Tell me what you know

Alex held the piece of paper in his hand Ben had scribbled the street name on.

"thanks Ben, does this place have a back door." Alex ask ,not wanting to cause a commotion in Ben's shop by walking back through the front entrance.

" Yeah Alex, follow me, I'll unlock it for you."

Alex and Jackson followed Ben through a storage room with pans and boxes stacked up on metal shelves ,he lead them to a metal door with a bar across it. Ben took his keys from his pocket unlocking the lock on the end of the metal bar, sliding it up from in front of the door . He pulled it open for Alex and Jackson to walk through.

"Alex if you need anything else, just give me a call, I'm still in pretty good shape. I might not be as fast as I was when we were eighteen ,but I'm sure I can still fight." He said patting Alex on the shoulder before he and Jackson stepped out into the ally.

Alex chuckled, " Ben I don't plan to fight , but if I need you I'll keep that in mind. It would be like old times, with me ,you and Rich, but now we have a secret weapon,"grabbing Jackson by the shoulder telling Ben , " this little bastard has almost all the same abilities as I have. I took him to the woods and trained him myself."

" Did you beat the hell out of him Alex?"

"Everyday, until I beat the sissy out of him, now he's a tough little fucker." Alex said sounding amused.

" well if the card reader can't help ,give me a call and I'll try to ask around to find someone who can."

" okay, see ya Ben."

" See ya Alex, nice to meet you Jackson."

"Nice to meet you too." Jackson mummers sticking his hand out to shake Ben's before him and Alex walked around the building to get back into the car.

Alex held the paper up glancing down at the name of the the street giving Jackson directions. " Go down here to Heller Street and take a right, it's supposed to be about three shops down from the corner on the left ,look for the sign shaped like a hand."

Jackson eased the car down the street, turning at the red light, Alex pointed at a parking spot telling him " Just park here, I see the sign Ben was talking about."

They stepped out of the car walking down the sidewalk towards the shop with the hand shaped sign in front of it. Jackson glanced around and leaned closer to Alex speaking with a low voice " We are in the right neighborhood, Todd's shop is at the end of this street." Alex nodded and they continued walking until they reached the hand shaped sign.

Inside the shop there was a young lady setting at a desk she recognized Alex and Jackson immediately.

Rising to her feet she curtsy stammering out a greeting. "Goo...Good afternoon Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness. With a stunned look on her face she ask. " How can I help you."

" We are looking for the owner of this place." Alex spoke calmly trying to ease the tension the young lady was feeling.

" Madam Farzaneh is in the back with a client. She should be done in just a few minutes. But I can get her now if you wish your Majesty."

Alex pointed to a couple of chairs against the wall, " No need, we can wait here if that's ok.

" Of course Your Majesty, please have a sey." The young woman set back behind the deck reading something on her computer screen ,occasionally glancing back up at them.

Finally two older women came out from the back of the shop. One of them had brown short hair that was puffed up at the top, wearing a green shirt and a pair of floral print Capri pants. The other one had long red hair and wore a black frock with moons and stars printed on it.

Alex didn't need to guess which one of the ladies he wanted to speak with, it was obvious by the way they were dressed. The brown headed lady left the shop, and the girl setting at the desk cleared her throat to get the attention of the woman with red hair, pulling her eyes up towards Alex .

The lady with red hair glanced over at Alex and Jackson not seeming surprised at their presence she greeted both of them pleasantly " Good afternoon Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness. I have been expecting you, please follow me to my reading room."

Alex glanced over at Jackson lifting his brows, nodding for him to follow them to the back of the shop. They followed the woman in the black frock into a dimly lit room with a round table setting in the middle. The woman waved her hand towards the chairs at the table kindly saying

" please take a seat."

They pulled out two of the chairs setting down at the round table. The red headed woman set in front of them and began to speak to Jackson. " Your here to ask about a lady you had the opportunity to meet down the street, but more importantly your here for information about your wife, am I correct."

Showing no emotion, Jackson nonchalantly answered her questions. " Yes, that's correct."

The red headed woman nodded towards a big round glass bowl setting on the table beside her with money inside it. Jackson shifted his eyes towards the bowl reaching in his back pocket for his billfold, He pulled out a large stack of cash placing it in front of him.

The woman reached for the cash but Jackson placed his hand on top of it.

" Tell me what you know" he demanded to have the woman glance up at him and began to speak.