"Hello, welcome!" The jeweler said excitedly. It seemed, they were the first customers of the day. Little did he know, they were not here to buy anything.
"Hi," Valkyrie said and threw him a bright smile.
The grey eyes of the middle-aged, blond mortal stuck to her a second longer than to Nuce.
She took a moment to take in the setting; a typical jewellery, with glassen display cases lining the walls in a U-shape, and posters advertising the newest collections hanging on white walls.
As with most of these places, Valkyrie found the majority of items here tasteless. But once in a while, her eyes would get stuck on a ring or a necklace she could see herself wearing. But then, how many opportunities did she get, really, to wear jewelry? Most of the time, she was in immediate danger to be dragged into the next brawl that happened to be within a kilometer radius.
Or maybe, she was the one starting them? Yes, Valkyrie realized. Usually, she or Skulduggery started the brawls. Skulduggery, most of the time, especially in recent months. She was trying not to start as many. But it turned out easier said than done. Most people immediately thought of violence, when they them. In fact, they expected violence.
It was hard to walk slowly, when one had perfected to run at high-speed.
"Come in, come in. Looking for anything specific or are you just browsing?" The jeweler asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Valkyrie reminded herself that this man was a mortal, and had no idea who she was.
"Something very specific actually," she told him intriguingly, as she and Nuce arrived by the counter. Valkyrie thought to see a spark in the jeweler's eyes. "My boyfriend here bought me a beautiful diamond. I'd love to see it in a ring."
"Well, well," the man praised with an approving look at Nuce. "No problem, let's see what we have."
Nuce pulled the box with the pink diamond from his jeans pocket. They had taken out the card, leaving only the gem in its velvet patting.
The jeweler accepted it and removed the diamond with two fingers, looking at it interestedly.
"My, my..." He muttered with something between an impressed and a confused frown. "What a beauty..."
The jeweler frowned deeper and turned to grab a magnifying glass. He looked at the diamond closer, squinting through the magnifier, making this eyes look blurry and small through it.
After a good while of looking at the diamond with a slowly deepening frown, the jeweler's brows suddenly shot up at a realisation. He put down the diamond and picked up the phone line next to him.
Nuce and Valkyrie looked at each other.
Valkyrie looked at the jeweler. "May I ask, who you're calling?"
"The police." The mortal said angrily, his finger hovering above the call button. "This diamond is stolen."
"Oh my God!" Valkyrie said with convincing shock.
"No, wait!" Nuce suddenly interrupted, hands held up defiantly. The jeweller hesitated.
"Please, don't call the cops on me... Come on, mate, look at me," he continued, gesturing at himself. "Do you really think I pulled off a diamond-heist?"
The jeweller mustered him critically.
Valkyrie joined in and glared at Nuce. "Where did you even get it from? One of your cousin's friends again?"
Nuce made an uncomfortable face.
She sighed exasperatedly. "I told you to stay away from those guys. They're nothing but trouble."
Nuce grabbed Valkyrie's hand, then turned back to the jeweller. "Look, I'm just some broke bloke, trying to get my girlfriend the best. I realize I shouldn't have bought it off the backstreet, but I didn't know it was stolen, alright?"
"Besides," Valkyrie added, "why would we come here and show you the stolen goods?"
The man sighed heavily but set the phone back on the receiver. He let himself sink into his chair and waved them away. "Just make sure you give it back to whoever you got it from. Anyone catches you with that on your person, and you won't only have a charge for theft on your heads."
"Thanks, mate," Nuce sighed relievedly.
"Actually..." Valkyrie interjected, contritely swinging her and Nuce's hand back and forth. She held his gaze intently. "Maybe, you could give us the name of who this actually belongs to? I'd feel more comfortable returning it to its owners. I'm sure they're looking for it."
The jeweller mustered her for a longer moment, eyes falling up and down her body, before looking over at Nuce. Then, he sighed again and crossed his arms, gesturing with one hand. "There's a store in the back of the Red Lion Pub. As far as I know, they acquired the collection last. And now, get out, before I change my mind."
They thanked him, collected the diamond, and swiftly headed out of the shop.
The moment the door fell shut behind them, Nuce let go of Valkyrie's hand.
"You're a pretty good actor." She noted approvingly as they made their way down the stairs.
He skimped her. "Not so bad yourself, Cain."
They joined Skulduggery and Diamond by the edge of the sidewalk, where they were leaning against a wall, engrossed in a conversation. Skulduggery was still wearing his dark green and black suit, while Diamond was wearing one of the silk blouses and warm fabric pants from Susanna. He had his facade on; dark but greying hair and a sharp face with brown eyes, which seemed amused by whatever Diamond was currently saying.
They looked up as the two approached, and Skulduggery nodded to them. "And?"
"Like you said," Valkyrie replied and gave Diamond back the box, who pocketed it, "it's stolen. We have an address."
"Brilliant." Skulduggery looked at Diamond. "Do you believe these owners could be Mages?"
She slowly lifted her shoulders. "I'd say, if they are connected to the same crime ring, it's likely."
"They probably won't talk to me, then." Valkyrie threw in.
"Then, maybe I should talk to them alone." Skulduggery said. "Return the diamond, see if I can get anything out of them."
"We should stay on the radio and listen in." Diamond said. "In case your cover blows."
He frowned. "Do you have earpieces on you?"
She snorted and Nuce pulled his backpack off, so that he could unzip it, and then unzip another small pocket inside.
He grinned and took out a small, black leather bag. "Do we look like amateurs?"
They listened in as Skulduggery entered the bar that the jeweler had pointed them to. They sat in Diamond's grey Audi A4; Valkyrie and Nuce in the backseat, and Diamond in the front but turned all the way around to them. The car was parked inside a back alley close to the establishment. Since the day was not far along yet, the bar was not very busy. Valkyrie watched the numerous passer-bys, which Diamond quickly mustered through the windshield, once in a while.
"Do you see any girls?" Diamond asked into her earpiece, as the sound of music and a small crowd of people quietly resounded in their ears.
"I see some young women around," Skulduggery replied. His voice sounded muffled through the microphone and the fact that we was probably not moving his mouth. "But they might be guests, and they look of age. If they are minors, they're good at hiding it."
"But they could be trafficked," Valkyrie clarified.
"They could be," Skulduggery's voice affirmed, "in fact, it's likely. Not all of them will be held at locations like the Perock villa. That was effectively a brothel..." He paused as a group of chatting people passed close by him.
"So, what's this, then?" Nuce nodded in the direction of the bar out of their sight.
"A trafficking victim is basically defined as someone, who was made to illegally cross state lines, oftentimes simply with the promise of something valuable." Skulduggery continued explaining as he moved through the bar hustling in the background. "Many of these girls live in their own apartments, join parties and events, and mingle, knowing that sexual activities will get them a reward."
"Sometimes, they just have to want to live here," Diamond added glumly, "the traffickers will say that the apartment and parties themselves are payment for their 'labor'."
"Sounds like a crap deal," said Nuce disgustedly.
"Which is why you don't let minors make business deals," she grumbled.
"Wait..." Nuce suddenly seemed to realize something. "So, you're saying, if I were to go to the wrong party... And get picked up by a girl... that could be a trafficking victim?"
"Well, you would need to be part of a truly questionable crowd, and entirely oblivious to it," Skulduggery replied, "But yes, hypothetically, it's possible."
"Bloody..." Nuce muttered, his next words fading below his breath.
"I found the back office," Skulduggery informed them mutedly, then fell quiet as he knocked and opened the door.
Two male voices greeted him, too far away yet to be understood properly.
"Good day," Skulduggery's voice replied.
"How can I help you?" The lighter of the two voices asked.
"I'm interested in looking at some of your collections."
"Certainly. Are you looking for an array or complete collections?"
"The best you have." Skulduggery said. "My wife, she... can be very demanding."
There was rustling and clacking in the background, as the man started to pull out boxes from whatever kind of storage the room had.
"Sirens... You know what they can be like." Skulduggery joked.
Diamond sniffed quietly in her front seat. Valkyrie and Nuce pushed their ear pieces in tighter. They all waited for the men's reactions.
"You're married to a Siren?" The man with the darker voice chirped in, sounding in disbelief, but not the kind of disbelief or obliviousness to be expected from a mortal at that comment. "Wow. What's that like?"
"As I said," Skulduggery replied, "very demanding."
The lighter voice suppressed a chuckle and seemed to focus on his job again. "Here we go. The best of our best, ready to woe any wife, human or not."
The three or them exchanged a confirming look in the car.
"The White Line, the Pink Line, and the Beast."
"The Beast." Skulduggery echoed, presumably eying the collections. "A fitting name. I see, there is one missing?"
There was an insecure sigh. "Yes, unfortunately, the Pink Line is incomplete."
"It's beautiful," Skulduggery commented.
"My personal favorite," the man smiled. "One that's almost white; one that's almost pink, and one that's so pink it's almost black: All of them are flawless."
"And the one that's almost pink is missing?"
"Yes..." He sighed, "we have sold it separately."
"And why would you do that?" Skulduggery asked. "Why split the collection?"
"Oh, it can happen," the man tried to shrug off, yet there was unease creeping into his voice.
"I have to say, I am extremely interested in this one. But I'm not the kind of man satisfied with an incomplete collection."
"Well, the White Line..."
"I don't want the White Line," Skulduggery interrupted. "Maybe, you could give me the contact information of whoever has the missing piece?"
"Sorry, Sir, but that would be against our policy," the man with the darker voice suddenly chimed in.
Diamond and Valkyrie exchanged a look between the dark seats of the car.
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind an excellent offer?" Skulduggery continued. "If not, I could just find out for myself. I'm quite the talented investigator, you should know."
"You don't want to go there, Sir." The lighter voice quickly advised.
"Why not?" Skulduggery prodded innocently.
"Some people are very particular about their investments," the darker voice tried.
"Oh, I can handle particular. Siren wife, remember?"
"I'm afraid we can't help you."
"Well then, I suppose, I will go find them myself." Skulduggery decided. His shoes clacked on wooden flooring.
"No, wait, don't!" The lighter voice called out. The steps faded. His colleague tried to shush him but he continued. "Don't contact him. You have no idea what he's like."
The women raised brows at each other.
"Score." Nuce said.
"What who is like?" Skulduggery asked.
"Just... go to another store. Or buy another collection. Let this one go."
There was a bit of a smirk in his voice. "But this store is so much more interesting."
Quiet fell over their earpieces. For a moment, Valkyrie was unsure if the connection was working. But the vague rustling of the bar in the background convinced her otherwise.
"Who the hell are you?" The darker voice finally asked coolly.
Diamond looked at Valkyrie, Valkyrie looked at Diamond. They both looked at Nuce. Then, they all jumped up.
Within seconds, they were out on the street, sprinting through the alleyway and towards the bar. Valkyrie could hear the men react to something with shock. Skulduggery said something about having skeletons in closets.
They were inside the bar now, pushing and pulling people out of the way, at which they gasped or cursed at them. The door of the back office was at the very end of the room, past the bar counter and most tables. They steered around the furniture and made their way towards it. Most of the costumers around stopped and stared at them, as they rushed by.
They burst into the room; hands up, muscles tensed, ready to fight.
But all three of them paused. There was no fight going on, no tense standoff. Instead, the two men were rushing around in their office, pulling open drawers and folders, and piling documents and maps onto the desk; harried looks on their faces.
Skulduggery was sitting on a chair in the corner by the table, with casually crossed legs, and his facade switched off. His revolver was propped onto the armrest, pointed at the scared men, as they laid out everything they had on the table.
"Ah, hello," Skulduggery greeted the newcomers. "Would you like a map?"
Valkyrie watched Diamond smirk.