I nod, exit the booth, and walk back to Harrison. “Aus will be with us in a minute. You in the mood for a drink?”
Harrison shrugs. “Why not? We already had some rum at Second Star. Best to keep it light, though.”
“How about beer? That’s what they serve in the North section.”
“Sounds great.” He offers his arm. “Let’s head over.”
The silver-haired woman at the North bar smiles as we each take a purple stool. “Hey there, sugar pies. What can I get for you?”
I bite my lip. “I know next to nothing about beer.”
“I’m not too well versed either, if I’m being honest.” Harrison turns to the bartender. “What do you recommend?”
“All our beers are brewed in house. I personally recommend the Silver Slipper Stout. Smooth, silky, with a touch of chocolate malt. Then there’s the Woodsman Porter, which is gently oaked with a smoky and sugary finish. If you prefer something lighter, there’s the Golden Street Lager, which has notes of biscuits and honey with a nice balance of floral and herbal hop character.”
Harrison nods. “I’ll take the Woodsman. Bianca?” He turns to me.
“The Silver Slipper, thank you.”
“Great.” She taps her chest. “My name is Nora if you need anything else.”
“Thank you, Nora.” Harrison flashes her a smile.
She giggles and pours our drinks. She’s serving them as Aus walks up to the bar, popping into the stool next to us.
Nora nods to him. “The usual, Aus?”
He grins. “Wouldn’t be caught dead without it, Nora.”
She gives him a thumbs up. “One Wonderful Whiz coming up.”
I smirk at that. “You named one of the beers after yourself?”
Aus shrugs. “There are some benefits to playing second fiddle to your sister here.” He turns to me. “What’s so important that you had to drag me away from my music?”
“Well, Austin—” Harrison starts.
Aus holds up a hand. “Please. Call me Aus. Rhymes with ‘jaws.’”
“Right.” Harrison turns to me. “Would you like to take this one, Bianca?”
I nod, opening my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out at first.
My initial thought is to ask him to speak somewhere more private, but the more I think about it, the more I’d like to be out in public. What if Aus can’t be trusted? He seems quite comfortable in my presence, which wasn’t the case with Lucille and Zeb. Scythe was less intense about it, but he seemed a little checked out. Aus is straight-up being friendly and laid-back. Hardly the behavior of someone who is afraid of my sister.
I take a sip of my stout. It’s a little bitter, but the aftertaste is marvelous. “We were wondering if there have been any waitstaff or patrons here at the Jade Sanctum who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.”
Aus’s eyebrows nearly fly off his head. “Pardon?”
“We’re looking into some unexplained disappearances that might have something to do with the clubs that Rouge owns,” Harrison says. “There’s a concerning trend at Noir Parlor, MINOS, and Second Star. We’re wondering if maybe anything similar has gone on here.”
“Shit.” Aus pushes his beer away from him. “I’m going to need my wits about me for this.”
“So have you noticed anything odd?” I ask.
Aus looks over each shoulder and then glances toward Nora. “Nora, can you give us a second?”
“Of course, Aus.” She smiles warmly and then attends to some patrons at the other end of the bar.
