The night was colder than usual in Ashbridge as Alex navigated its street to a location he frequently visited.
The building was unassuming, and people would walk right past it and don't even know what happened inside. Opening the doors and entering, Alex was met with the usual sight in front of him, a big burly man standing next to the door that led deeper inside the building.
The burly man seeing that it was Alex, didn't bother asking any questions that he usually asked the patrons that visited the establishment and just simply greeted him with a curt nod of his head and opening the door for him to continue inside.
Beyond that door lay a bar unlike any other. Low lighting cast shadows across polished wood and velvet couches. Soft jazz drifted through the air, mingling with the scent of aged whiskey and cigar smoke. The clientele? CEOs, underground elites, minor politicians, and a few wealthy investors. This was more than a bar—it was a place where influence drank quietly, and deals were made in whispers.
He walked up to the bartender,
"Hey Sammy, is he upstairs?"
The bartender nodded his head without speaking and he went back to whatever he was doing. He was never much for conversation.
Used to it, Alex ignored him and continued to approach the flight of stairs that led to a closed brown wooden door. Arriving there, he opened the door without knocking.
Inside was a study straight out of a classic noir film. Shelves lined with books. A coffee table between two elegant couches. And behind a large mahogany desk sat a man who exuded grace and danger—silver hair, a neatly trimmed beard, a sharp charcoal three-piece suit with a crimson pocket square. A golden monocle rested on his right eye, and black leather gloves covered his hands.
"Good evening Mr. Gray, still haven't learned to knock, I see." The man spoke without looking up from his papers.
Seeing the man, a small genuine smile appeared on Alex's face, "One of these days, I'll catch you off guard, Edgar. Might even catch you entertaining a lady."
"Would be interesting to see," Alex continued as he sat down on one of the couches and made himself comfortable.
"That would be a sight." Edger responded, still focusing on his papers.
Alex chuckled and sank into one of the couches. Silence settled, familiar and comfortable.
Alex used this time to look at Edger's Status.
[Name: Edger Thorne]
[Age: 69]
[Occupation: Owner of The Silver Quill Bar]
[Skills: Business Management: A+
Diplomatic Negotiation: S
Information Control: A+
Combat Pistol Proficiency: A
Espionage Tactics: A+
Blackmail Analysis: S
Disguise and Misdirection: A+
Financial Laundering: S
Legal Loophole Exploitation: A]
Looking at the man's skills, Alex couldn't help but admire him even more. The man was a very good ally to have, and he couldn't overlook the impact this man had on his life.
After a couple more minutes of silence, Edger finally looked at Alex and a glint of intrigue flashed into his eyes as he took a deep look at him. "Anything of interested happened.?"
The man asked, "Yeah, you could say that."
"Lucian, was in town a couple of nights ago, killed my crew and left."
"I see." Edger responded.
Not expecting anything more from him Alex asked, "How's the business?"
"Splendid."
"That's good, I came here to speak to you about something Edger…. well two things"
"Ohh? Do tell"
"Well, it's a business opportunity where we both can make a lot of money from and maybe grow into something even bigger." Alex said as he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Edger.
Intrigued, he took the small piece of paper and read through it with a neutral face.
"This is certainly interesting, are you positive that this formula is good?"
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure Edger, but for your peace of mind we can do some tests and see how it is around the streets before committing massive funds to it, what do you think."
"That would be a sensible plan, have you found a chemist to make the product?" Edger asked as he looked at Alex.
"Well, I was hoping you can sort that out." Alex replied as he avoided the elder man's piercing eyes.
"Mmm…That will be handled then. What is this other matter you wished to discuss with me?"
This time Alex turned serious, and Edger noticed this and couldn't help but admire the kid, 'It's always fascinating to see that look in your eyes. Makes me wonder what drives a man like you?'
"Was hoping you could use some of your connections in Rome to find out more information about Lucian." Alex spoke, his tone losing any lightheartedness it had earlier.
"Now that's certainly going to a difficult task, it's been a while since I did any Operations in Rome." Seeing the unwavering look in Alex's eyes, he reluctantly continued, "But I will reach out to some of my old contact to see if I can gather any information."
Hearing this Alex stood up, ready to leave, "I appreciate it Edger, I won't forget this."
"Ohh I will certainly make sure you do not forget."
Smiling, Alex left the Office.
--
With the funding and Chemist obtained, Alex now needed to find the rest of the crew that's going to be dealing with distribution and assisting with manufacturing of the Val Drug.
And as if on cue his burner phone rang with a notification. Pulling it out, Alex opened the message
{Messenger: Detective}
-I got the names you wanted-
The first name that was on the list was Doug Colson who was arrested under the charges of possession with the intent to distribute. Perfect candidate for what Alex needed for his operations. He returned his phone back to his pocket as he waved for a taxi that was approaching him.
---
Martin entered his house and loosened his tie as usual after coming back from work. Going through his regular routine and announcing, "Ana, I'm home." Not expecting a response as usual, but a response came, "I'm in the living room father."
Surprised, he went to the living room and saw his daughter sitting on the brown leather couch looking at Alex, sitting on the same single leather couch sipping a glass of whisky like he owned the place.
"Judge, its good to see you still alive and kicking."
"Take a seat and join us, I was just having a pleasant conversation with your daughter Ana here." He said as he smirked.