Sleep came quickly and the next day started easily. Adam left his room to head to the lakeside cafe to have breakfast, it was light, in addition to a coffee it was a great enjoyable morning. Though of course he had work to do, he couldn't just laze around even if he wanted, so after he paid 35 caps for breakfast he began his investigation.
He began to ask around, from the dockworkers to the shopkeepers, about the missing caravans. He got the same answers that Deccanus did. No one seemed to know there was anything wrong with the caravans. However the time was not spent fruitlessly. He got a better handle on the culture of the people here. As he was told by Claire, the people here were more used to handling their own business, sure there were some who had never touched a gun in their life. But Lakelurk attacks here were frequent enough that even despite the defenses everyone had fought at least one lakelurk at some point, even if it was half dead.
Eventually though his asking around did catch some attention.
"Are you the guy going around asking about the caravans?" A man wearing a jeans jacket and tight leather pants with a large red mohawk said to him.
"Uh yes." Adam said as he turned around to look at the man. "Me and my partner have come here to ask about it." The man nodded.
"Alright, follow me. The Madam wishes to speak with you. He said as he began to walk away, expecting Adam to follow, which he did.
Adam was taken into the largest of the pre-war buildings on The Pier and brought into a section that he had not yet entered, it looked to be a bit gaudy with giant pillars of stone outside the front door and a velvet red on the door with gold leaf as trim. It was very ostentatious, though it wasn't in bad taste, just excessive.
He was brought through the door and the room that was laid out before him felt like another world, the theming was heavily arabian with thick silk tapestries laid out over open spaces, pillows on the ground to sit, men and women walking around in… skimpy and questionable arabian themed dancer outfits. Though other than revealing a lot of skin it looked more like cosplay than anything too X-rated. At least, at first glance, they didn't seem to be selling themselves, just fitting the mood.
The mood being an outrageously exaggerated and expensive looking large open space with lots of people relaxing on pillows or short couches and smoking. In fact smoke filled the entire space. A healthy mix of tobacco, weed, and other things Adam couldn't identify by smell.
To make the setting even more complete there were four musicians sitting on a slightly elevated platform one with an Afghan Rebab, one with a Mijwiz, another with a Kamancheh, and the last with a Daf. Though there were a few more instruments scattered around the stage for them to use as needed. Of course Adam didn't recognize the instruments by name, just that they were instruments. The music they played seemed to carry effortlessly throughout the whole room.
However the man with the mohawk didn't stop there, he walked them in further towards a large circular room with a woman laying down very relaxed on a bed of pillows, wearing the same sort of dancer clothing the other women were, but hers were made of a gold and red thread. The woman was incredibly pretty and alluring. Though it was clear she was doing it on purpose, even her pose was provocative and she seemed to revel in the attention.
The room itself was inlaid with gold leaf trim on every surface, the walls were lined with a fancy wood with a fine grain and the tables were adorned with fine art, vases, and jewelry on display.
However besides the outrageous display of wealth the most striking thing here was the two super mutants who were standing somewhat near the woman, wearing custom made heavy armor that was a mix of leather and metal, that seemed to fit them just right. They stood out in the room but they were very clearly her bodyguards. However unlike the super mutants he saw before they were not dressed like they were outside in the world recently, they were dressed like they lived here at The Pier like everyone else.
"Ah hello there~" The woman said with a dangerous smile, her words honey soaked and alluring as she saw Adam approached. "Please wait a moment, your partner will be right behind you, I don't like to repeat myself." She said again, the same smile that seemed to be sizing Adam up with every glance. She then reached over to a small gold bowl and pulled out a pipe and smoked it, letting off a soft breath of smoke as she lounged calmly.
"Care for a hit?" She asked, her words still like a sweet nectar that was protected by a swarm of angry bees, alluring and dangerous.
"No thank you." Adam said, keeping his cool.
"Suit yourself." She said casually as she took another hit of her pipe.
A few moments later Deccanus arrived, being walked in by another man wearing a jeans jacket but without a mohawk.
"Ah good, you are both here, we can begin." She said as she slowly sat up from her lounging pose. Deccanus looked confused, mildly annoyed, and off put by the smell of drugs but kept it inside himself seeing as he had no recourse to speak out without jeopardizing what they were trying to accomplish. It was nice to see he wasn't jumping on his instincts.
"My name is Madame Aquamarine. I welcome our guests to my little slice of heaven. My Emirates. Now, tell me why you are here again~" While she was smiling, her eyes were like daggers, Adam felt woman could probably kill him without a second thought if she had a reason to. Or, more likely, order someone else to kill him, probably the Super mutants.
"We came here to investigate why the Caravans leaving The Pier have not been arriving at Midway. We were asked by Mr. Cantelli to-" Adam began before he was cut off by Aquamarine.
"Ah, so that old coot sent you!~" She laughed softly into the back of her hand, though her eyes did not smile. "I suppose that makes sense, I'm sure if my caravans aren't arriving, he might be having trouble in that washed up old city he calls home."
"Your Caravans, ma'am?" Adam asked, trying to understand who she was and how she was connected to this situation.
"Madame." She corrected, gently but sternly.
"My apologies, Madam." Adam corrected.
"Yes, my caravans." She smiled again. "Everything that happens here in my kingdom is under my control, my protection, from the young Victoria selling flowers out front to Captain Ahab in the back with his big boat.~" She grinned, internally laughing at some joke that Adam was not privy to, likely thanks to the name Ahab.
"So." She continued. "When I hear my caravans are going missing I become invested. I'm sure you understand~" She said with a sharp look to Adam.
"I understand perfectly, Madam." Adam nodded, deciding that not acting up in front of her was the best strategy.
"So I think you'd better start at the beginning."