Chapter Text
He was oddly familiar.
Inference rarely formed interest outside of those within his cases. He was a busy man who was far too absorbed in his own work to engage in such trivial matters.
And yet…
He exhaled heavily and lowered his wooden pipe to watch a puff of smoke unfurl from his mouth. As it dissipated, Inference’s gaze settled on the flamboyant actor, who was currently meddling with the items on his desk.
“Don’t move anything out of place, Ronald,” Inference said crossly. Not only was he strict with his work, but he also was with his belongings.
“Of Ness,” was the reply he received, followed by a cheeky smile. There it was again, that aching familiar feeling.
“My apologies,” Inference said, unapologetically.
Ronald ‘of Ness’ trailed a finger slowly along the top of Inference’s nameplate and lifted a fingertip into view. There wasn’t a single speck of dust, of course. “How intimate, detective, to not use my full title.”
“Get the point,” Inference said with an exasperated sigh. He had little patience for dealing with people who weren’t his clients. Then again, he had little patience for them too.
“My point,” Ronald began in that mysterious tone that he often used (so many unnecessary pauses for dramatic effect). “Is that you’re investigating Madame Bella’s case, no?”
That piqued Inference’s attention. His eyebrows raised ever so slightly, the wooden pipe in his hand long forgotten. “That is confidential. I can neither confirm nor deny it.”
“Perhaps you’d give me a better answer if I told you I can grant you entry into the theater.” Ronald upturned the corner of his mouth into a pleased smirk, as if he were a cat that got the cream.
“Perhaps indeed.” Inference sat up a bit higher in his chair. His ongoing investigations had met multiple dead ends; the staff refused any law enforcement, including Inference himself. “For whom are you acting on the interest of?”
“My own.” Ronald’s tone lowered as he leaned over Inference’s desk, bracing his hands atop the varnished surface. “I’d like to see for myself how exceptional the famous Detective Inference is.”
“Hm,” is all Inference offered as acknowledgement of his words. He didn’t care much for fame or fortune; those came as a consequence of his job. He prioritized justice above anything else.
“You’re not one for idle chit chat, are you?” Ronald asked. His voice was strangely warm. It was a tone typically reserved for a close friend, or even a lover—none of which Inference was.
“I’m not one to needlessly waste time,” Inference corrected. He collected all his paperwork into a neat pile and set it aside. “Yes, I am investigating Madame Bella’s case.”
“I take it we have an agreement, then?” Ronald asked, although it appeared that he already knew the answer judging by the self-satisfied smile he carried.
“A bold but correct assumption. You will provide me access to the theater for the price of…?” Inference trailed off to allow Ronald the luxury of finishing the sentence. He typically didn’t negotiate, but it seemed that the actor was an exception today.
“Your company.”
“Pardon?” Inference scanned the actor’s face for any indication of humor. He was surprised to find that there was none. “What’s your motive?”
Ronald tilted his head to the side, his auburn hair falling into his eyes. Inference wasn’t accustomed to being under someone else’s scrutiny for once. “Motive? Can’t I simply want it?”
“All behavior has meaning.”
“I suppose you’ll find out when the time comes.” There was a mysterious twinkle in Ronald’s eye. He inclined his head, removed his hat, and bowed in a display of respect. “I’m thrilled to have such an esteemed detective assisting the Golden Rose Theater.”
Unlike most, Inference didn’t fall for his silver tongue. He extinguished his wooden pipe and retired it back into the confines of his coat. “If that’s all, then our business here is done.”
“Oh? But we’d hardly started.” Ronald leaned forward in his seat and propped his chin in the palm of his hand. The time of day allowed shadows to cast inside the room; the actor’s eyelashes seemed longer, delicate over his rosy cheeks.
“I don’t see any reason for you to stay past your welcome.” Inference checked his pocket watch. It seemed intentional that Ronald chose the end of the day to bother him. He had no other clients, meaning that the actor could stay as long as Inference did.
“I haven’t set up an appointment with you yet,” Ronald reminded him. He tipped over slightly to laugh, a quiet, suppressed sound. It seemed faux.
Inference readjusted his monocle to displace his embarrassment. He’d been a detective for a while now; a simple mistake such as this was highly uncharacteristic of him. “So it seems. What works best for you?”
“I’m afraid I’m a busy man, Mr. Inference.” Ronald sighed dramatically. He motioned towards the marked calendar on Inference’s desk. “And I’m sure you are, too, with all your other appointments.”
Inference was beginning to loathe Ronald’s roundabout way of speaking. He claimed to be busy, and yet he wasted plenty of breath spouting nonsense. “Your point being?”
Ronald reached across the desk to retrieve a ballpoint pen and tapped at a specific date on the calendar. “We’re both free on the weekends. Won’t you spare me the time, Mr. Inference?”
Inference fixed him with a glare. He valued his leisure time (of what little he had of it). And yet…he couldn’t find himself saying no to Ronald. “Saturday noon, then. Don’t be late.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Ronald visibly perked up and wrote on the calendar in elegant penmanship. When he returned the pen, their fingers brushed together. Inference inhaled quietly but didn’t comment on it. “Well, I must get going now. I look forward to our next meeting.”
“Hm.” Inference didn’t offer a response in lieu of reviewing the number of policies he’d just violated for Ronald.