Jaune and Ren entered the station already deep in conversation. The place was rowdy as usual, but in a place like Vale, that prized individuality, passion, and most importantly of all, positivity, a rowdy place filled with camaraderie was just the place you wanted to be.

"I'm not judging your taste, Jaune. She seems like she has a wonderful personality."

"Ren, I'm telling you it was an accident. I swiped in the wrong direction. Besides, you were distracting me just hoping I would make a mistake. Admit it."

"The only thing I'll admit is what I saw you do. Besides, as I said, she seems lovely."

Ren looked down to Jaune's scroll at the woman's picture displayed alongside the information, taking note of the words on her shirt

"No Gag Reflex. Charming."

"Oh you are just loving this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. My dear partner may have just met his soul mate. I hope you'll ask me to be your best man when you finally pop the question to . . ."

There was another slight pause as Ren took another look at Jaune's scroll.

". . . Bonquisha."

"All right, all right, you've had your fun. Now help me figure out what to say. I really don't need this right now."

"What's there to figure out? You guys matched up, and-"

"Ren . . ."

Ren looked at his partner's pleading expression, and though he couldn't completely suppress his smile, he did finally offer some advice.

"Honestly, Jaune, I'm not sure there's a good way to tell her you picked her on accident. Besides, from those messages, it doesn't appear as though she's going to take no for an answer. Looks like you owe her a date."

Jaune could only groan. This certainly hadn't been the way he wanted to start his work day. Plus, he just knew that Ren was going to be insufferable all day. The pleased look on his partner's face just promised it. So rather than continue to fight a losing battle, Jaune opted instead to avoid it as much as he could. As soon as they reached their desks, he turned to business. Ren sat in his seat, Jaune leaned against his own desk.

"So, do we have anything to give to the chief? I don't think he's going to be too pleased to hear we've gone this long without something to show for it.

Ren recognized his partner's ploy for what it was, but decided to let it be for the moment. There would be plenty of time to continue the ribbing later, no need to do it all at once. Besides, as much as he hated to let the moment go, they were at the office. The torture could continue another time. He shook his head.

"Nothing substantial, I'm afraid. As much as I hate to admit it, they're good. The break-ins have all been clean. Hardly a shred of evidence left behind. Every robbery has used a different method of entry, and they're spaced just far enough apart to make them seem unrelated rather than a 'spree'. Whoever they are, they've done a considerable amount of work to make these robberies to seem like they have different culprits behind them."

Jaune folded his arms as he leaned back further onto the desk.

"Yeah, though if we're being honest, I don't blame them. After the Breach and all that mayhem, Vale cracks down pretty hard on anyone they even perceive as having too much dust. This at least gives them a bit of breathing room."

Ren nodded in agreement.

"I just wish that they would stop making our jobs harder."

They shared a smile at that, but the truth remained that they were still no closer to solving this case than they had been a few days prior. Even the new lead from Cardin didn't give them too much to work with since their new search hadn't brought in any new physical evidence.

Still, it had cemented their theory, so that was something at least. There was one culprit behind everything, and they weren't just going after innocent dust shops. They were starting to go after any sort of dust they could get their hands on, no matter who it belonged to. That could only mean trouble.

"So what are our options? Just keep raiding warehouses?"

"No, I don't think that that will do any good. The ones we already visited were completely done in. Incinerating your base from the inside out is an excellent way to cover your tracks, I'll admit. I highly doubt any other bases we find will be in any better shape. We've got to try something else."

Jaune nodded.

"All right, then. I guess we just start making the rounds. Lemme just grab some coffee and we'll head out. You want some?"

"And have Nora start to think I've been drinking coffee in secret? No thank you."

"What? Are you serious? That's hours away, she'll never know."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course I do."

"And this has nothing to do with getting me back for your poor dating choices?"

"What? Why would you even say that?! And hey, I thought you said she was lovely."

"Right, well I think I'll stick with tea, thank you."

Jaune sighed dramatically, doing his best to seem sincerely hurt.

"Have it your way, then. I swear, what's the world coming to when you can't even trust your own partner."

Ren smiled as he watched the blond begin to leave, but couldn't resist one last jab.

"Oh, and Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember that the coffee is on the right. That's the hand that you're holding your mug in. Don't want you getting mixed up again."

Jaune didn't even look back as he walked away, choosing to let his finger do the talking instead.

He said a few short hellos as he passed familiar faces, though he didn't stop to chat. Even if he had had the time, almost no one else did. Vale was a large city, and there never seemed to be enough people to properly protect it. Long shifts were common, and everyone's docket was filled with ongoing investigations. That only made his current lack of progress all the more frustrating. This was taking longer than he had time for, and unless they found something quick, the chief would pull him off this 'wild goose chase' and put him back to work on more pressing matters. Jaune didn't think they had that was something they could afford to do.

As he approached the coffee, the sound of a familiar voice made him smile.

"And then she said, now that's a-"

"Dude, I swear, if you finish that, I'm going to choke you with your own goggles."

"What? Why? It's funny!"

"It was funny the first hundred times maybe. I never want to hear 'Now that's a katana' ever again."

"But-"

"Ever."

"You've heard it before?"

"Yeah, dude. Everyone's heard it before. She's been telling that story for years."

"Then why is this my first time hearing it?"

"Beats me. Maybe you're just never around when it comes up."

"Impossible. If she's told it as many times as you've said, I would have heard it at least once."

"I don't know what to tell you, man. But everyone knows it, watch."

The pair finally noticed the approaching Jaune and took the opportunity.

"Hey, Jaune, what's the punchline to that joke Yang's always-"

"Now that's a katana."

"See?"

Jaune could only laugh as Neptune sputtered his disbelief. Sun patted his partner on the back sympathetically. As Neptune regained his composure, Jaune poured his coffee, pretending he hadn't seen that 'cool guy' façade slip. He didn't get to see these two often, but it was always a nice surprise whenever they did manage to stop by.

"So, how much longer are you guys in town," he asked.

Sun hopped up to sit on the counter as his partner drank his coffee, pretending the past minute hadn't happened.

"Not too much longer. Now that Maroon is behind bars, all that's left is to finish up the paper work. It might be a couple of days before we have to head back, but that's pushing it."

Jaune nodded. Ronald K. Maroon had been suspected of killing his business partner over the man's decision to not sell his half of their shared property, cutting them out of a deal that would have made them both rich. He had escaped the authorities in Mistral, and gone in to hiding in Vale. Sun and Neptune had leaped at the chance to visit, and been Mistral's representation in their joint investigation.

"We should do something before you leave, unless you have . . . other plans?"

Sun's sheepish smile told him everything he needed to know. Neptune rolled his eyes, but grinned right alongside him. Jaune smiled and nodded knowingly.

"Well, if you do manage to get some free time before you leave. Let me know."

"Sounds good."

"In the meantime, I've got to get back before Ren notices I'm not actually doing any work."

They all laughed at that, and with another small wave, Jaune left the two to their discussion, their voices growing distant despite how loud they already were.

"What other things have I missed out on?!"

Ren was just getting off the phone when Jaune returned. There were a few more scribbles on his notebook, which could only be a good sign, but his face didn't give too much away. It almost never did. He nodded a few times as the person on the other side spoke, but said little.

"Right, okay. Yes, we'll be right over. Sit tight."

Jaune sipped his coffee as Ren finished, hanging up the phone with a sigh.

"I take it that wasn't our perp calling to turn himself in?"

"I'm afraid our luck hasn't improved that much, though we do now have a lead."

Jaune's face lit up.

"That's great! Let's go."

"Well, you're not going to like it."

Jaune, who was already heading towards the door, froze.

". . . Why not?"

"They want to give us the information in person."

"And let me guess, this lead just happens to live in Azure Heights?"

"Got it in one."

There was a slight pause.

"Today is just not my day."

Jaune drove and Ren observed. Neither really cared if they were being followed or not on this particular route. Anyone who tried to get any useful information out of this particular trip would be in for a not so important surprise.

The houses grew nicer the further on they went on. Apartments gave way to houses, which gave way to quaint homes you would see on the cover of magazines. These gave way to larger homes, any of which would have made either of them happy men, but was kind of hard to appreciate them considering their destination. Twenty minutes in to their drive, they finally arrived at the gate that separated the rich from the obscenely rich.

As always, Jaune marveled at the scale of the buildings around them. This was the premier piece of real estate in Vale, secured for only the elite. Even if he, Ren, and Nora had pooled every last cent they had, he doubted that they would even be able to rent a room in one of these places. But even they paled in comparison to the gated building before them.

Azure Heights could barely be considered a house. Calling it that would probably insult the building and everyone inside of it. The Manor itself could most likely comfortably house the two homes nearest it, as distant as those homes may be. Built on the top of a large hill, it lorded over the rest of the area in a way that seemed to demean everything that passed under its shadow. Jaune could never get used to the sheer size of it. Nor could Ren, for that matter, but they had a job to do.

Pulling up to the gate, Jaune smiled at the man inside the security booth. The man inside looked as if he barely fit in the booth. He also looked like he could break the two detectives in half. That wouldn't have been an issue had the first words out of Jaune's mouth not been:

"Table for two, please."

The guard gave him a hard stare, and he could distinctly hear Ren sigh behind him, but it didn't matter. They had all done this song and dance before.

"Your boss is expecting us, so why don't you play nice and press that little button."

There was a long silence as the two stared each other down, and Jaune had the quite accurate idea that this man was just waiting for an opportunity to taze him. Luckily, Ren intervened.

"Afternoon, Oakley. How are the kids?"

"They're doing fine as always, detective, Lie. Just started school, actually."

"Already? That came up fast."

"Yeah, that's how it always goes."

"And how about your wife? Is she enjoying the new time to herself?"

"She hardly knows what to do with herself, actually. Still looking for a hobby."

"Well, I'm sure she'll find it soon enough. That, or start pestering you for another."

The guard managed a laugh, though the suddenly strained look on his face said that he hadn't quite considered that possibility.

"Well. . . we'll see about that. But I guess I shouldn't hold you two up any longer," he said as he worked the controls and opened the large, rolling gate before them.

"We appreciate it, Oakley."

"Sure do, Oaks," Jaune added, shooting a finger gun at the man. Oakley glared at him one more time before they passed.

Ren sighed.

"Do you really have to do that every time we come? I know you're stalling for time, but we have to go in eventually, and in the meantime, you're just pissing off a guy trying to do his job."

"Hey, the day you take point on this, I'll be the guys best friend. Until then, my rules."

Ren shook his head, but didn't push the issue any further. They had had this conversation at least a dozen times, and it never led anywhere. At this point it was more ritual than anything else. They pulled up in front of the estate, and got off without another word.

There was no one waiting for them at the door, but everyone inside must have already known they were there. The two had been called, after all, and even if they hadn't, Oakley would have called ahead. Sure enough, almost as soon as Jaune rang the bell, the door opened, and a man wearing a butler's outfit ushered them inside.

"Please, do make yourselves comfortable in the foyer; the lady will be with you shortly."

Jaune nodded, and Ren thanked the man before they were left alone in the room.

The two looked around, amazed, as always, at the amount of wealth one person could fit into one room if they really tried. Paintings hung on the walls, ornately framed and displaying scenery of what they had come to know was Lady Evergreen's homeland. The furniture was impeccably clean, and neither of the two detectives would risk sitting on them, despite having been offered a seat there several times. The small bobbles displayed around the room probably each cost more than Jaune's car, and so were equally off limits. In fact, the only thing that wasn't off limits was the rug, and even then, only barely.

They waited for a solid ten minutes before the doors opened again and Lady Lillian Evergreen entered.

Standing just a few inches shorter than Jaune, and taller than Ren, Lady Evergreen appeared in the doorway with all of her usual fanfare. Her raven hair fell down to her shoulders in thick curls, her piercing emerald eyes scanned the room and fell on the two men with seemingly obvious delight. Her black dress seemed to accentuate everything just so, and there was no doubt in Ren's mind that she had chosen it specifically for their visit. The two men smiled nervously as she approached.

"Detectives, it certainly has been quite some time since your last visit."

Her accent was distinctly Mistralian, though the two had never actually gotten her history out of her.

Ren heard a small 'not long enough' from his partner and not so gently smacked him in the stomach. Jaune took the hint and smiled, though perhaps not as convincingly as Ren would have liked.

"It certainly has, Mrs. Evergreen. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"Please, Detective. I've asked you several times to call me Lillian. Mrs. Evergreen makes me sound like an old maid."

"I doubt anyone will be making that mistake anytime soon, Lillian," Ren added with a smile.

Sure enough, it would be quite a while before anyone would think she was old. She offered Ren a glowing smile, and made her way towards what Jaune thought was way too fancy to be called a couch. Her toned muscles and graceful movements provided a small reminder to the two that Lillian Evergreen had two very large advantages aside from her money: An unlocked aura and years of training. She sat and smiled towards the two.

"So, what brings you all the way to Azure Heights, detectives?"

". . . Unless I'm mistaken, you called us," Jaune replied, trying to keep his smile from turning to a grimace. He already knew where this was going. They had all done this song and dance before.

"Ah, so I did. With all the comings and goings on around here, it must have slipped my mind."

"That does happen even to the best of us, Lillian," Ren added with a smile. "But we really should get down to business. As with any case, time is of the essence."

Lillian smiled and held a finger to her lips, tapping it thoughtfully.

"Ah yes, I had heard you boys were burning the midnight oil recently, running yourselves ragged. It certainly must be difficult to keep going this long with nothing to show for it."

Neither of them so much as flinched at how much she seemed to know about what they had been up to. They had learned quite some time ago that she would always know more than she should, and definitely more than made them comfortable. Sometimes the best way to keep tabs on someone came in two easy steps. Step 1: Declare that money was no object. Step 2: Mean it. The two had come to realize that it was easiest to just assume that she knew everything you did. It made everything run smoother.

"As always, your grasp of the town gossip leaves little to be desired," Jaune managed with a smirk.

"But of course. Living all the way out here can certainly leave one feeling a little lonely. Sometimes you need to find ways to pass the time. Give yourself a little . . . stimulation."

The smile she gave them suddenly became predatory, and Jaune didn't like the way her eyes wandered. He never did. Ren came to his rescue, stepping forward.

"Well, as much as we would love to stay here and relax, I'm afraid we really can't tarry too long. You mentioned over the phone that there was some information you had to share with us?"

Lillian let out a small chuckle, as if she had expected that exact response.

"Come now, detective. With how often you two deal with that thug Winchester, I would have thought you understood just how valuable information is. Surely you realize that I can't simply give this away."

This time Jaune really did grimace. It was always the same. She would call them up, dangle the information over their head and then watch them beg for it. She always gave it to them, but it seemed as though she enjoyed watching them squirm. Power was often as addictive as any drug.

"I will tell you this, though. Last night when I was out, someone attempted to break into Azure Heights and gain access to my own personal dust stores. "

Jaune and Ren froze, suddenly all ears.

"And were they successful," Ren asked.

"Only marginally. My security staff managed to stop them before they made it through the vault door, though they could not apprehend them."

Ren immediately began jotting down notes as Jaune stepped forward.

"That's surprising. Your security team is pretty well known for its . . . less than forgiving stance on intruders."

"As they should be, I assure you. These men were rather quick, though one of our intruders was shot in the back on his way out."

Jaune couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this.

"Your team injured someone in a gunfight and you didn't think to report this to the police? That's not exactly something we can overlook, Mrs. Evergreen."

"I did not say he was injured."

Jaune paused as he processed the information.

"He had his aura unlocked."

"Ah, I see the title of Detective is well earned. Yes, he managed to absorb the blow with his aura before he and his associates escaped. It was at this point that I assumed that you would want to be involved."

"And I don't suppose you managed to catch any of their faces on that fancy security system of yours?"

With another smile, Lillian reached into her dress and drew out a flash drive from a pocket Jaune didn't want to think about.

"As a matter of fact, Detective, I did."

Jaune stepped forward to grab the drive, but it was pulled out of his reach.

"Ah, ah, ah, Detective. As I mentioned before, information is quite valuable. I cannot just give something like this away without anything in return."

"I don't suppose the continued safety of Vale would be a valid offer?"

The smile she gave him told him that no, the safety of Vale was something he would have ensure on his own time.

"Well what about the fact that we'll use this information to nab the guys who tried to 'take what is yours.' That has to count for something, right?"

"Please, Detective, do not insult me. You know just as well as I do that my men could hunt down these fools and you would never have been the wiser. I'm doing you a favor. You should be a little more appreciative. What is life without a little Quid Pro Quo? And I do need my quo."

Jaune stepped away, turning around and dragging his hand down his face. He wouldn't let her see his reaction. He refused to let her know she was getting to him. Ren stepped up next, but had Jaune known what was about to happen, he probably would have strangled him right then and there.

"What about two front row seats to the VPD's Charity Dinner being held at the Gala this month?"

"Now Detective Lie, why would I wish to attend such an event?"

"Well, amidst all of the other entertainment, we're going to be having an auction. Items you can't get anywhere else. Things I'm sure even you would be interested in. Things money can't normally buy."

"And those would be what, exactly?"

"Lovely dinner dates with some of the VPD's most eligible bachelors. In fact, Detective Arc here was recently nominated. Anonymously, of course," Ren added with an apologetic smile. "His name was placed on the ticket, and he will be one of the options; for those lucky enough to win, of course."

Jaune's face blanched, and Lady Evergreen's eyes sparkled dangerously.

"Well now, Detective. I believe that we may in fact be able to make a deal."

"I thought you might say that."

She smiled once more, and rose from her seat.

"I will have Clause provide you with all of the relevant information on your way out."

Ren nodded, but Jaune paused.

"You mean the information isn't on that flash drive?"

Jaune definitely didn't like the look she gave him.

"Come now, Detective. Surely you didn't think I would have the information on me? When have I ever made things that easy?"

"Then that's blank," he asked, the doubt evident on his face.

"What would you give me to find out?"

Jaune didn't bother to hide his scowl this time, and for once, Ren didn't seem to mind.

"Well, as always, it's been a pleasure, Mrs. Evergreen, but we really should be going. Thank you for your time," he said, motioning for Jaune to follow him.

The blonde detective nodded, but kept his mouth shut as the two took their leave.

"As always, detectives, it's been a pleasure. Please, do feel free to stop by at any time."

They could still feel her gaze on them from down the hall until they rounded the corner.

True to her word, her butler Clause was waiting at the door with a small manila envelope in his hands. Jaune thanked the man as politely as he could, but remained silent otherwise. In fact, neither of them spoke a word until they were back in their car and safely headed out the gate and away from Azure heights.

"Are you kidding me? Added to the ticket anonymously!?"

Ren winced but tried to put on his most placating smile.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry. But what other option was there?"

"Oh I don't know, I could have pulled out my gun and taken myself hostage. I would have preferred that to what you just pulled in there."

Ren couldn't help but smile at the imagery.

"Jaune, we really needed this lead, and unless you've got some secret form of bribery stashed away in some secret compartment that you haven't told me about, we were kind of out of options."

"You really think she would have let us walk away without giving us this information?"

Ren pondered the question for a moment before shaking his head.

"No probably not."

He could already see Jaune starting to speak, so he cut him off.

"She wouldn't have let us leave without the information, but we would have had to pay for it eventually, and it probably would have cost us more; especially since we need results now, before the Chief pulls us off of this."

Jaune sighed, but deep down he knew that Ren wasn't entirely wrong.

"Fine, but I'm telling Nora you hit on her."

Ren froze.

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?"

"You know what she'd do."

"Yes. Yes I do."

The first time the two had visited Azure Heights, Lady Evergreen had gotten perhaps a little too close during her flirtations with the lilac eyed detective. How Nora had managed to find out about it was one mystery that had never been completely solved; And though no one, (not even Lady Evergreen's elite security staff) had officially been able to link Nora to the escaped Beowulf that had found itself rampaging through Azure Heights the next morning, just about everyone had their suspicions.

Ren glared at his partner, but Jaune just smiled back.

The drive back into the city proper seemed much shorter to Jaune than the drive out.