Chapter 2: C1 – Sariel Detective Agency

‘Remember, stop messing around with people you can’t handle.’

This quote, left to her by her father, was one of the most important lessons Bailey ever heard. It was so important, in fact, that she routinely ignored it. After the January where her parents ran into a car crash, her existence was deleted (well, legally, at least) and she had ceased to exist as a registered entity, being declared dead in the crash. But the third body in the car was not hers- it was her dearest friend, Maybelline.

‘Boring thoughts, Bailey. We have to get to work!’

Yes, that was Maybelline. After she learned about the crash, Bailey began hearing voices in her mind. Or rather, just one very, very annoying one. Was this called haunting? Was she going to live with this miserable annoyance for the rest of her life?

‘Yes, you are,’ huffed Maybelline. A ghostly figure hovered next to Bailey, shaking her out of her bed. ‘Now move! We have some cases to solve!’

Bailey threw off her white blankets and got changed while getting the daily briefing from Bell. ‘Strix managed to track down the source of money from the case we got last Friday,’ Bell stated, ‘and Excel has finished the business regarding the thievery reports going throughout this September.’

Bailey slipped on her black suit and tie, and grabbed the dangling pocket watch on the shelf. She looked entirely androgynous in the complete business attire, completing the set with a silver ring on her right index finger. Her short, black hair remained the only clue she was female at all. She dashed down the stairs, grabbing the railing and swinging to land on the ground floor, where the team seemed to be waiting.

‘Morning, Boss,’ a gruff voice projected from the corner of the room. ‘The two petty thieves are no longer with us, unfortunately.’

‘Well, then, it’s time for a moment of silence! A moment of silence, please, for the fools that had crossed our clients…’ Bailey dramatically spread her arms, and the group mockingly bowed their heads in respect for the deceased. ‘Now, where were we? Ah!’ Bailey’s impending monologue was cut short by the ringing of the front door bell. ‘A customer!’

She dropped down another flight of stairs to reach the ground floor, where a timid looking boy was looking over the counter. She walked past posted sign boards filled with papers, pins and maps to reach over the countertop. ‘Welcome to Sariel Detective Agency! We solve every problem, regardless of the quantity of violence involved!’ Bailey wore a wide smile while closely inspecting the small boy.

‘Well off! He’s from a wealthy family, no doubt,’ Maybelline said, hovering close and inspecting the boy. He seemed not to notice anything off- something Bailey had gotten used to for the five years after the crash. ‘Squeeze him for everything he’s got, Bai.’

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‘Well- uh, um, I would really like you to help my dad!’ the boy stuttered out. ‘A group of hoodlums smashed up his house, and I’d like you to bring them to justice!’ He placed a neat stack of paper notes on the table, and bowed his head while asking.

‘Not nearly enough money, dear boy,’ Bailey whispered, counting out the notes. As the boy drew out more from the pocket in his jacket, she continued. ‘How many of these hoodlums did you see? And where are you located?’

Maybelline rolled her eyes. It was negotiation time, once again…

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Strix was pacing back and forth on the second floor. Excel watched him from his massive chair in the corner, and Stella continued eating a very late breakfast. ‘She’s at it once again. Negotiation time, she calls it.’ Strix sighed with frustration as he collapsed into a nearby chair. ‘I don’t understand. If we’re to be defenders of justice in this cruel, collapsed world, how can she continue to fleece every customer with a good conscience? I’ve seen the little one who entered from the window. It’s just a small boy!’

‘Calm your worries, Strix. Our bastion needs money to survive. It’s tough when the biggest gangs all blockade you. We’re lucky that the Boss somehow knows everything. Where the Mori will move, when the Stars form a brigade… Everything going on in this city? She knows it all. Such information does not come for free.’

‘It’s enough that we stand on the right side of justice. We may need the money to recruit more, if we ever hope to stand up properly to those brutes and thugs.’ Excel stated. His massive frame covered the chair entirely. Large, metal gauntlets lay unstrapped at his feet, doused in red. A sign of a recent job well done.

‘When are the shipments coming, anywho? I’m almost dead out of bullets…’ Stella mumbled through her sandwich. A classic six-shooter lay at her hip, engraved with cutesy designs such as stars and birds.

All of the three suit-wearing members dropped deep in contemplation, before the excited steps of an excited Boss jolted them to attention. ‘Time for a trip, Excel!’ Bailey smiled, excitedly. She stashed a massive stack of paper notes into a vault near Excel, and also put away some flashy jewelry. ‘We’ve got a show to perform!’

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