Stolen
1.04
Territory
Cherie
Mark
Cherie goes to meet with an expert, Mark, a detective in life turned Gangrel after being killed by a Ventrue for getting too close.
Dark street clothes, and a hat he can pull down to hide his features.
“What do you need from an old dog like me?”
He looks over the bookshelves and finds a book on Martin’s subject, Henry the Eighth and his marriages, by Rhodes’s contact Dr. Wood.
She cracks Martin’s wireless and finds a cinema listing check for Saturday suggesting that he was planning to see Claire again at the weekend, when he last used his phone here, Wednesday afternoon, supporting Rhodes’s timeline.
She calls Rhodes to ask if they can look over Wood’s office, and he agrees, sending his assistant Smith.
Smith is keen to help as quickly as possible to get away from two vampires he has never met before.
Mark finds a photo of Rhodes in a compartment in his desk. It dates from the 1970s, and Rhodes looks like it could have been taken last night except that he’s wearing a different tie.
They don’t share this with Smith.
Cherie finds the original email to Rhodes about Martin being absent for a day, noting that he’s the one seeing that girl Rhodes mentioned knows Novak.
Mark recognises that name.
Samuel Novak, Ventrue financier. Not the one who killed him, but part of that brood.
“You know him?” Cherie asks.
“I was working a case that led to this.”
“Oh.”
“I know where to find him.” He takes out a revolver and checks it’s loaded.
A quick ride to the bars near the Square Mile, London’s financial hub.
Mark goes into a store to buy bread, then calls over a raven roosting nearby. Half a baguette now, half when it returns confirming if he’s in.
A wine bar called the Press.
The bird confirms this dead man is inside - and four others.
“I look a little out of place.” Mark smiles thinly.
“So do I, but...”
“You want to go in alone?”
“I’m sure I can get back out.” She cracks her knuckles.
Cherie slips in, making herself unnoticed. She can only do it when still so has to sneak and wait for people to pass by.
Novak, in one of the best booths, dressed like most of the investment types here, talking to some similarly dressed mortals. He looks like he works in an office but clearly this is where he really does business, with the living and the dead.
 |
| Samuel Novak |
Two other vampires at the bar - one heavyset man dressed like security and positioned to observe the door, another apparently middle-aged and dressed in a more classic suit.
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| Joseph Milliner |
And two more in another booth, apparently a couple. Who can see Cherie and subtly acknowledge her.
Cherie lets Mark know, and he moves around to look through a window.
Confirming Novak is there, he doesn’t know the suited man, but he does know the security type. One of the Camarilla enforcers, Graham.
 |
| Graham |
“Do you think he’d remember you?”
“Yes.”
Last time they met Graham threw Mark off a building.
The other vampire is waiting politely to speak with Novak. And making it clear he’s waiting. Politely.
Cherie approaches him and Graham.
“Sorry, do you think he’ll be long?”
Now she’s obvious for everyone to see and getting some questioning looks.
“I would hope not. But we have all the time in the world. So, ladies first.”
“Well thank you.”
Behind them, Graham studies Cherie, giving her time to clock his solid build, military boots and buzz cut.
“You know I said I was confident? Maybe not about this one.”
Graham nods to Novak, who sees he now has two guests waiting. He starts to wind up the deal talk he’s having, but it still takes five minutes before the other two men head out to a waiting cab.
The businessman nods to let Cherie go first.
Novak smiles politely. “I’d remember seeing you here.”
“One would hope.”
“How can I help?”
“What do you know about Henry the Eighth?”
“Divorced, beheaded, died? If you want to know more, ask our Queen. One of the advantages of our condition, a real sense of history.”
“Alright, thank you. And Martin Compton?”
Novak indicates slight familiarity.
“I ask because he’s missing. A friend of a friend. And small world, he knows Claire Davies.”
Novak doesn’t quite hide a flash of anger. “Claire is under my line’s protection.”
Cherie studies him for a moment, noting he and Claire have the same brown eyes. “So this friend. Dr. Rhodes? Does he have any enemies?”
Novak actually laughs. “The Tremere who advises the Queen and decides who can hunt around every university in the city? Let’s say yes.”
“Any in common?”
He considers this a moment longer. “Maybe Astor.” As she doesn’t recognise the name, he continues. “One of the disadvantages of our condition, it can be hard to progress. Promotion by dead man’s shoes doesn’t work if you’re all dead already. I have my own investments and connections away from my sire. Astor doesn’t really. This boy met Claire through some university fundraising thing Rhodes and I were both at. Could be he wants to make sure it bothers us as well.”
“I see. Well... thank you for your time.”
“If you wouldn’t mind keeping me informed.” Novak sounds nonchalant. Almost.
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