The Yard was in an uproar. Even more so than usual. As soon as Adam walked in, he was pushed aside by a distressed officer. Then, he noticed bobbies running in and out of the building with boxes. Boxes of evidence. His heart sank.

“Oh, Adam! Thank god you’re here!” Monica moaned. “Oh, it’s terrible!” She said, shaking her head.

“Why, what happened?” He asked, but he already knew.

“Another woman was murdered.”

Adam’s face fell. They were too late. All that effort and investigation. All the new leads. Things were starting to go their way finally. But alas, it was all for naught.

“Who?” He said curtly, trying to mask his immense disappointment.

“I believe her name was Natalia Murphey. Murdered inside her own home. Shopping district too.”

His heart sank. Things went from the frying pan into the fire. It seems Cecil’s list was correct.

“Miss Murphey,” He gasped out. “She is who I talked to yesterday. She is who gave me the locket.”

“I’m sorry, Adam,” Monica shocked her head gravely, eyes downcast. “But there was nothing we could’ve done. We just need to do our best to investigate now, or more will fall victim. Ironheel wants us all on the scene this time. The body is still there.”

Monica tried to think of something to say in condolence, but her mind was blank. Instead, she nodded and headed towards the evidence room.

“I’ll wait for you.” She said. “Once you are ready, we will head out.”

“Nothing we could’ve done, huh?” He asked himself. A woman gave him a locket the majority of the victims have. Cecil gave him a list of potential victims and her name was on it. He ignored all the blaring signs. This was more than a small oversight. A woman died because of him. Was it right to consider himself a detective?

“I was worried I’d forget but I didn’t. I brought the evidence just as you asked, Adam!”

Adam turned around towards the grating voice he loved. But now was not the time for that.

Cecil held the list from last night up to his chest. The locket swung back and forth on his little finger. His smirk faltered as he looked around the room at all the solemn faces.

“Oh my,” He began. “Aren’t you all a sorry bunch? Who died?”

Adam approached Cecil with a lifted hand. He placed it on Cecil’s shoulder, turning them around as they spoke hushedly.

“It was the woman I told you about. For better or worse, it seems your list is correct. Where did you get it?”

“I wish not to bore you with the details.” He responded. “But I can assure you it’s from a legitimate source.” He handed Adam the list and locket. “I’m sure Monica will take it better from you.” He remarked. “But, I suppose we should head to the scene.”

It was a gruesome sight. A dull orange gas lamp flickered in the far left corner of the small one-room flat. The walls were bare. A single twin bed sat beside the door. In the right corner, a soot-covered stove stood. An empty aluminum kettle sat on top of it. The trio turned their attention to the most eye-catching feature; a corpse. Natalia Murphey’s lifeless body lay in a pool of blood, one arm outstretched.

“Wait, blood?” Monica mused. “Haven’t all the murders been poisonings? Why would she have bled.”

“That’s assuming it’s the same person,” Adam suggested.

“It’s likely.” Cecil countered. “Besides, she had the locket and knew Mickey Andrews. Perhaps the killer was just in a hurry?”

“For what” Monica asked, eyes rolled up in thought. “She already told Adam everything she knew, so it wasn’t about information, otherwise she would have been murdered before. Of course, that is assuming that Andrews is the killer. Either way, chatting gets us nowhere.”

Monica bent down towards the body. With a grimace, she grabbed the corpse by the arm and rolled it over. “We should find the sign of trauma.”

The two men nodded as they bent over to examine the body.

Murphey wore the same ragged dress Adam had seen her in the day before. An orange wool-ragged dress was held together by patches made of several different fabrics. On her abdomen, a huge gash was cut through the dress and her skin. Blood slowly slipped into the surrounding fabric.

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“It seems she was stabbed,” Adam said motioning to the gash. “Perhaps the weapons are around here somewhere.

“Unlikely,” Monica replied scanning the empty room. Not many places to hide it, we would have seen it straight away. If it’s not in the body or in the flat, it’s likely the murderer still has it. The bobbies have made zero mention of finding a weapon anywhere.”

“Hopefully it’ll turn up once we investigate Andrews,” Adam said. “How’s that going anyhow?”

“Still trying to find his exact whereabouts,” Monica replied as she stood up dusting her hands. “They found his workplace all we need is his address. Apparently, he hasn’t gone to work in quite a while.”

“Killing is a time-consuming hobby,” Cecil chuckled. “Let’s just hope he’s the guy we’re looking for.”

“Indeed,” Adam glanced around the room another time. “But it seems there is nothing else to do here.”

“Then you are not looking hard enough, my dear Adam.” Cecil laughed. “Just look around.”

“At what?” Adam exclaimed. “There is nothing!”

“Exactly,” Cecil pointed at the chain lock on the door. “Every house and apartment in this neighborhood is locked and bolted at all times. You are the one who walked door to door, Adam. Yet, there is no sign of forced entry, but the front door is the only way the killer should’ve entered the room.”

Monica brought her hand to her chin. “So she must have let them in, which means she trusted them.” She turned towards Adam with an inquisitive expression. “You said Mickey Andrews was her ex, right? Then perhaps she let him in.”

“I suppose,” Adam responded. “But by the way she talked, it seems they weren’t on good terms. Besides, she knew he was a murder suspect. It seems unwise to let a possible killer inside your home.”

“Quite,” Cecil said. “Besides there is the fact the murder method was different this time. It’s likely it was a different killer.”

“That would make sense, If it was Mr. Andrews why would he let her live long enough to tell the police about him and then kill her after?”

“But how do we know Andrews killed even a single person? Why would two murderers have the same type of victims, kill at the same time intervals, and in the same area.”

“Maybe it’s a way to throw us off our tracks?” Monica suggested. “They could be working together.”

“Then why change up the murder method this single time?”

“You’re forgetting it’s not so easy to poison someone without being noticed,” Cecil responded. “Managing to kill multiple people with poison without being caught is impressive, but it seems their luck ran out somehow.” He motioned to Murphey’s blood-soaked body. “Things got messy. But still; how does one have access to the apartment of a victim but not have a time frame to poison them?”

“Maybe they snuck in when she was out?” Monica suggested. “But got caught red-handed and had to kill her.”

“But it was overnight,” Adam suggested. I was here late last time and she was still here. What business would she have so late, especially with all the murders going on?”

“There are lots of unanswered questions.” Cecil bent down and examined the body one more time. “And it seems we won’t get any answers here.” He stood back up. “We should focus on finding Andrews, and work from there.”

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Adam sighed. “Still, I can’t believe I let this happen to Miss Murphey.”

“It’s alright,” Monica's eyes twinkled softly as she placed a hand gently on Adam’s shoulder. “There’s nothing we can do for her now. Let’s just try to solve this case to avenge her.” Cecil’s eyes bore into the back of her head.

She gave him a gentle smile as she retreated her hand. “We should get out of here and rendezvous with Ironheel. We can tell him what we learned so far, albeit not a lot.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“The coroner will give her a proper autopsy and determine the certain cause of death. There’s nothing else to do here. I’ll get us a carriage.”

Monica nodded and gracefully pivoted on her heels just in time to avoid colliding with an urgent figure.

“I apologize, ma’am!” He said, with his hands clasped in front of him.

“It’s quite alright,” she answered, flashing a warm smile. “What is it?”

“I have a message from Chief Enfield. They've apprehended Mickey Andrews and need one of you to head to the holding station, while the others search his flat.”

“I’ll do it,” Monica announced confidently.

Adam hesitated, his hand moving to the back of his neck.

“I’m not so sure about that. Maybe I sho-”

“Nonsense,” she responded firmly. “I've got this. I’m a detective, after all, and sitting around doing nothing is quite boring. What’s the worst that can happen?”Adam hesitated for a second before speaking.

“It’s not that, it just Ironheel didn’t want you to go to the shopping district alone either. Being in front of an accused killer is much more dangerous. Plus, you have an eye for detail, we all know that. Perhaps I do it this time.”

Monica was fuming. “Now I’m getting bloody sick of this! Why do I have to sit around doing all the busy work? I’m more than a secretary you know!”

“You can talk to him after,” Adam suggested.

She sighed out. “Fine, it’s whatever. I’ll investigate Andrews's flat with this scrub. But I’d do a better job at questioning than you could ever hope to be!” She took a deep breath and turned back towards the officer.

“What’s the address?”

“2208 Oak Drive.” It’s about ten minutes away.”

“Very well.” She glanced over at Cecil. “I suppose we should get going.”

“Of course,” He said with an empty smile.

Adam stood silently as he watched the two figures leave the dimly lit flat, the sound of their footsteps fading away.

“Detective Clarke, if I may?” The bobby's voice broke the silence, barely above a whisper.

“Yes?”

The man shifted awkwardly. “The chief says the suspect isn’t mentally stable. He advised me to tell you to choose your questions carefully, as the suspect hasn't been very cooperative.”

“I see.” He sighed.

“A-anyway, we should head back. Don’t want to keep Enfield waiting.” The bobby's nervous stammering betrayed his unease.

“Of course,” Adam replied, his eyes briefly flicking back to Murphey’s lifeless body, sadness evident in his eyes. “Will the coroner be here soon?”

“Yes, sir. He’s scheduled to arrive any second.”

“Alright.” Adam nodded, his thoughts already wandering to the next steps in the investigation.

The bobby gestured for Adam to follow as they made their way out of the flat, to the foggy street.