“Ouch,” Nico muttered, looking down at his—Mal’s—red hoodie and jeans. He looked beautiful in red. This lady clearly had no taste.
Nico and Mal had a staring contest as they battled to see who would explain the situation. The problem with two neurodivergent friends was, sometimes, it was impossible to find someone willing to do the talking. Mal gave Nico a sharp look, gesturing with his head towards the woman. Nico countered with puppy eyes.
Mal sighed, caving immediately. No matter who Mal was when he woke up in the morning, he could never resist Nico.
“Actually,” Mal said. “We’re trying to locate someone who sells here in the market. Her daughter is in one of my dance classes. We haven’t been able to contact them in a few days.”
Nico nodded. “We thought we’d stop by and check on her.” When her gaze dropped to Nico’s bakery bag, he tried to make himself small.
She huffed out something akin to a laugh. “What’s her name?”
“Ko Xin yí,” Mal said, grateful Jericho had thought to ask Casey. “Sometimes, she goes by Amy.”
The woman shook her head. “Don’t know her. What does she sell?”
“Handbags,” Mal said. “Handmade leather handbags. She sells them to boutique shops.”
There was no missing the change in her already chilly demeanor. She scanned the narrow walkways of the market like she was looking for something…or someone. Her unease made Nico shift restlessly beside him.
Finally, she said, “Leather goods are at the back of the market. Two lanes over, then walk right until you find what you’re looking for. That’s all I know.”
With that, she turned her back on them and busied herself folding the materials on the table.
Mal and Nico exchanged looks.
“Thank you,” Nico said before softly adding, “I guess.”
They followed her instructions, ending at the very back of the market just as she’d said. The scent of leather almost knocked Mal backwards. There were several stalls selling everything from belts to handbags. But unlike the boisterous sellers at the front of the market, these vendors seemed more guarded. Subdued. Nico looked at Mal who nodded, letting him know he saw it, too.
“Hey, didn’t Casey say her mom was being forced to make knock-off bags?” Nico whispered.
“Mm,” Mal said.
Nico pointed to a stall two down from where they stood. A young woman of about twenty stood behind the table, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. When they came to stand before her, it was like someone flipped a switch, bringing her to life. A smile spread across her face, her deep brown eyes lighting up. “Hi, can I help you find something?” she asked. “We have a number of styles that would be just right for you.”
“Are these real?” Nico asked, running his finger along the stitching of a knock-off YSL bag that looked like the real deal.
“No, but it’s impossible to tell,” she assured him. “Our manufacturer pays amazing attention to every detail and our labels come from the actual designers’ warehouses. Even the retailer themselves would have a hard time telling the difference.”
How did that work? Did the designers know their labels were walking out the back door?
Nico stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Isn’t this Amy’s stall?”
The girl’s smile faltered, her breath catching, but she quickly recovered. “Mm,” she said. “Were you working with her before? She’s on vacation. I’m covering until she returns.”
Mal frowned. “On vacation? Who told you that?”
“Um—I—Well…” She let her words die, her gaze tugging towards the two men sitting on a bunch of pallets just past the last stall.
Mal and Nico hadn’t noticed them until just then. They wore jeans and t-shirts, both wearing open button-down shirts like a uniform. They were likely armed, hiding a weapon beneath their shirts.
Tattoos spilled down their arms all the way to their fingers. One had a beer gut and hair so dark it looked inky black. The other was lanky, long legs crossed at the ankles. They were both on their phones, facing towards them but not paying them any attention.
Triad?
“We went to her apartment. Someone had busted in her door,” Nico said quietly. “We’re just worried.”
The girl startled, her finger rising to her lips reflexively, giving them a barely-there shake of her head, then looking pointedly at the women on either side of her, both suddenly very interested in Mal and Nico.
