Once we’re inside, with the door shut, the noise from the outside is muted.
The room holds an old-fashioned filing cabinet, a table with a pair of laptops and two phones lying on it, and an office chair. The older man is in his fifties, with steel-gray short hair and a cropped beard. He sits on the edge of the desk and has waited for us to enter. His face is expressionless, his blue-gray suit is rumpled, and he has no tie, but otherwise, I judge he might fit into a corporate environment.
Judge? How do I judge or know this? Fuck, more random knowledge.
I stand behind Hailey and Esau, listening as Esau introduces us and shakes the man’s hand. If this Dustin Zedder runs an illegal car-stealing gang, he’s managed to do it in what Hailey says is a corrupt town. Meaning he pays someone off.
“So, Esau.” He nods at him. Esau is looking relaxed, so the pair know each other well. “You wanted some reassurance for your friends. I know of you, Hailey, due to your father. Sorry about his death. My condolences.”
The politeness doesn’t fool me. He gives off an assurance, an arrogance, and considering we just watched stolen cars being ripped apart…
“Uh.Right. I—” Hailey begins but is cut off.
“Tell me exactly what you want. As you can see, we are not importing…bodies? Human ones. Is that what you were told, Esau?”
“Yes. Rasmus thought there were indications. I told him that must be wrong. We are, let’s say, investigating anomalies to do with a company in Revenant.”
Though I haven’t been introduced to Zedder, a third manhas arrived through the door and takes a place behind me where Oscar also lurks. I suppose hiding in a hoodie looks a little odd to these men, considering my size. I turn back the hood and show my face. Which will of course reveal my many scars. I’m not pretty.
Zedder hasn’t replied to Esau, and his mouth tightens as he sees me.
This is good. I prefer to be considered a force and not someone to be stomped on, when in the company of men like this. I nod to him, and he turns back to Esau. How a tattoo artist came to know Zedder is a question I could have asked. Esau probably wouldn’t have answered me.
“You mean the Revenant Institute.” Zedder smiles. “I know things. Events swirl around this man you brought with you.” I’m the target of a vague wave of his hand. “There are rumors of a gray man prowling Revenant. A man who has come to wreak vengeance.” He sounds amused.
A gray man?
Hailey looks to me, and I shrug. “He’s safe, Mr. Zedder. Kail is good person.”
“Good? No one is all good. As I said, I don’t import bodies. Rasmus is wrong. He’s not the expert hacker you think he is, though he may have found a weakness in our systems. You want a good hacker? No, no. Don’t tell me the details of what you want. This man I’m using is discreet. I brought him in to help tighten our IT a few days ago. The price for an introduction might be more than you wish to pay.”
“Price?” Esau grunts.
“He has his needs. I was going to take him to the Blue Abyss for some fun. Your favorite club, Esau?”
“Was, until Niamh vanished a year ago.”
“I remember that night. She was on stage and then justgone. The news stories went on and on.”
“Same.”
He and Zedder simply regard each other while Zedder pretends sympathy, I guess. I cannot tell. Esau, though, his hands are clenched. This Niamh meant a lot to him.
Hailey frowns but waits, as do I.
“So, back to what I was saying. This man, Dawid Nowak, he was recommended to me. Computer language is like a symphony in his hands. And people don’t lie to me. Want him on your side? He loves his kink. I used to visit the house your friends are taking care of for sex parties. The Laramie House. So, I know what’s there.”
Esau shakes his head. “This has gone in a strange direction.”
“Sir, that seems—” Hailey starts.
“You’re the Weirdos, right? Not a name I’d choose.”
This man likes interrupting women. Not a trait I love.
I can almost hear Haily fuming. Esau nods though.
“Set up a party at the Laramies’ for Friday night. You can talk him into helping you. Be ready to discuss payment with him. You’re a nice girl. He’ll like you. If you really want to see what happened to your dad, use that pretty body of yours, because whatever it is you want done, Dawid can do it. Free advice. And if you want to see if the institute has appropriated corpses, don’t look for imports. Get in that building.” He raises his hand. “Let them out, Oscar, please.”
