"Wow, Scott, look at those hotties!"
And what are you still doing here, you ass? I frown, but my gaze follows to where James is pointing, and I feel my business smile stiffen.
Well, I guess Eve and Jordan do make great eye candy.
On one side, Eve's wearing a well-adjusted dress with a low collar and a slit on the side, showing off her long legs, accentuated by those high heels of hell. On the other side, Jordan's wearing casual attire for once, although the tight turtleneck sweater and denim jeans do enhance his well-built body.
Now that James is pointing it out, I notice that they are drawing people's eyes, and many are whispering and nudging each other as they make their way toward me. No one's brave enough to approach them, though.
"Here's your drink, Scott," Jordan nods at James as he hands a glass over. Oh, a Sex on the Beach. The bright colors are lovely, at least.
A second later, the darn vampire is intruding into my personal space to whisper in my ears, "Wait, you know these beauties?!"
I glance at the star-eyed vampire as I bite on the cherry, sliding it off the sword-shaped toothpick.
…Why is he acting so chummy with me now? He's never seen beautiful people before, or what? That can't be. He only has to look in the mirror to see a pretty face, after all.
Although I guess Eve and Jordan are more beautiful than him. It's hard to compete with these two.
Anyway, I swallow the cherry before answering him.
"Yeah." I point at Jordan. "Husband." Then I point at Eve. "Husband's ex-bed partner."
Oh, I love that dumbfounded face.
"A friend?" Jordan asks, not the least bit troubled by Eve's new title.
"No."
"Is that so?" He smiles, and I don't like that smile. It never bodes well when he wears that one. "It'd have made things easier if he were a friend."
"How so—ah."
Next time, I'm going to ask the name of the contact we're meeting with before actually running into them. That would save me from a future headache or a potential heart attack.
I should have known, though. We are in vampire territory, and even if the government has relegated the case to a private investigator, that has been done with the vampire clan's agreement. Sending over an otherworldly being to sniff into their affairs without permission would do nothing but raise tension.
So, of course, Jordan would work in tandem with one of their own to avoid any kind of friction, too, and not everyone in that clan is fit to take on that role, leaving us with very few options.
But, well, considering James's perplexed face, he doesn't seem to have realized who he's talking to yet.
No wonder. I bet Jordan and Eve, these old geezers, are at least aware of everyone there's to know, such as the heir of a clan, but those below them in the hierarchy aren't all that familiar with their existences, much less their human appearances. I'm not even sure your run-of-the-mill Joe has been made aware that their species has a patriarch and a matriarch, 'cause I sure as hell didn't know before meeting them—not like I know much about their species, to begin with.
Also, private investigators don't go around screaming their jobs on rooftops.
"James Andrew Alexander D'Clare, I presume?"
"…Yes? And you are?"
"The private investigator in charge of the case."
James chokes on his spit, and I can't help the mocking grin. Still, I do my very best not to meet his gaze and pretend not to notice the stare he's giving me.
The guy's not brainless. There's no way in hell a lesser demon is a private investigator; that would be courting death, and no one would be willing to pass cases over to such a weak being. To start with, people go to private investigators after hunters fail, so…
To put it bluntly, James is currently doing one plus one, and realizing I've been married off to at least a noble family, but the news hasn't been broadcasted anywhere. Miria isn't bragging about it, and no noble family has released a statement about one of their members getting married, either.
The reason? Who the fuck knows. I'm sure his imagination can come up with something.
"It's nice to meet you…"
James bends over me to shake Jordan's hand, and I quietly sip on my drink. Oh, it's quite good. The barman knows what he's doing.
"So," Eve claps her hands, and I reluctantly lift my eyes to meet hers. What now? "As discussed on the phone, I'll be playing bait. Scott's accepted to come over to help us with his expertise as a former hunter. I hope you don't mind."
"No, not at all."
James's previous frivolity is gone, replaced by a serious tone I've rarely heard from him.
At the end of the day, the guy's the heir of his clan. Even if he doesn't like demons all that much, or me for all that matters, he can put his dislike aside to work with us. The kobolds are messing up big time in his territory, and the more people are fearful to go out, the fewer oblivious prey there are for his people to feed on.
Starved vampires are a pain to handle, and no one wants the situation to degrade to the point where these beasts pounce on everything in sight to satiate their hunger. Otherwise, welcome chaos.
It's funny, though, how vampires harbor such childish animosity toward 'demons' when they're from the same realm and are classified as demonic beings, too. They have their own clan, but still respond to the demon king.
"—So, what do we do now?" James asks, his crimson eyes sizing us up.
"Search for the needle in the haystack. What else?"
The words leave my mouth faster than I can think, earning me a quirked eyebrow from James. Yeah, yeah, I know, you're used to my obedient doll-like temper. But Miria isn't around anymore, and I've got no reason to continue the charade.
Live with it, pal.
"Alright then," Eve chuckles. "First off, let's pretend to be out having fun and gradually get drunk before going our separate ways. These cowards go after lone women, so staying together all night will be a waste of time."
"Right," Jordan nods. "We'll stay in touch through our phones and give you a call if we notice a suspicious group."
More like, I'll be giving the call the moment I see those darn lizards, so Eve can go bait them. It's something we have already talked about, but it doesn't hurt to do a recap.
Honestly, I'd rather stay on the bench and observe from afar, but I can't see the people beyond the first row, as these drunkards have no conception of personal space and are packed against each other like sardines. Moving around the crowd will make it easier for me to spot the kobolds, and the best way to do that is through dancing and pretending to be drunk.
"Can you give me your number, too, then? Just in case." James asks me. He already has Jordan's and Eve's, but not mine.
"Yeah, sure."
Even if I'm reluctant, it's better to add him to my list of contacts. I'll be working with him tonight, whether I like it or not. So, I bring up my brand-new phone, courtesy of Jordan, and enter his number.
Now, there are four people on the list: Jordan, Eve, Todd, and James.
"Let's go to the dance floor."
Jordan offers a hand, and I stare at it for a second. Looks like he hasn't removed his wedding ring for tonight. I haven't either, in fact.
Anyway, I take his hand and he pulls me up.
Better not to think too much.
Alright, then, let's go humiliate myself on the dance floor with those rusty dance moves of mine. On the bright side, people are already too drunk to care, despite how early it is in the night. Perfect.