There was blood everywhere.  It dripped down the walls, it was soaking into the leather seat of the chair, there were splatters of it freckled across Lillian's face, which gave her a maniacal porcelain doll appearance.  But regardless of the mess, there was still more blood to come.  The young woman had dropped the crowbar and was picking up a pair of pliers when she heard the speakeasy door open.  Even though this location hadn't been used for years there were still people who dropped by for various reasons.  Lillian tensed and grabbed a knife, only easing her grip when she saw her corrupt officer come through the door. 

"He looks like shit." Was all he said as he lit a cigarette.  

"He better." Lillian said as she put down the knife and picked up the pliers again.  "I don't think he's going to look any better than he does now either." She took a deep breath, trying to reignite her fiery hatred.  The pathetic look on the man's face would be enough to sway anyone who didn't know what he'd done, it'd be enough to make them beg like he had. 

"Let him go you monster, how could you do this?"  To be honest, Lillian wasn't entirely sure what was possessing her.  Was it just rage? Was it something more sinister?  She swallowed hard, rethinking what she was doing.  That was, until the man spoke. 

"P-please Lillian.  You know I love you.  H-how could you do this to me?  I'm your uncle?"  Whatever flame was flickering low within Lillian leapt higher that it ever had.  She threw the pliers at the seated man and stormed closer to him. 

"You are nothing to me.  You are worthless, you are a devil. and before you die I intend on having you confess your sins to me and Officer Delmonte here.  Father made a mistake protecting you.  And don't you worry, he'll be punished too."  Lillian grabbed a wet towel and motioned to the officer to follow her. 

"I don't know what I'm doing!"  She kept her voice low, but there was a keening edge of desperation in it.  "I keep saying I'm not a monster, but I used to lay awake at night and dream up all of the things I would do to this man when I found him.  And now that he's here in front of me, I keep seeing him as some poor wounded animal and me as the hunter"  She took a shuddering breath. 

"You are the hunter." Delmonte said.  "But who's to say some animals don't need to be hunted to extinction?  What he did?  It's not forgivable Lillian.  No one ever protected you, not your father, not the cops, not a single person you thought you could count on.  Are you really going to let him loose on another girl?"  Delmonte stubbed out his cigarette and went to open the door for another person.  Someone who knew Lillian better than anyone. 

Murphy had forgotten just how easy she had it in Philly with the traffic being as light as it was. Sure it was a busy town, lots of people coming to look at all the old buildings and the liberty bell but it was nothing compared to New York's jam packed streets. A mistake she was paying for as traffic inched along, leaving her to be very late to meet her dear friend Lillian. It was odd to have gotten a call in the middle of the day from lil, normally they chattered on the phone in the evening, catching up and talking about nothing in particular. Both of them knew that due to their own...endeavors...that business was never discussed over the phone and very little in person. Still the phone call had unnerved her, just like the conversation Lillian and she had after Lil had showed up in a shiny new car at Connie's. They'd driven around for a few hours and while nothing much was said, Murphy got an uncomfortable feeling about Lillian and her father. 

There was little to be said about Lil's old man, he was always cordial but always nervous and twitchy. The guy lavished gifts on his daughter often, dumping expensive pieces like jewelry, dresses, and the brand new roadster that Lillian couldn't even drive. Murphy was glad that while she'd grown up in a mafia family, she'd grown up on a huge estate with plenty of grass and a pasture for her horse and the old jalopy that her pop had set up so that they could putter about the pasture and bother the cows with the horn. She'd learned all she needed to know about driving from that and when she'd gotten old enough, Will and Brick and her would take the Packard that she now drove around the back roads and race it up and down the windy roads. Lillian hadn't gotten to have quite the fortunate circumstances although she had spent a few summers with Murphy when they were younger. 

*BEEP* The loud honking of a taxi cab brought her out of the revere she was in and back to the reality of the crowded city streets. Fortunately she'd arrived at the address that Lillian had directed her to come to and, after parking her car, she hopped out and made her way to the door. Her brows were furrowed as she peered at the run down place, wondering why it looked abandoned but she didn't have to wonder for too long as she swung the door open and saw Delmonte first, and Lillian second. 

Murphy couldn't help the gasp that escaped as she stood frozen in the doorway. She didn't know whether to turn tail and run or stand there stupidly staring at her best friend covered in rusty red blood. "Lil?" She squeaked with a small voice, staring at the half dead man next to Lillian, still halfway in and out of the door. "What's going on, why is Delmonte here, Lillian...answer me!" There was a definite whine in her voice coupled with surprise and shock and a whole lot of fright.