Shady Meeting

[Risk]

"No, I actually don't," said Risk, wondering where Goblin was going with this. "I just know of a guy who knows a guy that used to work there... that's the only way you got out of that place, anyway. Look, what do you need advice for? I really don't see why you need me here. You're good enough at making plans by yourself and finding things out without any help."

If it weren't for Ershey, he'd be long gone by now. Surprisingly, he actually needed their help.

[Wraith]

"Oh, yeah. We get along great," Goblin muttered. It was one of his plans that destroyed both their lives, albeit one he made at the age of twelve, but there was no need to get into all that. "Look, you're a cop, right? So investigate! Just tell me who's keeping the Refuge open. Do you like files? 'Cause I've got a frightening number of files." He eyed a giant cardboard box tucked into a corner. "All aliases and fronts and dead ends. Just...take them to work, show them to all those honest cops, ask some questions. I've had about a dozen people working on this for a year now, and we're never gonna get to the bottom of it, because we don't have any actual resources, because we're not cops."

"So basically, we're just asking you to do your job," Wraith said. Even though 'advice' may have been understating it a little. "And we'll help you pin the murder on someone else, and everyone's happy."

[Risk]

"Fine," said Risk after a couple of moments. "At least you two aren't asking me to murder or blackmail anybody. I can do that." It was safe enough for him to do to not get noticed. He'd just have to sneak back to the office without being seen.

"There's this Brooky that threatened me. Tristan," started Risk. "Does that sound familiar to you?"

[Wraith]

There was a bit of an awkward silence.

"Well, what did you expect?" Wraith said defensively. "I couldn't know if you were going to keep your end of the bargain. I needed some kind of insurance. It's not like I asked him to beat you up in an alley or something."

[Risk]

"I knew it was you who set it up!" muttered Risk, shaking his head at her. "You should be grateful your brother's out of that place. Well, unless you have other suggestions on who to pin it on... I could care less. Choose some kid that doesn't know what he's doing. Actually, some kid who deserves to be in jail. I'd rather not stick someone in there who'll just take up space." That, and he knew he'd feel morally horrible by having some random newsie in there for no reason.

[Wraith]

"Not Tristan," Wraith said firmly. "He stays out of this. He's as off-limits as us and Ershey, got it?"

Goblin just shrugged. He barely knew Tristan, but he did know that Wraith had all but moved in with the guy's family. "Some newsies somewhere who deserve to be in jail..."

"That won't be hard," Wraith predicted.

"No, that won't be hard at all." Having kept track of current and former Refuge inmates for the past year, Goblin could think of any number of names already. "We'll get right on that."

[Risk]

"A newsie that can't lead back to Ershey or any of you at all," warned Risk. "They can't be connected back in some way. It's gotta be someone you don't know... maybe someone you heard of but haven't associated with. Keep off Five Points and stay in Brooklyn. Go even farther than Brooklyn if you have to."

[Wraith]

Goblin nodded, appreciating his logic but noticing the omission. "Why, who's in Five Points?"

Wraith's face was blank, like she had no clue what his answer might be. If he had any idea how much she'd learned crouching under the porch last night, this meeting would not have gone nearly as smoothly as it did.

[Risk]

"Just don't go there," answered Risk, shooting them a look.

((Heehee <3))

[Wraith]

"All right then," Goblin agreed, intrigued but willing not to pry. "So is that everything?" He sounded kind of disappointed.

Wraith smirked, knowing he really had been all set for hours upon hours of elaborate scheming. "I think so." She looked at Risk for confirmation.

[Risk]

"It's a deal," he nodded. He hoped this would be the last one with these two siblings. He was getting tired of sneaking around with addition to being undercover already.

[Wraith]

Wraith nodded and offered him her hand to shake on it...then started as she remembered her response back when he'd made her the same offer. She'd had a knife out on that occasion, and he'd been looking for a gun he didn't have.

"I think our business relationship has improved considerably," she said, still holding out her hand.

[Risk]

"Right, well, just keep this to yourselves. I, at least, trust you both to do that much," he said, shaking Wraith's hand. If she had the capacity to find Adri like she did, he had some hope that they could pull it off.

[Wraith]

"Enjoy the files," Goblin said, gesturing at the box. "Just take whatever looks helpful. And if none of it looks helpful, please do me a favor and don't tell me." All the time he'd spent lying low and flying under everyone's radar--all the time he didn't spend analyzing his fellow newsies or working on Wraith's revenge scheme, that is--he had spent here in the basement, working on those goddamn files. "And don't worry," he added as he headed up the stairs, "keeping secrets is the one thing you can always count on us for."

"Always," Wraith echoed, but she didn't meet Risk's eyes when she said it. And she followed her brother up the stairs and continued on out of the lodging house and toward the bridge, to go and tell Tristan that his daughter was alive.

[jackkelly]

((Aaaaah when is she gonna tell him, im dying here!))