. Aaron and Darcy stare at him expression less and he smiles nervously, as if he done something wrong. "I mean; I might have thought about sending assists but at the bottom of my heart I believed in you." He shrugs with nervous laughter.
"Right after you said I should keep my nose out of police business" Darcy says before he could finish, faking a terrifying smile.
"I- I might have been in a bad mood…" He is sweating and grits his teeth nervously.
"You were laughing into my face." She smiles bigger and rests her hands on her cane. They fall in an awkward silence until the chief breaks it. "OK so… The owner, Mr. wood, told me he wants to thank you guys." He is still nervous cause Darcy wouldn't stop smiling and narrows eyes to make her expression even more awkward.
"See you later, chief." She finally speaks, her tone sarcastic as if she wanted to tell him to get lost. He smiles and nodes in response and without saying anything, leaves to join the cops.
"Miss palmer in case you haven't noticed, I do believe in you." Aaron praises honestly, looking in his notebook then starts writing. "That's very kind of you, son." She smirks arrogantly.
A tall handsome guy walks towards them. Wearing expensive silk robe. "Guess you are who I should thank, right?" His voice low pitched and warm.
"Miss Palmer and Mister Park, you must be Mr. Wood's son." Darcy holds her hand up to shake, not showing any surprise or expression.
"Oh no, it's me. I'm mister Wood." His face scrunches as he chuckles. Darcy and Aarons eyes widen. Her coat slips from her shoulders and his pen falls from his hand then wolf-whistles lowly. He wasn't like what they expected the 60-year-old owner to look like at all.
"Didn't chief say he is around 60?" She mumbles to Aaron. "Shall we not stop staring?" Aaron mentions and they shake their heads, then give faked smiles.