"You know, to meet a lady who happens to be Lloyd Howitzer's mistress, you sure know how to travel." Valefar spoke as the two were inside a city bus. Turning to his left, Valefar saw a large red billboard. The paint was old, but the half naked lady wearing a two piece was still shining as she held a bottle of Atomic Cola in her hand.
"Do you think I'm that naive to drive my car through a city where anyone could put a bullet in you?" Chance spoke without looking at the Representative.
"Come on detective, before I ran into you and the MPD I've heard criminals wet their pants and even put in a load of baggage in them by the time Hellfire Arm users are running amok." Valefar said. "Who's gonna shoot you?"
"Anybody who knows about the MPD, HAST and the Havertons."
"Well, I guess people WEREN'T lying when they say some parts of the city will get you killed, or worse." Valefar commented. He had been here, on this Earth for as long as he could remember.
"Human beings. You all occupy one giant space, and you care for one another, creating laws, systems and norms in order to keep things in check. Morissey is indeed a land of...an expanded group of people. Everyone is oh so different yet you all live within the United States. Sometimes you all get along, sometimes, it can get complicated.
"As much as I want to listen to your commentary on humanity, answer me this. What happens if you do actually try to stop a contracted Hellfire Arm user?" Chance exclaimed.
"Let's see! If I were to somehow disturb or break the contract between the Gunsmith and the Hellfire Arm user, then I would get fucking burned to a crisp and somebody else from Hell is going to replace me as the Gunsmith's Representative."
"So even a man like you who makes deals, has a deal with your own boss." The Haverton detective raised his eyebrow, and chuckled.
Valefar threw his hands up. "It is what it is."
***
Sunshine Heights was a suburban neighborhood, just south of Morrissey just before the bridges leading to the central and heart of the city. The grass was as green as a rainforest, and the air was blessed with cleanliness and freshness.
People that lived here were the ones who wanted a more peaceful sight, compared to the bustling action that is Downtown.
The bus that Chance and Valefar were in stopped at one of its many bus stops all around Morissey. They exited the bus, as the view of the neighborhood greeted their eyes. Houses were painted white, but there were also pastel colors as well. Things were quiet, somewhat.
"Barbara Keane's place is just up north from here." Valefar spoke and smelt the air. "Smells like heaven! Not much as changed."
"How old are you really?" Chance spoke. "Considering you probably know this place more than me."
"A thousand years"
"Get out of here." Chance rolled his eyes.
"I'm no comedian Chance, so I'm afraid I'm not joking." The two walked quite the distance,
until they stopped at a bright yellow home. The front yard was decorated with roses, lilies and a few dandelions. A beautiful sight, Chance thought.
"I'll take it from here." Valefar spoke as he led on and walked onto the door. His hand soon knocked on it, and out came a lady. The lady was in yellow, the same color as the exterior of her house. A seemingly vigorous brunette she was, her brown eyes lighting up in addition to her lips. Valefar smiled at the sight of her. She let out a gasp at the sight of him.
"Mr. Vale?" Barbara Keane's voice was that in surprise. She then looked at the detective behind Valefar. "Oh, are you a friend of Mr. Vale's?"
"This is Chance Gordon, Barbie." Valefar explained. "He's here about the Hellfire Arm crisis, and Lloyd, I'm afraid."
Barbara bit her lip. "I'm not sure I can't tell much detective. The MPD has already asked me about Lloyd, and another Haverton."
"Miss Keane, as much as I want to believe you, but I need to double check about Lloyd Howitzer. The MPD and Havertons have reason to believe that Lloyd may be in connection with someone, to the point where."
"A Dripper killed him." Barbara added. "And a Hellfire Arm user."
"I only ask you to relay the information that you gave before. After that I'll leave you be. How does that sound?"
"Very well detective. Please do come in." Barbara turned to Valefar. "George, you as well." She walked into the house first.
"George?" Chance whispered to Valefar.
"George Vale." Valefar spoke, before giving a business card to him bearing his cover name. The card had an egg white color to it, and it was thick. Chance could feel the thickness not only of the card but the ink as well.
Had Valefar cashed it something of high quality at the local printers? Sure, some of the machinery within the city "I do business."
Very funny, Chance thought as he and Valefar went into the house and sat on a blue sofa, facing Barbara seated on a comfy chair. Her face did not match the comfort of the chair.
"You mentioned that a Haverton came to you before?"
"Yes, Stacy Hazelton her name was." Barbara Keane spoke in a surprised manner. Her eyes went slightly bigger than they were when she said that name.. "First time I've seen a woman as a detective. I mean, I know women in most lines of work, but investigation?"
"The Haverton Agency has always been open about its employment. The director of the agency seeks skill regardless of the applicant." Chance explained. "Always has been since the days of the Old West."
"Indeed it was!" Valefar's head came out of the kitchen
"I see. Well, she asked me about Lloyd as soon as I heard from a friend that Lloyd was killed."
"Miss Keane-"
"Please, call me Barbie."
"Alright, Barbie. Please go ahead and tell me what you told detective Hazelton"
"I guess it's not a surprise anymore that Lloyd was a criminal. The MPD probably knows this and the man he worked for, Wesley Riskell! I didn't like that man, not one bit. Lloyd wasn't perfect, but he seemed different when he wasn't doing his business.
"Sometimes he was willing to cut off his business just to spend time with me, which I am grateful for. Although other times he brings some of his "friends" here." Barbara paused. "One of them seemed odd, almost frightening for me. I guess it's his mustache."
"Mustache?" Valefar asked.
"Yes." Barbara spoke. "A man in a bowler hat, heavy suit. His moustache was like an animal's, a walrus I think.."
"Do you know his name?" Chance asked.
"I heard Lloyd called him Hunch."
"And you told detective Hazelton this?"
Barbara nodded as Chance jolted this down onto his notebook.
"When was the last time you saw Lloyd?"
"Yesterday evening. He came home to me as usual, but he seemed stressed. He didn't want to tell me what was going on. I saw him on the phone, talking to somebody on the phone. It wasn't some other woman judging by what he was talking about, but it wasn't comfortable either. I heard him talk about Hellfire Arms. I didn't know what they were, until a friend of mine told me her husband saw them during the war 4 years ago." Barbara explained. "Detective, are these Hellfire Arms-"
"Dangerous? Yes. Very." Chance spoke. "Which is why I'm playing my part in stopping the crisis with these Arms. One more question Barbie, just before I leave: when you saw Hunch, did you notice anything weird about him? Other than his moustache?"
"Yes actually!" Barbara spoke. "I told detective Hazelton, but she didn't seem to believe me."
"What did you say?" asked Valefar.
"That man, Hunch, he had a ghost behind him."
"A ghost?" asked Chance.
"I know what I saw detective. There was a woman behind Hunch when he came to my home, but only I saw her. Not Lloyd, not his other friends. That woman, she didn't seem human by any means." Barbara paused, as she froze in horror. "Detective…" she pointed at Chance's shoulder.
Chance turned to see a rat on his shoulder, he stood up before he flinged it away with his hand. Barbara shrieked at the sight of the rat. The rat went down onto the ground, before running to the door, and squeezing itself through the gap.
"Barbie." Chance started. "Thank you for your time. If there's any updates, I'll be sure to let you know."
"Please do detective." Barbara spoke. She then stood up as knocking was on the door. Opening it, she saw Officer Rollins, and behind him was a HAST member. Chance turned to the door, and saw the HAST member, armed with a handgun on his front strap, accompanied by a hat and a cape, both in the colors of red, white and blue, accompanied by stars.
"Detective Gordon." Jim Rollins spoke. "Funny seeing you here." he turned to the HAST member. "This is Ozzie Ford. He's got the All-American with him."