Chapter 7 - Getting a date?

Mabel and James made small talk with each other while they finished their beverages. James thought about the ritual killings and thought about his father. He felt if the person or persons responsible f these killings were the same group that took Mr. Greggory, then there was a high chance Mr. Greggory was already a goner. 'Maybe I should try and get Dad off the case.' James thought to himself. However, thinking about how stubborn his old man was, he knew very well he would not listen to reason. That man had always been that way; Every time he decided to take on a Job, he always wanted to complete it, or at least help his clients find some form of closure if he was unable to solve the case. 'What kind of man stops halfway?' Mr. Colson always said.

James was so lost in thought that he did not know when Jenny the waitress had come before him. "Um, sorry, you looked to be thinking about something, so I did not want to disturb you. Sorry for just standing around you like some creep too, um." She began to blush out of embarrassment as her voice lowered in volume and her words became incoherent while she slowly hid behind her serving tray.

James smiled at her cute behavior. "It's fine Jenny. Did you need something." He decided to help the young lady out. "Um, I was wondering…" Jenny the waitress started. She looked to be trying hard to find the courage to bring out her words. James looked towards the door to the Café and realized almost all the staff of the Brisk Café were hiding, although terribly, while spying on them. "I…I was wondering if you would have l…l... lunch with me?" Her voice very low and one could barely hear her, but she looked to have used up 10 years of courage to ask the question. "Um, its fine if you are busy. You don't have to say yes!" Her face beet red as she yelled out.

"Sure. When do you have your day off?" Although a little shocked, James could not help but smile. He did not know Jenny the waitress would ask him out. Seeing her fight her shy nature was adorable, plus with the courage she displayed, there was no way he would say no to her.

"Um, Friday." Jenny stood there frozen as she answered absentmindedly. Honestly, she was prepared for a rejection, but it turned out things went differently. "Cool. We can have lunch here. If that's ok with you?" James stood from his seat and answered back. However, he did not receive a response. Jenny just stared at him with her surprised expression, "Is here not okay?" He asked once more seeing he did not get any response.

"No. Its fine!" She quickly snapped out of it and answered, completely afraid he might suddenly change his mind. "Okay then. See you Friday." He waved at her and he walked away. Jenny waved back and quickly run inside while receiving thumbs up from some of the customers as she joined her fellow staff mates who dragged her inside the shop, clearly to have their mini celebration.

James walked away while smiling as he thought of the shy young woman. A few distance away, he met a middle-aged woman who looked to be having a smoke. She wore the pink and white uniform of the Brisk Café. She was plump and short, standing at 5feet exactly and wore the 'Manager' name tag. She smirked at James when she saw him and spoke, "Glad you didn't break our little Jenny's heart. I would have broken your neck as light punishment." She puffed out her smoke with a wider smirk.

James unconsciously massaged his neck when he heard her, "Calm down Mama. How can you call that light punishment?" Mama chuckled in response. "Did something happen? Something always seems to have happened when you meet little Mabel here. Is it the killings at Martin's Park?" Mama's face turned serious when she asked.

James nodded slightly and answered, "Seems you already heard about that. It's at the other side of town, but just in case, best to have your kids go home early till the case is resolved." James answered as he began to walk away. Mama nodded to his back as she dropped her cigarette and stepped on it. She walked back to her Café with a serious face. For the safety of her 'kids', she was hoping it would not come around their place.

…..

Alice sat cross-legged in the middle of a spacious and well-lit room with a glowing stone in her hand. The room had white walls with training dummies by the side and weapons of various kinds hanging all over the walls. Tendrils of the glow slowly circulated around her body as they slowly entered her body. Little by little the small stone lost all its luster as it finally turned to an ordinary looking stone in her hand while the last of the glow entered her body.

She took in a deep breath and opened her eyes as her eyes glowed golden before returning to its original look. "Is there a problem, Elder?" Out from the corner of the room, the 14th Elder walked out. He had been standing there the entire time but had covered hidden his presence to not disturb her cultivation, and yet, it looked like he had been found out long ago.

"Even with a mortal world without a shred of spiritual energy, the princess's cultivation has not slowed in the slightest. You truly put us old men to shame. Truly admirable." The middle-aged man spoke with admiration, praising the young Alice. Alice continued to stare at the middle-aged looking 14th elder, almost as if she had not heard his praise just now as she waited for an answer. The 14th Elder coughed to try and reduce the awkwardness of the situation before speaking, "It seems the blood church is on the move." He spoke with seriousness.

Alice nodded slightly, "We always knew they were hiding in the shadows like the other sects, but to think they would make a move? Why would they now? There does not seem to be any merit." She frowned at the thought of it. Many sects were hiding and moving in the shadows just like theirs, waiting for the right moment, thus it made no sense for them to move out so suddenly. "Unless it was a slip up. Those fools were nothing more than bloodthirsty weaklings who had zero self-control after all." Alice concluded.

The 14th elder by the side nodded in admiration. "Indeed. According to the information I received, they took someone earlier, but just like you said, because they lacked self-control, those savages, they slipped up and ended up making a mess." He was quite proud of the princess. Even without hearing the full story, she had already deduced the situation.

"14th Elder?" Alice called out. The middle-aged looking man lifted his head to look at Alice, "How did you know they took a random person first?" Her voice grew cold as she questioned the man in front of her. "I…" before he could say anything, Alice cut him off, "I noticed yesterday that Hachi and Nana were not around. Where did you send them? Even if you sent them out to gather information, the chances of stumbling unto that information in less than a night is too low, unless they witnessed it themselves, which I doubt because I would be seeing the heads of the blood filth here in front of me. Unless you mean to tell me, we have traitors amongst us. Do we have traitors among us, Elder?" Her voice continued to grow colder as the temperature of the room begun to drop.