A Serious Issue (Nero)

Guest

The virus had been a pain in the neck for Scarlett. Late nights, early mornings, trying to find who was behind the outbreak of something so horrible. She had her own suspicions that money was somehow involved. In the end, it all revolved around money. That was her perspective anyway. Of course, as she was investigating the root of it, she needed to try and keep an open-mind as much as possible.

That day, she was investigating an anonymous tip-that started out as a rumour, if she remembered correctly- suggesting that the greatly successful Nero Whitehorn had been part of the cause of the deadly disease. Of course, Scar had her doubts, but she had to entertain every possibility, especially if it was in the form of an anonymous tip. With something as destructive and dangerous as the virus, there was no room for error. Everything had to be investigated, there was no doubt about that.

So, she appeared outside Nero's office, and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.

Guest

The summer had been a right blast for Nero. Yes, he might have split up with his long term fling (anything more than that term would have been an overstatement) after she had moaned about the time Nero had spent with Elyah over the summer. Nero had made the decision to cut her out given that his daughter was now the centre of his world.

Or, at least, joint centre of his world.

Inventing was what Nero was good at, and with the new happiness he had found in having Elyah around the house, Nero's creativity was blossoming anew. Which meant he was hard at work in his office, designing new, state of the art technology (both magical and otherwise) for the market. Plans were growing in complexity, with the calculations being scribbled down on every piece of paper available to him.

His PA (non-human) had said that a woman had arrived and the inventor had pulled his wand closer on his desk. Women were never usually a good sign in Nero's books. Scorned lovers were a plenty, and today was not the day he wished to be spending making up for a stupid, drunken evening.

"Come in!" Nero called out at the sound of the knock on the door, tidying up the paperwork as the woman entered to make sure it was obvious he had been quite busy before her arrival. Looking up from his desk, Nero gave the woman one of his trademark smiles. "How may I help you, Miss...?" He asked, purposefully hanging on to the last word to prompt her for her name.

Guest

She stepped in at his response, certain that she had disrupted something important from the amount of papers he was shuffling about, tidying up.

"How may I help you Miss..."

"Waters," she finished for him, "from the department of magical law enforcement," she held her hand out to shake. A brief glance around the room didn't reveal much besides the fact that he was a talented designer and very, very successful businessman. Truth be told, as a lover of quidditch herself, she had some admiration for the man's talent.
She didn't expect the office to reveal much more, people didn't keep things plastered all over their office, though it didn't hurt to look regardless.

"I'm sorry to disturb your work," she apologised "I know that you're a very busy man. However, this incredibly important investigation and your co-operation would be appreciated." She explained.

Guest

As the women stepped in to his office, Nero not so subtly took her in. She wasn't a bad looking witch, truth be told, rather young, yes, but he was Nero Whitehorn, age was just a number, and so long as the woman was legal... well, lets just say he'd had a number of conquests younger than the woman before him, so she was not going to be off limits.

However, as the witch introduced herself as being from the magical law enforcement department of the ministry, Nero took his foot of the accelerator on the thoughts that weren't one hundred percent pure. Sure, he had not done anything wrong, but he would rather know what the visit was about before he continued on the game that was evolving in his head.

Shaking the witch's hand, Nero replied with "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Waters." He was being polite, biding his time, and thankful that he'd been in his office and not the laboratory that morning. Whilst he hadn't done anything wrong there were a few things he'd want the Ministry officials to keep their eyes off of.

Continuing on with her explanation of what she was here for, Nero nodded along to show he was listening to her words. "Well, of course, if there is anything I can do to help you will have my cooperation, however, I'm not sure what either the Nimbus Racing Broom Company or Whitehorn INC can help you with any investigation you may be undertaking..." Nero replied, his features turning in to a mask of uncertainty that he didn't feel.

He had contacts in the Ministry, and he knew the Aurors were currently looking for leads on the virus that had been spreading. Nero had no part in that - he was working with the Healers on the cure, truth be told, but privately.

"May I get you a drink? I'm afraid I only keep Jack in my offices." Nero explained, moving to the decanter and picking up two glasses and moving back to his desk, waiting to see if Miss Waters would want any for herself.

Guest

She nodded at his response. Of course, it was an odd lead, seemingly random. Yet orders were orders, and the virus was very damaging to the wizarding world. She supposed that he could potentially be capable. Smart, inventive, wealthy… There was nothing stopping him if he wanted to. However, she couldn't come up with a potential motive- one of the most important aspects. Unless Nero relished in the suffering of others, she had no reason, besides the tip, that he would have anything to do with either the manufacturing or spreading of the virus.

"May I get you a drink? I'm afraid I only keep Jack in my offices."

She thought for a moment. She generally didn't drink, not on the job at least. But perhaps accepting to make her appear friendlier, in a way.

"Sure," she answered after a pause "Thank you," she added with a slight smile.

She walked forward into his office, but remained standing "I'm sure that you're aware of the current epidemic, Mr. Whitehorn." she stated "Tell me, what do you know about it?"

There was no point in beating around the bush. And at this point, there was no solid evidence. She was simply following a lead.

Guest

The acceptance of his drink offer brought a small, smug smile to Nero's lips. Apparently this law enforcer was not too worried about a small tipple on the job. Possibly corruptible, but definitely fun if nothing else. Nero decided, in that moment, that he could definitely work with the woman before him. So long as she had the right offers, of course.

Pouring out the glasses, Nero offered one to the witch, before motioning to the comfy chair the other side of his desk. "Please, make yourself comfortable." He told her, being hospitable as the witch continued with the reasoning of her business here. He took a seat on the other side, sitting comfortably because he was a man with nothing to hide.

"If you mean the epidemic that started out in Africa, I know what it does, I know that it sparks fear in the masses, and I know that St Mungos are currently working on making the cure for the stronger strain of the disease that was not concocted by the young witch who managed to become the first survivor." Nero replied, taking a sip of the jack he'd poured himself. "However, I'm sure as an investigating officer, you already know this much, so you're really asking me if I know something out of the ordinary.

"Believe me, Miss Waters, if I knew more than that, I wouldn't be inviting you so freely in to my office, my whereabouts would be unknown, and I'd have vanished from public view. So... you've had a tip off..." Nero held the idea for a moment. "Or, you're not an officer of the ministry, but a woman who wishes to seek my attention." The man hazarded a guess, completely unashamed of the words he was speaking in that moment.

Guest

At his invitation, she took a seat, casually crossing one leg over the other. She thanked him for the the drink and took a sip she listened, and watched. Watching was important. One would be surprised at how much one could give away by speaking, flecks of emotion, small inconsistencies... And he listed the same thing that had been plastered in all the newspapers. And of course, no, she didn't expect him to be outright if he had been involved. Regardless, it was a good start. Perhaps a few more drinks would loosen his tongue, though Scar doubted that he'd be so careless as to do that.

At his last comment, she raised her eyebrow and leant forward in her seat "I could show you my badge if you'd like," she replied. After a pause she added "Of course you'd look even more suspicious if you just disappeared from the public eye…" she shrugged, sitting back. "Is there anyone you could think of that would have a reason to believe that you're involved?" she continued.

Guest

Nero waved away the offer of seeing her badge, a smirk that showed other things had crossed his mind to ask to see, but Nero had held himself back. The woman was a law enforcer, and whilst Nero was a terrible flirt, he was not one to brush with the law for stupid things as saying something sexual to the woman before him.

He doubted, though, that the smirk on his lips would go unnoticed by the woman before him.

Unless she was a virgin... Nero had to stop that thought, because that idea was much too enticing, and would get him in to a lot of trouble.

"Anyone?" Nero chuckled, sipping at his drink before placing it on his desk. "You obviously haven't researched enough in to my business if you think I wouldn't have a list of people who would love to see me fail. Take the Firebolt company, for one, getting rid of me would rid them of competition in the racing broom industry, they'd become a monopoly over night, and Merlin knows I will not be allowing that.

"Aside from that, anyone who dislikes a wealthy, successful man. I don't know who gave you this tip off, Miss Waters, but I can assure you that you're wasting your time in being here. I'm a genius, yes, but I'm not a murderer." Nero told her, his tone sincere and almost apologetic in that moment.

That, however, did not last long as Nero looked across the table. "When you're off duty... we should go for a drink." He offered, testing the waters a little to see if she would be up to that. "Well, more drinks." Nero amended, motioning to the drink Miss Waters already had.

Guest

Scar could gather what he might have been thinking from the smirk, and she rather enjoyed the little game that she was playing. Subtle, only just enough to tease.

She tilted her head as he answered, truthfully, she'd been hoping for maybe more personal connections, rather than business, but had doubted that he would so readily talk about his personal life to someone he'd just met. As much as it would make sense for one of his business rivals to send the tip- to perhaps discredit him- Scar, had also doubted that anyone would go so far, especially with such an outrageous accusation. But she supposed that business was cutthroat, and in extreme cases, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch, considering Whitehorn's success.

She leant forward "Maybe someone more personal… With your reputation, a scorned woman, perhaps?" she asked. Jealousy could be a huge motivator, and with Nero's reputation, it wasn't hard to imagine.

"When you're off duty... we should go for a drink… Well, more drinks."

She sat back and thought for a moment, finishing up her drink, before she smiled "Sure, that sounds great," she said.

Guest

The question of a scorned ex brought a chuckle from Nero's lips as he sat back and sipped his drink once more. "Miss Waters, if you wish to go down that road, then I'm afraid your list will both be rather extensive, and incomplete. Alcohol fueled evenings tend to become somewhat hazy, I'm sure you can understand that much. And... without sounding rude, not all of those whom I spend the night with are overly memorable." Nero explained.

He did not care to dabble on the fact he could not remember the names of every woman he'd slept with. That was the joy of being Nero Whitehorn, he didn't have to keep the names on the tip of his tongue, because he rarely picked up the same woman twice.

"However, I don't believe that a scorned woman would go to such lengths. Court cases, yes, but not this." Nero insisted, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. "As I say, Miss Waters, I'm not involved in the unfortunate spreading of the virus, I've put money in to the cure, so I think that tells you who's side I'm on."

Nero then moved to a drawer, taking things a little more slowly than normal because he didn't want for the Ministry official to think he was about to try anything on her. In the drawer, Nero pulled out his diary, turning it to a random page that was empty before looking back at the woman opposite him.

"So, Miss Waters, when are you free for that drink?" Nero asked unashamedly.

» Meet-Ups (Briella & Nero)
» Welcome to the Business (Elyah & Nero)
» How far is a stone's throw.(Nero)
» Beauty is Pain. (Nero)
» Treat Yourself (Violetta & Nero)