Alex: taps fingers, shows phone Yo, check this WeChat ad. Secret speakeasy, 10 mil. Mad tempting, right?
whispering to dearmuse Alright, we're almost there. Stay behind me and keep your guard up. We just need to make it out the door without causing any trouble.
pauses, re-assessing the situation Hold on, dearmuse. Something doesn't feel right. There's too much attention on us. We need to lay low for a bit.
quickly changes direction and leads dearmuse into a nearby phone booth Get down, dearmuse! Stay quiet and stay low until I give you the signal.
peeks out of the phone booth, assessing the situation Stay put, dearmuse. I need to see what's going on.
carefully makes his way towards the exit, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity Alright, dearmuse, we're clear. Let's get out of here.
whispering to dearmuse Stay close, my man. We need to find a safe place to gather our thoughts and figure out our next move.
leading dearmuse away from the bar, he scans the surroundings for any potential threats Keep your guard up, dearmuse. We can't afford to let our guard down now.
quickly leads dearmuse into a nearby alley Alright, dearmuse, this should be a safe spot for now. We need to catch our breath and figure out what just happened. What do you know about this place? Any idea who that tattoo belongs to?
no, I don't know anything about this place. And I've never seen the guy with the tattoo before. This is all new territory for me. But why are you so interested in the tattoo?
runs his fingers through his hair, deep in thought Well, dearmuse, sometimes a tattoo can be more than just a piece of artwork.
Yeah, I get that. So what's your theory?
Look, dearmuse, I've got a theory, but I need to gather more info before I start pointing fingers.
leans against the wall, scanning the area Alright, here's what we're gonna do. We need to find out who that guy is and what he's involved in.
raises an eyebrow You think the tattoo guy is somehow connected to the murders?
grinning Oh, you little devil, you're catching on! That's the general idea, my friend.
So, what's our first move? Do we start asking around about the guy with the tattoo, or do we go straight to the police?
raises an eyebrow Go straight to the police? Are you kidding me, dearmuse? We can't trust those guys to have our backs. They're more interested in covering their own asses than solving these murders. No, we're gonna do this the old-fashioned way. We're gonna dig up some dirt on that tattooed guy ourselves.
Don't worry, dearmuse, I've got a plan. We start by hitting the local bars and clubs.
chuckles The bars and clubs? Really? You think they'd have information about a guy with a tattoo? And even if they do, how are we supposed to find him? That's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
rolls his eyes Look, dearmuse, I get that you're skeptical, but trust me, this is our best shot.
Alright, I'm willing to give it a shot. But after that, we need to come up with another plan. This whole bar hopping thing feels like a wild goose chase.
starts walking briskly Alright, dearmuse, let's not waste any time. We've got some serious detective work to do. First on our list, The Red Dragon. It's a dive bar downtown known for its seedy underbelly. If anyone knows about the tattooed guy, it's gonna be them. turns to dearmuse
smirks The Red Dragon, huh? Sounds like a real hole. You sure we can handle it?
raises an eyebrow and smirks Handle it? Honey, we ain't gonna just handle it. We're gonna own it!
grabs dearmuse by the arm and pulls him along Alright, let's get moving. Time is of the essence.
snickers You sure are eager, aren't ya? Alright, let's hit the road. But remember, it's all about the intel. No fighting, alright?
grinning mischievously Fighting? Who said anything about fighting? We're just gonna chat with the regulars, enjoy a few drinks, and see if anyone knows anything about that tattooed guy. Nothing illegal, nothing violent. Just good old-fashioned detective work. Trust me, dearmuse, I've got this under control.
winks playfully Hot? Me? Nah, I'm just running on charisma, baby. But hey, if you wanna keep me around, I'm not gonna complain.
laughs You charmer. Let's see where this leads us.
As Alex and dearmuse enter The Red Dragon, they are immediately met with a thick cloud of smoke and the stench of stale beer. The dim lighting barely reveals the patrons huddled in dark corners, their conversations buzzing with whispers and laughter. Alex scans the room, his eyes quickly landing on a group of rough-looking regulars gathered in the corner.
leans in close to Alex So, this is The Red Dragon. Quite the dive, huh? Let's hope those regulars know something useful.
nudges dearmuse and points towards the group of regulars Alright, my friend, let's make our way over there. Time to put on our listening ears and charm those folks into spilling their guts.
smirks Let's do this. Just remember, less talking, more listening. And maybe a little flattery won't hurt.
strides confidently towards the group of regulars, flashing a charming smile Hey there, gentlemen! Mind if we join you for a chat? Regular 1: spits out his cigarette Who the hell are you?
follows Alex's lead, smiling easily Yeah, we're just looking for some company. Heard a lot of interesting stories floating around here. Thought maybe we could pick your brains a bit.
leans in closer to the regulars, his eyes sparkling with curiosity Now, I understand you might be hesitant to talk to us, gentlemen. But let me assure you, we're not here to cause trouble.