..:THE PAINTING:..

Inspector Zenigata stepped out of the taxi, as his gaze followed the pathway that led to the entrance of the Rijksmuseum. Above the doorway arch of the brick building, a large poster invited guests to see their newest exhibit: a celebration of lost art. Whenever Zenigata is assigned to patrol a museum, it is usually over the protection of recently added additions. It was also often because of a certain thief too, which filled the inspector with determination, having the hope that this would be the day he was put behind bars for good. As he walked to the door, two Dutch cops saluted him before he entered. Showing respect for the local law enforcement, Zenigata saluted back.

The first floor of the museum began with a large hallway, with both the west and east walls having two passages that led to some of their public collections. The room was large and spacious with each step Zenigata echoed throughout it. The sound alerts one of the employees, who stepped out of the door at the end of the area. The bearded, spectacled man greeted his professional guest with a broad grin.

"Ah, Inspector Zenigata!" He reached his hand out, "Ah, I am correct, right?" He then asked with a small level of uncertainty in his voice.

Zenigata took his hand and shaked it firmly, "Yes, and you are...?"

The man paused for a fleeting moment, with him seemingly surprised by the inquiry. "Oh, I'm Gerrit van Haarlem," He introduced himself as he let go of the cop's hand, "I'm the head of the rotating exhibit department of the Rijksmuseum. It's delightful to meet you."

Zenigata nodded and then walked away from Gerrit, then raised his head to take in the impressive height of the walls of the building. Gerrit readjusted his glasses before approaching the inspector again. "You must be quite a lover of art, Inspector," Gerrit commented, "I've been told you have been to many museums to protect their content, but this is your first time here at the Rijksmuseum."

The man's enthusiastic comment made the Inspector frown, as it only reminded him of the countless successful heists Lupin had caused. Zenigata then returned his attention to him, "I'm not here to take in the sights," He answered sternly, "I'm just here to do my job. How's the security here?"

Gerrit's shoulders sunk after he heard his response, "Very well," He replied, "The Rijksmuseum team prides ourselves on the level of care and protection we provide for our exhibits."

Zenigata's frown grew, "You've never had to deal with the likes of Lupin III," He reminded him, as memories of other museum heads dismissing him as a 'petty thief' danced in his head, "Any security you have should be doubled -- even tripled!"

"I'll see what we can do..." He responded, "But I doubt that he can come in undetected. Please, let me show you a tour of the first floor."

Zenigata's eyes narrowed. The head was ignorant and perhaps a little arrogant -- types like these were something else that was a reoccurring problem in the cop's preventative measures to stop his nemesis. While on some level he respected his confidence in the establishment, as any other crook that has walked down these long halls could be easily caught compared to Lupin. Regardless, the inspector figured it was for the better to humor the man; exploring the building could help him gather ideas for traps or blockages.

Gerrit Van Haarlam talked about each painting they passed by. He was passionate as his eyes lit up with nearly every masterpiece they encountered. Unfortunately for him, his well-educated rambles fell on uninterested ears. The two began in the east wing, which housed the museum's assortment of art from the 1800s to 1900s. Zenigata detected nothing unusual about these rooms, as they had the simple, elegant atmosphere of a museum of its caliber. Before they entered the west wing of the museum, Gerrit turned around to face the inspector and clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Here's where we house the paintings from the 17th century to the 18th century," He explained, "This is where our new exhibit is being held."

One of Zenigata's eyebrows rose curiously, with it being obscured by the brim of his hat, "The one about the lost art?"

"Yes! These are all one of a kind pieces, as of now, we know nothing about their origins or the artists involved."

As they continued to walk, Zenigata thought about what had just been said to him. One of a kind? The vague history attached to them? It is no wonder that Lupin is interested in them, but he struggled to see the value in these paintings. Many of them were noticeably damaged with some of the paint scratched off of their old canvases. Thinking about it through the thief's perspective, it must be the rarity that makes them valuable rather than the art themselves. As he pondered this, the two passed by a particularly worn piece of art. Zenigata paused and then took a step back, taking an opportunity to better examine it.

A portrait of a young woman was displayed near the far right corner of the room. Despite its large size, he almost missed seeing it as he followed Gerrit intently around the corner. Like many of the other paintings on display, it was also damaged. The harm in this particular piece was more noticeable than the others as holes were scattered throughout it. It looked as if it might've survived a fire. The damage made the composition more difficult to admire, but the details of the woman's face could still be clearly seen.

The woman had a pale complexion with dark, blonde hair that laid delicately on her shoulders. Her eyes were a unique, pale blue, which were still vivid despite the blemishes throughout the piece. The intensity of the paint and her gaze felt that she was staring at the inspector directly, with her expression being calm and inviting. Zenigata stepped closer to the painting, wondering who this mysterious person was. His eyes never left hers at that moment -- she felt familiar, almost as if he had encountered this woman before. Her serene appearance, coupled with the damage from time on the painting itself, stirred an emotion in him, one he was unsure how to define. Who is, or was, this woman?

"Mr. Van Harlaam," Zenigata called out,"Do you know anything about this piece?"

Gerrit found himself at the end of the room before he noticed that his guest wasn't with him. He turned around, seeing Inspector Zenigata far off in the distance, his attention glued to the painting. He quickly walked back to him, "Oh, this one?" He asked as he gazed upon it, "I'm afraid its story is the same as all the rest of them."

He looked back at the rest of the pieces of art they had passed by, with all of them containing lost or partial stories behind them. He then returned his attention back to the portrait and continued, "I believe it's from the late 18th century, given the Rococo aesthetic to it -- well, assuming that's Dutch."

From what remains of the background, the woman is surrounded by plants and flowers. The deep green of the trees and the lush grass brought out the lighter shade of her dress. A brown, tabby kitten laid on her lap, with one of her hands seemingly stroking the soft fur of the baby animal. The environment that surrounded the woman was once a beautiful garden that appeared to be in the height of spring. Unfortunately, the liveliness of the fauna was diminished by the poor state of the portrait.

Intrigued, Zenigata looked back at Gerrit, "It's not from the Netherlands?"

"It's only an assumption," he answered, "It was found in the Netherlands, but that doesn't mean it originated from here. The lost film "Metropolis" is from Germany, but the majority of the footage was found in other countries, to give an example."

Inspector Zenigata nodded, then put his focus back to the painting. Despite the warmth that exudes from the woman, the painting has a somber, if not lonely, feeling.

Gerrit continued, "The woman in the painting was likely a part of a wealthy family, given that the Rococo style usually depicted aristocrats at play."

He then looked at his guest curiously. For someone who said they weren't here for the art, he seemed absolutely captivated by this painting. The most unusual art can stir up emotions in the most random of people. Taking the opportunity, Gerrit grinned and then nudged Inspector Zenigata, "She's quite the sight, isn't she?" He lightly teased.

The playful nudge woke up the Inspector from his thoughts, with him suddenly snapping back to reality. His cheeks became a crimson red. As he felt the heat on his face, he readjusted his fedora in an attempt to further obscure himself, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"She is," He answered as professionally as he could, "It's a shame her portrait is in this shape after all these years."

Believing that he had finally won him over, Gerrit smiled, "Well, if you like this one, we have more art that's even more mysterious," He moved his head in the direction of where the rest were located, "There's plenty more to see!"

Gerrit began to lead the way, starting his enthusiastic, yet single-sided conversation about the exhibit again. Before Zenigata started to follow him, he paused one last time to get another look at the painting. A bad memory came back to him -- the time when he guarded the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji by the artist Hokusai. It was yet another time when he failed, with the originals lost in the hands of thieves. His eyes met the gaze of the portrait. There was something about the energy of this painting... It was as if she had faith in him, even if she was only a stranger on a canvas.

Quietly, he solemnly swore to her, "No matter what happens tonight, I promise you'll be in good hands."

Inspector Zenigata then turned away and followed his guide once more, with his determined mind ablaze with ideas of how to arrest Lupin and his gang for good.