For Mortal Stakes: A Malfoy Files Story
Chapter Two
A/N: I own none of what you recognize and only a portion of what you do not.
I started my investigation the next day at the same place I start most of my investigations, The Firepit. Blaise Zabini bought a small rundown pub right after Hogwarts. The area where the pub was located was slated for urban renewal shortly after he purchased it. So Blaise quickly found his small pub smack in the middle of the fastest growing Magical community in all of Britain. So he did what we Slytherins do best; he adapted. He bought the connecting shops and expanded, turning The Firepit into the hottest magical nightclub going while reinventing himself into a legitimate businessman.
I was met at the door by the walking wall that was Willie, Blaise's bouncer. "Hey Mr. M," the huge man greeted me.
"Hey Willie, how's it going?" I asked, allowing him to open the door for me.
"I am doing okay, how are you?"
"Well, I am a little troubled by the violent nature of man and his inherent need for self-destruction." I smirked. "Or maybe I'm just hungry."
Willie shook his head. "Let me know if you figure it out," he laughed, holding the door.
It was late morning so the Pit had just started to open. I made my way to the tap room Blaise kept open in the back so old farts like he and myself could hang out and hold a conversation.
"Draco," Corinae greeted me, coming out from behind the bar and hugging me.
Corinae was the younger sister I never knew I had, quite literally. She had the misfortune of being born a squib in a pureblood family. My father had me obliviated so I would not remember and bring shame on the Malfoy name. She found me and hired me to help her a few years ago.
"Can I get you the regular?" she asked.
"Just the food," I answered, moving to my regular booth. Corinae brought me a sandwich and a bowl of soup. "What is it this time?" I asked
"Seafood salad on rye with a bowl of blackened shrimp gumbo," she said, setting the food in front of me. The steady customers never ordered from Corinae; we just let her choose for us. She had not been wrong yet.
"Is he around?" I asked, sniffing the soup. "I need to talk to him."
"He's in the office," she replied, wiping her hands on her apron. "I'll let him know you're here."
I nodded and took a bite of the gumbo. Corinae was right again. The soup seemed to do more than satisfy my hunger; it seemed to soothe me. I was halfway through my lunch when Blaise showed up.
"Hey," he said, sliding into the booth across from me.
He caught Corinae's eye and held up his hand. She nodded and a few minutes later brought him a plate with pasta with a white sauce, a loaf of garlic bread, and a chilled bottle of red wine. She set the food in front of Blaise and let her hand linger on his for just a moment. Blaise's normally cool and blank expression softened just a bit.
"Something I should know about you and my sister?" I asked between bites.
Blaise looked shocked, "Nothing man, honest. I wouldn't do that to her."
"You are not a good guy," I said. "Point of fact, you are a very bad guy."
Blaise nodded. "I know, which is why nothing is happening or going to happen." Blaise took a bite of his pasta, smiled, and shook his head. "I don't know how she does it. Have you ever seen her be wrong?"
"Never," I said, taking a piece of his bread.
"So what did you need?"
"I need to know who you know in the prostitution biz."
"Something I need to know about you and Torri?" Blaise smirked. "She wake up and realize who she was with?"
"It's for a case, dipshit. I am looking for someone who specializes in younger girls."
"I don't know anyone like that and if I did, you wouldn't be able to talk to them without a medium." Blaise's eyes grew cold.
"I didn't think you did, but you might put me in touch with someone who does."
"The only person I know is Astrid. She runs a high end brothel for high end clientele."
"Can you arrange a meeting for me?"
Blaise nodded and took another bite of pasta, "Shouldn't be a problem. I'll let you know when."
I finished my bread and stood up. "Put this on my tab, would ya?"
"We don't run tabs here," Blaise countered.
"Huh, imagine that," I said, walking out without paying.
-ooo-
Everyone knew Astrid Parker. She was the Madame of the most expensive and exclusive brothel in all of magical Britain. I was waiting in a very plush yet still professional office. I was sitting in a chair sipping the cup of tea that had been offered by the young man who had shown me in. Astrid Parker glided into the room and approached me. She looked to be about my age with dark hair, streaked with silver. She was wearing a Muggle business suit. As I shook her hand, I noticed her makeup and manicure were perfect.
"Mr. Malfoy, I have heard so much about you."
"If it is from Blaise, then it's all lies." I smirked.
"You have garnered quite the reputation. Seems you are something of a heroic figure to some. You are not really at all what I expected."
"Well, my tights and cape are at the cleaners."
"How droll," she sniffed, sitting in a chair behind her desk. "What can I do for you?"
"I am working for a client who has the need to contact someone in your line of work."
"Go on," she said, sounding interested.
"The person or persons I am looking for would specialize in younger girls and may even be involved in pornography."
"Those types of vermin and not associated with me. My women are all here by choice and are all of age. Those people prey upon the innocent to feed the needs of the perverse." She grew angrier. "They are nothing like me."
"I might have misspoke, and I apologize. I simply meant that in your profession you might have crossed paths with the type of person I am looking for. Maybe you could give me a name, a place to start."
"I might be able to do that. What would be in it for me?" she asked, smiling, showing off her perfect teeth.
"I could pay you, but I don't think that's what motivates you." I thought about it for a few minutes. "I'll tell you what, you give me a name and a last known, and I will owe you a favor."
She smiled even broader. "Hmmm, a favor from you. Being that I kind of like the super hero Draco Malfoy owing me, and the fact that if you don't like these people, you have a tendency to leave destruction in your wake, I will look into it and let you know." She stood up and extended her hand. "In the meantime you can go back to stopping the bad guys and rescuing the damsels in distress."
"Up, up, and away." I smirked, shaking her slim hand.
-ooo-
I sat at my desk in my office reading a few case files and filling out the billing invoices Gertie had left for me. My office door opened, and a small man with a pinched face and greasy black hair entered, flanked on either side by a very large man.
"You Malfoy?"
"That's what it says on the door."
The small man walked into my office. "You're poking your nose into somewhere it don't belong."
"I hate it when it does that. But hey, you see the size of it. Sometimes the thing has a mind of its own."
"You're very fucking funny. Let's see how funny you are without some of your teeth."
The two large men made their move. I was ready. I kicked back on my desk toppling over in my chair pulling my wands. I rolled to my left and started casting spells. I kicked up and hit one of the large men in the face with a stunner, closed the gap, and kicked the other one in the crotch. He went down. In all the excitement I lost track of the smaller man. I quickly found him again in the form of a sap to the back of my head. The world went black for a few seconds. When I came to, I was being held by one of the large men.
"There he is," the little man croaked. He reeled back and punched me in the jaw. "You need to back off." He hit me in the solar plexus, causing my wind to leave. "If you don't," he hit me again, "we will kill you."
The man dropped me onto the floor, stepped over me, and picked up his stunned friend. The small man got closer to my face, and I could smell his rancid breath.
"Do yourself a favor and just back off. You don't have any idea who you're up against." He kicked me one last time in the ribs and walked out of my office.
I was beginning to think he was right.