Boardwalk Mars

[shesamarshmallow]

As far as Veronica Mars was concerned, there were only two problems with Prohibition. The first, that it made it a damn sight harder to get a drink in this town. The second, the morally-superior birds that Veronica found it hard to stomach at the best of times.

This was not the best of times.

Three years she'd had her license. One of the few female PIs in the country. Her dad's lackey before that. She'd lit out on her own. West Coast to East Coast. Just wanted to get the hell out of Neptune, California, a mint of a city that'd been stepped on, chewed up, spat out, and stepped on again.

She hadn't expected cases to come pouring in, of course. And when she did get a case, it was usually another adultery affair. Heh. Adultery affair.

But this one was different. This one could get her hose darned for the next decade. If the morally superior federal government's checks didn't bounce. All she had to do was work out this operation, get proof Nucky and his boys were up to no good, and she'd be good as gold.

Of course, she had to do the legwork on this one. It'd taken her a matter of a day working the usual spots to get the password for this joint, and now she's standing in some swanky digs wearing some almost-equally-swanky clothes. She ignores the entertainment for the evening, and notes the customers instead. Who to get talking first...

Comments

[recognize_an_opportunity]

He's not exactly a customer, but he's trying to pass himself off as one. Better to look like the guy buying the illegal liquor than be the guy selling the illegal liquor, right? One of his best traits is that he doesn't look like the kind of guy you'd figure for a criminal; his other best trait is that despite his relatively harmless appearance, he's a damn good criminal.

He's standing in the corner, keeping an eye on things, cigarette in hand, no drink. Sure, people're drinking, that's what happens in places like this, but right now he wants to keep his head clear. He has a meeting in about an hour, and with any luck, his meeting'll be profitable.

Of course he sees her walk in, because he's watching just about everyone come in and out of the place, and he has to wonder who she is, because he hasn't seen her before, and he knows just about everyone, by sight if not by name. On the other hand, there's no way he's going to go and talk to her, so he just keeps standing in the corner, smoking, looking casual.

[shesamarshmallow]

Veronica takes a seat at a table and sets her purse on the table. It had been searched for her bean shooter already, but she'd had the foresight to strap hers to her thigh.

She drums her fingers against the table. She recognizes several people from the City Council, but getting them on drinking isn't going to be enough. She's gotta get them on selling.

Can do, federal gov.

She gets to her feet and makes her way to the County Administrator. If anybody can give her a lead on where the booze is coming from, it's him. You want the school principal, you get the secretary. You want to bribe the County Commission and City Council to look the other way, you go through their administrators.

And after this, she's going to take care of the crumb that's got his peepers locked on her.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

He's not exactly staring at her -- he's not an idiot, he knows how to keep an eye on someone without looking too suspicious -- but he figures she'll notice eventually. For his part, he's curious as to who she is and what kind of business she's got with the County Administrator. She could be competition; a bootlegger, maybe, trying to undercut the deal they've already got going, or maybe he's just paranoid and she's a normal, pretty girl in a nice dress.

His paranoia's served him well in the past, though. He makes idle chitchat with some guy, but he glances over at her every so often. If he were Charlie, he'd probably already have approached her, said something flirtatious as a way to figure out who she was, but he's not, and that's not his style. His cigarette's almost done, and he lights a new one with the remnants of the old one, exhaling perfect smoke rings as soon as he's got it lit.

[shesamarshmallow]

As soon as the smoke clears, she's standing in front of him, hands on her hips as she sizes him up. Whatever she's been talking about with the County Administrator seems completely forgotten, but she won't forget that she's gotten nowhere for now. But she knows that he's taking bribes and it's from somebody in this joint. Now she'll just have to figure out who. Which she'll do after this.

"Who're you and why're you watching me so much?"

Subtlety is for other birds, apparently.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

It won't exactly be difficult to size him up; he's not a tall guy, not by any stretch of the imagination. And since he makes it a point to look harmless, he's impressed that she's noticed him watching. A lot of people don't, which always surprises him, but then, people aren't usually as perceptive as he gives them credit for.

"Name's Meyer Lansky," he says, with an easy smile. "You're a new face around here. I was curious."

He says it like he knows everyone in town, but to be fair, in a place like this, he pretty much does know everybody, by sight if not by name.

[shesamarshmallow]

Not a lot of people might've noticed, but Veronica hadn't gotten her license by being obtuse.

She glares at him for another second before relaxing and sticking out her hand.

"Veronica. I heard this was the place to be, so I came. This place is really something, ain't it?"

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"You could put it that way," he agrees, "You can meet all kinds of interesting people here."

He's likely referring to her discussion with the County Administrator -- they could probably both agree that he was something interesting, although their interests in him might differ -- but he leaves it purposefully vague. And, because it's only polite to do when you're having a conversation with someone you've just met, or a charming young lady, he offers her a cigarette.

[shesamarshmallow]

He might be referring to it. He might not. It could go either way. And though it might mean nothing, Veronica files it away for later as she takes the cigarette.

"Look at you, being a gentlemen." She smiles and waits for a light as she continues asking questions.

"You come here a lot? My first time."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

He obligingly lights her cigarette for her, then lights himself another. He hasn't taken a break from smoking the whole time he's been here -- it's something to do with his hands, and it keeps him calm; he hates waiting for meetings.

"I come here from time to time."

It's not a particularly straightforward answer, but that's often how he deals with questions. "What brings you here?"

[shesamarshmallow]

"Best place in town to get a drink. And I was thirsty."

Sounded as good as anything. And it sounded much better than, "I'm here to bring this place down."

She takes a drag of the cigarette and blows the smoke out to the side as she watches him. "Doesn't seem like the company is half-bad, either. Enough to keep coming back when a gal doesn't have to wet her whistle, you think?"

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"The company varies, but the alcohol's usually okay."

Despite that endorsement, the lack of drink in his own hand is probably obvious. He's already had a couple people asking him if he'll be joining them for a drink, and he's turned them all down politely. Maybe he'll have a drink when he goes home. Right now he's curious to find out why she's chatting him up -- it's not that he's self-effacing, necessarily, but women don't usually approach him in places like this.

[shesamarshmallow]

Another puff on her cigarette, then another. Her eyes are sharp on his face, then his hands, then back again. She might also have gotten a glance at places to hide guns.

She taps his empty hands with a finger.

"Alcohol here can't be that great if you don't have any."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Of course he's carrying a gun in his shoulder holster -- the suit jacket conceals it easily; he's always chosen clothing that can both hide a gun well and make him look smaller and less threatening. It's a means of camouflage, of being overlooked as a potential danger. It's served him well. To outward appearances, he's harmless.

"I'm not a big drinker. Doesn't mean it's not good, just means it's not for me."

And who can blame him, since the majority of alcohol these days is made in someone's bathtub and is bad enough that not drinking at all seems like a preferable alternative? Sure, he knows where to find the good stuff, works with some guys who can supply the good stuff, supplies it himself, from time to time, but having a drink in public isn't always his style.

[shesamarshmallow]

"Hmmm. So I'm good enough for a snipe but not for a drink, huh?" She grins to show she's only teasing. "You must have been watching me for some other reason than that you think I'm a doll, then."

Maybe she should have stuck to talking with the County Administrator. She might have gotten farther then.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"You seem to have friends in high places--" He's obviously referring to the County Administrator now "-- and I was curious as to how that was, since I've never seen you here before. In fact, I've never seen you anywhere before. New to town?"

He can manage a decently casual tone, and he can even summon a passing waiter to bring her a drink, even if he's not drinking anything himself, but he can't staunch his natural curiosity for long.

[shesamarshmallow]

She accepts the drink, her mind racing. It's obvious now that he's referring to the County Administrator.

When it doubt, tease like hell.

"You callin' me a wheat?"

She takes a small sip of her drink. Very, very small. Meyer isn't the only one who isn't big on drinking in public places.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"That would be rude."

And he makes it a habit never to be rude, unless the situation absolutely calls for it. She's dressed swankily enough, she's in a relatively nice place, she's talking to people in positions of power, and he's never seen her before in his life. That requires some politeness, if only to figure out her agenda.

"Where're you from?"

[shesamarshmallow]

"And a lug like you'd never be rude." She shrugs and takes another drag from her cigarette.

"Been here a couple months. From California. Near Hollywood."

Technically, Neptune was a couple hours away, but it was close enough, right? Besides, nobody knew where Neptune was. Who would want to?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"I try to avoid rudeness when I can."

He takes another contemplative drag on his cigarette, regarding her quietly for a moment, and then offers her a charming smile.

"And what brings you to New York?"

It's likely the same thing that brings everyone there -- bright lights, big city, the hope for a new start -- but that's the kind of question you ask someone, especially someone who, after only a 'couple months,' is talking to some of the most important guys in town.

[shesamarshmallow]

"Mama's boy, eh? Nothing wrong with those."

At least it meant he had a mom.

"Same thing that brings everybody here. Got sick of a small town in a dirty part of the country. Thought to myself, I'm young. I'm fancy-free. I wanna go where the fun is. And that means New York."

She takes a drag of her cigarette.

"And New York prices meant New Jersey."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"And has New York lived up to your expectations?"

It doesn't always. People can get disillusioned real quick around here, he's found. Trying to make it in New York these days isn't easy, although she seems to have done okay for herself. Difficult as it may be, it's still better than New Jersey. Then again, he's biased. Despite the business he does in New Jersey -- which probably explains the little quirk of his eyebrow as she mentions it -- he doesn't like it much.

[shesamarshmallow]

"Are you kidding? I haven't seen or heard of anybody yet that has good morals. Might be my favorite place on Earth."

That sounded bad. She glances at him through lidded eyes before explaining, "I come from a podunk town out West. Sort of place where if you jaywalk, your dad tracks you down and demands to know why so-and-so's brother's nephew's cousin's friend saw you flaunting the laws of the land."

"So yeah, New York's great."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"And are you the kind of person who likes to jaywalk?"

It could sound innocent enough, or suspicious enough, depending on the way you take his tone. It's purposefully light, as though he's teasing, but he really is curious. Her comment about nobody having good morals around here is true enough, after all. He wonders if she considers herself among those who possess less than rigid standards about morality and ethics.

[shesamarshmallow]

If this were baseball, that question would be a kiddie pitch over the plate.

She lifts her shoulder, lowering her chin to the side. Her entire attitude is playful. It's hard to tell if she's serious or not.

"I jaywalk so much that I had to ask somebody what a street corner was."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Whether she's serious or not, the answer makes him smile slightly. "That explains why you get along so well with the County Administrator."

It's probably not as though she needed any confirmation that most of the local government around here does less than legal things. Of course they do; alcohol's a big industry, made bigger since it became illegal, and politicians had been some of the first people to realize it.