Ch.127Request Log #012 – Night of the Mafia (8)

“Call the leprechaun. Tell him to bring a spare suit if he has one.”

I couldn’t send this goblin to the Knoll Mother in his current state. Selkie, who had tortured him, brought a box of medicine and began applying it to his cracked skin wounds.

Arnold flinched a bit, but Selkie was putting more effort into treating him than she had into torturing him. This was a fragment of who she was before being isolated from the sea and losing half her mind.

I would probably have to take this goblin to visit the Knoll Mother. A contract didn’t mean unconditional trust. A contract was an agreement about the quantity and degree of doubt.

The Morrígan probably had many people working for her too, but there wouldn’t be many who took jobs from both organizations simultaneously. There was probably only one contractor who had actually spoken with the Knoll Mother. No one would be better as an observer than me.

I didn’t know how things would turn out, but I might have to take on even dirtier work. Retribution would come first, and resistance would follow. My part would likely be the retribution.

Soon, that green-suited fairy came down from the bar carrying a suit similar in size to the goblin’s, walking with an arrogant stride. He threw the suit to the goblin sitting on the floor. Whether it would fit remained to be seen.

Then the fairy looked directly at The Morrígan. After lowering his hat and bowing his head respectfully, he spoke.

“It would be fortunate if this ended without resistance, but I hope there won’t be a bitter aftertaste, Morrígan. A fellow countryman was shot! You know that with just slightly better aim, he would have died!”

This fairy had mocked Bavan the most severely, yet he was also the most indignant when Bavan was injured. He doesn’t know how to be honest.

The Morrígan looked at the fairy. Instead of establishing authority, she spoke kindly. The content of her words wasn’t as kind as her tone.

“What they failed at, we will succeed at, leprechaun. We’ll kill the mastermind, the boss who approved this plan, and the advisors, and then we’ll resist. Would this be sufficient retribution?”

Though her tone was like soothing a child, it was obvious which of them was older. The green-suited fairy didn’t add anything further.

The goblin barely picked up the suit and, despite wincing from the stinging, put it on. His cheek still bore wound marks where the medicine hadn’t fully dried, but the suit fit perfectly.

It seems not all fairy magic is unpleasant. I needed to prepare to meet the Mother too.

I picked up the phone in the corner of the basement, which The Morrígan would normally use to call from upstairs to check on the situation, and called the Mother. Inspector Jonathan’s belongings were certainly useful.

After ringing twice, the call connected immediately. Inspector Jonathan was probably the only one who used this phone, and now I was the only one. The Mother knew who was calling.

“You don’t think Sylvia and Giuseppina haven’t reported to me, do you, detective?”

I cleared my throat. The Morrígan could be approached more comfortably, or even disrespectfully like a deity, but the Mother was just uncomfortable and difficult.

It wasn’t a difference in power. Both were stronger than me, but while The Morrígan enjoyed anyone who smelled of death and war, the Mother only liked respectful people. She was just more difficult to please.

“Of course I knew when I called you, Mother. I thought you would know I’m working with the Irish half-bloods, which is why I called. Have you received reports about the goblins?”

“That should be obvious too. There’s certainly no proof the half-bloods did it. But the issue is this: do I need to care about it? The casino in Little Eire is quite profitable. I’m willing to shed blood to get it, detective. Even if there was a scheme, I don’t care. They merely slapped a cheek that wanted to cry.”

It wasn’t purely out of desire. The Mother had previously been threatened by President Clichy and forced to back off from a journalist. She needed to establish her authority this time.

Even if she suffered considerable losses, she wouldn’t hesitate if she could reduce the Irish mafia’s territory and take it for herself. I chose my words carefully, like selecting a tool.

Telling her that the Irish mafia was prepared and couldn’t be defeated would only backfire. What the Mother wanted was to show off that she could accomplish anything.

To persuade the Mother, I had to give her what she wanted. I took a quiet breath so she wouldn’t hear and spoke.

“Of course, Mother. But why seek a difficult victory far away when there’s a simple and perfect victory close at hand? Only you truly understand how profitable taking over Little Eire would be.”

“An easy victory, you say. My informants tell me the goblin mafia has grown considerably, even accepting orcs and ogres. If both are difficult opponents, isn’t it better to choose the one that’s been a thorn in my side?”

This was tough. She seemed to have already weighed her options. Fortunately, what gambler Arnold had contracted with The Morrígan was enough to tip the Mother’s scales in the opposite direction.

“Your informant may have observed, but they haven’t been inside. There’s a fracture within the goblin mafia. Some want to grow their power while the Italian and Irish mafias fight each other, while others want to collaborate and build strength slowly. Surely there must be goblins among them who would cooperate with you.”

I was shaking her scales. I was disrupting her view that the Irish mafia and goblins were on the same level. The Mother asked with a hint of interest.

“Yes. They’re borrowing some pretty good gunmen. But isn’t such division common everywhere, detective? To properly split that division, you need a focal point. Have you found that focal point? I don’t think you just grabbed some low-level member and extracted information. I’d like to show you some respect.”

I hoped gambler Arnold was important enough. If the goblin mafia had asked him for a favor, he must be a goblin of some standing. Then, I struck at her blind spot.

“Gambler Arnold said he would bring his faction and the goblins involved in match-fixing to work under The Morrígan. And for the goblins who cooperate with the Knoll, wouldn’t one phone call from you be enough? They wouldn’t want to attack your organization, their longtime business partner and backer.”

The focal point for the Knoll-cooperating goblins was the Knoll Mother herself. It was natural that gambler Arnold’s faction would choose to join the Italian mafia rather than stay in a fractured organization.

I deliberately made it sound like the success of this plan depended on the Knoll Mother. I hoped she would pierce the weakness in this logic.

Fortunately, the Knoll Mother sharply probed the gap. It would have been disastrous if I hadn’t prepared an answer in advance.

“Gambler Arnold certainly has the reputation. But if I refuse, that shiny plan ends in failure, doesn’t it, detective? It’s good that you’re trying, but it’s shallow. Unlike you.”

“That’s because this is an offer with no pressure. I’ve already persuaded gambler Arnold. Whether you accept this deal or not, gambler Arnold will lead his faction under The Morrígan, and the Irish mafia will secure the high ground. When that happens, attacking either the Irish mafia or the goblin mafia would be disadvantageous for you, wouldn’t it?”

It wasn’t true. Arnold did have a plan, but for it to succeed, the Knoll Mother’s choice was necessary. I deliberately lied, but because I lied, this statement would become true.

The Mother laughed. She seemed to realize that whether what I said was true or false didn’t matter. Uncharacteristically, she candidly admitted she’d been caught.

“Ah, damn it all. This is why I like you. Even if I asked for proof, gambler Arnold would say the same thing. Whether you’re lying now or not, eventually those words will become true. So, is that the end of the plan? Simply cutting off the goblin mafia’s limbs and resisting? That seems a bit insufficient.”

Now I mixed laughter into my words. Not like mockery, but with a subtle laugh like during a pleasant conversation.

“Of course not. If the goblin mafia becomes an enemy, there’s more to be done. You need to show those who dared to deceive and divide the two organizations that playing hand games will cost them their wrists.”

The Knoll Mother’s excited growl could be heard. This was her victory. Even if the goblin mafia had weakened, it was still the third largest organization in New York.

The prospect of killing their boss and advisors at will and sweeping away the headless and limbless remnants from New York’s back alleys seemed quite appealing to her.

She spoke in a human voice again, smiling pleasantly.

“The details will need to be discussed, but it’s not a bad deal. No, it’s a good deal. We have much to gain by joining forces. My mouth is watering. Is The Morrígan nearby?”

“She’s waiting right beside me, Mother. Should I put her on?”

“Yes, please. I need to set a date to meet with The Morrígan. It’s better to decide quickly, regardless of how things unfold.”

Success. I didn’t happily shake my fist, but I could feel the pleasant relief of having handled another difficult task. I handed the phone to The Morrígan.

They exchanged pleasant voices like housewives meeting at a café at three in the afternoon. Meeting places and times were being set as if for a simple gathering.

It’s almost a shame to have given gambler Arnold a suit. Originally, I had called to set up a meeting with the Mother myself, but now The Morrígan and the Mother were arranging a time to meet.

The Morrígan finished the conversation and hung up shortly after. When minds align, things become this simple.

After hanging up, The Morrígan approached me. The visual hallucination was intense. I kept seeing flashes between her ordinary appearance and a taller form with hair flowing down to the floor.

As I stared at that form, Death smiled. Her cool, pleasant hand cupped my cheek, allowing me to meet the gaze of her true form, not the hallucination.

“I need a mediator, could you help? It won’t be too burdensome. Sitting in on a meeting where people with hidden guns gather isn’t enough to make your palms sweat, is it?”

The Morrígan seemed to be seeing some kind of hallucination of me too. I nodded briefly. After her hand cupped my cheek and showed me where to look, the hallucination no longer wavered.

“Better to increase the pay than give it a fancy name. We’re not going with four people?”

“That’s more like you. Yes. You’ll act as a neutral party at the meeting. Didn’t you say you’ve worked with the mafia before? If you’ve worked with the Knoll Mother, you would have seen a notary present—that’s the role I want you to take. Contractors who know both me and the Knoll Mother are rare. Just sit comfortably and enjoy a cup of tea, Michael.”

Somehow this job would be wrapped up nicely, and I might even get a new job at that meeting. But that wasn’t something to worry about now.

Since I didn’t really have a choice, I nodded. The Morrígan smiled as if she wanted to kiss me, but since we were in what was essentially a torture chamber despite its fancy name of “interrogation room,” and surrounded by organization members, she didn’t act on it. She continued speaking.

“Arnold, you do your part too. Gancan will drive you, and the fact that you came with Gancan will be a sign that I’m offering protection. And come to this address by 12 tomorrow.”

The goblin mafia would soon realize it. They would realize that those they tried to deceive and divide were joining hands and coming for them.

Realizing it doesn’t mean they can respond. The gunmen would go to the Knoll Mother, and the businessmen would flee to The Morrígan. All that remained was waiting.

After that, what can a person do? If they’re smart, they might put a shotgun in their mouth in a room or hang a rope from the ceiling beam, but if not, they’ll be waiting for The Morrígan and the Knoll Mother’s contractors.

It’s not thanks to me. It’s thanks to The Morrígan not wanting resistance. If she had weighed her options like the Mother and decided to crush the Italian mafia while at it, she wouldn’t have hired me.

That day was peaceful. I was able to get a new suit tailored at a Little Eire clothier after saying my house had burned down and all my suits were destroyed.

She said she would deduct the price of the suit from my fee, but I didn’t take offense at her saying she’d deduct it from the payment rather than offering it for free—we were closer than that. It actually sounded considerate.

It was a proper three-piece suit including a vest. Usually, I would choose rough but flexible and strong materials, but this time I chose something softer since I planned to wear it to meet the Knoll Mother.

I learned how to get a suit tailored from the detective I called my mentor. She was the one who told me a man could go out without a suit but should never go out without a pistol, and she was the one who taught me how to choose a suit.

The memory was faint, but I might have learned more from her than I thought. So, I decided to choose as she had recommended.

I chose trousers and a vest in a blue with gray mixed in, and a jacket in a definitely darker navy blue. A plain purple tie would be sufficient.

While I would normally wear a fedora in formal settings, I had a hunting cap made to show I was a contractor. Since it was The Morrígan’s order, they said they would work on it first, so I might be able to wear it tomorrow.

For just that one day, I decided to hate Little Eire’s bright and flashy scenery a little less. I didn’t drink since the job wasn’t finished yet, but I didn’t refuse the hotel room provided as The Morrígan’s guest.

I washed away the fatigue of two days without sleep, following people and fighting. After taking a proper hot water bath for the first time in a long while, a small container with three pills was delivered as room service.

Inside were The Morrígan’s pills. They were fake death solidified into pill form. Since there was no addiction or withdrawal symptoms, they clearly weren’t drugs.

But for me, being able to sleep dreamlessly for eight hours was a pleasure far greater than what cocaine or heroin could provide.

Even though I had declared I wouldn’t hate it, I couldn’t like Little Eire’s glittering scenery, so I didn’t mind losing the entire night.

I don’t remember anything about that night and dawn. It had been a long time since the reason wasn’t alcohol.