Jalen opened his mouth to reply but then fell silent.
“And besides, I’ve been to Muvrand’s border, where guns are common, and I returned safe and sound,” Hannah continued.
“It’s not the same. Stay for a couple of days, then I’ll get you a ticket back.”
Turning to face him, Hannah asked, “When you talked about this art exhibition, you never mentioned the danger. When do you plan to leave?”
“I…” Jalen shifted his gaze. “I’m not like you.”
“Don’t worry, Jalen. I’ll leave as soon as I find the person I’m looking for.”
Hannah reassured him with a smile.
“Who are you looking for?” Jalen asked Hannah curiously.
“A friend, a younger one. I didn’t give him permission to come here, but he traveled over anyway. I haven’t been able to reach him for a while now. It worries me.”
Jalen frowned, “Do you need my help?”
‘s
“Thanks, but I think it would be better if I handled it myself.”
Jalen was nodding his assent when something else occurred to him. “Oh, by the way, you asked me to look into Bryson’s school back in Newfort, right?
I’ve discovered something. His company has always been based there, but just before he graduated, he seems to have come into contact with some unknown people from outside the campus.”
“Unknown people?” Hannah was confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well,” Jalen said in a rather cautious tone, “from what I gathered, they seemed to be members of some city gang.” He rushed to add, “But this is merely speculation at this point. We don’t have enough evidence to prove that this is true. After all, his later businesses are all legal and up to code.”
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“It’s okay, Jalen. You don’t have to be so concerned about these matters.”
Hannah lowered her eyes and pondered this new information. Despite her words, she knew Bryson’s capabilities all too well. Even if he himself hadn’t been a part of the city’s gang, he was most certainly associated with them in one way or another.
“Here we are,” Jalen said, interrupting her thoughts. “Come on, let’s head inside.”
Jalen’s art studio was located in the outskirts of the city. It was far enough to afford him peace, but not too far away that it would be hard to access.
They alighted from the car, and Jalen led the way inside the building.
As soon as they disappeared through the door, a black Jeep ground to a halt by the road, just a few meters away from the studio.
“Mr. Compton, they are currently in the suburbs of Lightby. They have come to what my investigations indicated to be her cousin’s art studio. The so-called cousin’s name is Jalen White. He arrived in Newfort around ten months ago to work on an exhibit. His art career is developing at a rapid pace. His paintings are almost always sold out, and at higher and higher prices, too.
However, his art exhibit seems to be connected to illicit organizations. I have yet to look into the details of that.”
On the other side, Wallace nodded. “Tell our people to keep an eye on them.