Traffic [Valduggery, Skulduggery Pleasant Fanfiction]

Coccyx

The bartender looked it over, still cleaning the same glass, movements robotic. "He looks the same as any other lug who comes in here."

Valkyrie resisted the urge to sigh. "Right, but we have reason to believe he was here last night. This is by far the most popular bar in the area, judging by the size and proximity to other bars—or, well, the lack of any nearby pubs."

The bartender kept cleaning. "Well, if you know all that, I'm sure you would understand that it might be hard to keep track of all the faces that pass through, Detective."

Valkyrie smiled. "Of course. Well, if that's the case, I'm sure you'd be more than willing to let us see your security footage."

His hands froze. His eyes flicked to the ceiling, to the cameras, then back to her. Valkyrie could practically see the gears turning in his mind.

"Do you have a permit?" he finally asked.

Valkyrie shrugged. "No, but if that's the issue, it would only take an hour to get one."

The bartender let out a sigh. "Right. This way."

Bless those uneducated in the law.

He led them through a door, into what must have been the storage room. Crates of booze were littered about, along with a mop that was covered in cobwebs. There a stairwell tucked away into the corner.

The computer was in a tiny office, cluttered with what looked like bills and various bookkeeping sheets. The whole room felt green and grimy, and Valkyrie's claustrophobia loomed with the three of them inside.

The bartender gestured to the computer. "Help yourselves. Don't keep anything organized in files, but considered you're smart and all that, I'm sure you can find what you're looking for. I'll be out front, if you need me."

He lingered by the doorway, hand trailing on the wood, but he shook his head and moved off.

Skulduggery looked at Valkyrie.

Valkyrie frowned. "What?"

"This is your department, I'm afraid."

"Oh sure, just because you're four hundred years old, I'm expected to all the technological stuff." Valkyrie collapsed into the computer chair. "That's three points for me. Alright, let's see..."

It only took a minute of clicking to find the security footage. Skulduggery leaned over her shoulder, arm resting on the back of the chair, fingers just brushing against her.

"There's no footage for yesterday," Valkyrie said.

"Suspicious. Scroll down, please."

He could read much faster than her, so she scrolled down quicker than she could process the dates.

"Every month or so."

Valkyrie tapped her finger absently on the mouse. "Could be a recording thing. A glitch."

"And yet..." Skulduggery stopped.

Valkyrie looked at him. Her eyes caught movement behind him, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a woman leaning against the door frame.

Skulduggery didn't move his position, but he did look over. "Good afternoon."

The woman was absolutely stunning. Her hair was dark and curly, a halo around her head. She was thin, shapely, with a robe that was hanging off her. Nothing was left to the imagination.

"Can I ask," she said, voice light and airy, "why you're trespassing on private property?"

Valkyrie couldn't speak. Luckily, Skulduggery never lost his voice. He stood and swept over to her, extending his hand. She looked at it for a second, and then a smile melted across her features like warm butter, and she shook Skulduggery's hand.