Diana slowed to a halt outside the Lumin Heights Resort, the biggest casino in New Symitris. A towering, technologically advanced building that lit up the skyline at night. She chained her bike to a lamp post and made her way up the stairs onto the plaza, it was getting fairly late into the day and the plaza was decently busy, folks in fancy suits and flowing dresses milling about and enjoying the lavishly decorated plaza.

     The centerpiece of the plaza was a massive marble statue, a woman holding a  jug above her head, water pouring down into the fountain below. Diana drew a few eyes as she made her way along, her simple jacket and old jeans sticking out like a sore thumb in such a well-off crowd.

     “Miss Diana, correct?” A waiter, noting the slightly confused detective, approached.

     “That’s right.”

     “If you’ll follow me, please.”

     The waiter lead Diana past the crowd and through a side door, she could hear the whispers of speculation begin to kick up as she passed, wondering who she was and what she was doing there.

     Up the elevator and down hallway after hallway, the thick red carpet of the resort cushioning their footfalls, the waiter led Diana to a huge pair of mahogany doors. A golden sign above the door identified the room beyond as Hecate Williams’ office.

     “Best of luck, Miss Diana.” The waiter bowed and took his leave, the massive doors opening on their own to allow Diana entry.

     The office was just as lavishly decorated as the plaza had been, filled with plush furniture and beautifully stained hardwood floors. The desk sat before the floor to ceiling windows, a comfortable stool set before it, and behind the desk, sat upon a velvet armchair, was Hecate Williams.

     Her cruel stair affixed Diana the second she entered the room, Williams was a tall pale-skinned woman of advanced age, Diana estimated sixty-five, in a nice red dress with elbow-length gloves and a fur scarf, she smoked from a long pipe and her piercing red eyes gave Diana goosebumps.

      Setting aside her fear, knowing it would do her no good, Diana took a seat on the stool and readied her OI for notetaking.

     “Miss Williams, I presume?”

     “You presume correctly.”

     “I’d like to ask a few questions regarding the Chamb-”

     “I know why you’re here, girl.”

     “Then let us get straight to it. Where were you at nine PM on the fourth?”

     “I was in this office, reviewing my ledgers.”

     “Can anyone vouch for you?”

     “The very same waiter you brought you here, John Doewood.”

     “Are you at all familiar with Ethan Miller?”

     “That stupid rockstar they locked up?”

     “The one and only.”

     “I’ll be straight with you, girl. He cost me quite a lot of money.”

     “How so?”

     “He and his stupid band insisted on every cent from that charity event going to charity, rather than a portion like we had agreed on initially. I had spent hundreds on arrangements for it and suddenly I wasn’t going to make anything back!”

     “That must have made you very angry.”

     “You’re right it did, but I’m a grown woman. I got over it.”

     “If you say so, Miss Williams. What was your relationship with Mr. Chambers?”

     “Chambers was an old fuddy-duddy, long past his prime. About time he left this Earth anyways.”

     “You don’t seem concerned about appearing innocent.”

     “The facts will speak for themselves. Is that all?”

     “Just one more thing. Records state that you and Mr. Chambers were married once.”

     “That was a long time ago, girl. We’ve been divorced for nearly forty years.”

     “I presume you left on sour terms?”

     “Naturally. The old coot was too trivial with his money, he’d see us both ruined by sixty.”

     “Thank you for your time, Miss Williams.”

     “Get out, I have another meeting in five minutes.”

     “Of course.” Diana rose to her feet, the door opening as she walked away from the desk, “And you look lovely today, Miss Williams.”

     “Oh, I’m well aware, detective.” Williams fixed Diana with a smug expression, “Now get out.”

     “Just as well.” Diana nodded, following the waiter Doewood out of the building.

     They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Diana broke the silence.

     “Mr. Doewood, I have two questions for you.”

     “I am at your service, ma’am.”

     “Naturally. Now, was Miss Williams truly in her office at nine PM?”

     “Of course.”

     “Speak truly now. If she is guilty, you will be charged as well.”

     “I assure you; Miss Williams speaks the absolute truth.”

     “Thank you.”

     “And your other question?”

     “Oh yes, I had all but forgotten. Who will Miss Williams be meeting with next?”

     “I’m afraid that matter is of the utmost privacy.”

     “Thank you, Doewood.”

     “Of course, ma’am.” Doewood raised a puzzled expression as Diana left, cutting through the main plaza and to her bike. She paused and pretended to fumble with her lock as a slick black limousine drew up to the casino. The chauffeur hurried out and opened the door for his passenger, a tall, neatly dressed man with sharp features and slick black hair.

     A fervor of whispers stirred up as the man stepped out, but Diana didn’t recognize him. She dropped to one knee and continued to feign incompetence with her lock as she took a photo of the man with her OI, hiding it with a pair of sunglasses from her jacket.

     The man approached, walking with a bit of a limp, and Diana began to worry she had been caught, but he simply stopped and offered his help with her lock.

     “Oh, thank you, but I’m sure I can get it.” Diana twisted the lock and pulled it open, freeing her bike, “Oh, there we go! Just a little rusted, is all.”

     “Very well. Safe travels, Miss…?”

     “Diana.”

     “A lovely name. Farewell.”

     “The same to you.” Diana mounted her bike and cycled off, turning the corner and vanishing from view.