Vic Cross, PI

Chapter 6

The sun was setting by the time Logan dropped her off outside HQ. Vic walked back to her office in the deep shadows of the city and her thoughts. Her next order of business was Azure. The club was located in a part of the city far from her normal haunts but it just so happened she'd done a quick and quiet job for a slimy small-time politician in Dellner Ward last year involving his mistress and some illegal imports. Although he was rather unhappy to hear from her, he became more cooperative after learning she had no interest in blackmailing him. Aside from the usual racketts of slummy strip joints; prostitution, drugs, and hired thugs, Azure also housed a forger. The selection of ladies at Azure was likely below Nicole Quinn's standards and she could score at a lot less dangerous places closer to home. The forger was her only lead, no matter how slim. Lucky for her she knew just the guy to get her in.

Rodney Foureyes was less than welcoming when Vic knocked on the door of his run-down apartment. He stared at her through the crack in the door, his eyes distorted by thick dirty glasses.

"Go away Cross," he whined.

"Now Rodney, that's not very nice."

"I told you last time I don't help PIs no more."

Vic smirked and lit a cigarette, "and yet you did and were very useful."

"That's because you tied me to a chair and threatened to set my place on fire."

"It all worked out in the end didn't it," she placed a hand on the door, "besides, I'm not looking for one of your clients today. Just need a little dirt on your competition."

"Competition?"

"Come on Rodney. Don't make me kick in your door. Again." The little man muttered to himself but finally opened the door to let her in.

"No smoking in here. Hurry up. You're bad for business."

Vic snuffed her cigarette before shutting the door behind her. She immediately grimaced at the smell of the cramped flat; chemicals and dirty socks. She never knew if it was coming from Rodney's equipment or the lanky little man himself.

"Whatcha mean about competition Cross, huh?" He moved quickly through the maze of books, cabinets, and reams of paper to the other side of the room and began shoving things hastily into desk drawers. "Not like I know every ape with a copier in the city ya know."

"Yeah, I know. But I bet you know the guy working out of Azure? Fellow doesn't get his own office without being pretty big."

"You mean Jackie? Down in Dellner? Pfft. Little punk. He's nothin but a hack." He stopped what he was doing and shuffled across the room to her. "You need some docs, huh? How come you didn't ask me?" Vic thought she saw genuine hurt in the Rodney's eyes, but it could have been the chemicals finally getting to her.

"I don't need work done Rodney. I need to find out who he may have done work for." She pulled another cigarette out of her case but left it unlit. The forger watched her nervously. Fire was his biggest fear and she knew it. "I'm just asking for a little help gettin in front of this guy. No harm in that right?"

"Yeah, there's harm. I ain't no rat snitch."

"But you are a rat snitch Rodney, that's why I keep coming back here."

"I told you last time to stay gone."

"And yet here I am. But the quicker you tell me what I want, the quicker you get your wish." She smiled down at him menacingly.

"Fine but you didn't get it from me. Guy's name is Jackie Flex. Works outta the basement there at Azure. But that's it, that's all I know about any of it." Rodney Four Eyes was a damn good forge but he was a terrible liar. Rather surprising considering his line of work.