Plans

Joahna Moriarty had just arrived in New Albion. She was staying at a modest hotel, her room cluttered with papers and crime scene photos pinned to the walls. A glass of bourbon sat on the nightstand next to a pack of cigarettes. She lit another cigarette and took a long drag, her mind racing through the details of the recent crime scenes.

She poured herself a measure of bourbon, staring at the amber liquid before taking a sip. The factory scene didn't fit The Butcher's usual modus operandi. The bodies were left intact, which was unlike him. Her instincts told her that someone was deliberately trying to draw attention to The Butcher. But why?

Joahna exhaled a cloud of smoke, her eyes narrowing. She needed to gather more information. Her mentor always said the devil was in the details, and she intended to find every last one.

Meanwhile, at Hell's Kitchen, the staff was winding down after another hectic service. Victor and Lucien were in Victor's office, discussing the latest developments.

"Someone's making moves," Lucien said, his tone dark. "Joahna Moriarty, the detective, is already sniffing around the factory. We can't afford to slip up."

Victor nodded, his fingers steepled under his chin. "We need to be cautious. The slightest mistake could bring everything crashing down. Any ideas on who's behind this?"

Lucien shook his head. "No solid leads yet, but I have a feeling it's connected to that kid, Liam. He's been too close to our operations."

Victor sighed. "We'll keep an eye on him. In the meantime, we need to make sure our operations run smoothly. Elise is settling in, but we need to watch her too."

As if on cue, Elise walked into the office, her usual confident demeanor slightly tempered by the gravity of the situation.

"Gentlemen," she said, taking a seat. "We need to talk about our supply chain. I have some contacts that can provide what we need without raising suspicion, but it's going to cost."

Victor leaned back in his chair. "Do it. We can't afford any disruptions, especially now."

Elise nodded. "Consider it done. Also, I have some information on Joahna Moriarty. Apparently, she was trained by Sherlock Holmes himself and is the granddaughter of James Moriarty. If you recall, some years ago, noth of them disappeared, rumored to have died fighting each other.

"At some waterfall, right?" Lucien asked.

"Yes," Elise comtinued. "John Watson, whom she's named after, found her with Sherlock while foiling one of Moriarty's plans, rescued and they raised her. Apparently he hasn't much of a grandfather. However she does have the genius of Moriarty with training by Sherlock. And she's fixated on catching The Butcher. Oh, and if that helps, she's a chain-smoking alcoholic who takes wild risks."

Victor's eyes widened, his interest piqued. "Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty? They were legends when I was growing up. And Watson too. Moriarty's criminal genius was something I always admired, even tried to emulate in my own way."

Lucien eyerolled. "You, emulating someone like Moriarty? That's basically hubris." he said, then turned to Elise. "I have a few ideas about diverting her attention. Leave her to me."

Victor stood up, signaling the end of the meeting. "Good. Let's get to work. I'll go sniff around for that copycat - I'll be careful, don't worry."

"Just avoid running into Moriarty." Lucien cautioned.

"Obviously, Victor said, taking out his cleaver and sharpening it. "I don't really care about her but a copycat of my work? That, I take personally." he said with a chilling look.

Meanwhile, as the staff began their preparations for the next day, Evelyn was slowly regaining her strength. Her instincts told her something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Lyra had been particularly kind, helping her reacclimate to the kitchen's routines. Tonight, both Lyra and Evelyn were working as waitresses, making sure the customers were taken care of.

"Lyra," Evelyn said, placing an order slip on the kitchen pass, "thank you for helping me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Lyra smiled warmly. "Don't mention it, Evelyn. We're all in this together. Just take it one step at a time."

"I will," Evelyn replied.

"How about you join me for dinner when we're done?" Lyra asked. "Nyssa has made something special for us." she added with a smile.

Evelyn smiled back at her. "I'd love to." she said.

In another part of the city, Liam was deep in thought, formulating his next move. He knew the stakes were high, and every decision could tip the balance. He needed to stay one step ahead of Victor and Lucien. He pulled out his notebook, jotting down ideas and plans. By the end of the novel, Elise had betrayed the rest of the crew and got killed by Victor and Lucien. They never accepted her or trusted her and that bred a lot of resentment. She has his best bet for an in. Succubi were hedonists, and easily bribed, after all. And he had both money and knowledge of future events; it'd be easy to turn her.

"Yes, I should focus on Elise," he muttered to himself. "She's the weak link."

Liam's thoughts drifted back to Joahna. He had watched her from a distance as she worked the case. She was everything he admired: sharp, relentless, and utterly devoted to her mission. And so, so beautiful. His obsession with her was bordering on delusional. In his mind, they were destined to be together. He imagined saving her from Victor and winning her gratitude—and perhaps more.

As the night wore on, each player in this deadly game moved their pieces, unaware of how close they were to a cataclysmic collision. Joahna, determined to catch The Butcher; Liam, outlining his intricate plans, fixated on his obsession with Joahna; Victor, striving to keep his new home intact; and Lucien, the silent guardian, watching everything from the shadows.

The stakes were getting higher, and the tension was palpable. One wrong move could bring everything crashing down.