"Are you sure that detective... really went to the hotel?"
Director Victor sat behind his desk, his expression grim.
"Yes, boss. We followed him all the way and saw him go into the Diamond Hotel. He even booked a luxury suite... What do we do now?"
"...What about the editorial office?"
"They're all dead."
"Dead?"
"Yes, Director. Not a single survivor."
The shifty-looking man standing in front of Director Victor had a pointed face and pinched features. He sucked in a sharp breath as he spoke.
"Do you think we should just arrest that guy and be done with it?"
"No."
Director Victor shook his head.
"Since we didn't catch him at the crime scene, we can't really make another move against him."
As one of Casablanca's local power brokers, Director Victor had noticed Li Wei as soon as he entered the city. After all, Li Wei hadn't concealed his movements. A detective famous throughout the Empire was easy enough to find if he wasn't trying to hide.
Director Victor hadn't actually had anything to do with the incident at The Explorer's editorial office. It was just that their snooping had offended someone they shouldn't have, and that person had wanted to teach them a lesson, so they had given Director Victor advance notice.
That sort of thing was all too common in Casablanca, and Director Victor hadn't given it much thought.
As for framing Li Wei, that had simply been a convenient extra. Once he learned that Li Wei was heading to the editorial office, Director Victor had seen an opportunity. If he could catch the man at the crime scene and lock him up for a few months, so much the better.
Some might wonder: Li Wei was a Thistle Knight, a favorite of Her Majesty the Queen.