Cin stood at the center of Detroit in the business district. Today she there was people watching and she was fairly sure no one paid much attention to her. It was the evening and people were rushing home. She had seen old men and women grumbling under their breath. There were lovers oblivious to anyone else but their own worlds. She was amused by this as a few bumped into people or others were forced to go around them until they eventually walked into a restaurant nearby.

Today she was looking for someone in particular. She had been watching his routine for days and knew that he'd be leaving the bakery shortly to go home for a night alone. Cin had dressed up in a knee length black flaring skirt with a white ruffled blouse. Her shoes were simple black heels. She had dressed to look as if she was coming from a job, on her way home.

After a few minutes the man had emerged and Cin started to walk towards him. She timed her walk so they would meet at the mouth of an alley. Once she was close enough her arm darted out and grabbed him by the wrist. A sharp tug later and he was staggering into the alley as she released his arm. Standing in the middle of the alley and blocking the path back to the street Cin looked down at him.

"Well, well.. You may have every one else fooled Samson but I am not stupid. You see, we have a problem." She stated in a low voice that was meant just for him to hear. Her eyes never left his as she stared cold and straight at him.

"I could lie and say you were mistaken but I expected you to come." He gave a bit of a shrug and she noticed a glint from the blade he was carrying in his sleeve.

Cin stood quietly for a moment. She was not at all nervous about the blade as it was something she had picked up quiet easily. Guns were loud and messy and she realized a long time ago that knives were easy to work with. Smooth and efficient. The cold blade dripping with blood always held a slight fascination with her. She had two of them in her sleeves.

She regarded him and when he started to get fidgety she smiled maliciously. It was her move and she knew it. She was ready to draw it out as long as she wanted to but it was getting late and she wanted to see Liftoff once this job was done.

"Oh I see, you have a beautiful knife there. I suppose I should just let you go, right? No need to pay me back the money you borrowed after all. Silly me."

She did her best to look a little startled as she knelt down. Pretending there was something on her shoe that she had to get off while she waited with her breath held. He started to close in on her. He would make it seem like he was going to pass her before he stabbed her in the back. She knew the game all too well so she waited until he was just about to step around her and she slid one of her blades into his leg. With a quick turn she was up and the smile back on her face.

"I lied. I want my money." She hissed at him.

"I don't have it. Too bad." Samson countered.

She stepped in close to him, a vicious glint in her eyes as she spoke, "Don't worry I'll take it from your skin."

With those words he startled and stepped back. He had merely thought of her as a stupid woman, but her intent was real now and it worried him. Stalking him down into the darkest parts of the alley, Cin finally had him up against the wall. She was making sure he focused on the blade that was already up. He never saw the other arm swing up, slitting his throat from side to side until it was too late.

She pulled the blade away and stared at them in fascination. The way the blood dripped off the knives was a thing of beauty all on its own. Allowing herself a few minutes to enjoy the after math before she darted from the alley and off into the dark night.

When you're the kind of person who recognizes the sound of a man with his throat cut, you've probably made some bad life decisions. Or some interesting ones, depending on your perspective. Keats froze for a moment as he was walking down the sidewalk. He was in Detroit on business; it wasn't his territory. If it were New York, he'd walk into the alley and try to figure out what was happening. Here? He couldn't step on toes. Maybe if it were a robbery, some random thug, he'd had intervened. But street thugs don't slit throats. It was too much blood for many. Most thugs stabbed if a robbery went bad. Getting your throat cut? That was an execution- something he wouldn't meddle in. 

So he simply waited on the sidewalk, leaning against the concrete building. He'd wait for a few minutes to see if anything interesting happened. If not? Well, one more body drops in the city. Maybe he'd get a hot dog.

Cin shook herself out of her fascinated state and gently slide the knives into her sleeves once more. She'd have to clean them when she was home and not quite so out in the open. She did her best to brush herself off and straighten her outfit. Hoping no one would notice the bits of blood that flecked her blouse before she had time to go get changed.

Taking a deep breath she emerged from the alley. Noticing a man hovering not to far she glanced over at him and then down the street. It was pretty empty except for him. Taking a long look at him she debated if he seemed the type that would call down the police on her head. It caused her to hesitate at the opening of the alley.

 Keats paused as a woman emerged. She seemed like she was in her prime- certainly young than he was, although he could still keep up with most people half his age. He was definitely slowing down at fifty, but not by too much. At least, not yet. She was quite attractive, although at the moment it appeared as if attracting anything, particularly attention, was the opposite of what she wanted. His eyes were first drawn to her hair, which was largely brown excepting a few tints of auburn. As he got closer, he noticed a few small red spots on her blouse, as well. White was bad for knifework. Red stood out in a crowd too much. Black was most ideal.  Was she the killer? A target who killed her attacker? A civilian? Or someone like him? She hesitated as their eyes connected and he walked slowly over to her with his hands unthreateningly at his sides. He smiled reassuringly, giving a look with his green eyes that he hoped conveyed the minimum amount of potential-knife-target, if she was indeed the killer.

"Are you alright, miss?"

Cin watched the man approach her. Her eyes held a steady gaze as she took in his appearance. He seemed well dressed but not that he really fit in with the rush hour buzzing in the business district. She couldn't place a finger on it but he seemed out of sorts with the ordinary people but not a police officer either. She let go of the breath she had been holding in a slow fashion.

"Quite. I seemed to have gotten slightly turned around."

Cin had hoped the lie wasn't blatantly obvious. She hadn't been sure how long he had been standing there and she wasn't sure she wanted to keep standing around. Her blouse would never survive the wash and she really had to get out of the scene before anyone else stumbled upon her. Deciding on a quick lie that may speed upon the process she began to speak insistently as if she were a lost visitor to the city.

"Are you new here? Would you happen to know where the nearest hotel is located?"

Keats listened attentively as she spoke. His first inclination was to remove his suit jacket and offer it to her, allowing her to cover up the small specks of blood on her. He was already starting to shrug it off when he realized that would expose the holster under his left shoulder. Chivalry would have to take a back seat to practicality in this case; he suspected that revealing a gun would provide more troubles for a woman seemingly hoping to remain anonymous.

"Of course. I was just on my way back there, actually. In town for a few days on business. I'd be happy to guide you."

Walking through the streets of Detroit, he resolved to keep an eye out for a scarf or covering of some sort- if he could obtain one without causing a scene.

"I couldn't help but overhear what sounded like a scuffle in that alley. I hope you're... unharmed?"

Certainly easier than asking "Hey, is that blood yours?"

Cin crossed her arms to cover most of the blouse up. It made her look a little more distant then she intended but it seemed to cover the spectacle of blood on her shirt. She glanced over at the man next to her.

"I appreciate it."

She fell into step next to him as they walked. Her mind was just beginning to wander a little into her own thoughts when she heard the question. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh I am quite alright. Nothing to worry about really," she stated as she tightened her arms slightly. She raced to think of something that could change the subject to something a little more pleasant while they walked. "What sort of business do you run? Paper, perhaps?"

roughly 25 minutes previous...

While it wasnt really his style, Neo had been in an adjacent alley hovering in the shadows. Unlike Keats, Detroit was his home turf. He had no problems laying waste to anyone who had intervened unwanted. He saw Keats standing at a bit of a distance and Cin wasnt more than about 20 feet away from him, completely oblivious to his presence. Cin however was a DT mobster and he knew it. He followed her for a bit to make sure Keats wasnt up to something and then carried on with his own business. He had a flight to catch to Chicago and Detroit International Airport was calling his name.

"no harm being done here" he grunted to himself as he hailed the next cab to the airport

Keats smiled warmly.

"Oh, I suppose paper would be the best way to describe it. I'm a financial advisor, of a sort. John Keats- a pleasure to meet you. And

He paused, glancing up at the clouds in between the buildings.

what sort of work do you do, Miss?"

Cin smiled in return. Her eyes glancing along the streets for signs of trouble as they walked. She was thankful that of all nights tonight was turning out to be a quiet one.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr Keats. I'm Cin. I work in private loans, you could say."

She waved her hand as she noticed that they were near one of the hotels.

"Is this the place?"

Keats nodded. 

"It is. I'll most likely have a drink at the bar. Don't want my streak to end. I'm sure you may have... other business to attend to, of course. Still, you're always welcome to join me later, if you'd like. If not, it was a pleasure meeting you- and I wish you luck. 

Cin chuckled a little bit.

"I do have other things to attend to. Perhaps a rain check for another day when we are both in the lovely city of Detroit. It was a pleasure to meet you though and enjoy your drink."

She smiled as she walked towards the hotel door. Letting herself into the place and weaving her through the lobby into another hallway. She quickly ducked into the stairs and found her way to the maids closet. She was always leaving clothes in the random hotels after paying a hotel staff member to keep them there. Taking  her clothes she changed and ducked out of the hotel through a back hall way. Business waited on no one.