The usual predatory gleam has left his eyes; there is a new later of cautious respect added to his appraisal of me.
"But" he continues, his voice low, almost conspiratorial "I admire your ..... audacity. You have presented me with a far more valuable proposition than you initially letting on. Leon's debts.....they are a significant problem. A problem that could unravel a lot more than just him".
He pauses again, the silence hanging heavy in the air, the unspoken implications heavy with menace and intrigue. Then Alexander looks at me, his expression the mixture of a surprise and a grudging admiration.
"Tell me more about your ..... sources" he says, his voice gaining a new, almost pleading quality. The air in the pawn shop feels different now, the tension shifting subtly. The game has changed and the stakes have risen considerably. My seemingly insignificant knowledge holds far more power than you could have initially imagined. The future, once uncertain and precarious, now stretches before you, full of unforeseen possibilities and a considerable amount of risk.