The familiar aroma of coffee and burnt toast greeted Liam as he entered the coffee shop. Sarah, her blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun, sat at their usual table, a worn copy of "Crime and Punishment" open in front of her. She looked up, her blue eyes concerned.
"Liam, what's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Liam took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. He couldn't tell Sarah everything, not yet. Not until he had more concrete evidence. But he had to share something.
"Sarah, I think we're dealing with something bigger than we initially thought. Moreau, he's not just a rogue accountant. He's… he's something else."
Sarah raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident. "Liam, you're talking about a guy who cooked the books for a few mobsters. What else could he be?"
Liam leaned forward, his voice a hushed whisper. "He's connected to a string of assassinations, each victim a high-ranking member of the Black Hand. And he left a message, a cryptic message that says 'The Alter Ego sleeps.'"
Sarah's expression shifted, a flicker of concern replacing her skepticism. "That's… unsettling. What do you think it means?"
Liam shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know, Sarah. But I have a feeling it's going to be a lot more than just a few cooked books. I think we're dealing with something much, much darker."
As they talked, Liam recounted the details of his investigation, the dead ends, the cryptic messages, the feeling of being watched. Sarah, ever the pragmatist, tried to ground him, to remind him to focus on the facts. But even she couldn't deny the unsettling feeling that hung in the air.
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a young woman, her face pale and drawn, her eyes filled with fear. She approached their table, her voice trembling.
"Excuse me, are you Detectives O'Connell and Jones?"
Liam nodded, his instincts telling him this was no ordinary encounter.
"I… I have information about Victor Moreau. I know where he is."
The woman's words sent a jolt of adrenaline through Liam. This was it, the break he had been waiting for. But as he looked into her eyes, he saw a flicker of something else, something that made him question her motives.
"Tell us everything," Liam said, his voice firm, his eyes fixed on her.
The woman took a deep breath, her voice barely a whisper. "He's not who you think he is. He's… he's a weapon."
Liam's heart pounded in his chest. The woman's words confirmed his worst fears. Moreau wasn't just a rogue accountant. He was something far more dangerous, something that could shake the very foundations of their city.
And as the woman began to speak, her voice trembling with fear, Liam knew that the game had just gotten a lot more dangerous. They were no longer just chasing a ghost. They were chasing a monster.