Baldwin frowned. "Were those men threatening your wife with violence?" He looked for a moment to Josephine, then back to Spinoza. "If we were to help you, would you say it would be worth speaking with Cole? Does he know even more of their details?"
He had a way of getting in touch with Khan. But not yet.
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Spinoza paused, weighing his words carefully.
"Cole... doesn't know. She didn't say, but I can read between the lines; and I knew the moment I met with with Khan's people what he wanted and what he was willing to do. Cole is conferring with some of his sources, out-of-town. I don't know what else he has... So I took our main notes and was going to hand them over. Cole would understand - I have to look after my family!"
Baldwin looked at the others for a moment contemplatively as they grew quieter, then peered at Spinoza. These sorts of situations were something he was familiar with. Extortion. Terror. Anything to silence the investigator. There was definitely something deeper here, something more horrifying. This was a cover.
"Yes, you do," Peter nodded. And of course he did. Peter might have been calloused due to his experiences as a Knight, but he wasn't inhumane. Not yet. Kine cared more than Kindred did about Family. It was reasonable.
"Perhaps it's time for you and your wife to take a trip somewhere, Mr. Spinoza, and you can leave the notes with me. Right now? They do not know what you know. Find some safety in distance. Go to Hawaii or something. I'll scan your notes and together we can vet what you have for leads."
He smiled.
"That is, if you still have the burning urge to get to the bottom of this thing?"
Is Peter alone in this plot now?
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Spinoza nodded with a resigned air, but his eyes were fire.
"You want to do this? I'll talk to Cole. And then I'll get Liz out of here. I'll want those notes back - so I can give them to Cole in person, you understand. You take your scans." He pulled himself up. "But I gotta ask - whats in this for you?" The investigator was down, but not out; his mind, though dulled through the beating, was still working the angles.
For the moment Sir Baldwin is the only character pursuing this plot. I suggest reinforcements
That was the question of the year, wasn't it? There still was no material upside for the Knight, aside from looking into a vague, only possible threat to the First Estate's interests that he wasn't sure was going to crystallize at all.
"That's a good question, Mr. Spinoza. Ultimately, this is a lot of risk for anybody to take to stop a gangster. We can figure out what's in it for me shortly." He peered at the man, curious why he would risk everything for this. "But here's the bigger question - what's the risk to Sacramento? And what's in it for you?"
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Spinoza eyeballed Baldwin as best he could - which was not long or effectively. Still, he made the effort.
"Khan's a dirty businessman. He's always skirting the law. We got very concerned when Khan started wooing bureaucrats from the state and local level. Its like he's moving up the chain... A dirty businessman exploiting their network and lobbying for development contracts in the State capital? And then this whole banking thing... and the pressure put on that local development? Its like something out of a classic movie.... Can't stand those back room deals. Not like that."
Sir Baldwin considered Spinoza again for a long moment. This... it irked him. It wasn't quite something that made sense to be on his radar, but there was enough going on here that his Spider Sense was tingling. Asa Clarke would care about this. This was pushing into the Domain in such a manner that the stability and order of things could be threatened.
Still. That did not mean Sir Baldwin could not seek to have the Kine pay his disbursements in the matter. After all, it never hurt to have a new financier.
His lips pressed into a flat line. "I will need funds, Mr. Spinoza, and your and Mr. Cole's help. These sorts of investigations always do, particularly for the sorts of questions that I think I will need to be asking and the kinds of people I will need to be asking them to. The people who know gangsters often are gangsters, and that is a world that I understand. I trust you and Mr. Cole have some available?"
Finally, Baldwin offered up one piece of information.
"As well, at any point so far, have you had a way of contacting Mr. Khan?"
In the back of his mind was the knowledge that he was no detective, no socialite. He would require assistance in this matter. Perhaps there were others in the Domain who would be of use.
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"There are... some funds. But Cole will have to check you out first, you understand." Spinoza was frank and honest in his response. "No. I mean... only indirectly through some of his own contacts and companies. We have been on his case, on-and-off for some years now. Not a lot of success - but enough small wins, you know?"
Sir Baldwin produced a cellular phone, the phone he'd taken off the men. "Well, I have acquired a number for him from those thugs that were beating you." He winked, putting the phone back in his pocket. "I'll be honest with you, Mr. Spinoza, I am not exactly an upstanding citizen myself. I have no intention of telling you my real name, providing you with a phone number that will last for long between calls, or playing nicely with Mr. Khan and his thugs. I'm sorry to say that I doubt Cole's going to like that much, but those are my terms, and the only way in which I will participate in this."
The Knight shrugged.
"Here is what's important: who I am is the man who saved your life. Talk to your friend, with that fact firmly and squarely in your mind. Rest up. Get your family out of town and get back to me in a couple of nights. Let me know what you two want to do, or if there is any particular lead you'd like to point out to me."
He stepped back, as if to go, then said, "I will phone you in three nights. Give me your telephone number and we can speak then. I hope you will be feeling better by then."
For a moment, he thought about introducing himself as Mr. Wayne.
Three nights should give Baldwin a chance to gather some others to help out and communicate with His Grace on the issue.
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All Spinoza could do was nod. A man had rescued him from those who meant him harm, and was offering to back him and his friend in their endeavour.. Pacts had been built on less. Alliances had been built on less.
Most excellent. Great scene people
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