The Underworld Chapter 3
Gumshoe started at her in shock. Viola Cadaverini... This couldn't be a coincidence... It was a set-up! They knew! They had to! But why call him here? What could possibly be going on?
"Why don't you sit down... Detective?" Viola asked quietly. "I'll order you some coffee... Extra strong, just for you... hee... hee... hee..."
"Th-thanks, pal. Er.. Miss C-... Miss Viola." Gumshoe sat across from the woman, swallowing nervously. She no longer wore the head bandage and instead wore a small black bow in her hair. He stared at her a few moments, and she stared back, a cold smirk on her lips. Maybe if he aced like everything was normal, everything would be alright... "Sorry, I ah... Get nervous on blind dates."
"I see... Me too..." She waved a hand to summon the waitress.
"Yes ma'am? ... Detective Gumshoe!"
Gumshoe's eyes widened in shock. "'M-Maggey? Y-you work here still?" He stared at his former underling, who held an empty tray in her hands. The Tres Bien uniform stayed largely the same, being as revealing as ever.
"Yes sir!" Maggey threw him a salute. "I had gotten another job, but a few days ago, Miss Viola made me an offer I couldn't refuse!"
"I... I see," he replied, swallowing.
"Maggey... Why don't you make us some coffee? ... Extra strong... If you know what I mean..."
"Yes ma'am!" Maggey replied enthusiastically, saluting her.
"Oh... And make sure to bring the scones I made..." Her gaze moved to the detective. "I made them especially for you... hee... hee... hee..."
Gumshoe's eyes remind glued onto Maggey as she skipped away happily until she disappeared into the kitchen. His gaze made its way back to Viola as she spoke. She kept her hands under the table, making his spine tingle a bit with suspicion. He resisted the urge to rest his hand on the handle of his gun.
"I trust... That you know who I am?"
Wordlessly, the detective nodded.
Viola's lips twitched, whether it was from amusement or not, he could not tell. "And... Who I am associated with?"
He nodded again, a knot twisting up in his stomach. Bruto Cadaverini, the most feared man in the criminal underworld; a man that he thought he would never have to face... His eyes darted around the restaurant as he tried to figure things out. There was a man reading the paper at the table across from him. Probably back up if he was crazy and tried to pull something on Viola. The knot in his stomach tightened as he noticed the curtains pulled over the windows. If they were to deal with him, there would be no witnesses...
"Do you know why you're here?"
Slowly, Gumshoe shook his head. Maybe if he played dumb, she wouldn't have him killed...
"You spend a lot of time with... Miles Edgeworth." She stared at him, her gaze intense.
He nodded, afraid to lie with her gazing at him like that.
"There have been some... concerns about him..." Viola looked over as Maggey appeared, tray of coffee and scones in her hands.
"Here you go, sir!" She placed the mug of hot coffee in front of him, followed by a plate of scones.
"Th-thanks, Maggey," he managed. He tried keeping his tone calm and even.
She placed a mug in front of Viola, who nodded.
"Why don't you... take the rest of the night off?" Viola offered quietly. "After you... clean up the kitchen, of course."
"Yes ma'am!" Maggey grinned and bounced off toward the kitchen.
"Nice girl..." Viola commented. "It would be a shame if she had... an accident... She's awfully... clumsy... hee... hee... hee..."
Gumshoe's heart skipped a beat and he stared at her, his breathing shaking slightly.
"So you know what will happen if... anyone finds out about this meeting, correct?"
"Y-yes... Wh-what... What do you want from me?" He wrapped his hands around his coffee mug, gripping it tightly to stop them from shaking. They knew about Maggey... Somehow, the Cadaverinis knew about Maggey. What else did they know about him?
"What is Miles Edgeworth up to?"
Gumshoe brought the coffee mug up to his lips and forced himself to take a long sip, giving himself time to formulate an answer without being too suspicious. If he lied Maggey could be killed... but if he didn't, Mr. Edgeworth would be... As long as they didn't find out about the lie... He swallowed the bitter liquid and set the cup down. "Revaldi case. He's been putting together a case against the main suspect."
"And when he's not working at that?" Viola picked up one of the scones and nibbled at it daintily.
"I- I wouldn't know," he admitted. "Mr. Edgeworth... Mr. Edgeworth never tells me much about his personal life."
"I see... We brought you here today, because we have a... deal for you."
"A- A deal?" Gumshoe's voice trembled slightly as a realization hit him. He was the informant they wanted to hire!
"Yes... We've been looking for another person to... keep us updated about certain individuals'... actions."
"You... You want me to be a mole?" Gumshoe's mind raced at this new development. "Wh-why?"
"We think... that Miles Edgeworth might be getting... curious about us. It would be convenient if we could keep an eye on him and if needed... satisfy his curiosity... hee... hee... hee..."
The detective stared down into the blackness of his mug, thinking hard. What was he supposed to do? He was cornered.
"Of course... You don't have to... If you don't want to."
He looked up at her, surprised. "Wh... What do you mean?"
"We would pay you for your efforts, but... We found that unwilling informants quickly had to be... erased." Viola sipped at her coffee, eyes never leaving his face. "Of course... You would have to keep this meeting a secret, or..." Her eyes trailed to the door, where Maggey was leaving.
"I..." Gumshoe's hands shook even as he gripped the coffee mug, causing the hot liquid to splash over his hands. His eyes watered in pain and frustration as he tried to think. He could say no... But what then? Would they really keep their word? What if they killed Maggey? But then again, they'd kill Mr. Edgeworth if they were certain of what he was doing...
"I'll give you some time to... think about it. Be back here in an hour."
Nodding numbly, he got up and stumbled to the door. He vaguely noticed the man with the newspaper getting up and staying a distance behind him; he was being watched. Once outside, he made his way over to his car and sat in the driver's seat, pressing his forehead against the steering wheel. Glancing outside, he saw Maggey talking to two men enthusiastically. Spotting him, she waved, and he waved back half heartedly.
What was he going to do? He had an hour to think about it... He would see Mr. Edgeworth. He would know what to do! After starting the car, he pulled out of the Tres Bien parking lot, and began heading toward the Prosecutor's Office. It only took him a few moments to see the black car following behind him, a small distance away. It could be a coincidence, right? Nervously, he pulled down a side street. Sure enough, a few moments later, the black car appeared in his rear view mirror. He turned down the next street, which happened to be a dead end drive. He stopped at the end and looked back. He could see the head lights of the car that was following him illuminating the opening to the street, indicating that they were just waiting for him to turn around.
There was little doubt in his mind that he was being followed, so going to see Mr. Edgeworth in person, was out of the question. He shoved his hands into his pocket, causing one of them to brush against his cell phone. He pulled it out and dialed in the prosecutor's speed dial number. His hand hovered over the call button before a startling realization hit his mind. Vitcko was in his car. If the Cadaverinis had planned this out as carefully as it seemed... There was little doubt in his mind that there was a bug planted in his car somewhere. If he called Edgeworth, they'd know it, and Maggey would be killed.
His phone plan didn't cover text messaging- he couldn't afford it. Resting his head on the steering wheel again, he squeezed his eyes shut. For once in his life, the facts were all crystal clear to him. The two men talking to Maggey were there to kill her if he made any wrong moves. He was being followed to see if he would go running to Edgeworth. He didn't really have a choice; if he refused, he would just be a loose end to tie up. The time they had allotted him... It had been so he could have the illusion of making a decision.
"Damn it!" Gumshoe slammed his palm against the side of the steering wheel. "I'm cornered... I've got no choice..." Turning around, he made his way back to the Tres Bien parking lot, the car following him the whole way. His heart skipped a beat as he spotted three more me standing on the sidewalk along with the two men still talking to Maggey. Slowly, his hand reached for his gun and switched the safety off. Getting out, he walked past the men, trying to stop himself from shaking. They all stared silently and fell into step behind him. His spine tingled and his hand automatically reached for his gun when he heard the tell-tale clicks of safeties being switched off.
Gulping, he shoved his hand into his pocket instead and entered the restaurant again.
Viola hadn't moved an inch. "You made up your mind... quick... hee... hee... hee..."