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Story 1, Section 3
Link to Plot Outline
North Quarteris Italian, it would seem...
NB. This needs expansion, but we need to know technical stuff about building construction first.
NBB. This is all a bit meh! It needs more detail, and more interaction between Harry and Alex, but I'm not feeling very museful today.
"Who are we meeting?" asked Harry.
Alex had led her deep into the North Quarter to meet his "contact". The houses clustered closely together and the predominant language had switched to smooth Italian vowels.
"His name's Luca. He's working on the new buildings."
"And?"
"Wait and see."
Alex buzzed the door of one of the apartment blocks.
"Chi è esso?" asked a woman's voice.
"È Alex. Voglio vedere Luca," answered Alex.
They were buzzed into the cool interior.
"He lives on the third floor," explained Alex as they started to climb the stairway.
Harry picked idly at the peeling plaster on the walls as they went up and noticed that the ornate railing on the stairs needed painting. The place had seen better days, but then most of the city had.
"Luca! Luca!" A woman was shouting as they reached the third floor.
The door to the apartment was open and Harry picked her way over a pile of mail, in order to get inside.
"Alex!" A small dark man appeared in the narrow hallways, Luca presumably. He and Alex embraced.
"È il mio amico, Alex!" Luca shouted.
"This is Harry," said Alex, waving her forward. "She's a journalist."
Luca frowned at her and then at Alex. "Why have you brought her to me?"
"I want you to tell her about the construction site. What you told me."
Luca shrugged. "What is there to tell? It's being done on the cheap?"
"That's a shame, but it's hardly a scandal," Harry felt she had to point out.
Luca sniffed. "No really on the cheap."
"The whole place will be a ghetto within five years," prompted Alex.
Luca shrugged. "Probably. It will be damp in winter and the plaster won't last properly."
"Can you prove this?" asked Harry.
"I got sacked," said Luca sadly. "I asked too many questions. But I tell you they are a lot of short cuts."
"Does it get inspected."
Luca shook his head. "They've got friends in high places. Everything just gets signed off."
"See?" said Alex. "There's something going on."
"Possibly," said Harry. There was obviously a story of some kind though she wasn't sure what it was yet.
"Well?" asked Alex as they left.
"We should try to get a tour of the building site. See if we can get some photos of it going up and maybe some samples of the plaster and so forth. I'll also look into who the construction company's friends are."
"So you're going to help?"
"I'm going to write a story. I can't promise it will help."
North Quarteris Italian, it would seem...
NB. This needs expansion, but we need to know technical stuff about building construction first.
NBB. This is all a bit meh! It needs more detail, and more interaction between Harry and Alex, but I'm not feeling very museful today.
"Who are we meeting?" asked Harry.
Alex had led her deep into the North Quarter to meet his "contact". The houses clustered closely together and the predominant language had switched to smooth Italian vowels.
"His name's Luca. He's working on the new buildings."
"And?"
"Wait and see."
Alex buzzed the door of one of the apartment blocks.
"Chi è esso?" asked a woman's voice.
"È Alex. Voglio vedere Luca," answered Alex.
They were buzzed into the cool interior.
"He lives on the third floor," explained Alex as they started to climb the stairway.
Harry picked idly at the peeling plaster on the walls as they went up and noticed that the ornate railing on the stairs needed painting. The place had seen better days, but then most of the city had.
"Luca! Luca!" A woman was shouting as they reached the third floor.
The door to the apartment was open and Harry picked her way over a pile of mail, in order to get inside.
"Alex!" A small dark man appeared in the narrow hallways, Luca presumably. He and Alex embraced.
"È il mio amico, Alex!" Luca shouted.
"This is Harry," said Alex, waving her forward. "She's a journalist."
Luca frowned at her and then at Alex. "Why have you brought her to me?"
"I want you to tell her about the construction site. What you told me."
Luca shrugged. "What is there to tell? It's being done on the cheap?"
"That's a shame, but it's hardly a scandal," Harry felt she had to point out.
Luca sniffed. "No really on the cheap."
"The whole place will be a ghetto within five years," prompted Alex.
Luca shrugged. "Probably. It will be damp in winter and the plaster won't last properly."
"Can you prove this?" asked Harry.
"I got sacked," said Luca sadly. "I asked too many questions. But I tell you they are a lot of short cuts."
"Does it get inspected."
Luca shook his head. "They've got friends in high places. Everything just gets signed off."
"See?" said Alex. "There's something going on."
"Possibly," said Harry. There was obviously a story of some kind though she wasn't sure what it was yet.
"Well?" asked Alex as they left.
"We should try to get a tour of the building site. See if we can get some photos of it going up and maybe some samples of the plaster and so forth. I'll also look into who the construction company's friends are."
"So you're going to help?"
"I'm going to write a story. I can't promise it will help."