The Elusive Phantom Thief

Rhodes had finally cornered the elusive Phantom Thief in the mansion gallery. That criminal had evaded the police for far too long and now was his chance to capture them once and for all. Rhodes stood by the door where behind it, the Phantom Thief with their loot possibly cackling at the haul they’d collected. Rhodes kicked the door down, flashing a flashlight on the now doomed thief.

The Phantom Thief wore high knee boots with a black corset, a black mask that covers their eyes and a large, brimmed hat. The classic phantom thief look but something about them looked familiar to Rhodes. Particularly the hair which billowed out like a cotton ball.

“Aww drats!” they said in a high octave voice.

That voice sounded familiar, Rhodes tried to remember where it came from. It sounded like someone he knew.

“Annette? Is that you?”

“HUH?! The thief shouted, stumbling her words.

She cleared her throat and with it spoke in a bad imitation of a tough masculine voice.

“Ho foul detective, it seems you are in the audience of the great, illustrious and elusive Phantom Thief but I’m afraid that the curtain must fall. I shall make my grand escape.”

She pulled out what appeared to be a grappling hook and tried to shoot it upward. It was jammed. She tinkered with it, wholly embarrassed that her performance was ruined by technical difficulties. Rhodes was confused, they say that the Phantom Thief was believed to be a woman but for it to be Annette, his childhood friend was certainly something he would never guess. Cemented by the fact that she failed that ‘grand escape’.

“Okay Annette. You’re not fooling me; can you tell what’s going here? Why are you the Phantom Thief?”

Annette cursed the grappling hook under her breath. She stared at the detective. She put up an exaggerated flair to herself.

“Hah! I know not of this ‘Annette’ you speak of. However, you will not get the truth about my identity, foul detective. For I know the slippery tongue that law enforcement utilises. You have met a roadblock, detective,” she gloated.

Rhodes thought of anyway to make her admit that her true identity. A trick question would be noticed right away. And he can’t exactly ask her who she was. Rhodes felt his cheeks heating up, it was only way that would make Annette admit.

“Hey Annette, remember when you baked me that cupcake last weekend? Y’know, the pink frosting and star stoppings? And how you wanna what I thought about it but never gave you an answer. The truth is… I really enjoyed it.”

Annette’s face was starting to turn red, despite the mask’s attempt to hide it.

“And I kinda hope you bake it again for me,” Rhodes muttered to himself.

She was stunned, her face only growing more red till it looked like a tomato.

“HUH?! You did?” she shouted, “Ahem I mean, why ask that ridiculous q-question? Again, I do not know of this Annette you speak off. T-though I-I’m sure s-she would appreciate y-your comment.”

Her stammers continued to worsen as she tried to salvage the situation.

“A-anyway I-I’m n-not this g-giving u-up my s-secret I-I mean i-identity… for n-no corrupted shall… know… oh darn it all, alright I concede I am Annette. I am the elusive Phantom Thief.”

She resigned herself. Rhodes spoke up.

“Not really elusive now, are you? But Annette, I know this sounds weird, but I want to talk to you for a moment.”

“Huh? You have cornered the sensational Phantom Thief that have evaded police capture for months and you want to talk to me.”

They all stood there awkwardly, staring at each other’s eyes.

“I know I’m on duty but let’s talk as friends. As Rhodes and the air-headed Annette that I know from childhood. Please? I legitimately want to know why you’re the Phantom Thief.”

“Hey! I’m not air-headed, not anymore anyway. And… fine I’ll answer your question.”

They both sit down on a bench. Annette stared at the ground. Rhodes was staring at her features, her black mask and hat. She still has her fluffy, ginger hair. He wished he could move his hand through them.

“So, give it to me straight, why’d you became a phantom thief?

“You’re not supposed to know a woman’s secret you know? And also, is this a interrogation? I plead the fifth.

“Annette, this is not an interrogation. Just please answer me. I promise I won’t hold arrest you.”

“Okay fine. The reason is that I am simply fulfilling my fantasy. Yes. I know that sounds dumb but hear me out. I love the idea of some dashing gentleman thief, skipping over roofs, evading the police while stealing treasure from those who don’t deserve it.”

She took off her masks and hat. Rhodes took note how her eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight.

“Frankly, I was bored with my civilian life, being the air-headed Annette people seemed to love and remember. I just want to have some spice in my life. You know? Honestly my life was kinda boring since you left.”

Rhodes tensed up, “y-you did?”

“Yeah. It was so fun to have you in the house that it felt empty when you weren’t in it.”

Rhodes could feel a sudden pressure on his right hand. He glanced down to see Annette hand on top of it. She doesn’t seem to notice.

“Honestly, I felt the same.”

“Really?” A slight touch of red appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to sparkle.

“U-um. Rhodes, about what you said about the cupcake, was it true?”

He was perplexed by this.

“Why do you ask?

“It’s because I was putting up an act about the ‘slippery tongue’ of law enforcement and I know you used the cupcake story to catch me off-guard, but. U-um. Did you really enjoy it. And what did you say at the end, I didn’t catch that?

Rhodes froze. His throat felt dry and his eyes seemed to have a keen interest in several of the artefacts in display.

“U-um… I-I… really liked your cupcake and I hope… you could make me another one. I-if you want to of course, I just find your cupcakes much better than the store-bought ones.”

Her eyes widened.

“Really? I’m so glad you liked them. Yes, I’ll bake more of them if you like. Just for you.

Rhodes blushed and couldn’t even look at her face anymore. He found her enthusiasm to be too intoxicating, and he could feel his chest thumping like hammer on wood. He heard her gasp. he turned around to see her face turning into a shade of red thought impossible to replicate. She was staring down to see her hand laying on top of Rhodes’. Annette leapt away. Rhodes felt like it had gotten colder.

“What was that doing there?! W-when did I…?.

They were all silent. All looking away from each other. Suddenly, she shook her head violently.

“No this is not how a phantom thief should behave. Y-you foul detective, you’ve stolen my heart.”

“A-Annette?”

“AHH! W-what am I saying? N-never mind, I-I shall make my grand escape.”

She tinkered with the grappling hook again until she gets it working. She grappled away through the gallery’s skylight. Rhodes was left sitting there. Stunned.

“Hell of a girl.”