Chapter 13: In the World of Hustlers, Influence and Connections Are Everything

“You bought way too much, man.”

Ryder polished off five bags of breakfast in one go, took a sip of coffee, and finally spoke to Roan, who was wiping down a desk nearby.

“Our Investigation Unit Five was only just set up. August is the chief, Lacey and I are the senior field agents, then there are five desk agents for tech support, and with you and the new girl, that’s just ten of us.”

Other units start at twenty people.

“It’s my first day, so it’s perfectly normal I don’t know these things.” Roan finished wiping his desk, sat down heavily in his chair, pointed at the empty office, then at the clock at the front, and asked in confusion, “It’s already half past eight. Why are there only two of us here?”

“Because August never comes in before nine. If he’s not here, there’s no point for the rest of us to come in early.”

It wasn’t Ryder who answered. The office door swung open, and in walked a white woman in a casual suit, with curves in all the right places, long brown hair, and hazy, dreamy eyes. Spotting the breakfast, her eyes instantly sparkled. She grabbed something to eat, then, eyes closed, explained to Roan, “Thanks for the breakfast, Roan.”

She kept eating until, mid-bite, she slumped over the desk and fell asleep. Roan was surprised—was she really part of Unit Five?

He glanced at Ryder, who shook his head, then leaned in and whispered, “That’s Lacey, the senior agent I mentioned. She’s a lesbian. Judging by this, she must have been out hunting for a good time at some Manhattan bar again last night.”

Roan paused, then tilted his head and asked, “Bars in Manhattan aren’t cheap, and a senior agent’s salary isn’t much. Where does she get the money?”

Roan only cared about making money—the rest was none of his business.

“Uh,” Ryder hesitated, his expression twisting a little. “Lacey never spends her own money when she goes out. The women she’s with pay for everything.”

Roan: “…”

Maybe… he could try that too?

The time crept toward eight fifty-something, and finally people started trickling into the office.

Everyone who got breakfast from Roan liked him ten percent more. Then, looking up at his plain but handsome face, their favor instantly shot up another fifty.

So when August strode in with Mona, he was genuinely surprised to find the whole office in cheerful conversation with Roan.

Except for Lacey, who was still asleep.

“So, it looks like you’ve all met our number one rookie, Roan.” August slapped the table hard, jolting Lacey awake. Standing at the front, he gestured to Mona at his right.

“This is our number two rookie, official agent Mona. From now on, we’ll all be working together.”

A round of applause crackled through the room. August waved everyone back to work, then called Roan and Mona into the unit chief’s office.

“These are your confirmation documents.”

Seated behind his desk, August tossed two folders to them, signaling for their signatures, and continued, “After the park murder case was solved, the New York Journalists’ Association’s reward, plus the bounty for the killer, totals fifty-five thousand dollars. It’ll be issued with your salaries this weekend. You two can sort out how to split it.”

“Thank you, sir.” Roan and Mona exchanged a glance, both unable to hide their delight.

August, noticing that Roan wasn’t nearly as excited about his official status as he was the money, pursed his lips, pulled out another file from under the desk, and said, “While entering Conrad’s information last night, we found he’s connected to a state senator’s murder from a few years ago. He killed that senator too.”

Roan froze for a moment, then seemed to realize something, his expression surprised.

“I knew you were quick-witted, just like me,” August chuckled, handing the file to Roan. “Yes, there’s a bounty for the senator’s murder, too—half a million dollars.”

“Half a million?” Mona’s eyes practically turned into flashlights.

But faced with such a large sum, Roan remained calm. He placed the file back on August’s desk and smiled. “That’s too much.”

Seeing Roan’s serene smile, August broke into a wide grin, then slammed the desk: “Fu-k! I’m starting to really like you, Roan!”

“I trust you, sir. I know you’ll treat me right.” Roan offered August a small compliment.

Noticing Mona still dazed, August picked up the file and patiently explained, “The senator’s case wasn’t ours. Even though we caught the killer, the unit in charge put in a lot of work, especially the former chief—now a director at headquarters in D.C.”

Roan nodded. Mona hesitated, but after seeing Roan’s nod, she reluctantly nodded as well.

Satisfied they understood, August went on, “Still, we did catch the killer, so we deserve some recognition. Supervisor Verinis thought it over and decided to allocate special funding to Unit Five for the next three months.”

Seeing Mona tense, while Roan remained perfectly composed, August’s appreciation grew.

“You two were the main agents who caught Conrad. The bonus will be paid at the end of the month—thirty thousand dollars each.”

The gap between half a million and thirty thousand was stark. Mona’s face fell.

Roan, however, nodded calmly and smiled. “Thank you, sir. I knew you wouldn’t shortchange me.”

“Well, that’s all. You can go now.” August waved them out, but as Roan reached the door, he said seriously, “Keep up the good work, Roan. Verinis thinks very highly of you—you’ve got a brighter future than I do.”

“Thank you, sir,” Roan replied with an even broader smile.

In this world, you need power and connections. If you have neither? Then it’s best to find someone strong to rely on.

The two of them returned to their desks. Mona sat in silence for a long while, then suddenly slapped her palm on the desk, startling Lacey awake.

“What’s up?” Lacey blinked in confusion. Mona quickly straightened Lacey’s uniform and whispered reassuringly, “Nothing, just a bug. Go back to sleep.”

“OK.” Lacey nodded, turned her face, and closed her eyes again.

Mona took a deep breath, suppressing her turmoil, then edged closer to Roan and whispered, “Roan, let’s have dinner tonight—my treat.”

Roan gave her a look of surprise that grew increasingly suspicious. Mona immediately crossed her arms over her chest and said, very seriously, “No, it’s just a simple thank you dinner. I… haven’t been feeling well lately, so nothing else.”

“You’re not feeling well?” Roan nodded, then shook his head firmly. “Then let’s not go.”

Mona: “…”