“I’m having dinner with Alisa tonight,” Trevor announced, unable to suppress a grin.
“Is it a date dinner?” Lady News asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“No,” Trevor insisted, a subtle blush creeping up his face. “I need to ask her about Patric. She brought a guy named Patric to the wedding after-party, and I saw the same guy at the Gotham Hotel the day we investigated the fire. It can’t be a coincidence.”
Spion shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Maybe it is. We live in reality, not a fairy tale. Sometimes things just happen without a grand design.”
“So, how are things going with you and Donna?” Trevor asked, abruptly shifting the focus to catch Spion off guard.
“She wanted a relationship; I told her I didn’t. Simple as that,” Spion said casually, as if he were discussing the weather.
“Jerk,” Trevor teased.
Lady News and Report Man shared a knowing smile. Then, Lady News checked her phone. “Well, what’s everyone’s plan? I’m headed to the Barber Shop; I have a party tonight.” She turned her screen to show them the Dressrious app, displaying a stunning sky-blue gown. “Loulun Raven designed it for me. The party is to celebrate his boyfriend’s three-month anniversary. Loulun changes boyfriends like he changes clothes, but this one has lasted the longest so far. It’s worth a toast.”
“Beautiful,” Trevor praised. “Can I take a photo? I’d love to show my sister; she works for a fashion house in Paris.”
“Actually, I can do one better and share the dress with you. Let me add you to my Dressrious Team,” Lady News said. She tapped through the interface with practiced ease, adding Trevor to her team, then she used the Sharing feature to beam the sky-blue dress data directly to his device.
“Great, I’ll share it with her. I’m heading to my dad’s place to play video games with her later,” Trevor said.
“I’ve got a party too,” Report Man added. “Dr. Fit is hosting a small celebration before we head to the Alps for skiing next Monday. I just wish we could solve this case before I leave.”
“Go ahead,” Spion said, waving a hand dismissively. “We can keep you in the loop online. Though, you’ll likely miss the glory of the moment when we finally nail the bad guy.” He leaned back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. “It seems I’m the only one without a social life.” He suddenly sat bolt upright, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Or maybe I’ll give Donna a ring.”
“Don’t play games with her feelings,” Trevor said. “If you’re not serious, leave her alone.”
“Relax, I’m only asking her about Alisa,” Spion said, his eyes narrowing. “If Patric is behind this, we have to look at Alisa. She brought him to the wedding; she gave him access. Did she know his plan?”
“What? You’re insane,” Trevor snapped. “They’re just business partners.”
“Who brings a ‘business partner’ to a college friend’s wedding? That’s personal,” Spion argued. “Either there’s something between them, or they’re planning something together.”
“Unbelievable,” Trevor said, his voice rising in anger even as a seed of doubt took root in his heart.
“I’m just afraid you’re being blinded by love, kid,” Spion remarked.
“I am not,” Trevor snapped, giving Spion a sharp side-eye.
“Guys, both of you, listen to a woman’s advice,” Lady News interrupted, trying to diffuse the childish tension. “It is never a good idea to take a girl out and spend the entire night asking about another person.”
“It’s not a date!” Trevor and Spion shouted in unison.
Regardless of whether it was officially a date, Trevor dressed for the occasion. He arrived at the party hall wearing an expensive steel-blue wool suit, opting for a light gray checked button-down and no tie to keep the look effortlessly modern. A hint of woody cologne trailed behind him as he led the way to a booth he’d carefully selected—tucked far from the crowd with intimate lighting and the soft, distant melody of a piano.
Alisa arrived shortly after, still in her navy business suit and a light Eau de Toilette. She clearly hadn’t found a spare moment to change after her marathon meeting with the Messengers. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, looking slightly breathless.
“It’s fine, you look great,” Trevor smiled. “I already ordered two Kirs and some pâté to start. We can look at the mains now.”
After ordering sirloin, halibut, salad, and a bottle of wine, a server soon arrived with their Kirs and the pâté appetizer.
Alisa took a long sip of her drink. “I’m parched. That was a four-hour meeting, and I had to give a one-hour speech.”
“Sounds intense,” Trevor said. “What was it about?”
“The meeting was all about world trade, discussing how to improve public understanding of global commerce and the benefits it provides,” Alisa said with a soft smile. “But honestly, do you really want to listen to me talk about such a tedious subject at a moment like this?”
“Maybe not this time,” Trevor grinned. “So, was the meeting with ‘the Messengers’? Who exactly are they? The name doesn’t sound like it has much to do with world trade, more like a missionary organization.”
“In a way, yes. They call themselves the followers of Hermes, the god of merchants. The Messengers focus on improving the business climate across the globe. They believe that capitalism’s problems can only be solved through capitalist means, so they fund food banks, provide interest-free loans, and offer free job skills training. It’s basically a massive charity and education network with a very specific economic worldview.”
“Impressive. Do they have a base here?” Trevor asked, spreading pâté on a piece of crusty bread.
“They’re looking to establish a base here,” Alisa explained, pausing to take a bite of bread. “That’s what these government talks have been about, and why I’ve been so tied up in meetings. I think it’s actually going to happen; they could be opening a local branch as early as next month.”
“How many of them are there?” Trevor asked.
“They have hundreds of members, though the majority are based in the Neverlands, Frank, and Rome.”
“And they sent Patric to New Athens to act as their missionary?” Trevor joked.
“They actually sent ten missionaries,” Alisa said with a subtle smile. “And Patric is their leader.”
“So he’s a Neverlander?”
“Eirish, actually. He prefers it that way.”
“You must be spending a lot of time with him,” Trevor noted, trying to sound casual.
“Not really. It’s been strictly business meetings so far.”
“But you brought him to the wedding? That’s a rare move for a business partner.”
Alisa stopped eating, her expression turning serious. “I should clarify that. I didn’t want to show up to the wedding alone, and he was available. It was also a good chance to introduce him to the Mayor. That’s all it was.”
Trevor let out a dramatic, relieved sigh. “I thought… maybe there was something between you.”
“No!” Alisa looked genuinely surprised, her eyes wide before a bright smile spread across her face.
“Isn’t Hermes also the god of thieves?” Trevor asked suddenly, changing the subject.
“Well, merchants and capitalists have never had the best reputations, have they?” Alisa joked, her eyes twinkling.
“You’ve got a point there,” Trevor smiled, leaning in.
Their conversation paused as the server arrived to set down the steaming plates and pour their wine. As the initial excitement of the food settled, the lightheartedness of the evening shifted. The casual small talk gave way to the headlines on Gossip News about Victoria, and eventually drifted toward the topic that truly haunted them: the shooting of Connor Franco.
“How is Fiona holding up?” Trevor asked. “Have you talked to her?”
“I reached out the night it happened,” Alisa replied. “She returned to the city yesterday and is holed up at her mother’s. I’m planning to go to the hospital this Saturday to see her and her father.”
Trevor leaned in slightly. “Have you heard anything else about her father? Specifically… anything regarding illegal activities?”
Alisa paused, her expression clouding. “If you’re asking me if I’ve heard rumors of corruption, the answer is yes—plenty. But it’s nearly impossible to take people like that down. They have a thousand ways to scrub themselves clean. There’s nothing anyone can do.”
Trevor drank his wine in silence. He remembered Alisa in high school, giving fiery speeches about ending injustice. She had wanted to be the Queen of the United Fairylands to change the world. He wondered if growing up simply meant letting those “childish” dreams die.
The rest of the dinner was pleasant. They lingered over dessert, chatting about nothing in particular until the clock neared eight. Alisa eventually checked her phone and sighed. “I really should get going. I have an early start tomorrow, and I still have a report to finish that I was supposed to tackle tonight.”
“I’m sorry for holding you up,” Trevor said, feeling a pang of regret that the night was ending.
“No, don’t be. I’m glad I came,” Alisa said, her smile turning soft and meaningful. “It was a date, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Trevor replied, his heart leaping. “It was definitely a date.”
He was just about to ask if he could see her home, perhaps even hoping for a goodnight kiss, when his phone vibrated sharply. An urgent email notification from Jimmy lit up the screen. The message read: “Mr. Franco just woke up. He’s asking for me specifically. I don’t know what to do. Please help.”