Hey, so the truth is I actually finished this story before I even published the first chapter, way back in August. My plan was to publish the chapters weekly or biweekly, with the final chapter releasing in December.

Then college happened, and I got distracted. But now that things are winding down, I can tell you that after this there are seven more chapters, and I'll be releasing them every Monday and Thursday.

The shuttlecraft came to a stop on the landing platform of Ascension, at around 4:45 PM the day after Vivian and Anna had left. The port was busy now.

"Need me to drive you home?" Anna asked as they walked through the parking lot. It seemed like common courtesy.

"I, uh…I can get there." Vivian replied. "Hey, do you want to get dinner? I might be able to get us at a place like The Blue Ribbon—"

"No, I'm fine. I have things to do. Tell Fitzroy I'm gonna take a brief hiatus."

"A hiatus?"

"I'm a little exhausted by the past 18 hours. I'd rather take a break before continuing the case."

"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense." Vivian looked around, making sure no one was listening. "You think Fink is the killer?"

Anna walked up to her car. "There are three things I know at this moment. 1) Brigid Tenenbaum was murdered by someone connected to the ADAM experiments. 2) Fink was personally overseeing the ADAM experiments. 3) I am tired, stressed, and thirsty for alcohol, so I'm gonna go to my office and take a shower, then hit the billiards table at McDonagh's Bar and Grill. This case is officially on hiatus. I'll call you when we get the renewal."

And with that, she climbed into her speeder, pulled out of the parking space, and left Vivian staring in her direction.

Thursday, December 18, 2369, 5:41 PM
McDonagh's Bar and Grill, Uptown

Usually, some frat boy or sorority girl would come along and try to impress Anna with their billiard skills, and would ultimately leave the table completely humiliated.

Strangely enough, today no one seemed to be up for billiards. So Anna took the opportunity to practice some shots while she relaxed with a glass of scotch.

The TV was reporting that LeSandra Cohen, socialite and daughter of noted artist Sander Cohen, was opening a new club called Glitter, promising quality music, a state-of-the-art dance floor, and top quality food and drinks.

She immediately thought back to the Club 80s case, the one where she had drugged Ms. Cohen. She was never really satisfied with how that case concluded, as in the end it had all been about finding a couple of pictures, one of what looked like a leather bird flying through the clouds, and another of a pendant with the image of a cage emblazoned on the front. She never knew why she was hired to steal these items, and as no one came to claim them, she just kept the file in her desk all the time.

Thinking about it, that case had been the first time—

"Hello again, Detective."

Anna looked up. Standing across from her was a ginger-haired man, clad in a white tuxedo with a blue rose pinned to his lapel. He looked like he had just come in from a grand ball.

"Mr. Reece Burlott," Anna declared as she bent down and slammed the tip of her cue straight into the white ball. A red and a green ball bounced around the table before landing in a single net. "How about a game of eight-ball?"

Mr. Burlott raised an eyebrow. "Puzzling…you don't seem interested as to why I'm here."

Anna took the billiard balls she had already pocketed and placed them in the rack along with the rest of the balls on the table. "Oh no, I'm interested. I'm just still a little pissed about your walkout last night in the diner."

"I seem to recall that I was the one who was, as you say, 'pissed,'" Mr. Burlott replied.

Anna eyed the cueball carefully. "Well, you turned out to be a great help. Had a lovely night out on the moon. Saw things beyond my wildest imaginations. Nearly got my ass killed."

"And aborted an attempt at sexual intercourse," Mr. Burlott added.

Anna's concentration lapsed. Her cue missed its mark and merely grazed the cueball, sending it rolling about five inches before coming to a stop.

"That shouldn't count," she said quickly.

"Calling foul: the table's open," Mr. Burlott replied, picking up his own cue and positioning himself a few feet from Anna. "My go."

The cue slammed into the cueball, which in turn hit the solid-colored 5 at the front of the rack, sending the billiard balls flying across the table.

The 2, 6, and 1 balls landed on the left middle, bottom left, and bottom right pockets individually.

"Nice," Anna muttered, impressed.

"Solids," Mr. Burlott declared as he repositioned himself. "I take it sleeping with Fitzroy's secretary was not high on your agenda."

Anna shrugged. "The moment didn't feel right."

Mr. Burlott chuckled. "Why not? Vivian seems like a sweet girl. Anyone would be lucky to have her as a faithful companion." Another hit, and the 4 landed in one of his pockets on the table.

"You make her sound like a dog," Anna replied. "I mean…I guess she kind of is one. Just, you know, following me around, doing what I say, beating up people who attack me." She pursed her lips. "Come to think of it, I'm kind of like your dog."

Mr. Burlott's shot failed to land any pockets. "Your move, detective."

Anna picked up the cueball and moved it to another part of the table. "I'm not into the whole sex thing in general. Didn't feel it today, probably won't feel it tomorrow. If I ever do it, it's about getting results. Learning secrets, or manipulating people. And I don't need to do that with Vivian."

Mr. Burlott smirked. "Sex as a means of investigation. I'm impressed."

"That begs the obvious question." Anna looked up. "How did you know I turned down Vivian?"

"Have you not come to accept that I know more than the common person should?"

The cueball slammed into a 13 and sent it bouncing around the table, knocking a 15 into a pocket before the 13 itself landed in another.

"I digress, you know a lot." She re-aimed her cue and hit another shot, sending a 10 into a pocket. "You knew where Fitzroy was hiding, you knew how to get into Tenenbaum's apartment, you knew that Colony 12 wasn't actually being quarantined, and you knew about 'Elizabeth.' Yet you had no idea about my little encounter with Harry Houdini."

Reece Burlott didn't look as cordial as he had at the beginning of this meeting. "What's your point?"

Anna hit the cueball again. By a stroke of luck, the 14, 11, 15, and 12 all managed to collide with the cueball and roll into Anna's pockets. "Well," she said slowly, barely containing her excitement. "What I'm trying to ask you is…why do I feel like I should trust you more than I trust Vivian or anyone I know?"

"Trust?" Sadie Cuternoll leaned against her cue. "My dear Detective Anna DeWitt, you should never trust me. For all you know, I could be the real killer of Brigid Tenenbaum, sending you on a wild-goose chase, all for the express purpose of keeping all suspicion off of me."

"Don't be ridiculous, I've always been suspicious of you." The only striped ball left was the nine. If she got that, then she was open for the 8-ball. "But you'll be happy to know I no longer consider you an actual suspect."

"I'm ecstatic," was the non-ecstatic reply. "If that's the case, why are you suspicious?"

"Because your demeanor, you helping me at every turn, this billiard game…it's like you're trying to be my friend. And in my business, people don't just walk up to me and try to be my friend."

"Trust and friendship are mutually beneficial aspects of life," Sadie mused.

Anna was lining up her cue. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't you tell your little friend the real reason why you took this case?"

Anna's cue slipped, and instead of the stick hitting the ball, her entire body hit the floor with an uncomfortable slam.

"I'm sure money was one factor in it," Sadie smiled, picking up the cueball and putting it in a new position. "But I'm not stupid. I offered this case to you and you only, no one else, simply because I knew you of all people had reason to take it."

Anna got up from the ground. "You don't know me."

"I know more about you than that fool Sullivan does," Sadie replied. Her cue slammed into the ball, sending the 9 directly into the 5, and both landed in the pockets. "You'll see me again sooner or later," she added, hitting the ball again and sending a 3 into a pocket. Only one ball left for her, and then she was open for the 8-ball.

"Which one is it?" Anna asked disdainfully, her dreams of getting out of this bar with another billiard win now fading. "Sooner or later?"

Sadie looked up at Anna and gave one last smile. Her cue slammed into the cueball, sending the seven straight into a pocket, and the cueball bouncing off the table and straight into Anna's hand.

Only the winning 8-ball sat on the table.

"I believe that's foul for me," Sadie declared as she hung her cue back on the rack. "Your move, detective. Continue this case living a pathetic lie, or meet up with Tenenbaum's daughter." And with that, she headed for the door.

"You have got to be the most confusing person I've ever dealt with," Anna called out.

"I've worked hard to earn that status!" Sadie shouted over her shoulder as she exited the bar.

Anna stared at the door, then back at the pool table. She placed the cueball on the table and started to aim.

But then she hesitated. After a moment, she stood up and pulled out her phone. She selected one of the numbers on her contact list and dialed it.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end asked.

"Hey, Sally? This is Detective DeWitt."

"Oh, Anna! I was just about to call, my friend Constance finished up the tests. The ADAM—"

"No, I don't want to hear about that right now."

"…really? So…why'd you call me?"

"It's just…can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, what?"

"I mean in person."

"Oh. Umm, okay. When?"

"Is it alright if I stop by your place tonight?"

"You're not gonna break in again, are you?"

Anna laughed. "I'll remember to knock."

"Great. See you then." Sally hung up.

Anna put the phone away and eyed the 8-ball again. She knelt over the table, aimed her cue, and slammed it into the white ball. The cue ball zig-zagged across the table before finally colliding with the 8-ball, which, despite the force of the hit, leisurely rolled into a pocket.