More strange reactions from the good looking stranger standing across from her, but at least this one made a little more sense than the way he'd responded to the word 'detective', like it'd bitten him. She didn't have to know his situation intimately to at least relate on a very basic level; family was complicated. Hell, when it came to her own family in particular, complicated didn't even begin to cut it. Whatever your excuse was for avoiding them, she'd most likely used it at least once.
Then again, most of her family wasn't even half as nice as the girl Vesper met had seemed (nice, albeit a little too intense for a first meeting), but she supposed he must still have a good reason. Or she was just giving him too much credit and he was actually the kind of heartless bastard who would let his sister worry herself sick over him without so much as a note or a phone call. It wasn't often that Vesper was in such an uncharacteristically charitable mood, but there was just something about his sad, droopy demeanor that made her almost feel bad for the guy.
Vesper had run into her as the girl was passing through Pittsburgh, handing out fliers outside of a coffee shop and asking anyone who would stop to talk to her if they'd seen the man in the photo. His photo. Now, Vesper wasn't exactly what you'd call a bleeding heart, but she wasn't heartless either. And for the same reasons she almost felt bad for this guy, the girl's miserable demeanor and wide eyed desperation had left an impression. Actually, it was a look eerily similar to his. Had the girl said they were twins? Now Vesper thought she might have.
Not being very close with anyone in her family save for maybe one sibling that she could stand being in the company of, Vesper couldn't really relate to what she was going through. But if she'd had a twin (provided they weren't as annoying as her sister), Vesper thought she'd feel the same way she did. It's why she'd gone against her better judgement and let the girl talk her ear off, even thought it wouldn't have made a difference. Vesper hadn't seen him. Weird how circumstances could change in the blink of an eye. She hadn't gotten the girl's number, but Vesper had referred her to a private investigator she knew in Chicago. If anyone could find her brother, Vesper reasoned, he could. Funny that she still ended up finding him first. Life sure comes at you fast.
"Hey man, no judgement," Vesper responded with a casual shrug, hands full of cash held out like a surrender (yeah, right). "If you wanna stay gone that's none of my business, but someone's looking for you."
She probably shouldn't be pushing it, but Vesper had never known how to not push it. Besides. He'd just gotten even more interesting to her, her own curiosity already peaking. The itch to know what exactly his deal was with the Resistance was already poking at her, but she wouldn't get the chance. For one thing, she wasn't here for that, and she really ought to not linger too long now that she'd made sure all of the money was accounted for. For another, they were about to be joined by one of Vesper's least favorite people, visibly bristling at the sound of Harper Kelly's voice that was like nails on a chalk board to her ears.
"Well, well," the blonde spoke as she slunk into the room, seemingly out of nowhere and looking sharply between Vesper and the man who looked like he wanted to hang himself. "Look what the cat dragged in."
Vesper rolled her eyes so hard she practically sprained something as she fixed Harper with a look of disdain she made no effort to hide. They both knew that Vesper's partnership with Joseph made it pretty hard to justify doing anything to her, not without good reason, and Vesper did like to flaunt that. "You need to get some new material, that one's so old my grandmother's still using it."
Harper stuck her tongue out at Vesper and then turned her full attention to Aaron. "How did it go? Everything accounted for, I hope?" But Vesper cut in before he could, putting the last stacks of cash back inside the briefcase, shutting it and pulling it closer to her out of habit, just in case either of them tried to do anything funny. "We're all good here. Right, new guy?" Hey, she wouldn't rat him out if he didn't rat her out.