1933 (Last) The Slash -Bloody to Fair-/Maria

Synopsis
A politician discovers the corpse of one Mr. Maloney, and then asks a figure in the shadows to identify themself. The figure steps into the light and introduces herself as "Maria, a hired killer," which to the politician means that Maloney was at least killed for a "rational reason."

Finding his exceptionally calm demeanor exceptionally odd, Maria calls him out on it and asks if he is sure he has no need to run away. The politician counters that, unless someone has commissioned his assassination, she should have no reason to kill him as well. At this, Maria admits that she has no idea who the politician is; however, she acknowledges out that he has seen her and deliberately wonders out loud what to do. When he highlights the outlandishness of the situation - i.e. that a young woman wielding a katana was the killer – she concedes that he has a point.

The politician asks if this was her first kill, observing that she is bantering in an attempt to hide the excitement in her eyes and the trembling of her hands. Then, he amends his statement: she appears to have the makings of a murderer after all, as the trembling is half out of delight as it is unease.

Maria pauses at that, and is subsequently startled when the politician says she has nothing to gain from cutting him down like she did Maloney. He ignores her automatic protest, affirming that he will simply use Maloney's death for his own ends and advises her "not to do anything else unprofitable" as it would "go against the instincts of our capitalist society."

He walks off, leaving Maria feeling a little creeped out. She insists to the unseen listener that she was not scared, only to immediately admit she was a little scared of the politician after all. When the unseen listener asks for the politician's name, Maria recalls seeing the politician's name and picture in the newspaper the next day, along with his witness statement that the murder was carried out by the local mafia.

While she cannot remember the politician's name precisely, she believes it was something along the lines of 'Perine' or 'Berial'.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Maria Barcelito
 * Manfred Beriam (unnamed)