"I have to be," she whispered. "He's killed someone and he's got to be stopped." She was serious, it seemed. She grabbed him by the hand and started off toward the brothel her brother apparently owned. She explained the situation the best she could, how she learned of the truth. "Courtesans have been disappearing, and so did my sister's fiance. He wasn't blue-blooded enough for Magnus' tastes and he made that abundantly clear." And she brought him up to speed on how she had hired the private investigator to look into the case and accidentally opened up a pandora's box of information. She then spotted the reporter and the other man in question as they rounded the corner, assuming Joe came along at her urging.

"There she is now, mate," said the private eye, a little more than irritated that yet another person came along. "Right... Keep yer voices down now and follow me." Marcus led the trio of people around back, using a series of gestures to keep them silent. He led them to a staircase that went downward. He paused and said, "Careful now, the stairs are mossy." It was clear that they were not used very often at all. It took several minutes, but they were soon in what looked to be catacombs. He felt for the hidden door and soon they were plunged into complete darkness. "Shhh," he hushed, "Keep as quiet as ye can, the walls are thinner than ye might think."

The passageway took them up a slope and soon, they were walking on the wooden floorboards which groaned and creaked in protest at the four bodies now walking upon it. Assuming everyone followed Marcus, that is.

Finally, they came to a place where they could observe what went on in the brothel. They didn't have to wait long at all before hearing Magnus on his rampage. Pearl gasped when she spied her brother carrying the dead woman and carrying on about who did what. Marcus put a hand over her mouth and bade her to be quiet before instructing her to go get the constable.

The dead woman stared up at him with an accusatory, blank stare. He had killed her and was now trying to deny it, having snapped mentally. With fevered eyes, he turned to the next person, one of the guards, grabbed him with almost inhuman strength and slammed him madly against the wall, "Where... is Sonia?!"

"I don't know, m-"

The man's words turned into a gag as Magnus curled his fingers tightly about the throat of that one. "Where is she?! Where is my wife?!"

As if on cue, the courtesan in question appeared in the doorway. "Magnus," she said, tears streaking down her face as she saw one of the others laying limp on the floor. She watched then as her unwanted husband released the man who was choking. When Magnus started toward her, she took a fearful step back and said, "No more..." As he stopped short with disbelief in his eyes, she held up a staying hand. It shook violently, but he seemed to comply.

"I won't let you do this anymore..."

Nearby, it had been an uneventful shift so far PC 42 Neil who should have been at home with his wife and 6 kids, but her mother was visiting.

So, for the cost of a couple of cod fillets, he'd switched shifts with Bert Hailey and wasn't dealing with Agnes and her snide remarks: her daughter should have married a banker, not a dirty policeman... Instead he was telling drunks to move on and chasing urchins who thought his helmet was an ideal slingshot target.

Approaching the brothels and the boarding houses, Neil always felt a tinge of pity for these woman when he was found this way. Forced to sell themselves to earn a living, surely there was a better way? but he suspected there wasn't

She was out of breath as she flew out of the passageway, stumbling this way and that in the dark. The girl finally made it out of the catacombs and up the slippery stone stairs. Pearl was sobbing that she saw what she saw. When she found her way to the street, she looked this way and that until she spied the man in uniform. "Please?" she cried out, "Come quickly! Someone's been killed!"

Gareth followed the investigator, though he soon regretted it when they were in the dark. He reached out for the walls as he followed, stumbled once, and suppressed a curse. Had whoever it was they were hiding from heard?

When they came up, and he got a glimpse of what was going on, he felt his stomach twist and he couldn't help a gasp. Shit. Shit. Why was he here? Why hadn't they gone to the police in the first place. He swayed on his legs.

She was out of breath as she flew out of the passageway, stumbling this way and that in the dark. The girl finally made it out of the catacombs and up the slippery stone stairs. Pearl was sobbing that she saw what she saw. When she found her way to the street, she looked this way and that until she spied the man in uniform. "Please?" she cried out, "Come quickly! Someone's been killed!"

Neil was jolted into action by the girl's frantic pleas and dashed to her side. He unhooked his truncheon from his belt and with his free hand tugged his whistle from his jacket.  A series of shrill blasts of noise pierced the night air. His comrades would be along soon. 

"It's alright, Miss. show me where." Neil answered with practiced calmness, but there was really no way to hide the adrenaline that he now felt.

She almost took the man's hand to drag him with her, but she refrained. Pearl led him into the brothel, blushing at actually being inside. "This way, I think!" she panted out and then went into the room where it all was happening... "Magnus!" she crowed and then shrank back when he turned his eyes on her.

"You shouldn't be here!" he shouted at his youngest sister, then pulled out his pistol. He grabbed Sonia to him and placed the barrel against her temple. "You little bitch, what have you done?!" he shouted when he saw the constable. Magnus was in a fury. First his wife had run away, which caused him to go on a damned killing spree, then his sister was in his brothel like a harlot, a damned constable at her heels. Traitorous little wretch.

"Get back or I'll kill her. I swear it!"