Taking on Another Job
Title: Taking on Another Job
Characters: Axel Walker, Barry Allen, Len Snart
Word count: 2546
Summary: Axel's latest job takes him in the last direction he expects. Takes place in my 'Ramblings of Another West'verse, about seven years after 'Coping with Another Stage'.
AN: Hey there, it's been a while from this 'verse. Been sitting on this chapter for a while, mostly because it's setting up a lot of other chapters that I've not finished yet. Still, enjoy.
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Axel likes his job.
He'd never thought he'd find something suited to him, but when Wally of all people suggested he should put his skills to some sensible use, Axel had shrugged and decided 'why not'.
Axel hadn't gone to college. Not that he couldn't have afforded it - push come to shove he could've gotten a loan off Mark, who occasionally managed an impressive haul - he just didn't feel like it was his thing. Instead, Axel started working on gaining a PI license while saving up money from the odd jobs he took.
Now, here he is, a detective in his own right, with an office and everything. He's even got one of those long coats they wear in old-timey films. Evan got for him as a joke, but turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and with a useful number of pockets.
Hell, he's even got business cards Iris Allen printed up for him. Originally it had been Josh's idea, then Bart had gotten involved and Axel had expected everything to blow up. However, Iris had interceded and had presented Axel with a box of five hundred the next day.
Considering Evan's habit of stealing them whenever he visits Axel, five hundred will probably vanish in no time.
Axel doesn't usually visit the Central City police department, but today he's got a potential client that he wants to run a background check on. Barry's nice enough to let Axel into his lab and talk over his work. Even at twenty-two, Barry still treats Axel like he's twelve.
Barry and Len have an almost rivalry over Axel. Barry's convinced he's helped turn Axel into a solid citizen - and that Axel's job reflects that - while Len's convinced no one from the police department ever did anything worthwhile.
Axel's never told Barry that one of the reasons he got into the detective business is because of all the tricks he picked up from Len (knowing how a criminal thinks rather than how people think they think is handy). Just as he's never told Len that Barry's position in the police has given him just as many helpful resources.
When Barry leaves to drops off a report with his supervisor, Axel cracks his fingers and gets to work.
Given Barry's habit of talking to everyone he meets whenever he goes anywhere, Axel's confident he's got about half an hour for what should be a simple five minute trip. It's still a good idea to work quickly though.
Barry's password is easy enough to guess (Ir1s_J0sh_B4rt) and Axel's logged into CCPD's system. He types in his client's name and sends the results to the printer without much more than a skim-read.
Out of curiosity - and the fact that it's only been ten minutes since Barry left - Axel types in his dad's name. A scowling picture of Len appears, one that couldn't be more than a few years older than Evan is now. Axel sends the results to the printer again.
He's stuffing the papers into his coat and is just about to log off, when another name from the search results catches his eye.
'Lawrence Snart'. There's a badge-number with it from before Len was born. Axel opens the file. There isn't a date of death, which is odd, because Len's always said his parents were dead. There's only a few notes and none of them good. Axel scribbles down the address and logs off.
Just in time, as Barry returns to the lab, apologising profusely.
Axel spends another twenty minutes hanging around, even though he's fidgeting to leave. He doesn't want to make Barry suspicious and restrict his access to CCPD's equipment.
Once outside, Axel checks the address and heads off.
Central City trailer park makes Axel glad of the fact that Len's always had enough money to keep a reasonable apartment while he's had Axel and Evan. It's not exactly a garbage dump, but it's not far off.
Axel finds the correct trailer, puts on his best I'm-important-trust-me smile, and knocks on the door.
There's a few thumps and muffled noises, then the door is opened by an old guy. He's glaring at Axel through bloodshot eyes. There's some resemblance to Len, and there's even a little similarity to Evan if Axel looks right. Though Len's kept himself in reasonable shape, while this man evidently hasn't.
“Lawrence Snart?” Axel asks, pitching his voice towards official and holding up a police badge, “Barry Allen, from CCPD. I'm here to ask you a few questions.”
Snart - and he is Snart, rather than Lawrence, unlike Len who's always been Len - eyes the badge, but doesn't find anything wrong with it. As he shouldn't, since Axel lifted it off Barry earlier. If pressed for more ID, Axel also has an old driver's licence of Barry's that he's doctored.
It'll probably get him in trouble one day, but for now, it works well enough.
“Can I come in?” Axel pushes.
Snart grunts and moves back into the trailer. Axel follows. So this was Len's childhood home? And Lisa's, which is more unbelievable if Axel's honest with himself. Axel couldn't swing a cat in here. Alive or dead.
“Mr Snart, would you mind answering my questions?” Axel asks.
“Get on with it,” Snart says, taking a seat in front of the tv and not looking at Axel.
“It's about your son,” Axel says.
“What's the worthless brat done now?”
“There's been controversy over a theft he committed early on in his career,” Axel says, keeping his face neutral to avoid showing that he's pulling facts out of thin air, “Possibly while he was still living here.”
“He didn't start that while he was here,” Snart says, “I don't know what you're expecting to find, 'cause there's nothing you'll get here.”
“It's more to do with his children,” Axel says, “And whether or not he's a fit guardian.”
Snart barks out a laugh and looks at Axel like he's crazy. “I wouldn't trust Lenny with a dog, let alone a kid. He knock up some tart then?”
Axel bites his tongue, but manages to get the right words out, “Your son has two children, both boys. I'm surprised you haven't heard of them before.”
“You don't know me or Lenny very well, do you?” Snart snorts, “Figures you're a rookie cop who's trying to find a fast-track to the top. It ain't gonna happen, and certainly not with me.”
“Are you not interested in meeting your grandchildren, Mr Snart?” Axel asked.
“What's it to you?” Snart says, “Not like the brats are gonna be any better than Lenny ever was. Always crying and saying stupid things. Take my advice, you don't ever want kids, no matter how much the wife offers good sex for them.”
“I'm not married,” it's not the smartest thing to come out of Axel's mouth, but he's unsure where he wants the conversation to go now. He's beginning to understand why Len didn't want them meeting his father.
“Playin' the field? Sensible lad,” Snart says with approval, “You done here?”
“I... yes,” Axel says, heading for the door, “Thank you for your time, grandfather.”
He's some distance away from the trailer when Snart yells at him to stop. Axel does so. He's not sure he wants to turn around and face his grandfather.
“You're one of Lenny's brats?” Snart asks, “You don't look it. And takin' after me - bein' on the right side of the law an' all - can't imagine Lenny'd be very happy with that.”
“My dad supports my decision,” Axel says, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Come off it,” Snart snorts, “Lenny hates cops.”
Axel spins around and pulls out his harshest you-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about glare.
“You don't know my dad,” Axel says decisively, “You don't know me.”
“And whose fault is that?” Snart spits, “It's not like Lenny took the time to introduce me to his spawn.”
“Maybe if you'd been a better father he might've,” Axel shoots back.
“I don't know you, but you don't know me,” Snart snarls, “I did what I could for my kids. Shame it only worked on one of them.”
Axel almost asks when he thinks is wrong with Lisa, before he realises Snart meant he'd failed with Len. Lisa's achieved international fame with her skating and being the wife of Central's mayor, which almost everyone knows. Len, on the other hand, has a rap list the length of Axel's arm and nothing to show for his change of heart.
“My father is a good man,” Axel says determinedly, “He raised me and my brother and did it well.” Ignoring Evan's old habits and Axel's own rap sheet, of course. “I just wanted to see why he never introduced us. Guess I got my answer.”
“Listen here, you brat,” Snart says, grabbing Axel's shoulder and giving him a shake, “I don't know if you're even telling the truth. In fact I think you're a fuckin' liar. You don't look a thing like Lenny, you don't even have his last name - if Barry Allen really is your name. Bet it ain't.”
“Let go of me,” Axel says.
Snart gives him another shake. “Gonna answer me, boy?”
Axel balls his hand into a fist then slams it into Snart's face.
A good few years ago Len had given both Axel and Evan some advice for if - when - they got into fights. One of the things he'd mentioned was that if you wanted to break someone's nose you were better off hitting upward with the heel of your palm. More likely to actually break it and less chance of you damaging your own hand with an incorrectly driven punch.
Axel doesn't care what's right, he's doing this because he wants to hurt Snart, not because he wants to damage him. It's a hell of a lot more satisfying using a fist than an open hand.
Snart lets go of Axel and he runs.
Axel doesn't heed the shouts for him to stop and runs until he can't run any further. Once he's got his breath back and is far enough from the trailer park to calm down a little, Axel digs out his phone and calls home.
“'lo?” answers someone around a yawn.
“Hey, Owen,” Axel says, “Can you put Len on?”
“Jus' a minute. LEN.”
There's a fair amount of muffled conversation and the phone gets dropped more than once, but finally Len gets ahold of it.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, dad,” Axel says.
“You know I'm on early shifts, right?” Len says tiredly, “This couldn't have waited?”
“No.”
“You in trouble?” Len asks and his voice has gotten sharper, more focussed.
“No, it's nothing dangerous, dad,” Axel replies, “It's just, I was in Barry's lab today -” there's a muffled snort on the other end of the line, “- and I saw something on the computer. Why didn't you tell us our grandfather was still alive?”
“Because he doesn't deserve to be,” Len says harshly, “I don't want either of you meeting him.”
“He can't be that bad,” Axel tries.
“No,” Len says, “Don't even think about it, Axel.”
Rare is the occasion that Len outright forbids something. Axel's done a lot of stupid shit over the years, which school counsellors and the like tend to put the blame at Len's feet for not discouraging in the first place, but then Axel's found that about half the stupid shit he did he immediately decided to never do again, because it was just that: stupid shit.
There were the instances, mid-teens, when Axel took up vandalism and petty theft, but not much of that could be linked to him - none of it could since he'd first gotten access to CCPD's records.
Len's rules mostly come down to 'don't be an idiot' and 'listen up when I've got something important to say'. This is the latter.
“He raised you,” Axel angles, “And you've turned out alright.”
“It took me until I was in my thirties to sort my life out,” Len says, “And the only reason I'm not sat in jail next to Mark right now is because you two turned up. I got some lucky breaks that had nothing to do with him. I'm not letting him mess either of you up.”
Len's sounding frustrated and angry and Axel's beginning to wish Evan wasn't off on holiday with his girlfriend. Evan's always been better at the touchy-feely family stuff. Owen's not going to be any use, he's too emotionally draining, he hasn't quite got the hang of giving back nearly as much as he takes away.
“I just thought...” Axel starts.
“Where's this coming from? You're not Evan,” Len says, then it clicks. Occasionally Len shows where Axel's keen insight comes from, “Shit, you've already gone, haven't you?”
“Dad -”
“You didn't think there was a reason I didn't let you meet him?”
“Dad -”
“Are you hurt?”
The question makes Axel tighten his fingers to feel the bruises on his knuckles. “No,” he replies, “But dad?”
“What?”
“I'm... glad you turned out... like you did.”
There's a pause before Len answers. “Right,” his voice has gotten quite gruff, “Were you wanting dinner here tonight?”
It's times like this which make Axel wish he had anything close to Evan's ability to say what he's feeling. Accepting dinner's just about all he can do. Though Len's in the same boat, considering he can only just offer dinner.
“Yeah.”
“And Axel?”
“Yeah?”
“Don't tell Evan.”
“Wasn't gonna.”
Len believes in family and Axel wouldn't change his brother and dad for anyone else, however they both know the nasty side. Maybe it's because he's never had a blood relative be truly horrible to him, but Evan's got a different picture of things. Naive really.
Maybe it's because he wasn't around when Len was coming to terms with Evan's drug habit. Not that Len lost all ability at parenting, but there is a reason why Axel started picking pockets and graffiti-ing at that age.
Maybe it's because he's a better person than either of them. However, neither Axel nor Len have done anything as hard as what Evan was snorting.
“See you later, dad,” Axel says and hangs up.
It's barely half an hour later that Axel has a knock on his office door. He quickly takes his feet off his desk and starts straightening the papers he'd picked up at CCPD earlier.
“Come in,” he calls, trying to look professional.
He's found that people can forgive eccentricities while he's out on the job, but first impressions count for a lot in this business. He quickly brushes a pile of comics into a drawer and curses himself for not keeping the office tidier.
The couple who walk in don't belong there. Their clothes are much too rich for the neighbourhood, their bearing too posh. The man shuts the door quickly and his eyes are moving rapidly. He frowns at the mostly-closed blinds and the camera Axel's got on a shelf. The woman dabs at her eyes and takes a seat.
Axel knows who they are and is surprised that he's seeing them in this neighbourhood.
“Mr Walker, correct?” says Osgood Rathaway imperiously, “We have need of your services.”
Characters: Axel Walker, Barry Allen, Len Snart
Word count: 2546
Summary: Axel's latest job takes him in the last direction he expects. Takes place in my 'Ramblings of Another West'verse, about seven years after 'Coping with Another Stage'.
AN: Hey there, it's been a while from this 'verse. Been sitting on this chapter for a while, mostly because it's setting up a lot of other chapters that I've not finished yet. Still, enjoy.
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Axel likes his job.
He'd never thought he'd find something suited to him, but when Wally of all people suggested he should put his skills to some sensible use, Axel had shrugged and decided 'why not'.
Axel hadn't gone to college. Not that he couldn't have afforded it - push come to shove he could've gotten a loan off Mark, who occasionally managed an impressive haul - he just didn't feel like it was his thing. Instead, Axel started working on gaining a PI license while saving up money from the odd jobs he took.
Now, here he is, a detective in his own right, with an office and everything. He's even got one of those long coats they wear in old-timey films. Evan got for him as a joke, but turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and with a useful number of pockets.
Hell, he's even got business cards Iris Allen printed up for him. Originally it had been Josh's idea, then Bart had gotten involved and Axel had expected everything to blow up. However, Iris had interceded and had presented Axel with a box of five hundred the next day.
Considering Evan's habit of stealing them whenever he visits Axel, five hundred will probably vanish in no time.
Axel doesn't usually visit the Central City police department, but today he's got a potential client that he wants to run a background check on. Barry's nice enough to let Axel into his lab and talk over his work. Even at twenty-two, Barry still treats Axel like he's twelve.
Barry and Len have an almost rivalry over Axel. Barry's convinced he's helped turn Axel into a solid citizen - and that Axel's job reflects that - while Len's convinced no one from the police department ever did anything worthwhile.
Axel's never told Barry that one of the reasons he got into the detective business is because of all the tricks he picked up from Len (knowing how a criminal thinks rather than how people think they think is handy). Just as he's never told Len that Barry's position in the police has given him just as many helpful resources.
When Barry leaves to drops off a report with his supervisor, Axel cracks his fingers and gets to work.
Given Barry's habit of talking to everyone he meets whenever he goes anywhere, Axel's confident he's got about half an hour for what should be a simple five minute trip. It's still a good idea to work quickly though.
Barry's password is easy enough to guess (Ir1s_J0sh_B4rt) and Axel's logged into CCPD's system. He types in his client's name and sends the results to the printer without much more than a skim-read.
Out of curiosity - and the fact that it's only been ten minutes since Barry left - Axel types in his dad's name. A scowling picture of Len appears, one that couldn't be more than a few years older than Evan is now. Axel sends the results to the printer again.
He's stuffing the papers into his coat and is just about to log off, when another name from the search results catches his eye.
'Lawrence Snart'. There's a badge-number with it from before Len was born. Axel opens the file. There isn't a date of death, which is odd, because Len's always said his parents were dead. There's only a few notes and none of them good. Axel scribbles down the address and logs off.
Just in time, as Barry returns to the lab, apologising profusely.
Axel spends another twenty minutes hanging around, even though he's fidgeting to leave. He doesn't want to make Barry suspicious and restrict his access to CCPD's equipment.
Once outside, Axel checks the address and heads off.
Central City trailer park makes Axel glad of the fact that Len's always had enough money to keep a reasonable apartment while he's had Axel and Evan. It's not exactly a garbage dump, but it's not far off.
Axel finds the correct trailer, puts on his best I'm-important-trust-me smile, and knocks on the door.
There's a few thumps and muffled noises, then the door is opened by an old guy. He's glaring at Axel through bloodshot eyes. There's some resemblance to Len, and there's even a little similarity to Evan if Axel looks right. Though Len's kept himself in reasonable shape, while this man evidently hasn't.
“Lawrence Snart?” Axel asks, pitching his voice towards official and holding up a police badge, “Barry Allen, from CCPD. I'm here to ask you a few questions.”
Snart - and he is Snart, rather than Lawrence, unlike Len who's always been Len - eyes the badge, but doesn't find anything wrong with it. As he shouldn't, since Axel lifted it off Barry earlier. If pressed for more ID, Axel also has an old driver's licence of Barry's that he's doctored.
It'll probably get him in trouble one day, but for now, it works well enough.
“Can I come in?” Axel pushes.
Snart grunts and moves back into the trailer. Axel follows. So this was Len's childhood home? And Lisa's, which is more unbelievable if Axel's honest with himself. Axel couldn't swing a cat in here. Alive or dead.
“Mr Snart, would you mind answering my questions?” Axel asks.
“Get on with it,” Snart says, taking a seat in front of the tv and not looking at Axel.
“It's about your son,” Axel says.
“What's the worthless brat done now?”
“There's been controversy over a theft he committed early on in his career,” Axel says, keeping his face neutral to avoid showing that he's pulling facts out of thin air, “Possibly while he was still living here.”
“He didn't start that while he was here,” Snart says, “I don't know what you're expecting to find, 'cause there's nothing you'll get here.”
“It's more to do with his children,” Axel says, “And whether or not he's a fit guardian.”
Snart barks out a laugh and looks at Axel like he's crazy. “I wouldn't trust Lenny with a dog, let alone a kid. He knock up some tart then?”
Axel bites his tongue, but manages to get the right words out, “Your son has two children, both boys. I'm surprised you haven't heard of them before.”
“You don't know me or Lenny very well, do you?” Snart snorts, “Figures you're a rookie cop who's trying to find a fast-track to the top. It ain't gonna happen, and certainly not with me.”
“Are you not interested in meeting your grandchildren, Mr Snart?” Axel asked.
“What's it to you?” Snart says, “Not like the brats are gonna be any better than Lenny ever was. Always crying and saying stupid things. Take my advice, you don't ever want kids, no matter how much the wife offers good sex for them.”
“I'm not married,” it's not the smartest thing to come out of Axel's mouth, but he's unsure where he wants the conversation to go now. He's beginning to understand why Len didn't want them meeting his father.
“Playin' the field? Sensible lad,” Snart says with approval, “You done here?”
“I... yes,” Axel says, heading for the door, “Thank you for your time, grandfather.”
He's some distance away from the trailer when Snart yells at him to stop. Axel does so. He's not sure he wants to turn around and face his grandfather.
“You're one of Lenny's brats?” Snart asks, “You don't look it. And takin' after me - bein' on the right side of the law an' all - can't imagine Lenny'd be very happy with that.”
“My dad supports my decision,” Axel says, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Come off it,” Snart snorts, “Lenny hates cops.”
Axel spins around and pulls out his harshest you-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about glare.
“You don't know my dad,” Axel says decisively, “You don't know me.”
“And whose fault is that?” Snart spits, “It's not like Lenny took the time to introduce me to his spawn.”
“Maybe if you'd been a better father he might've,” Axel shoots back.
“I don't know you, but you don't know me,” Snart snarls, “I did what I could for my kids. Shame it only worked on one of them.”
Axel almost asks when he thinks is wrong with Lisa, before he realises Snart meant he'd failed with Len. Lisa's achieved international fame with her skating and being the wife of Central's mayor, which almost everyone knows. Len, on the other hand, has a rap list the length of Axel's arm and nothing to show for his change of heart.
“My father is a good man,” Axel says determinedly, “He raised me and my brother and did it well.” Ignoring Evan's old habits and Axel's own rap sheet, of course. “I just wanted to see why he never introduced us. Guess I got my answer.”
“Listen here, you brat,” Snart says, grabbing Axel's shoulder and giving him a shake, “I don't know if you're even telling the truth. In fact I think you're a fuckin' liar. You don't look a thing like Lenny, you don't even have his last name - if Barry Allen really is your name. Bet it ain't.”
“Let go of me,” Axel says.
Snart gives him another shake. “Gonna answer me, boy?”
Axel balls his hand into a fist then slams it into Snart's face.
A good few years ago Len had given both Axel and Evan some advice for if - when - they got into fights. One of the things he'd mentioned was that if you wanted to break someone's nose you were better off hitting upward with the heel of your palm. More likely to actually break it and less chance of you damaging your own hand with an incorrectly driven punch.
Axel doesn't care what's right, he's doing this because he wants to hurt Snart, not because he wants to damage him. It's a hell of a lot more satisfying using a fist than an open hand.
Snart lets go of Axel and he runs.
Axel doesn't heed the shouts for him to stop and runs until he can't run any further. Once he's got his breath back and is far enough from the trailer park to calm down a little, Axel digs out his phone and calls home.
“'lo?” answers someone around a yawn.
“Hey, Owen,” Axel says, “Can you put Len on?”
“Jus' a minute. LEN.”
There's a fair amount of muffled conversation and the phone gets dropped more than once, but finally Len gets ahold of it.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, dad,” Axel says.
“You know I'm on early shifts, right?” Len says tiredly, “This couldn't have waited?”
“No.”
“You in trouble?” Len asks and his voice has gotten sharper, more focussed.
“No, it's nothing dangerous, dad,” Axel replies, “It's just, I was in Barry's lab today -” there's a muffled snort on the other end of the line, “- and I saw something on the computer. Why didn't you tell us our grandfather was still alive?”
“Because he doesn't deserve to be,” Len says harshly, “I don't want either of you meeting him.”
“He can't be that bad,” Axel tries.
“No,” Len says, “Don't even think about it, Axel.”
Rare is the occasion that Len outright forbids something. Axel's done a lot of stupid shit over the years, which school counsellors and the like tend to put the blame at Len's feet for not discouraging in the first place, but then Axel's found that about half the stupid shit he did he immediately decided to never do again, because it was just that: stupid shit.
There were the instances, mid-teens, when Axel took up vandalism and petty theft, but not much of that could be linked to him - none of it could since he'd first gotten access to CCPD's records.
Len's rules mostly come down to 'don't be an idiot' and 'listen up when I've got something important to say'. This is the latter.
“He raised you,” Axel angles, “And you've turned out alright.”
“It took me until I was in my thirties to sort my life out,” Len says, “And the only reason I'm not sat in jail next to Mark right now is because you two turned up. I got some lucky breaks that had nothing to do with him. I'm not letting him mess either of you up.”
Len's sounding frustrated and angry and Axel's beginning to wish Evan wasn't off on holiday with his girlfriend. Evan's always been better at the touchy-feely family stuff. Owen's not going to be any use, he's too emotionally draining, he hasn't quite got the hang of giving back nearly as much as he takes away.
“I just thought...” Axel starts.
“Where's this coming from? You're not Evan,” Len says, then it clicks. Occasionally Len shows where Axel's keen insight comes from, “Shit, you've already gone, haven't you?”
“Dad -”
“You didn't think there was a reason I didn't let you meet him?”
“Dad -”
“Are you hurt?”
The question makes Axel tighten his fingers to feel the bruises on his knuckles. “No,” he replies, “But dad?”
“What?”
“I'm... glad you turned out... like you did.”
There's a pause before Len answers. “Right,” his voice has gotten quite gruff, “Were you wanting dinner here tonight?”
It's times like this which make Axel wish he had anything close to Evan's ability to say what he's feeling. Accepting dinner's just about all he can do. Though Len's in the same boat, considering he can only just offer dinner.
“Yeah.”
“And Axel?”
“Yeah?”
“Don't tell Evan.”
“Wasn't gonna.”
Len believes in family and Axel wouldn't change his brother and dad for anyone else, however they both know the nasty side. Maybe it's because he's never had a blood relative be truly horrible to him, but Evan's got a different picture of things. Naive really.
Maybe it's because he wasn't around when Len was coming to terms with Evan's drug habit. Not that Len lost all ability at parenting, but there is a reason why Axel started picking pockets and graffiti-ing at that age.
Maybe it's because he's a better person than either of them. However, neither Axel nor Len have done anything as hard as what Evan was snorting.
“See you later, dad,” Axel says and hangs up.
It's barely half an hour later that Axel has a knock on his office door. He quickly takes his feet off his desk and starts straightening the papers he'd picked up at CCPD earlier.
“Come in,” he calls, trying to look professional.
He's found that people can forgive eccentricities while he's out on the job, but first impressions count for a lot in this business. He quickly brushes a pile of comics into a drawer and curses himself for not keeping the office tidier.
The couple who walk in don't belong there. Their clothes are much too rich for the neighbourhood, their bearing too posh. The man shuts the door quickly and his eyes are moving rapidly. He frowns at the mostly-closed blinds and the camera Axel's got on a shelf. The woman dabs at her eyes and takes a seat.
Axel knows who they are and is surprised that he's seeing them in this neighbourhood.
“Mr Walker, correct?” says Osgood Rathaway imperiously, “We have need of your services.”