Page 15 of Pursuing the Egoist
“So next week?” Tobias asked as Gustavo returned to his seat.
“Yes,” Yugo stretched his hand forward and clicked the ‘next’ button on the remote control. The map zoomed in on a red twisting line that stretched from Slovenia to Austria. “The ‘taxes’ will be arriving from Romania via Slovenia, before being delivered to Austria via the A9 Autobahn. The bust will take place in an industrial district in Vienna. That’s up to Greg to arrange. Two tons of pure shit will be coming from Bratislava via the Danube on the same day. Half of it will go on to Hamburg. By the way, Greg, how is that thing with a poster boy going?”
A shadow of irritation running over Greg’s face didn’t escape Yugo’s attention, nor Tobias’, as the man leaned forward, locking his tiny pupils with Greg’s.
“I need more time.”
“More time?” Yugo lifted a brow, surprised and alerted at the same time. He couldn’t decide if he should demand Greg’s explanation and undermine his competence in front of his partners or wait to ask him later, in private.
“Why is it taking so long?” Tobias’ neck craned as his fingers wound around the armrests. The laziness he’d oozed in his every gesture disappeared; he slanted forward, resembling a hunting vulture, therefore leaving Yugo no choice but to keep asking.
“Is there anything we need to know, Greg?” Despite Yugo’s attempt to maintain the neutral tone, Greg winced, obviously hearing the honeyed notes that often betrayed his annoyance. “If you can’t work this detective… what was his name?”
“Schwanzer…”
“Fuck him. Work with another one,” Yugo finished.
“It’s not that…” Greg mumbled then cleared his throat. His large mouth thinned out to nothing as determination bled through his features. “I’ve encountered a factor X, but I’m working on it.”
The foggy explanation lit a match of collective curiosity, as everyone looked at Greg with attentive eyes.
“A factor X?” Yugo dipped a skeptical brow.
“Oh, please, enlighten us,” Tobias murmured as if this was the most entertaining thing he’d heard in weeks. Flashing a creepy, crooked smile, he emitted heavy waves of amusement that transmitted to the other men, infecting them. Rudolph lifted a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, hiding a smile. Gustavo cocked his head, but the edges of his lips twitched.
Yugo couldn’t blame them. Greg was highly efficient to stumble over such a minor case. The same curiosity that etched in Tobias’ colorless eyes started scratching in his chest. “Go ahead.”
Unwillingly, Greg approached the projector and inserted a USB flash drive into the laptop connected to it.
The screen changed, showing a young man with stubborn brown eyes and short dark hair. Dressed in a black shirt with the top buttons undone, the man looked young.
“Is this your factor X?” Yugo snorted, getting more curious with every second. “Who is this, your illegitimate son or something?”
Trying to suppress his laughter, Tobias turned red, his whole body shaking.
“Kuon Leiris. A detective from the Organized Crime Unit,” Greg said, giving the blond man an evil eye. He patted the touchpad, and the photograph changed to a police dossier.
In a way, it was funny that someone like—Yugo squinted at the unusual name—Leiris could make Greg all worked up and flustered. “Whatever he did, get rid of him. We don’t have time.”
“I can’t.” Greg huffed. “Apparently, he is some kind of big deal or something.”
“Really? How old is he?” He squinted at the image again. “Twenty-four? Is he someone’s son?”
“No. And that’s what makes things interesting.” Greg turned away from the screen, his deep-seated eyes locking with Yugo’s. “I tried to transfer him from the unit but was denied. The Chief of Police told me it’s not an option, and he highly recommended that we don’t touch him physically. He didn’t give any names, neither confirmed nor denied anything, but my best guess is that there is someone who likes Leiris very much.”
“How is he a problem?” Gustavo asked, glancing at his watch. “So what if he is in the unit?”
“Normally, he wouldn’t be, but... He’s like a pit bull with a bone. Whatever information I try to forward to Schwanzer always ends up with him. He gnaws at it, keeps checking it over and over.”
“Hmm…” Yugo gave the dossier another look. “Get him taken off the case. Send him to retake the qualification test.”
“I tried that too.”
“Got denied again?” Tobias didn’t smile anymore.
“Yeah.” Greg swiped a touchpad. The screen revealed a picture of the man, flirting with a female bartender. Yugo squinted at the dark-haired woman covered in ink then at Leiris who stretched his arm along the counter. The bartender looked at the detective with interest.
“Two days ago, I tipped Schwanzer about the Lax. It’s a well-known place for drug dealers to hang out. Greta, the bartender, was supposed to become Schwanzer’s informant and direct him.”
