â---cleopatrathesecretary
( @cleopatrathesecretary )
âSo, youâre the Vanstenâs boy.âÂ
Two figures stood on a small sidestreet, one looking north, the other south. The first speaker, a woman, glanced back slightly at the other, a young man leaning against the brick wall.Â
âIâve heard a lot about you. Enough to make me wonder how someone like you could ever be connected to all this.âÂ
The boy smirked, flipping to a new page in the penny novel in his hands. âFamilyâs funny that way - beinâ the son âf a rumrunner anâ leader of the Vansten.. ah.. âCompanyâ does have that⌠pull.âÂ
âBut mânot here tâ talk about my life âr my father.â he continued, âSomething from âthis lifeâ as you call it, touched mine.âÂ
âOh?â The woman raised a brow, intrigued, âAnd is that why an angel such as yourself wants to meet someone like me?âÂ
âYes,â He replied, âThâPalermo clan has a⌠beneficial workinâ relationship with mâfather. Anâ yer ability tâ hide in plain sight is well known, Miz Cleopatra.âÂ
âThough your father may call me by my first name, Tobias, I still prefer Ms. Palermo, if you please.âÂ
Toby blinked, unperturbed at the use of his name. âOâcourse, mâapologies. Then please call me Toby, not Tobias.âÂ
âThen, Toby, I assume that you need be to⌠listen at the appropriate keyholes?âÂ
Toby nodded once more and turned a page, âYes. A classmate of mine at the university has been acting⌠odd. Friendly. Tâ friendly. He wanted tâ be lab partners fer a class he doesnâ need for his major; anâ heâs been pressing tâ hang out at places I know fer a fact he hates.âÂ
Cleopatra smirked and leaned against the wall of the alley, watching him.Â
âMaybe heâs sweet on you.âÂ
Toby snapped his book shut and gave her a look. âI hardly think so. Mânot his type.âÂ
âThen he has a motive for getting close to you.âÂ
âThatâs my thinkinâ. He wears a signet ring on a chain âround his neck - the DiCarlo family if memory serves.âÂ
Toby faced Cleo directly, arching a brow himself. âYer family anâ theirs has quite thâfeud, one my father took on once he started workinâ with you.âÂ
âSeems like a win-win situation, figurinâ out what my classmate is up tâ hm?âÂ
âYes,â Cleopatra concedes, âYes it does.âÂ
Pushing off from the wall, she straightened her jacket and flashed Toby a predatory smile. âAlright Kid; letâs talk details.âÂ