Fatale
A/N: My brain won't shut up about a Film Noir!AU so here we are. I guess technically this would also be a 1940s AU but I don't wanna think about the 40s.
The day this small, blonde bombshell walked into Shadow's office, he knew she was trouble. And it wasn't just the way Sandy carried herself, no, it was the way her shoulders were set and the finality of the door closing behind her.
"Detective," she started, taking a seat. "I hear you're on my brother's case."
Shadow nodded, lighting a cigarette and puffing smoke. "That I am. What's it to you?" he asked, leaving out the importance of why she was in his office in the first place.
There weren't many leads on Randy. Some say he just up and vanished. But Shadow knew better. Maybe Sandy did too and that's why she was here.
"I want in," she said, green eyes serious even when Shadow scoffed.
"No,"
"He's my brother. And I ain't jus' gonna sit around while you do nothin'."
"I'm doing something," he shot back, getting up and walking towards her. "and it'd be best if I did it alone."
The underground world was no place for a lady and even less so someone that could be a suspect. After all, their farm was an inheritance. Who's to say the woman looking at him now didn't want the profits for herself?
Sandy clicked her tongue, looking at her trembling hands. "Him and his family's all I got left." she said, voice cracking. "I can tell you where he was last, anything, jus' help me find him."
"You mean you're the last person to see him?"
She shook her head, letting out a watery laugh. "That'd be James, he, Randy wasn't always at the craps table but...they knew each other well enough."
Shadow frowned. James was some trumpet player seemingly out of work at the local nightclub, Vapor. "You. Come with me."
The club was in full swing by the time Shadow and Sandy made it inside. Shadow watched as Sandy greeted the bartender with familiarity that only came with the stakes of their current mission. They just had to keep cool and find James, but a drink or two would smooth things over.
A drink or two did not smooth things over as Shadow sat at the bar beside Sandy, their trumpet player missing from his usual haunts. Then again, Shadow wouldn't want to stick around here either. He slid from his seat, the room spinning for a moment before Sandy put a steadying hand on his back.
"I'm good," he said, waving her off and taking a step forward. So far so good, he hadn't faceplanted onto the sticky floor yet.
Sandy took his arm, leading him to the back where the band set up. And there was James. The fox was smoking and talking to some woman.
"How did you–" Shadow started, pausing only when James took one look at the pair and slipped out the door. Shadow sobered up, chasing after him, pushing himself forward as Sandy easily outpaced him.
He turned a corner as a yelp sounded and Sandy had James pinned against the wall.
"I told you already, I don't know nothin' about nobody." James grit out, trying to push himself away as Shadow walked up to him. "For a price I'm sure the lady here can pay."
Shadow sighed, taking over as Sandy's grip on James loosened. The click of handcuffs was a somewhat comforting sound to his addled brain. He didn't need them. Yet. "We just want to ask you a few questions." he said, easing up.
James snorted, tossing his head back as he laughed. "You didn't ask Sandy over there," he replied, leering at the squirrel.
Sandy frowned, looking away from Shadow.
"Where'd you last see Randy Cheeks?" Shadow asked instead.
"Here, but that was months ago. Haven't seen him since he won his keep." James said.
Shadow swallowed, knowing Randy's only job was on the farm. "What's that supposed to mean?"
James turned, shoving his hands in his pockets. "We play craps together each month, couple months ago he won and just never came back. What? Your little partner over there hasn't seen him?"
"No," Sandy replied, shaking her head. She twisted the strap on her coat, a nervous habit no doubt from how worn it looked.
"Is that all you know?" Shadow asked, returning his gaze to James. The fox nodded, fixing his jacket as Shadow stepped away.
Shadow grit his teeth, grabbing Sandy by the arm and leading them out of the alleyway. "Tell me the truth," he growled watching Sandy's dumbstruck expression turn to one of acceptance.
"Randy's alive."
Sandy shifted, frowning as Shadow's grip on her arm tightened. "Alright, fine, he's alive," she repeated.
"How do you know that?" Shadow asked, red eyes looking into hers.
Sandy looked away, finding interest in the wall all of a sudden. "He sends me letters. I jus' don't know where he is n I want him back home."
Shadow huffed, letting go of Sandy as he turned and started walking away. "Then help me help you, how about that?" he asked.
Sandy followed after him, fiddling with the strap of her coat again. It didn't take them long to reach the Cheeks residence. Shadow knocked, lighting a cigarette and smoking it quickly. Anything to take the edge he had off.
A woman answered the door, mouth opening as she looked at Sandy then Shadow. "Please come in," she said, moving aside to let them in.
Shadow stopped in the living room, finding himself alone as the woman from earlier took Sandy aside to speak. The two women walked into the living room, sitting beside each other.
Laila was the first to speak. "Thank fer comin', Detective. Even the circumstances ain't the greatest." she said, biting the inside of her lip. "I just want my husband back home, y'hear?"
Shadow nodded, looking at Sandy. "Where are the letters you received?" he asked, watching as Sandy squeezed Laila's hand for a moment. He could hear movement from upstairs.
Sandy led him upstairs and into her room. He noted three separate rooms with names of children.
"You never said he had kids." he commented, leaving the door open.
"My nieces don't need to hear 'bout this, Laila's worried enough." Sandy replied, giving Shadow the letters.
Most of them didn't have return addresses, so how were they communicating?
"How often to did you say you got these?"
"I didn't. But I get em 'bout every week or two." Sandy sat on the bed. "Detective, I don't get why he jus' up n ran with jus' the clothes on his back, but I'm real worried."
"I know you are and it's my job to find him," Shadow replied, looking at where the return address would usually be. He held the envelope up to the light, making out faded handwriting. Y-O-N-D.
Shadow swallowed. Yond was a barren wasteland, what would a family man be doing all the way out there with nothing?
Night had fallen by the time Shadow and Sandy made it to Yond, the barren landscape seeming vast. Sandy swallowed, walking ahead of Shadow towards the lonesome, quiet town. She hoped Randy was here.
They went from the first establishment to the next, asking if the owner had seen her brother. All answering with varied no's or simply closing the door in the pair's face.
Sandy sat down on the nearby bench, running a hand over her face as she fought off frustrated tears. It didn't make sense for him to just up and leave everything behind. Was he running from something?
"Hey," Shadow called, sitting beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "we'll find him."
Sandy nodded, getting off the bench and heading towards the hotel. They might as well spend the night somewhere safe.
Shadow sat in the chair across from the bed as Sandy slept, scotch in hand. He sighed, grabbing the key and leaving the room. He wandered the halls, ending up on the top floor. He shook his head, starting to head back when a man passed him and looked familiar.
Shadow tailed the man, swallowing as the squirrel pulled a key from his pocket and entered a room. He knocked, coming face to face with Randy Cheeks.
"Are you–" Randy's face blanked with fear as he backed away from Shadow. "Are you with Von Barke?"
Shadow shook his head, watched as Randy relaxed. "I'm a detective," Shadow answered. "I'm here to bring you home."
Randy's face crumpled at this, his hand coming up to wipe away easily shed tears. "I can't go back."
Shadow gave a single nod. It wasn't his first time dealing with Von Barke in general, but he was determined to bring Randy home.