"I think we should talk in person," the woman on the phone said. "This matter is too complicated to explain over the phone."
Peter leaned back in his chair, considering the request. "Who sent you to find me?"
"Someone recommended you. I can't reveal the details over the phone. Can we meet and discuss it properly?"
Peter sighed. He wasn't fond of vague requests, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Fine. Send me the address."
"I will. Thank you. See you soon."
The line went dead.
Lucy, who had been watching Peter, raised an eyebrow. "Who was that?"
"A woman named Elizabeth. She says she has a difficult problem and wants me to help."
"Right now?" V chimed in, frowning. "I'd like to see who has the nerve to hire you for something, especially with Huangban still after you."
Peter shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'll check it out alone. If anything happens, I'll call you."
With that, he took the elevator down and left the building.
Meeting the Client
Not long after, Peter arrived at the address Elizabeth had sent. It was a dimly lit alley, the kind that would make most people uneasy. A single luxury vehicle was parked inside, and a man who looked like a bodyguard stood beside it.
As Peter approached, the bodyguard stepped forward. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Peter?"
"Yeah. Elizabeth called me."
"Please, get in."
The bodyguard opened the door, revealing the car's lavish interior. Inside sat a middle-aged man with a composed demeanor. He extended a hand as Peter entered.
"Hello, Mr. Peter. My name is Jefferson Peralez. My wife, Elizabeth, contacted you earlier."
Peter shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Peralez."
Jefferson smiled. "Actually, I've wanted to meet you for a long time."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Have you been following me?"
Jefferson chuckled. "Not quite. But I did see footage of you taking down cyberpsychos in an instant. Quite impressive. I had the privilege of watching it in the NCPD records room."
Peter narrowed his eyes slightly. The fact that this man had access to police records meant he wasn't just any ordinary citizen.
"Interesting," Peter said. "But I assume you didn't bring me here just to praise me. What's your commission?"
Jefferson glanced at Elizabeth, who nodded. "Carter, drive," she instructed the chauffeur.
The car began to move.
Elizabeth spoke first. "As you may know, Mayor Lucius Rhyne recently passed away."
Peter nodded. "Yeah. Do you want me to investigate his death?"
"Not just the cause," Jefferson added. "We need details—when, how, and who was involved."
Peter leaned back. "I remember the officials saying they already figured that out. Wasn't there an attempt on his life recently?"
Jefferson scoffed. "Mr. Peter, we're both intelligent men. The authorities are covering something up. Mayor Rhyne's death is not as simple as they claim."
"The NCPD report stated that he died due to a malfunction in his cardiovascular implant," Elizabeth added.
Peter frowned. "And the trauma team? Did they respond?"
Jefferson's eyes widened. Peter had hit on something crucial.
"Exactly! That's what I don't understand!" Jefferson leaned forward, his voice rising. "Why didn't the trauma team respond? A man of Rhyne's status would have had Platinum-level trauma coverage!"
Peter nodded slowly. The trauma team in Night City was notorious for their efficiency—sometimes even more than the police. Their clients were their top priority.
"Yeah, that doesn't add up," Peter admitted. "Even if he had a medical emergency, the trauma team should have been alerted immediately. Hell, even if he got blown to bits, they would've shown up to collect his remains."
Jefferson looked at his wife. "You see? I told you something was wrong."
Elizabeth sighed. "I never doubted you, Jeff. I just wanted solid proof before making accusations."
Jefferson turned back to Peter. "You've already given me a direction to investigate. If the trauma team didn't respond, that means their monitoring system was either disabled or deliberately ignored."
Peter smirked. "Looks like you just found your first lead, Mr. Peralez."
Jefferson nodded, a determined look in his eyes. "I need to dig deeper into NCPD records. Maybe someone inside the department was involved in covering this up."
Peter stretched. "Go ahead, but I'll warn you—following this lead will only take you so far. At best, you'll find out that Rhyne was at the Red Queen's Race club before he died."
Elizabeth frowned. "That's… an adult entertainment club, isn't it?"
"Yep," Peter said. "The perfect excuse for a scandal. If you don't dig deeper, the official story will be that the mayor overdosed on some black-market Braindance experience gone wrong. No foul play—just a bad decision."
Jefferson clenched his fists. "That's not the truth, though."
Peter shrugged. "No, but it's a convenient lie. One that keeps the city government from losing face."
Jefferson looked thoughtful. "If we expose this, it might help my campaign."
Elizabeth shot him a worried look. "Jeff, we have to be careful. If this conspiracy runs deeper than we think, poking it might put us in danger."
Peter stood up as the car came to a stop.
"Mr. Peter, would you consider working for me as an advisor? I can offer you a generous salary," Jefferson said suddenly.
Peter chuckled. "Jefferson, I enjoy my freedom. If you need my help, you can hire me for specific jobs, but I don't do well with politics."
With that, he stepped out of the car.
Elizabeth watched him leave, then turned to her husband. "Jeff, are you sure about this? He seems capable, but why are you so interested in him?"
Jefferson stared at the door Peter had just exited through. "Elizabeth, I have a feeling he's much more than he lets on. There's something about him… something we haven't uncovered yet."
Shadows of Night City
Meanwhile, Peter walked through the streets, thinking about the conversation. He had taken the job out of curiosity, but now it was clear—this was bigger than just a simple investigation.
The real question was, who was behind all of it?
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Decades pass, and Night City's still a pile of shit."
Peter turned his head to see Johnny Silverhand leaning against a railing, his ghostly form flickering in the dim light.
Peter smirked. "What, you suddenly care about politics?"
Johnny scoffed. "Hardly. But it doesn't take a genius to see what's happening. The mayor gets assassinated, the cops look the other way, and some politician thinks he can change the system. Sounds like the same old Night City to me."
Peter crossed his arms. "So what's your take?"
Johnny grinned. "Same as always—corrupt bastards hiring mercs to take out their rivals. Back in my day, we called that Tuesday."
Peter laughed. "Well, things aren't as simple as you think."
Johnny's grin faded slightly. "They never are."
Peter turned his gaze toward the skyline of Night City, its neon lights shining against the darkness. Somewhere out there, someone was pulling the strings. And if he wasn't careful, he might find himself tangled in them.
But that was fine.
After all, Peter loved a challenge.
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