Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry! Life gets way too busy! I've just finished being in the school production and my practice exams are coming up, so I haven't had much time. Sorry, sorry, sorry, thanks for sticking around, please enjoy :)

Chapter 20

The Old Town was connected to the east side of the magical district. It was easy to tell as you got closer, for the buildings began to get cracked and dusty, the bricks faded and the glass panes in the windows covered with dirt. Even in the early morning, it seemed that shadows lurked around most corners, mixing in with a silence that hung about, a silence that one could imagine came from many years ago and had stood its ground ever since. JJ shivered; she had been to many strange places before, but this place had to be up there. It was the emptiness that unnerved her, the realization that this place was only a few steps away from the hustle and bustle of the magical district. JJ shook her head and began to walk a little faster.

Indira led the way around the streets, watching out for the address that had been given to her. She had just turned her head one way when her companion yelled, "there!"

Tucked away, down a little side alley, was a shop with black awnings and chipping words painted on the front window, Hennessy and Associates. It had a black door with a silver knocker on it, though the silver was so dull it could've been more accurately described as grey. Indira went up to it and pushed on the door. Locked.

"It seems Hennessy and Associates is not open for business today," she sighed.

JJ examined the door.

"I could probably break this lock," she said, "if there's nothing magical that is. But I don't know the procedure for this kind of thing under wizard law."

"One probably has to climb a mountain of useless bureaucratic paper work," Indira grumbled shoving her hands in her pockets and exhaling slowly, "Can't we just say we've got one of those warrant things?"

"Yeah," JJ replied doubtfully, "In my experience, for that to work, you generally have to have the warrant."

The two women deliberated for a second, then Indira turned to JJ, a gleam in her eyes.

"The use of force or magic to break this door would be justified in case of emergencies, I'm sure," she mused.

JJ nodded, "I'm sure."

"Then, as a concerned citizen, if I was to hear, say, a distress call coming from inside a building, it would be my civil duty to try and help."

JJ nodded again, "of course. Hold on, do you hear that?"

"What?" Indira said flatly, "The sound of a desperate and urgent cry for help coming from behind this door?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," JJ grinned, "Do the honours."

Indira took out her wand and pointed it at the door with a violent swipe. The metal around the lock glowed, then there was a spark and the door swung open. Cautiously, Indira stepped inside, followed by JJ, both looking out for any traps. Not finding any, Indira put her wand away.

"No one here," she said with a shrug, "Oh well, we all make mistakes."

And she promptly proceeded to walk into the main room.

The room they entered into was not one, in JJ's opinion, that inspired total confidence in the job that could be done. There was dust in most places, books lying open on the counter, the smell of mothballs drifting around. There was one faded red, leather sofa in the corner, which had a spring poking out of it, unable to be hidden by the pillow that had been haphazardly thrown over it. JJ glanced at Indira, whose pursed lips seemed to say the same thing JJ was thinking.

"It's not exactly appetizing," Indira remarked, gingerly picking up a candy wrapper from the front desk and then letting it fall down again.

"No," JJ said, screwing her nose up, "I can't say this would be the first place I'd come to have my deepest fears and suspicions investigated."

"Well, she lives dirty, I dare say she's not afraid to play dirty," Indira said, "Now, what are we looking for?"

"Records," JJ said, going over to a shelf and beginning to look through the files that sat there, "Anything that could tell us what Hennessy was doing there."

Indira went to the desk and pulled open one of the books. It appeared to be an accounts book, though, looking at the numbers, business hadn't been great lately. Pushing it aside, she opened a small, leather bound diary and skimmed some of the pages. Her finger stopped on a Sunday and she noticed a little star drawn at the corner of the page. Flicking back, she saw that all the Sundays, going back about six months, had been marked this way.

"Something was going on," she said out loud, "She's been marking Sundays in this diary."

"Any word entries?" JJ asked, coming over to look.

Indira turned some more pages.

"The last one was a couple of weeks before she started putting stars in," she said, "It's just some initials. "V.S.""

JJ took the diary and examined it for herself.

"I think that's how she identifies her appointments," the agent explained, "There hadn't been a lot. V.S was the first in a while."

"Well, it's a recession," Indira muttered.

The witch looked around and walked over to a curtain that hung off the wall. She pulled it back to reveal another room, all the walls lined with shelves.

"I'm going to have a look through here," Indira said.

All the shelves were filled with files, folders and boxes of different shapes and sizes. A large pair of metal filing cabinets were at the back, against the wall, and a large table took up most of the space in the centre. On the table were more files, some broken quills, a screwed up newspaper and an old bottle of Firewhisky with a half-full glass sitting beside it. Indira went over and began scanning the table. The first file that lay on top was labeled "V.S."

"Agent Jareau," Indira called, "Look at this."

JJ came in and Indira slid her the file. While JJ sorted through the various bits of paper, Indira had a look through the filing cabinets. She had finished the last compartment, when she felt something lumpy hiding at the bottom. What she pulled out was a white package. Lifting up the already open flap, she let out a gasp. JJ raised her head and Indira showed her its contents; stacks of Muggle notes and rolls of Wizarding Dollars.

"Woah, okay," JJ said, "I'm going to guess that wasn't written in her books?"

"No, it was not," Indira nodded, "Merlin's beard, I could retire on this! Where did she get it?"

"Maybe Vivienne Stavros could tell us?"

"Who?" Indira said quickly, dropping the package.

"Vivienne Stavros," JJ repeated, holding up a piece of paper, "There's some kind of contract here, signed by her."

Indira's brow furrowed and her hands tensed. JJ looked concerned.

"Do you know her?" she asked.

"Yes," Indira said blankly, "Her daughter goes to my school. She's on the board of governors."