Next door they were taken to the cigar room, the guards slamming the oak doors behind them. Cyper flinched a little at the sound of a key twisting the lock. The only light came from a flickering fireplace that cast a dim orange glow and long dark shadows across the sloping corners. He could barely make out the decorations but he felt their presence. Dull eyed portrait, stuffed boars and glinted sabres all spied on him.

In the dark, Royland didn’t look but like a paper mache figurine dancing on strings. He gestured to a triangle of leather arm-chairs in the centre of room fixated on a knee-high glass table. Their host took of his glasses revealing two shrunken white specs. A railroad of veins pulsated around the lids and Cyper could now understand why he had chosen glasses that covered almost his entire face.” Please take a seat” he whispered gesturing towards the chairs. Taking his cue from Pilate Cyper did sat down, but the detectives grim frown didn’t alleviate any tension. They stared at each other, as Royland walked away to the other side of the room. They didn’t dare watch him.

What have you brought me into

Stay calm

When he returned it was with a platter of oils and a wooden box. The oil bottle was blown into the shape of  a nude angel. He grabbed something deathly blue and filled up three glasses to the brink. But even when both their hands were full, he kept standing. Royland pacing around them, Cyper couldn’t breathe every step seeming to be closing in on him. He took a swig of the blue oil and it almost threw him to the ground. So potent that it marred his vision with red throbs. Perhaps wisely Pilate had set his aside.

“ You asked me earlier why you were here didn’t you Mr Cyper” Royland kept his voice at a lowly whisper no longer the booming family man. It was like a seal had slipped into the water around them and was circling them. And although he addressed him by name, it was more like Royland was speaking to himself. His eyes focused on the bookshelves above them.” Do you know why I have hired Inspector Pilate here ?”

“ Please don’t Royland,” Cyper tried to catch his eyes but Pilate had ducked them down to the floor.

A picture frame was tossed on the tray, it showed a girl, dressed in a light summer dress leaning out the window of the car that they’d arrived in. The clouds behind her were pink and she was smiling.

“ That’s…”

“ My daughter yes, Rosies older sister. That was her first visit to the city. Naturally I raised her up here, educated her as well. But she loved it down there.” He sighed heavily and Pilate had started gulping the blue oil with a desperate greed.” Perhaps too much…”

“ Where is she Mr Royland.”

“She’s missing.” He chuckled but a glazing of tears had started forming over his eyes,” by self appotionment of course, she was always so willful.”

“ Working theory is that she had enough of the life up here and ran away. Further and further into the city until...well I assume she’s wandering somewhere around F level.” Pilate croaked in obviously the explanation was one he wasn’t proud of
“ So why hire Pilate, why not go to the MPD”

“ I did case E:7,10. I called up that reference number so many times. I bought of half the police force but still no change. Well I heard the chief of police once talking about him at some gala and I knew if anyone was going to find her...it’d be him. But so far…”

“ No change”

Royland finished his drink and tossed the glass into the fire. It exploded into a purple blast.

“ So...is that where I come in?”

Pilate picked up for Royland, who’d started pacing again,” you live in this level you know these people. But you’re still approachable and well manipulatable. You being here is proof enough.”

Cyper nodded the picture forming in his head. But it wasn’t one he was sure he trusted. Royland seemed far more deflated away from his family, the truth escaping from his lips like a noxious gas. He stared longingly into the photograph. Cyper wasn’t a bad person but he was from F-level and one  thing would always, always came first.

“ And what’s my reward ?”

“ Anything.”

Royland took his seat and stared into Cyper,” I know that you hate me.”

“I d-”

“ Yes, you do Cyper I know what I’m like to your people. Because I know I am, you know the committee on sit on fucks over F-level residents everyday for my own gain. But...I love her. And I’d can’t change everything it’s impossible. See the city isn’t just composed of your strings but so much bureaucratic red-tape even I can’t breath. But I promise I could get you living in a high rise A-level building, a gorgeous wife and any job you want.”

“ There’s this guy, Milo, I lied to him to get here. If you understand what that means.”

Royland waved his hand away,” gone, dead, kaput, anything you need. Just. Just find her.”

Cyper tilted his head. The incentive was gold, pure gold for someone like him but he also trusted the man, something about the sadness in him spoke out to Cypers soft side. All the money in the world and his daughter still ended up shooting opioids down in F level. He tried to get a hint from Pilate but the police-man wasn’t there his eyes were fixated on the fire and he was gnawing his lip.
The time had come to make a choice,” I’ll do it, I’ll help you.”

Royland blinked incredibly fast as the words hit him. The veins on his eyes rushed and pulsed.

“ Thank you,” his voice was raised back to dinner table volume. The wooden chest was cracked open to reveal a pyramid of thick cigars. Packed with a mix of dried tobbacco blends. Royland passed them around and the men mingled the multi-coloured smoke in the air around them