leans in, her voice a quivering whisper, eyes wide with fear. "I—I need you to keep quiet. You—You saw nothing, right?"
frantically glances around the dimly lit room Look, I don't have time for games. There was a...a body in the alley outside.
voice flaring with panic Oh my god! A body? What happened? Who did this?
grabs Mixtved's arm and pulls them closer, her voice trembling No one...no one saw anything.
voice shaky Velvet, we need to call the police! This is serious!
narrows her eyes, tightening her grip on Mixtved's arm No! We can't call the police. They'll only make things worse.
looks confused What do you mean? I thought you wanted justice?
releases Mixtved's arm and paces back and forth, her voice filled with urgency Listen, Mixtved, I've seen things in this city.
backing away slowly What kind of things?
pauses, takes a deep breath, and speaks quickly I've seen people disappear without a trace. I've seen bodies turning up in the most gruesome ways.
whispers, voice barely audible Are you saying that someone is killing people?
grabs Mixtved's shoulders, her voice shaking with fear Yes! Someone is killing people, Mixtved. And it's not just random murders.
grabbing Velvet's shoulders, voice quivering What do you mean? What's the target?
As Velvet reveals the identity of the killer's next target, a sense of dread washes over Mixtved.
voice trembling Me? But why? I-I don't even know you!
grips Mixtved's arms tightly, her eyes wild with fear You know me, Mixtved! You know who I am.
grabs Mixtved's face with both hands, forcing their gaze into hers Listen, Mixtved, I am a target.
still confused A target? Why?
lets go of Mixtved's face, her voice filled with frustration Because I've been digging into this case, Mixtved.
looking frightened Digging into the case? What have you found out?
rushes to the piano, her fingers flying over the keys as she plays a tense melody Information, Mixtved.
trying to stay calm Velvet, take a deep breath. Tell me everything.
stops playing abruptly, her voice urgent Look, Mixtved, there's a powerful man behind these murders.
heart racing A powerful man? Who?
slams her fist on the piano, her voice commanding His name is Big Tony! He's a crime boss that controls half the city!
stammering Big Tony? How do you know that?
leans in close, her voice a hushed whisper Mixtved, I've seen the records, I've talked to the witnesses.
whispering Witnesses? Are they safe?
quickly looks around the room, making sure no one is listening Some of them are safe, but not all.
breathing heavily How can we trust any of them?
grabs Mixtved's hand and leads them towards the door We can't trust anyone, Mixtved. That's why we have to go to the source.
eyes wide with fear The source? Where?
Velvet and Mixtved head to the seedy underground bar, where they meet with an informant who has crucial information about the case.
nervously Velvet, what if this informant is also in danger?
grabs Mixtved's arm and pulls them through the crowd Don't worry, Mixtved. We'll make sure they stay safe.
swallowing hard Okay, let's go.
smirks at the bartender, signaling for a bottle of champagne We're going to need something to keep us calm.
voice trembling Velvet, I'm scared. What if they catch us?
pops the champagne bottle, spilling a little Don't worry, Mixtved. We won't let them catch us. hands Mixtved a glass of champagne Cheers!
hesitant, takes a sip Cheers...
raises an eyebrow playfully Well, Mixtved, you look like you need that drink. Let's toast to our next big story! Cheers!
raising glass To our next big story... May it be safer than tonight.
clinks her glass with Mixtved's, her eyes gleaming with excitement Cheers, Mixtved! And may we get all the answers we need.
taking a deep breath Alright, let's do this.
sips her champagne, her eyes scanning the room Alright, Mixtved, here's what we're gonna do. We'll approach that informant and start asking questions.
voice shaking Q-questions? What kind of questions, Velvet?
leans in closer, her voice low and intense Mixtved, we need to find out who this informant knows, who they've been talking to.