*cracks up at Ben* TWO timelines here. Ben + then the rest.
 

...

"You sound like you're whining." Evander confirmed after listening to all that.

"You know, you can't simply wait to be handed a case anymore, Ben." Evander said. "I pass on what I can, when I get wind of it, when the other divisions come across Muggle Artefact Misuse, but the funny thing about illegal activities is that they don't tend to report themselves." Van summoned a file and looked through it. "My records show that the last inspection in Wizarding shops was eight months ago, for permitting and the like, to ensure that muggle-type items being sold with charms and such are legit. Perhaps it is time to arrange another inspection, starting in Diagon Alley." Evander didn't mention Knockturn. "Naturally an inventory of items available needs to be made for our records." Van placed the file flat on the desk in front of him and slid it across to Ben.

"Also I think it may be a good idea to touch base with the Portkey Office," Evander managed to keep the distaste from his voice. Transportation had gone downhill with a known cultist leading them, but perhaps.... perhaps a legitimate visit like this one might be a good cover to find out more. "I know you were a detective, so perhaps you might undertake that yourself. You're aware of the cult. You must have noticed... certain departments received monetary bonuses for the last quarter?" It may not have been common knowledge, but it was pretty clear who was being rewarded and why. "Transportation is one of these departments. Perhaps you could... keep your ear to the ground?" And the unspoken request was to report back to Evander if he discovered anything.

"I'm aware your division is short staffed at the moment, but I don't wish to saddle you with ineffectual types. If you need more manpower, speak with Ryan, Gabe or Damien, they may have a body or two to spare. Dorian will have his hands full soon enough, and as soon as I get the chance I shall have you and he in here for a quick meeting, since what is brewing may just involved both of your divisions." And was a completely different issue to what the Aurors and MLES offices were looking into.

Exhausting, it was.

------------------------------------





Polite, that one. Evander approved.

Hmm?

Van opened the door.

"Come in." He recognized the woman from the picture on her file. "Olivia Black isn't it? You'll need to report to Ryan Chambers. Down the corridor, and past the evidence room. I'm not sure that he's in right now, but that is where your desk is, so you should settle in and wait for him."

ooc: Lara_the_Firelady is your division head :) But go play in that thread and get to know a few others. They're epic, I promise. I'm sending Olivia on because of this next post here will mean Evander has to leave.


Van shook Enrique's hand and watched him go.



Van looked up to see an interdepartmental memo and frowned. Those weren't ever fun, not lately at least.

He summoned the thing and opened it.

His frown deepened into a glower.

... immediately?


IMMEDIATELY?

Be on time?

Be on time IMMEDIATELY???

The nerve of that... Evander swore profusely, creatively and alarmingly, worse than a sailor.

And in HIS courtrooms?

Van stood up and ushered Olivia, the new employee, out of his office, pointing out the direction she needed to go in again.

"DAMIEN?! GABRIEL?!" Van sent a rather incensed Mountain Lion Patronus stalking off to summon the Head Auror and Head of Security. "MEET ME AT THE DIRECT FLOOS RIGHT AWAY!"

Evander stalked off to the floos, locking his office behind him.

Achievement Unlocked: "Sounding like your whining."
 

"I know I sound like I'm whining." Benjamin shrugged. Yeah, I know.

He figured all that about complaining was coming, but it had to be said. He needed to get it out. And without anyone to moan to he could only go to Evander, and, well, he got reprimanded for it. Inner sigh, can't win.

And then the file came. Great. He asked for action and got inspection. It's paperwork without the paperwork. He picked it up and looked up at Evander. He didn't have to even look to tell he was thinking Diagon Alley. Riiight... Hate that place...

Portkey Office? Ben thought to himself, "Muggle Item Research," stuck out in his head as he said it out loud. He was thinking about it, trying to think about why he would go up there.... until...

"Um... ARE a Detective." Benjamin got his badge and license, and he brought it into the wizarding world.... He was proud of that title.

And then the cult was brought up. Thaaat was the other thing he wanting to talk about. Something they could hardly bring up around the ministry, and at all for that matter. Ben knew juuuust enough about the cult to know that they were veeeeeeeery secretive and veeery powerful. Ben had an underlying suspicion, no, he knew Evander knew way more about the cult than he was sharing. "You know I've been doing research about the "cult" for a year and a half now," Not so much recently, "I could say I know them inside and out... But I know that's not true," there must be way more about them. "Yeah, I'll stay close to Transportation. I'm there tomorrow about some floo thing, I'll make another stop while I'm there."

"Alright," Ben said. He knew Dorian wasn't a huge fan of the Detective, but oh well. They've worked together before. They're not that bad together.

There was one more thing he had to add. "Evander," he began, "I want to let you know. If you need anything from me," Law Enforcement or not, "I'll do anything I can." Benjamin admired Evander and what he had been through. He didn't want to be just an employee, he hoped to be called his friend.

*catching up timelines, kicking Ben out lol*
 

"There is a way." To know more about the cult, but Van wasn't entirely sure Ben was up to it. Not because he wasn't a good detective, but because he was precisely the type of person that the cult could win over.

"I'll keep that in mind." He would. Ben was the kind of man that could be relied on, even though he was.... a little odd sometimes. "I have a few things to take care of, so if you wouldn't mind..."

He stood up and led the way out. He locked the door behind the both of them. "We'll speak again in a little while."

While he had been under the impression that getting into the fireplace had been a task and a half, getting out proved to be much more interesting. Backwards, an inch too tall and thanks to his shoulder-package a foot too wide, it took a good deal of shuffling and ducking and leaning to pull out of the smokey stone structure and stumble into the open space.

And the wonderful thing about it all? He still hadn't managed to catch his breath. So, it was with a wordless expression that Sabel turned his eyes to the waiting Auror, not sure exactly what came next.

Damien tried to hold in the chuckle as the much smaller man hefted his charge out of the fireplace. Heh. "We will be taking them to the holding cells. Good job, son. Really," he said with a smile before heading through the door and heading to the holding cells.

While he appreciated Damien's praise, the look he gave the older man was one seriously lacking in pride or approval. It was probably a good thing he had no air in his lungs to voice the questions that were battering against his mind one after the other. They would have to wait, as would his personal opinions and emotions that were steadily catching up to him.

For now it was duty, and keeping that one word tightly clasped in his mind, he followed Damien out of the office.

Did he?

Van gestured her inside giving Cade the side eye. Since when had she been in charge of mail runs?

Since when had owls been permitted inside the ministry again anyway?


"Come in then. Where's the bloody thing? Did you get rid of it?"

"Alright." If there was an owl still lost in the ministry they wouldn't hear the end of it. The poo was an issue, you know? Yes.

He took the letter, eyed Cade's scarpering and then opened it as she continued to chatter.



Evander's reaction was to swear.

Loudly, profusely and creatively.

And at length.

Emily had been right behind Sabel. She was on high alert, wand in hand.

What the heck was going on?

Peering around Sabel, nudging him gentley to get out of her way-- because she was eager. She found that there was nothing... out of the ordinary. There was Van and ... Cade? That woman she'd met on her first day. Her wand arm dropped to her side. Well this wasn't all that exciting. Though something had to have happened for Van to react that way. She eyed the letter he was holding.

What was it about?

Well nothing seemed out of order... aside from the swearing, Van seemed to be fine, and what with Damien here, she and Sabel weren't needed.

May as well do something useful... and interesting.
With a silent nod of the head, Emily vacated the area, heading back to her desk. She had things to do.

Smart thing to do, leaving. That Emily Browne was shaping up to be a good rookie, even if she'd been idiotic enough to poke her head in in the first place.
Evander didn't have anything to smash unfortunately, but Sabel looked like he might be obliging, since the boy was just standing there Gryffindoring in his direction.

"You! GET OUT of here before I repaint the walls with your insides." Really. In what world was it a smart idea for a rookie to burst into his office without any sort of knocking or invitation. No world, that's what.

When Damien showed up he screwed the damned thing up and threw the letter his way, not at him exactly, but in a way that made it obvious that the damned thing was the source of his ire.

It was lucky Damien was there probably, and Caedwyn for that matter. Van was a liiiiittle better at retaining his cool around a lady...

"I'm done with that man. With all of them. Done. Recard first. Easiest to access." The department head spoke flatly, and began pacing, his hands alternately curling into fists and then relaxing as if with great effort on his part.

... except that when you looked at him, all he needed would be to turn green and there'd be a definite element of 'hulk smash' going on.

Benjamin didn't even process the owl in the MMAO until Caedwyn left. Ben went sprinting after her. Everything in his paranoid life as a treasonous employee lead him to believe that the letter could have been rigged to kill the person who opened it, but as the Detective almost slid into Evander's office, in seemed that there was no killing charm attached, but an anger one.

Ben almost laughed... Evander looked like The Incredible Hulk. "Um... Evander.... What did the letter say?" Ben wanted to lean over and pick up the crumpled letter which he noticed was at Damien's feet, but he wanted to make sure it was okay.

Van just gestured at Damien.

Ben could read the damned thing after Damien was done with it.

It said something that Hulk!Evander wasn't bothered by the Detective's presence. He turned to glare at Sabel again.

Good.

Good.

Sabel's approval rating went up a notch.

Grunt.

Van gestured between Damien and Ben. "Show him."

He turned and eyed Cade and then flicked his wand out, not at her, at a seemingly innocuous book on the shelves.

The book squeaked and then repeated back verbatim;

"I assume your office is soundproof, sir, but you might want to run a general sweep for listening spells or devices before you strike into your general plans for taking people down. Some might consider that treason and wouldn't hesitate to tell tales."

"Oh there are plenty of those in here, Caedwyn." Plenty. He eyed her. If level 2 wasn't secure, did she truly think that D'Isigny wouldn't have made a move on him yet?

"If you want to tell tales though, by all means." He gestured at the door and then eyed her again. Unless she had something else to say?

Taking the letter from Damien he just shot him a look. Hmph. I'm the mastermind behind the coup, why shouldn't I- oh. Damn. Well, good! A smile appeared on Benjamin's face as he looked between the people in the room. This is EXACTLY what was supposed to happen.

"Why are you all, upset? This is a good thing." Explanation time. "Let the Cult think they have us all figured out. Meanwhile, we're 10 steps ahead of them." That's what Ben said from the beginning. The man handed the letter back to Evander.