Page 37 of Vallaverse: Noir
I nod. “We respect each other, so I'm going to get right to the point and be blunt about it.”
“Go ahead,” Michael says, coming up to lean against the counter beside Jonah.
I nod again. “I'm working a case. A missing girl. I'm going to show you some pictures.” I pull up Celia's picture first. “Have you seen her?”
They both look at the picture closely, but they both shake their heads.
“I haven't seen her around,” Jonah says. “Have you asked the wharf boys?”
I shake my head. “No. And here's why.” I bring up the pictures of the Alphas I just took care of.
Michael blows out a breath, his cheeks puffing out as he meets my eyes. “You? Or someone else?”
“Me. Do you know them?”
Jonah leans forward to take a closer look. “Listen. Don't go running in the wrong direction with this, okay? You know we're trying to clean up around here. You've been watching us for years. You know the work we put in. You've seen it.”
“I have.”
They exchange a look and Michael gives Jonah a nod. “Okay,” Jonah continues. “So, part of that is cutting ties with certain undesirables. We broke off from Dad's usual crew after he retired. We keep up some things because, well, they benefit us. They benefit other people, too. But we went away from anything having to do with the center. Dad had his hands in all kinds of shit, and we didn't agree with it. When we took over here, we cut the center out of everything. No more Omegas for friends and favors. No more sneaking Alphas into the center. Nothing. Some people got pissed and started doing their own thing. We don't have anything to do with that.”
That's a lot of information to digest. And I only have about four minutes before Pierce comes charging in. “You think those people took the girl?” My bet is that the people that Jonah and Michael broke away from work for the mayor now, they took Celia, and that's where we'll find her.
“I wouldn't be surprised,” Michael says.
“Last question and then I have to run before my Valla comes in after me.”
“Valla?” Jonah asks, eyes wide. “But I thought?” He gestures toward Beckett.
“I get the best of both worlds,” I smirk, and he smiles at me. “Last question. What do you think of the mayor?”
“Of the Coburn?” Michael asks.
I nod.
They look at each other, then Michael answers. “We think he needs to tighten his ship.”
That's all I need. “Thank you. I'll get out of your hair now.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Jonah calls as I'm turning around. “You're not even going to introduce us?”
Beckett offers his hand. “Beckett.”
Jonah shakes it. Ecstatically. “Jonah. This is Michael.”
Michael shakes his hand, too. “I want to meet the Valla.”
I roll my eyes. “Maybe next time.” I glance at my watch. Jesus. “We're going now.”
Pierce is five paces from the door when Beckett and I walk back onto the street. He waves the car over without looking back. Beckett gets in before me and slides over so I can get in. I scoot in next to him as efficiently as I can and Pierce slides in beside me.
“How did it go?” he asks.
“How well do you know the mayor?” I ask in return.
“It's really the mayor?”
I nod. “Sounds like.”
