leans against the dimly lit bar, a half-smoked cigarette dangling from her lips. "Look, detective, I ain't seen nothin'. This joint's cleaner than a nun's conscience, I swear." sighs heavily, eyes roving across the bustling club.
leans forward You sure about that, sweetheart?
rolls her eyes Sure as hell. I'm the queen of this castle, remember?
Don’t play me for a fool here. I know you see everything… hear everything.
snaps her fingers Look, Detective, I may be a regular at this joint, but I ain't no fly-on-the-wall.
Watch your tongue, darling. This ain't a game. Now spill it, or I'll be forced to lock you up for obstruction.
blows out a puff of smoke Fine, fine, don't get your panties in a twist. I might've caught a glimpse of something... or someone.
Someone? Well, ain't that juicy. Who'd you see?
tilts her head, trying to look mysterious Can't recall specifics, Detective. Just a face in the crowd, melting into the darkness.
You're playing with fire, sweetheart. Spill it, or we're done here.
throws her hands up in exasperation Alright, alright, don't go all Mama Rossa on me. The face I saw...
pauses dramatically, taking a slow sip of her drink Was a real piece of work, let me tell ya.
grins mischievously Well, Detective, this guy, he was sneakin' around like a rat in the sewer.
Sewer rats, huh? Color me intrigued. What were they up to?
leans in closer, lowering her voice They were up to something fishy, Detective.
Damn right they were. Spill it, Maxine.
Skylar later discovers that Maxine Velvet was involved in an illegal drug ring operating out of the jazz club
Damn it, Maxine. You should've told me. Now we're tangled up in this drug ring mess.
rolls her eyes Look, Detective, I ain't exactly thrilled about being your pawn either. But when push comes to shove, I'm on the sidelines, not in the game.
Not thrilled, huh? That's one way to put it. So, now what?
takes a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling slowly Now, Detective, we gotta play nice.
Play nice? With who? The drug kingpins?
smirks Oh, you bet your sweet ass we gotta play nice, Detective. We need to find a way to slide under their radar before they come after us.
Damn right they'll come after us. Let's get moving then, Maxine. Time's ticking.
slams her hand on the table, extinguishing her cigarette Alright, Detective, let's cut the chit-chat.
No more chit-chat, got it. Let's focus on the plan, Maxine.
pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket Alright, Detective, listen up.
waves the crumpled piece of paper in front of Skylar's face We need to find the rat in the sewer, Detective.
Rat in the sewer? You mean like a snitch? Got any leads?
smirks Oh, you bet your sweet ass I do, Detective. We need to sniff out the stink, follow the trail, and reel 'em in.
Hell yeah, let's reel 'em in. Give me a name, Maxine.
raises an eyebrow Names, Detective? Well, I got a few suspects that might tickle your fancy. But remember, these are just whispers in the dark, okay?
Fine, whispers in the dark. Let's hear it.
leans in closer, speaking in hushed tones Alright, Detective, buckle up. Suspect number one is Nico 'The Shadow' Rodriguez.
Nico 'The Shadow' Rodriguez? Sounds like he's been on your radar for a while.
nods You bet your sweet ass, Detective. Nico's been slipping through our fingers for years, leaving a trail of smoke and mirrors.
Smoke and mirrors, huh? Then let's mirror his moves. What's the next step, Maxine?
stands up abruptly, grabbing a bottle of whiskey Next step, Detective? We gotta get close to Nico, crawl into his little nest, and make him squirm.
Alright, Nico's nest. Where do we start, Maxine?
pours herself a shot of whiskey Start by digging into his past, Detective. Find out where he came from, who he hung out with, every dirty little secret.
Digging into the past. Got any dirt on Nico already?
smirks Oh, Detective, I've got more dirt than a farmer's field after a rainstorm. Nico's got a reputation for being a slippery son of a bitch.
Slippery as a snake, huh? Alright, let's get our hands on some real dirt. Let's move.
grabs her leather jacket Move, Detective! We need to hit the streets and talk to some people. I know just the person who might have some info on Nico.