Devils in the Detail

The Middle Man

Location: New York, USA

Amelia Deer stood in the lobby at the self-checking computer, she was looking up the list of business that filled the towering skyscraper. Half of which she'd never heard of. Once she found what she recognised, she made her way up to the 25th floor.

When she stepped out of the elevator, she saw a sign in silver reading: "Ian Pearson's Private Eye" An arrow pointing to the right was below it. She followed it. Leading her to an oval reception desk. Where a young pretty burette sat. She acknowledged Amelia, she was hard to miss wearing a red suit, with a white shirt, and heels so high, she was almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower. "How may I help you?" she politely asked, "I have an appointment," Amelia replied, "I'm a little early, the names Amelia Deer." The young girl typed on the computer, confirming her appointment. "Take a seat, I'll let Mr Pearson know you're here."

...

Ian Pearson was in his office. The room was a soft grey, very clean and very well organised. You had to be in his line of work, but the OCD started way before his career as a private detective.

On his desk, there lived his computer and an single office phone. He was writing up an e-mail to Antonio Russo, the Italian mafia's boss. Attaching scandalous photographic evidence of his wife Alessandra, cheating on him with his right had man. Ian expected a body or two to be washed up in the Hudson in less than a fortnight. He was okay with that.

Pearson loved his job, getting a kick out of airing everybody's dirty laundry. If they didn't want to face the consequences, they wouldn't make it so easy for him to catch them.

His phone went off, he answered. "Miss Deer is here" he heard the sweet sound of his receptionist's voice. He looked at the time. She was four hours early. "Send her in."

Pearson greeted Amelia with a firm handshake. "Miss Deer, what can I do for you today?" her blonde hair was in a perfect bun. She sat on the expensive leather chair, legs crossed. "I'm looking for an international team, one's with a particular skill set."

When Pearson wasn't working as a private eye, he was a advocate for criminals, connecting them with each other for various different jobs, if he was being honest, they were the most generous of his clientele. It would be foolish not to help them.

"Do you have anyone in mind?" he asked. "I do, In Fact" he expected nothing less. If you came into his office not knowing who or what you wanted, you were just wasting his time. He's the middle man, not the mastermind.

He got out a notepad and pen from his top drawer. "Go" he said, clicking the pen on. "Firstly, Sameen Shirazi, and Evan Winter" Two Grifter's one from India, the other homegrown from the state of California. "Delta" Whose real name was Jeannine Felix, A Hacker from New Zealand. "Nikolai Kiefer " German Mercenary, Simply Known as Kai. "and Morgana." Pearson stop writing.

"Wait" he said, looking up at her. "Morgana, as in Morgan, the British assassin?" He wanted to be sure he heard her correctly. "Yes," Amelia confirmed. Pearson put down his pen, "Assassin's have different rules and codes, they always work alone, Especially Morgan, you're asking for a miracle." Assassin had different principles. They were no limits to what they could do. They had no rules, they can't be tamed. Once you In bed with one you're in bed all them all. And that scared Pearson, more then anyone could know. "Why do you think I came to you?"

"What do you need her for?" A question Pearson never really asked his clients, their business was their own, the less he knew, the better, but in this case. The more he knew, the better. "She knows her way around a lock, any building, she'll be my own personal thief" Her voice echoed in Ian's mind, Morgan didn't like to be talked about as a possession, no doubt she would've shot Amelia there and then. "If its a thief you want I can give one to you" he knew plenty.

"I want her, no one else, understand?" Amelia stood up and put an envelope on the table. "Double what you asked, For you're trouble." She started heading towards the door. "You know Nikolai and Morgana where engaged, right? sticking them back in a room together, you're asking for a blood bath." Pearson told her.

"Maybe that's what I want."