Sakari had barely gotten through the door of the detective agency when the boss called another urgent meeting. He did not expect there to be another this soon… Something must have happened the previous night.

He only had time to put his pile of papers and laptop on his desk and quickly go to the meeting room, where the boss was already starting his monologue.

“We thought we had more time, but there has been a robbery of a major bank last night, done by the Korhonen brothers. We have decided to choose the two detectives who will go on the mission, and they will be briefed today.”

This piqued Sakari’s interest. Had they already chosen?

“We have chosen detective Keijo Makinen to investigate and do his best to bring Ivar in. And we have chosen senior detective Sakari Jokinen to investigate Eji. Those two, please stay here. Everyone else can go.”

A surge of excitement shot through Sakari. Not only was he chosen for the mission, but he was chosen for the more dangerous, more notorious and illusive brother. He couldn’t help but feel excited for this opportunity. Both Sakari and Keijo moved to the front of the table, waiting to be briefed in more depth.

Sakari looked up at the boss. “I did research last night and found the crimes they’ve both committed… and the locations they often go.”

Keijo sat beside him and hummed in agreement. “I did research too. I think most people who wanted the job did. Ivar has a bar that he owns and goes to un-guarded frequently.”

The boss sat in front of them. “That’s great. Keijo, you’ll go to that bar. Blend in. Do what you can to figure out any information you can on Ivar. We will give you any money for drinks or clothing that you may need to blend in. Best case scenario would be if he talked to you and made you his friend. Realistically that shouldn’t be too hard, he’s very chatty.” 

“Yes sir. Shall I go tonight?”

“Yes. He likes when people buy him drinks, so use that to your advantage. Maybe if you get him drunk you can get some information.”

“Understood.”

Sakari watched as Keijo stood up. He looked down at Sakari and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a kind smile of encouragement. “Jokinen, I look forward to working with you.”

Sakari gave him a small smile back and nodded, then looked to his boss for his instructions. His boss watched Keijo leave, then closed the door behind him so they were fully alone. Excitement made way for nerves to creep into Sakari’s throat. He had never seen his boss this serious.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

His boss was silent for a minute, trying to think and put his thoughts into words.

“It will be an extremely dangerous mission. Eji Korhonen has killed over fifty people in his life, sometimes even just for being in his way… You’ll have to make sure to tread lightly or…”

“Or I could die?”

“Well- I was trying to put it in a nice way, but yes. He always has weapons with him, and always has bodyguards that he can command to kill or hurt you. Your main goal is to get on his good side, or at least his forgiving side, make allies within the group, and for the love of god, do not die.”

“Understood. How do I get close to him?”

“Hm… Two methods. Act as a criminal who needs shelter under his wing… Or beg for a job. The first option probably means you’ll have to commit crimes with Eji. The second one strips you of dignity.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Sakari sat back in his chair. He would much rather act like he’s begging for a job than to actually commit crimes to pander to Eji’s interests. He didn’t care for pride and strength when there was something much more important on the line.

“Well, alright then. Your best method would be to tell him you’ve been fired from your job and ask if he has anything at all that you could do for a little bit of money. You’re devastated, you’re jobless, you’re desperate. Accept anything he gives you, even if it’s disgusting. Then, get close to him, listen in on our conversations, meet up with Keijo as much as you can without raising suspicion. Is that going to be alright?”

“Yes sir, when do I start?”

“Tomorrow.”

Sakari nodded and stood up. He got the job, but the nagging feeling that he was in danger had latched onto his chest and refused to leave. He made his way to his desk and looked through the papers that he had researched the night before. He slipped into a focussed state, trying to decipher more of Eji’s potential weaknesses until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see his new partner, Keijo.

“Wanna share information over morning tea?”

Sakari nodded. “Yes, I do.”