Park Avenue, Detroit was a distant echo of her more famous New York sister- but it was growing. There were bustling crowds of pedestrians visiting a variety of businesses and stores. Things got particularly busy as Park Avenue intersected West Montcalm Street- but wherever you were on Park, you found yourself in an area of Downtown Detroit that was booming. The street was lined with fine restaurants, hotels, luxury apartments, clubs, and a range of stores.

Kate Logan had risen up through the ranks under the tutelage of Christian Gato, whose headquarters were nearby on West Montcalm. She hadn't gone far- but it still seemed like a whole new world awaited her as she turned the corner to gaze in wonder at Park Avenue. Slowly, she'd have to work to extend Christian's reach over Downtown Detroit. But first, her focus was finding a home. Near the far end of the road, across from Grand Circus Park, Kate found the perfect building: the basement served as a gathering place for anyone in her crew, the first floor contained printing equipment for her newspaper and a pair of brothers that operated it, while the second floor contained her office.

When she had a lot of thinking to do, she'd often walk in loops around Grand Circus Park, watching children play during the daytime or smirking as amorous men and women on park benches kissed each other and let their hands wander in the evening.

It was a good place to be and, if Kate had anything to say about it, it'd get even better.

The Black Count Trossi-bodied Mercedes Benz 710 SSK Roadster cruised down the street. It was an unadulterated waste to see a 120mph super car tootling along at barely 20 mph, but any faster and Walter found he had to shout to be heard, and Walter did not shout... well yes he did, he shouted all the bloody time, but that was when he needed to emphasise his position, not to merely be heard.

"God dammit Harry, I don't know what she thinks she is playing at. Is Vivian dating that man just to try and put one up me? What will my son think? Oh God I feel like its the divorce all over again. I mean, he's a musician!" Walter looked exasperated as turned to face his Valet. Harry pulled to the side of the road, and turned to his... His what? It wasn't the usual kind of relationship. They weren't lovers or anything sordid, they weren't related but they were closer than brother's. The Major had saved his life, and in return he lived to look after the Major.

"I can't say for sure Major. perhaps she is just trying to move on? You might do well to try and move on yourself you know... perhaps with someone better than Giselle though?" As an after thought Harry reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the silver hip flask that was there. "Commanding officer Major?"

Walter smiled, Harry knew him better than anyone, and his faithful Valet would always have his back. "First sensible suggestion you've made all journey Harry. I don't suppose you brought any of that Coke with you?"
Harry unscrewed the hip flask lid and passed the Cognac to Walter without thinking, "Afraid not Major, I left it back at the house, given the job you've been assigned by Miss Logan."

"Good idea Harry, always one step ahead. Thank you." Walter took a swig of the cognac and passed it back to Harry, who screwed the lid back on and returned the flask to his pocket. Exiting the car he walked around to the other side and opened the door for Walter who struggled to get out of the Sports coupé.

"God dammit harry, i don't care how good it looks, I hate this car." Straightening up, Walter looked up and down the street. this was it, the place his Boss told him to come, the place his boss told him to look after. Perhaps there may even be a story in it for him!

Kate strolled up to where Walter_Blunt was waiting next to an expensive looking car. 

"These your wheels, Walter? Not bad. Although I feel like I'd kill myself if I tried to drive this thing."

Giving the car a last look, she turned her attention to the man standing next to Walter.

"Who's this?"

Walter shot Harry a knowing look, he'd been right, it had just been a test to see if he could follow orders. Well of course he could follow orders. He'd been a Major in the south Atlantic, battling the Argentinians for the freedom of the oppressed, 7850 miles from his home. Turning and smiling he addressed his new boss... why where his bosses always women? Thatcher, Rosalie, and now Kate.
 

"Kate my dear, so nice to see you. I'm not too fond of that thing myself, but Harry is the driver, so I'm stuck with his choice. I far preferred my Bentley, but.. well the less said about that the better I think." Almost forgetting Harry for a moment, the other man coughed quietly and Walter started. "Oh yes, this is Harry, Harry Chandler, my Valet. If you remember I told you about him when we spoke the other day."
 

Walter wished harry had brought some of that coke with him after all. The Ratio of cocaine to speed was just right. Hell he'd settle for a handful of blues of yellows right now if truth be told.

"Of course. Nice to meet you, Harry."

Nodding once politely, Kate turned her attention back to Walter.

"Walter, something's come up that I think you could assist with. My office is over there on the second floor...

She indicates a building across the street in the business district.

... and I've got someone coming in to meet with me. They should be pulling up sometime in the next hour. His name's Bruno Stracchi, based out of Jersey. Big guy, should have a couple bodyguards with him. He's got a new source of product coming into the country and he's look for help with distribution in the Midwest. I'd like you to meet with him when he arrives, and make our operation look as professional and smooth as possible as you escort him to my office."

"Certainly Kate, hardly sounds like a difficult task."
Walter watches her walk across the road and out of earshot before tuning to Harry. "Seams like a complete waste of my time and talents Harry, sitting here for Bruno Tonioli in a sweater." He'd never understood why some people called them Jerseys, they were sweaters or pull overs. Still Kate seemed nice, if the worse she did was call it a jersey, then Walter could cope with that. He hoped Bruno wouldn't be too late though, he liked his dancing, but he had more important things to do than babysit a stuck up Gay Italian Choreographer.

"I believe she said Bruno Stracchi from Jersey, Major, not Bruno Tonioli in a jersey." said Harry as he polished a smudge mark off the hood of the SSK, "Perhaps this is another test?"

"Are you sure Harry?" said Walter with a note of exasperation in his voice, "Why would she detail me, Walter Blunt, Media god, to meet a nobody like this Scratchy fella?

"Stracchi Sir."

"Stracchi, Scratchy, multi-seed chiabatta. What's the difference. Its a complete waste of my time, when I could be out there, discovering the greatest news story ever. Perhaps I should just get a couple of Thai Hookers, a pound of Peruvian coke, and a couple of 40 oz bottles of courvoisier and grease the wheels of commerce the old fashioned way? What do you think Harry?"
Harry shuffled his feet for a second before responding. "I think you would be better thinking of this as a military mission Major. Yes I know that your suggestion could work with a bunch of Ruperts as easily as it would on other business men, but I mean think of this more like a high ranking General coming in to discuss the surrender of his units, like when General de Brigada Mario Menéndez and Major General Jeremy Moore met to sign the Argentine surrender in Government House."

Walter nodded in understanding. It was good having Harry here with him, he was a calming influence, preventing his Don Quixote from tilting at every windmill.

2 Hours Later

"... In the 1920s, Detroit's prestigious Grand Circus Park was crowded with buildings and development began to spill north from Grand Circus Park up Park Avenue. In 1923, the Park Avenue Association was formed. They planned the street to concentrate high-grade commercial and office space at the south end, and prestigious residential development at the north end, much like New York City's Fifth Avenue. The district includes the Women's City Club, the Royal Palms Hotel, and the Kales Building."

Walter gestured at the buildings running up and down the street before turning back to face Bruno.

"Control of this prestigious area falls to Ms Logan and her organisation. Much like the burgeoning Motor industry, we are uniquely placed to move, if you pardon the vernacular, a metric fuck tonne of product throughout Detroit, Michigan and beyond. As i'm sure you are aware, Detroit is the most populous city in Michigan, and the forth largest in the Midwest. Detroit is also the single largest city on the US-Canadian border. its access to the waterways and great lakes leaves us in a position to dominate the Drug markets throughout North America for the next 20 years at least. The advantage we have over Chicago, is that the FBN are not organised here to the same extent. Chicago is known to be a mob town, and as such the Law is all over it like a rash on a syphilitic dick. Now, I believe Ms Logan is ready for you, so if you'll just accompany me across the road, I'll be happy to introduce you..."

Walter noticed the bigger man looking nervously towards his SSK and Harry, standing guard over two unconscious and tied up body guards.

"Oh don't worry about them, Harry will look after them, and they will be waiting here for you when you return. I told you that you wouldn't need them and that The Paragons would be completely responsible for your safety whilst you were conducting business here, but you wouldn't listen. I'm afraid if they couldn't defend themselves against one old man and his Valet, then they really wouldn't be much use to you any way. So, shall we go meet Ms Logan?"

Walter gestured across the street to his bosses building, and started to walk that way, Bruno watched for a moment, looked at his comatose protection, thought about running, decided against it, and hurried after the strange elderly Englishman.

Thomas took a lazy stroll down Park. It had been a while since he'd checked on the office of the Logan Review, and even down toward Montcalm. With a cigarette in his mouth he looked about, bumping in to a few of The Paragon's associates.

"Marnin'. T'is day findin' yeh well?" he nodded to a small crew as he passed by.

"Mornin' Mr. O'Shannon! It's a wonderful day. Nothing out of the ordinary to report."

"Glad ta hear it, boys." He waved and continued on, popping his head into The Logan Review offices and greeting Fritz.

"Oy Fritz. Good day ta yeh. Karl in tha back?" Fritz gave a nod and Thomas grinned, "Tell 'im I say hello, tá?" Again Fritz nodded, never once looking up from his typewriter that clacked away. Fast at work on the next issue it seemed. Thomas shrugged and headed on down the street...