Chapter 274 c

Chapter 274 c

Leo and River got into the pickup truck one after the other. River started the engine, and the vehicle pulled away from the restaurant.

“A few days before Mayor Rhyne’s death, during that attack on City Hall, I know you were there. You told the guards you wanted to speak with their head of security. What were you trying to say?”

“A few of the guys from the district saw Horvath in the Glen, shooting into a trash can and ranting about having a meeting with the mayor, so they brought him in.”

“Horvath? The cyberpsycho who killed the mayor’s guards at City Hall?”

“Yeah. But after they brought him in, not even a statement got taken. Guy just... disappeared.”

“Disappeared? Interesting.” Leo looked at the raindrops sliding down the windshield, wiped away again and again by the wipers. “I already knew, but I’ll say it anyway—NCPD’s corruption really is something else.”

River shrugged, offering no denial.

“So, what you wanted to tell the mayor’s security chief was this? A heads-up?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, just not something you hear every day. By the way, do you know who let Horvath out?”

River shook his head. “No clue. The surveillance was all shut down at the time. Couldn’t trace anything.”

Leo looked thoughtful. “Then whoever did it must carry real weight in your department.”

“That’s about right. Anyway, I’ve answered your questions. Now it’s my turn—why’s Jefferson Peralez digging into this? Why’s he hiring a cyber-merc to snoop around in secret?”

Since River was being so straightforward, Leo saw no reason not to do the same.

“The whole thing reeks from start to finish. Only a fool wouldn’t notice. I might not dabble in politics, but I’d say Jefferson has a much better shot at becoming mayor of Night City than Holt. If you were in Jefferson’s place, wouldn’t you want to know what really happened to your predecessor?”

River thought about it, then nodded. “Fair point.”

Leo responded naturally. “Of course it is. If there’s a sword dangling over your head, who the hell can sit comfortably?”

He turned to look out the window, noticing that they were driving through the Vista del Rey area in Heywood.

“Where are we headed?”

He had assumed River was just keeping the car moving, driving around aimlessly. But now it seemed they were going somewhere specific.

“Ever heard of the Red Queen’s Race?”

Leo shook his head. “Some kind of racing event?”

“Neither. It’s a high-end club. I don’t know exactly where it is, but my informant might. So we’re going to see him.”

“You think the club’s connected to Mayor Rhyne’s death?”

“Yeah. I happened to overhear someone talking about heading there the day Rhyne died.” River paused, then continued. “After we talk to my guy, we’ll go find Horvath’s boss—she’s a woman. Maybe he told her something.”

Leo actually had a simpler method—he could’ve just gone to Rogue for the info. Even if it cost a bit, he had the eddies. But this was his first time working with a detective, and he was curious how they operated. Since there wasn’t anything urgent on his plate, he figured why not go along and see for himself.

When River pulled up, they arrived in front of a building covered in graffiti. Its display windows were filled with unclothed mannequins. One look, and it was clear this wasn’t a respectable shop.

They’d arrived, but River made no move to get out.

“My contact works here. You talk to him. I’ll wait outside. Just tell him Igor sends his regards—he’ll know what that means.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “He’s your contact. Why don’t you go in?”

River scratched his buzzed head, looking awkward. “Last time we met… didn’t go well.”

Leo frowned. “What do you mean?”

River hesitated, then confessed honestly. “The guy he snitched on got tipped off.”

“How’d the info get out? You didn’t protect him?”

Linari had told Leo before that some people at NCPD were completely unreliable. They’d make promises to informants, but as soon as the informant became useless, they’d cut them loose without any protection. These snitches risked their lives feeding intel to the cops. With NCPD backing, they were safe. However, the moment that was taken away their fate was pretty much sealed.

That was why NCPD found it harder and harder to get reliable sources these days.

Some might wonder how the cops could be so dumb—didn’t they know this would bite them in the long run? But the truth was, it wasn’t about stupidity. It was about not caring. When someone’s willing to break the rules for personal gain, do you think they care what happens to anyone else?

“It’s not like that. The whole thing’s complicated. But... why am I telling you this? Bottom line, if I’m not there, you’ve got a better shot at getting him to talk. At least he’ll open up.”

“I’ll try, but no guarantees.”

Leo was willing to trust River. It wasn’t blind trust—his instincts told him that River might actually be telling the truth. Leo’s instincts were rarely wrong. Even so, from the informant’s perspective, the only conclusion would be betrayal. So it made sense that River didn’t want to show his face.

Still, if the guy figured out Leo was working with River, who knew if he’d talk.

“You’ll need to tell me a bit more about this guy. I can’t walk in not even knowing his name.”

“He runs the shop. Got all kinds of clients—weirdos, creeps, you name it. And he’s nosy as hell. Knows everything about everyone. Also, he’s a coward. Perfect combo.”

“Alright, you wait here.”

Leo opened the car door and stepped out. The light drizzle was starting to turn into real rain. A rumbling noise passed overhead—not thunder, but a three-car maglev train racing along the overhead track. It wasn’t far, but Leo didn’t bother with an umbrella. He walked briskly through the rain and stepped into the store.

The automatic door sensed movement and slid open, vanishing into the wall. Inside, the shop was filled with mannequins posing explicitly. The other counters were stocked with every kind of adult toy and gadget imaginable.

Leo instantly understood the kind of shop this was.

There were still customers inside—one straight couple and a gay couple browsing the racks. Then a voice drifted over.

“Looking for something vanilla? Or something with a little extra flavor? I can do both.”

River’s informant, also the owner of this place, greeted Leo with a sly smile like he would any other customer.

Leo didn’t waste time. “Red Queen’s Race. Heard of it?”

The shop owner gave Leo a long look, clearly wondering how he’d heard that name. But he quickly acted casual.

“If I were you, I’d go somewhere more relaxing. Lizzie’s in Kabuki isn’t bad. Or Cloud Nine in Japantown.”

He was naming some of Night City’s most notorious hotspots. For first-time visitors, they’d sound tempting. But Leo wasn’t a tourist.

“I’ve been to all of them. Lizzie’s braindances are alright. Cloud Nine’s dolls are decent too. But I’m bored of those. I want something new.”

Seeing that Leo wouldn’t back down, the shopkeeper looked around. Once he was sure the other customers were far enough away, he leaned in slightly and lowered his voice.

“Listen, that place runs on an invite-only basis. Got it? If you’re trying to ask around instead of being invited directly, that means they don’t want you. It’s that simple.”

The shopkeeper figured that would scare off this overconfident punk. But Leo leaned in, bracing both hands on the counter, a faint smile on his lips.

“Funny. Sounds like you know more than you’re letting on.”

The shopkeeper’s expression darkened. Now he realized the young man wasn’t here to buy toys—he was trouble.

And trouble was something the shopkeeper did not want.

“Get out! You’re not welcome here!”

He shouted loud enough that both couples turned around.

Leo didn’t move.

“Hey now, I’m a customer. Customer’s always right, isn’t that the rule? What kind of store kicks people out?”

The shopkeeper pulled open a drawer, took out a phone, and waved it in front of Leo. “If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the cops.”

Leo didn’t even flinch. “Go ahead. This is Vista del Rey in Heywood. How long do you think NCPD will take to get here? Ten minutes? Half an hour?”

The shopkeeper stubbornly pressed 9 on the screen, then looked at Leo again. Seeing the man still standing there unfazed, he slowly pressed 1. Leo didn’t move. He even motioned for the man to finish dialing.

The shopkeeper’s heart sank.

He ran this shop—of course he knew better than anyone how long it would take NCPD to respond. If this guy really meant trouble, the police would never get here in time to stop him.

“What... what do you want? Don’t try anything! I’m warning you!” he stammered, dropping the phone and stepping back. Then he grabbed a double-barreled tech shotgun—labeled “Satara”—off the wall and pointed it at Leo.

The other customers panicked. They wanted to run, but were too afraid that sudden movement might provoke the shopkeeper into firing.

Leo made the decision for them.

“If you don’t want to die, get out.”

That was all they needed to hear. Both couples bolted from the store. One of the men even stole a masturbator cup on the way out. The shopkeeper noticed but said nothing. Any other day, he’d have screamed bloody murder over it.

But not today.

Not with the barrel of his shotgun pointed at a guy who wasn’t even blinking.

Nobody could remain calm staring down a weapon like that—unless they had the power to be confident in the face of death....Or were very very high on something.

The shopkeeper was terrified. He wasn’t a merc. That shotgun was for self-defense, not killing. In fact, this might’ve been the first time he’d ever even held it.