She'd warned the detective about the Land Barge. The gigantic beast of a '77 Buick Regal rumbled down the streets of West End with an almost predatory growl, following Alain on his 'bike. The great beast choked once as she parked it, and eased her way out of the driver's seat.

Merriam Ksyhsravor stared up at the brownstone building through squinted eyes. By the legend printed on the door, this was the place all right--silly to think DeMuer didn't know the way to his own offices. Still, she gave a grunt, and made her way in.

Her first stop, of course, was the coffee lounge. Through the bean the mind is set in motion, and so on. She got herself another cup of coffee, lidding it and shrugging the bag of her gear further on to her shoulder. That done, she let the younger man direct her into his office.

She let Alain settle himself, plopping her cup of coffee on his desk, before moving the seat across from him out, and taking it. The carrier bag got dropped between her knees, and she dug in it for a couple of brief moments before sharp blue eyes turned up to him.

"I know what I'm here for, but how about you tell me exactly what you had in mind? Go nuts. If I can do it, I will, but I'm not gonna lead you on if it's out of my league."

That said, the technomancer sat back in her chair, and reached for her coffee, to take a self-satisfied sip.

"Well, shit." Mer leaned back in the chair a moment, though she wasn't distracted enough to let the black marble go flying. She caught it and scowled at it, eyes narrowed. Assensing it with her technomantic abilities, if only briefly, before looking back up at Alain.

"If you think you can trust me, count me in. I won't offer fake sentiment, I never knew your girl, but I understand your need for revenge. I've felt that way myself, at times." Another scowl passed over her face, and she closed her hand around the ball.

"You think you need this back, or do you mind me taking it apart? If I can, I can probably tell you better just what I can do with it. First glance says if I can't rebuild it with audio, I can at least make what I do synch up with it. Might even be able to make a housing for these, with the audio in that. Maybe even make them seem decorative." It was the season after all, and there were dozens of gaudy little doohickies adorning places.

"Also, do you mind if I show this to someone--someone I trust with my life? I'd like to get his take on what you want, see if he can find an angle I might not approach. I figure it couldn't hurt, but this is your ball game." Mer frowned again for just a moment longer, then let her expression smooth out. Could be a dangerous game to be played, indeed, but it was just the sort of thing she enjoyed. She gave a firm nod, and leaned back in her chair again. It was good.

Merriam lifted a hand as he went to pour, shaking her head. "No, thanks. If I'm working, I'd best not. Not until later. Actually, the sooner I take this over to my buddy's lab, the better, I expect--I know he's going to want to run all sorts of tests on it, and that's before I do the same thing. Vertigo won't go to the wrong people. He's always been the insular sort, and I can count the people he trusts on one hand. I'm one of them."

At the speculative look he gave her, she just smiled, chuckling a little deep in her throat. It wasn't a mocking chuckle. She understood, and nodded. "Not a problem. I wouldn't have it any other way. Test me. Once you're happy and know what you need to, we'll talk. I'll be in touch. Sooner than you think, with any luck."

It was that simple. With that, the technomancer got to her feet, retrieved her half-empty cup of coffee from his desk. "I'll show myself out. See you later." No more mincing words. She had work to do.

A few minutes later, the Land Barge's characteristic roar sounded, and the primer gray Buick coughed its way up the street.