Stunning

Having handed over the keys to his office at the entrance, Cord went out into the street and looked at his chronometer. Quarter past one. So now what? Go to the cafeteria or go straight home? If Force had been with him, that question would not have existed, so... Nevertheless, Cord was not very hungry. Then, there was the wonderful weather outside: not very hot, a warm breeze blowing, and the sun shining! It would have been a sin not to take a walk!

It was eight kilometers from the headquarters to Cord's house, if in a straight line. But it would not work that way: no one had canceled urban development. Therefore, the way automatically increased by about two kilometers. Well, it would take about two hours if he strolled. Fine! There was nothing to do at home, anyway.

So Cord hit the road.

The city center was old, but it had been actively modernized in the last few years. Cord did not like that: next to the beautiful old buildings, there were now ugly glass skyscrapers, and shopping, entertainment and business centers had sprouted up everywhere like mushrooms after a rain. This was all due to the increase in the population, as people from all over the country flocked to the capital in search of a better life. After all, they all had to work somewhere. On the one hand, the changes led to the development of the economy, an increase in prosperity, and other pleasant pluses, but on the other, the center was gradually losing the romantic aura that it once had in Cord's eyes. If earlier it had been possible to walk in the center in almost complete silence, except for the birds tweeting in the summer, now the streets were filled with cars beeping their horns, driven by cursing drivers and paired with the angry cries of pedestrians who the drivers had not allowed to pass.

Being all that as it was, Cord tried to get through the noisiest part of the way as quickly as possible, and then while on the quiet pedestrian streets he slowed down and enjoyed the moments.

About an hour later, the center was behind him, and Cord entered the residential area closest to his home and where he, in fact, lived. There was a completely distinct atmosphere here: mainly five-story buildings, silence, trees and bushes along the roads and sidewalks. And the people were in no particular hurry but slowly went about their business.

Feeling that his stomach was rumbling, Cord decided to make a detour and go to his favorite bakery. The aroma of fresh pastries wafted up to him as he approached, and he quickened his pace.

However, Cord suffered a slight disappointment: lunch had just passed, so there was a rather scarce assortment. Well, at least there weren't many people, and he didn't have to stand in line for a long time. Choosing what would go with a liver and rice pie, Cord fixed his gaze on a lonely piece of cheesecake with cottage cheese.

"If I were you, I would wait a bit."

Cord turned around. A boy of about fourteen stood next to him and looked at him in a friendly way.

"About ten minutes ago, the baker put a baking pan full of cheesecakes into the oven," he explained. "I saw him through the door." The kid nodded towards the open passage to the kitchen.

"Hmm. Thanks for the advice," Cord said.

The boy turned out to be right: as soon as the investigator finished with his liver pie, a baking sheet with freshly baked cheesecakes was brought to the counter. And how tasty they turned out to be! Cord, to his surprise, ate two. He wanted to thank the kid again, but he had already left.

Leaving the bakery, Cord glanced at his chronometer. Half past two. He still had tons of time. As he hated to walk the same way all the time, he will take an alternative route! So Cord went through an area he had not been in before.

Soon he found himself pondering what was, in fact, an important dilemma. He was in a poplar alley. Rather, poplars were only on the right. And on the left was...

An untouched. Long. Down-covered path.

And even more, not a single person in sight! This meant that things were now beyond his control.

He looked around, furtively pulled a lighter from his jeans pocket, and grinned like a hooligan. Children had been constantly scolded by adults for what he was about to do... But he was an adult. Who would scold him?

Striking the lighter, Cord thought for a moment and then, shaking his head, brought the flame to the fluff.

The fire flared up, crackled and rushed forward—and Cord followed it! As a child, he jumped after it, but now he just walked at a brisk pace. With a smile from ear to ear, Cord stared at the show unfolding to his left, when suddenly...

"Hey!"

He felt a strong blow to his chest. After a moment Cord noticed a fallen girl who was not very tall, wearing a black skirt. On either side of her now lay two torn T-shirt bags; apples were trying to escape from one while from the second milk began to leak out.

The girl looked at him indignantly.

"Oops! Sorry!" Cord held out his hand to her.

She did not accept it and got up herself, dusted off, and said angrily:

"Did you set that fire?"

"Well, yes..."

"Boyishness!"

Cord smiled apologetically. The girl looked at him carefully and pursed her lips.

"You're in trouble," Cord pointed to the packages.

The girl glanced at them.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed in annoyance, sat down, and began to try to gather up the apples.

"Let me help you," Cord offered.

"No need!" Without turning around, the girl answered.

"How about carrying your bags for you?"

"No need!"

"Then I will at least buy you new ones!"

"No need!"

"No need."

"Yes, no need— What?" The girl stopped collecting the apples and looked at Cord in surprise.

"Gotcha!"

"Oh, you're such a jerk!" Judging by her flicker of a smile, her anger had changed to grace.

"Why?"

"You can't catch girls in such traps!"

"If you don't catch them, they run away." Cord held out his hand again. "Cord."

"Dia." The girl, forgetting about the apples, got up and gently squeezed his hand.

"Dia? And your full name?"

"Uh... Diaphragm!"

Cord looked at his interlocutor.

"No, that's not true. First, no one introduces themselves to a stranger with their nickname so that they can decipher it later. Second, no one would pause while trying to remember their own name. Third, a girl trying to hide her name would appear strange and suspicious. Fourth, given such, she probably has a reason. Finally, fifth, in reality, you said so because you are Diadem, the daughter of Tsar."

The girl's eyes seemed to bulge out.

"How... How did you?"

"Logic," Cord winked.

"Ah... Uh... Well, okay! Yes, I'm Diadem," the girl smiled, blushing. "Only hush-hush, don't tell anybody!"

"To the grave!"

"You still have a strange chain of logic."

"It's pretty simple. I pretended as if it made sense, but really I just waited until you would say your full name."

The girl covered her mouth.

"So... You mean you caught me again?"

"I guess, a little."

"Not a little!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Cord smiled. "Catching people is my job."

"What do you do for work?"

Cord pointed to the packages.

"Let's deal with them first."

***

Running to the store, Cord bought a carton of milk and new bags, and then he and Dia put the groceries in them. The girl tried to take at least one of them, but Cord was adamant:

"It's not good for girls to carry heavy things."

"They're not that heavy," she smiled.

"Yet all the same. Come on, let's go where you were headed."

They ambled along the sidewalk.

"So what do you do?" Dia asked.

"Uh. I am an investigator."

"Wow! Do you catch bandits?"

"I mostly look for them. Others do the catching."

"Great! Interesting, I guess?"

"Rarely. Most of the criminals are knuckleheads. Why are you here, since you're Diadem?"

"Why shouldn't I be here?"

"Well, shouldn't you be involved in politics or something?"

"I could, but I don't want to," the girl smiled. "Until thirty, I am free to do anything, and then, well..." she let out a soft sigh.

"Don't you want to become Tsarina?"

"Nope. Political games, duplicity, intrigue... I don't like any of it. So while I can, I am going to live as I want."

"And meet random men on the street?" Cord chuckled.

"Hey! Only the stunning ones!" the girl laughed. "What I really want is to play in the theater, in a play of some kind. When autumn comes, I'll probably go to auditions."

"Why not now?"

"I just moved into an apartment, and I haven't got used to it yet. It's unusual when no one looks after me and when no one cooks me food." Dia winked.

"Well, I can make dumplings for you..."

The girl laughed merrily.

"I'm swept away! As soon as I make them, I'll call you, and you can put them in the saucepan!"

"So, can you cook?"

"Actually, as a person of royal blood, I can do a lot of things," Dia said importantly. "We are not workshy, just so you know!"

"I'm really not strong on palace life," Cord smiled. "I am more involved with criminals and the dead. It seems easier for me with them."

"I wouldn't know about that, I haven't tried! But politics is still a snake pit," the girl sighed. "So let's talk about something nicer!"

***

They walked chatting about this and that. Cord furtively studied his companion. For the daughter of the most influential person in the country, she was dressed simply: a white blouse, a box pleat skirt, sneakers. In her shoulder-length chestnut hair, a beautiful hairpin in the shape of a butterfly could be seen, and on her pretty face, a small nose with a scattering of freckles and a malicious smile.

"Helloooo?!" was suddenly heard. "Earth calling Cord, Earth calling Cord!"

"Huh?"

"You hover up in the clouds more than I do." Dia smiled.

"Yeah, but I wasn't hovering, I was thinking."

"Yeah," Dia giggled. "Must be pleasant thoughts!"

"I'm trying to guess how old you are."

"Well?"

"Hmm... Twenty?"

"Hee-hee. Twenty-six!"

"Wow!" Cord was sincerely surprised.

"My heredity is good," the girl said dismissively. "My mother also looked young for her age."

"Looked?"

"She died when I was five, from pneumonia."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-two."

"Yeah sure, immediately visible that you are an adult!"

"Are you always going to remind me about that fluff?"

"Of course!" Dia giggled. "By the way, we've arrived."

They stopped in front of a beautiful wrought-iron gate, behind which was an elite seven-story building with a small flower garden nearby.

"So that's what it looks like! Tsarina's tower!"

"Hey, don't call me that," Dia said, embarrassed. "It's just Dia, and that's it."

"Okay. Here you go," Cord handed her the packages.

"I thought you'd bring them up to the apartment like a gentleman," she winked, accepting them.

Cord glanced at his chronometer.

"It's almost five. They may call me soon about the case."

"Oh, case..."

"Murder," said Cord. "Now the most active phase of the investigation will begin. Perhaps I'll come by tonight."

"Ah, so that's it!" the girl smiled but then caught herself. "Oh, that is, I meant..."

"I got it," Cord smiled back, "but can we call each other as soon as everything is back to normal?"