Chapter Text
Kaz expected to be out of the casino by an hour ago at the latest, but Jesper is having a good night at the tables for once. At present Jesper has as many chips as he started with sitting in front of him, plus the ones in the pot.
A person unfamiliar with Jesper might be forgiven for thinking he’d want to walk away in the black. Unfortunately, quit while you’re ahead is advice Jesper has never once followed.
Based on what he can see of the game from here, Jesper stands a good chance of winning this hand. Kaz should've given him half as much cash. He bites back a sigh and shifts on the slot machine stool to stretch his leg out.
“I can help you,” a soft voice behind him says. Kaz didn’t hear anyone approach, so he has to school the surprise out of his expression before he turns around.
The woman responsible for sneaking up on him is around his age, petite, with bronze skin and dark eyes. He noticed her serving drinks earlier. Now she’s exchanged her stilettos for flats and thrown an oversize short-sleeved hoodie over her uniform.
Kaz saw her nametag earlier. “And what is it I need your help with, Inej?” Sometimes when casino staff notice his cane they’ll come over to solicitously offer a more comfortable seat or a footstool or, in less reputable establishments, something a bit stronger than liquor, wink wink.
But since she’s waited until she’s off shift, that’s not what Inej is here for. Which likely means she’s heard rumors about his alter ego, Dirtyhands.
The rumors are -- mostly -- fake.
“I saw you casing the high rollers earlier,” Inej replies calmly. She has no noticeable reaction to him remembering her name. “Which one are you planning to fleece? My choice would be Van Eck, but any of them would deserve it, honestly.”
He was casing the high rollers, as it happens, but Kaz hasn’t been caught at that in nearly ten years. He scrutinizes Inej more carefully. She carries herself confidently and precisely; an athlete whose sport requires both power and grace. Gymnastics? Dance? Figure skating? Her gaze is cool and calculating, but maybe also a bit amused.
Kaz glances around the casino to double check no one’s moved. Most gamblers are engrossed at the tables, with the few scattered around the slot machines nowhere near close enough to hear their conversation. “If you know so much,” Kaz says, “maybe you’ve heard rumors about Van Eck’s latest acquisition.”
“The Lantsov emerald,” Inej assents. The corners of her mouth curl up mischievously. “I could be very helpful, if that’s what you're after.”
“Hmm.” Kaz has never been caught on a big heist, and he doesn’t plan to start now. “How do I know you’re not working for Van Eck?”
Inej looks like she smells something rank. “Van Eck owns this casino, you know." Kaz does know, as does anyone who pays even passing notice to the gambling industry. "I already spend far too much time under his thumb.” She is perfectly still for a moment, then pulls a piece of paper out of her purse and hands it to him.
It’s junk mail from some car dealership. Kaz raises an eyebrow in question.
“My address is on there.” Right, of course. Inej Ghafa , the first line reads. “If you get caught, you can send your friend over there-” she nods towards Jesper’s table “-to take care of me.”
For the first time in this conversation, Inej looks nervous. As she should. But she's offering anyway, and suddenly Kaz is extremely interested.
“Alright,” he says, pocketing the mail. “Back to the original question: what makes you think you can help me?”
“There’s a party at Van Eck’s mansion Saturday for high-performing employees from all his casinos. Pretend to be my boyfriend and we can scope it out then.”
Kaz frowns and starts to stand up. “He won’t be keeping something that valuable at home. Find me again when you have a way in to his bank.”
“It’s there,” Inej says confidently. Kaz glares down at her, but she is uncowed. “I overheard his wife discussing it with her friend.”
“In public?”
“Not public, as such,” Inej admits, the mischievous smirk playing around the corners of her mouth again. “You didn't hear me come up. You think some pampered heiresses would notice me if I didn't want them to?”
“Conceivably useful,” Kaz concedes. He takes out his encrypted phone and pulls up a new contact in Signal. “I hope you have a secure messaging app.” He hands her the phone. “Put in your number. I’ll let you know by Wednesday.”
She looks displeased not to have his decision right then, but puts in her number anyway. “I’ll talk to you soon, Kaz Brekker,” she says. Inej turns and walks away as silently as she came.
Back at the table, Jesper’s luck has turned; he’s in the process of losing the last of his chips. When the round is over, he walks over to Kaz and sighs dramatically. “I almost had a good night,” he declares, despite the current evidence. “Just a little more?”
“You would have had a good night if you quit half an hour earlier,” Kaz retorts. “Let’s go.”
“What have you been up to?” Jesper asks as they walk. “Getting that pretty girl’s number?”
“Yes.”
Kaz lets Jesper splutter about this for a minute before he relents. “For a job, possibly.”
“You didn’t even tell me we were recruiting!” Jesper accuses.
“We aren’t. She offered. She has skills. And I have her address, so you can hunt her down if she turns me in.”
“You are the worst ,” Jesper groans. “Maybe I'll defect to her side.”
Kaz ignores the empty threat.
As promised, Inej gets a text on Wednesday: What time should I pick you up for the party? -Kaz.
After they hash out logistics, Inej tries to get Kaz to discuss reconnaissance plans. He is less than forthcoming.
Kaz: We find the emerald without getting caught.
Inej : Very detailed, thanks. Are you planning to steal it during the party?
Kaz : Not unless Van Eck’s security is a total joke. I’ll need special equipment to crack any safe worth the money.
Inej: Are *we* sneaking around or am *I* sneaking around?
Kaz : You’re sneaking. I’m standing watch.
Inej supposes she can work with that amount of detail.
------
“You can’t leave yet!” Nina protests when she finds Inej standing in their living room, waiting for Kaz to arrive. “Let me check you over.”
She makes a spinning motion with her hand and Inej turns slowly in a full circle. “I know you’re going for inconspicuous,” Nina sighs, “but you have no color at all. Let me put a ribbon in your hair at least?” She pulls a dark red velvet one from a pocket.
“You were planning that all along,” Inej accuses.
“Yes, because I know you. Hold still.” Nina takes down the formal coils Inej has put her braid up in and carefully rewinds them, including the ribbon this time.
“Better,” Nina says, after stepping back to look at her. “Knives?”
“Five.” Inej designed this outfit for clandestine activities at formal events. It’s all black, apart from Nina’s addition. Each bootie hides a small knife sheath; they’re also low-heeled and rubber-soled for stealthy movement. The hems on her silky jumpsuit stop just shy of skimming the ground, to conceal from the casual observer that her shoes are perhaps lots formal than expected.
The jumpsuit legs are deeply pleated where they join the bodice, concealing another sheathed knife in each pleat. The final knife is almost needle-thin so it can nestle beside the back zipper.
“Ok,” Nina says. “Last chance not to go on a date with Kaz fucking Brekker.”
Inej laughs. “You know it’s not a real date, Nina. I wish I could take you, but people are going to remember you after last time.” Last time, Nina had told off a man who wouldn’t leave her alone; the altercation had ended with him screaming obscenities at her and being escorted away by security. It was not Nina's fault in the least, but now she's too memorable to be sneaking around with Inej.
“Brekker better be less of an asshole than that guy, at least,” Nina grumbles.
Inej shrugs off her concern. “Low bar, but I think I’m safe on that front.” Kaz had been brusque when they talked, but not disrespectful.
“Well, if anything happens to you, I will be exacting revenge,” Nina vows. Inej is not about to tell her that Kaz’s roommate will be doing the same if anything happens to him.
“Nina. I promise I will remain alive and capable of taking my own revenge.” Inej’s phone buzzes. “See you later!” She calls to Nina as she walks out the door. “Don’t wait up!”
“I most certainly will wait up!” Nina yells after her.
Kaz is leaning against the passenger side of a black Altima. He’s already watching the apartment door when she exits, and doesn’t take his eyes off her until she gets to the car. Then he turns to open the door for her.
“Thank you,” Inej says as he shuts it behind her. His answering half-smile is so brief she barely catches it.
“That was Nina?” Kaz asks, as he merges onto the freeway towards Summerlin. “Calling after you.”
“Yes.” Of course he's learned as much as he can about her, which naturally extends to her roommate. Inej just hopes certain activities remain impossible to connect back to herself. “Just so we’re clear, she’s not included if your friend has to come after me.”
“Jesper wouldn’t,” Kaz says dismissively. “And I can't afford to send him after a heartrender. You're armed?”
“I said I would be.” Inej isn't ready to trust him with the locations of her knives.
“You’ve hidden it well,” he says without glancing over. So that’s why he was watching her earlier.
“Knives are convenient like that.” Inej supposes she can tell him that much. She scans Kaz for evidence of his own weapon(s), without success.
Kaz taps the head of his cane without speaking. When Inej lifts it, she finds it far heavier than it looks. This cane is plain dark wood, not the ostentatious crow’s head he had in the casino, but there must be some kind of metal concealed within. “Clever,” she says. "Though it seems like a messy way to fight."
“Inelegant but effective,” Kaz replies with a swift, sharp smirk. "I should put that on my business cards."
“Have you been to Van Eck’s parties before?” He asks next.
“Just one. Why?” Inej wants so badly to point out that they could've talked about this earlier in the week.
“There’s a partial floor plan in the glove box. See if I’m missing anything important, darling?”
Inej wills the flush she feels rising from the endearment not to show on her face. He’s just getting into character.
“Of course, love,” Inej agrees, and now Kaz is the one blushing furiously. Saints, they’re like a couple of awkward teenagers. Well, Inej has less dating experience than most teenagers.
She’s not sure what Kaz’s deal is.
The “floor plan” is really just a hand-drawn sketch, with some parts of the house completely ignored and most rooms unlabeled. The areas they’re likely to need to navigate have obviously been prioritized.
“Just one thing,” Inej says. “There’s another office on the second floor that’s always locked.”
“Always?” Kaz echoes. “You said you’d only been there once.”
“I said I’d only been to one party,” Inej corrects. “I’m perfectly capable of breaking in.”
Kaz just glances over at her, face impassive. “Of course. But always? ”
He’s being annoying on purpose, Inej is almost certain. “Perhaps not when he's working there. But I happened to get an informal tour from Wylan Van Eck last year. We both needed to escape the party. He's never seen it unlocked, and he lives there.” She circles the office location on the floor plan and turns the paper towards Kaz.
Kaz studies it long enough to make Inej regret showing it to him while he’s driving. “By the back stairs,” Kaz observes, looking back to the road. “Party’s in the grand foyer?”
“Mostly,” Inej confirms, “but the living and dining rooms are also open so people can sit. Leaving the main area won’t look suspicious.”
Kaz frowns. "That also makes it more likely to encounter people in the back hall. I wonder if the younger Van Eck was back there to keep an eye out."
"You have a very suspicious mind," Inej informs him. "But Wylan has no fondness for his father."
"His father's money may be another matter," Kaz remarks drily. "But we'll need to check out that office regardless, so may as well start there."
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