"Oh, you know how it is. A bit of chitchat before getting to business," he said casually, keeping the annoyance out of his voice. In an instant, his expression became serious before he continued.

"I would say that I'm here to put a stop to this entire mess, but you made it very clear that it's not possible." Not yet, he thought. "But the thing is, all things are possible. If you've read about me, if you think you know me so well, then you know I never give up, not even when I've exhausted all the possibilities--and there are still some to explore. Ohhh yes.

"So! Question one: What do you stand to gain from these deaths?"