Beastars: A Steep Fall From Light

Chapter 24: The Bartender

"Officers" Reina greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir are you the owner of this place?" asked the coyote.

"That's madam," the panther corrected, taking a drag from her cigarette. "And no. I don't own the place. But considering the owner is out of town, and I'm penciled in as co-owner, I can act in his stead."

"Are you his husband?" asked the coyote's partner, a falcon.

"If I was married to him I'd be his wife," the feline corrected through grit teeth. "And no, I'm not. He lost interest in this two years ago."

The two officers looked at each other.

"What do you want?" Reina snapped.

"We got an anonymous tip to check this place out," said the coyote.

"Why?" she asked.

"Not sure," the falcon said. "They just said to check out this place."

"Officer's," the transvestite said with a warm smile. "I work at the bar above and can see everything that goes on in this club. We have guards that look on from the perimeter and extra security in the security room, where we have cameras looking everywhere twenty-four seven. If something happened here, we'd be the first to contact you."

"Mind if we have a look around anyway?"

"Not at all," she said, motioning for them to enter after a split second's hesitation. "I'll be up at the bar if you need anything."

When they passed she pulled the entrance guard closer and whispered in his ear.

"Code orange," she said.

The bull nodded and spoke into his earpiece. This set in motion a bunch of actions to hide the club underneath their feet. The screens that showed the camera feed from Club Blood would be hidden and the trapdoor in the closet would be sealed shut. There was no way to open it from above anyway, but it was a precaution. Activities could continue downstairs as the sound of the club/casino would hide the sounds from the basement.

Reina walked back up to the bar and looked after the two officers as they made their way around. Something must have happened in the basement that caused the call to be placed. No one ever complained about the service here.

"What is it?" Reggie asked.

"Someone placed an anonymous tip that they should check out this place," she answered.

"Any idea who?" asked the iguana.

"No," she told him. "Give me the phone."

"You know he doesn't like to be interrupted," he said, wiping down a glass.

Reina tapped her fingers on the table as she whipped her head to look down at the two officers as they entered the security room. Her earrings swung with the motion.

"Come on," the iguana said with a small nudge. "We have drinks to serve."

The panther pulled out a glass and poured herself a shot of vodka, which she downed before turning to the rack of bottles and pouring another concoction for a hybrid.

"Girl, where did you get your nails done?" a cheetah asked her from across the table.

"Nowhere," Reina answered. "All natural."

"See I told you Yui. Pay up."

Another cheetah begrudgingly handed her a single bill of cash, which was handed to Reina.

"A round of shots for all of us," she said. "And get one for yourself."

"And how many of you are there?"