Felix Specter

Sawtooth Valley Gang Report #202
''Felix Specter, a living legend. Specter used to work freelance as loan shark for just about everywhere: Chicago, New Oxford, Los Costas, Las Vincents, Minaya. Wherever the money goes, The Specter follows. A man who travels that much usually ends up with a sizable rap sheet, but all I have are a few dozen investigative reports and a misdemeanor arrest for assault in the early 2000's. The man's dirty as Hell but knows how to beat a charge.

''Specter's good at what he does. Knows who to lend money to and who to avoid. Doesn't lend money to people who can't pay any of it back. Knows who needs their knees broken and who needs their house robbed. I've been trying to build a case against this guy since he moved to town, but I can't even get the guys whose ankles he snapped to testify against him. Man's 68 years old and I can't find one f**king person who isn't terrified of him. The man doesn't even leave that bookstore! I've had Deputy [REDACTED] sitting on him for months now! And nothing! We can't even get a good bug in there!''

''I got a few theories that I want to chase down. First, how does Specter meet Avila? We don't have jack sh*t on Avila, but how does a late gen synthetic cross paths with a Jewish loan shark then convince him to open up shop in Minnesota? I think Avila worked for Specter at some point and they decided to be their own bosses. Avila's probably, what, 31 years old? Where does she learn to operate a criminal organization? From the guy that's been working in them for six decades. Specter's the mentor, but Avila's the face, she takes all the heat while Specter sits in that bookstore all day. I spoke to a friend at the Bureau, see if there's any possible overlap, an old apartment of Avila's, a payslip, family, even a receipt from a fast food place near anywhere Specter's old haunts. I don't expect to hear back. What I do have a little on is that McCormick woman. It makes sense, right? The loan shark and the gambling den owner? How could they not be working together? [REDACTED] and I have been combing through these old reports, and it seems like a female accomplice starts popping up around Las Vincents. The names changes in each subsequent city, but the physical description stays the same. Lover? Partner in crime? Relative? Hard to track anything down with them moving around so much, but I think it's an angle worth investigating. Maybe that's where he and Avila meet up, McCormick and Avila already have an operation running? At the very least, maybe we can lean on one of them to smoke out the other.''

-L.P.