Cinders of the Conspiracy
In the shadowy depths of a small industrial town in 1923, Silas Granger, a 35-year-old disillusioned journalist turned private investigator, struggles to rebuild his life after years of regret. When Eleanor Wickham, a resilient 28-year-old widow, approaches him with cryptic documents she found among her late husband’s belongings, Silas is drawn into a dangerous web of corruption, betrayal, and lies. The documents point to Caleb Hartwell, a powerful 50-year-old industrialist, whose empire hides a dark conspiracy tied to bootlegging, bribery, and murder.
As Silas and Eleanor dig deeper, they find themselves hunted by Jasper Crowe, a ruthless 37-year-old enforcer, while seeking help from the morally ambiguous 45-year-old detective Wyatt Draven, who holds pieces of the truth but may be playing both sides. With time running out, their fight for justice takes them from smoky speakeasies to secluded estates, culminating in a high-stakes confrontation that could bring the conspiracy to light—or bury them in the ashes.
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Chapter: Chapter 15A Betrayal Close to Home.When Silas and Eleanor arrived, the office was dark. They were still burdened by the disclosures of the night. Eleanor's determination was weakened by a nagging uncertainty as Crowe's comments replayed in her head. They had been deceived by someone close to her.She refused to accept it.Silas was the first to stir, igniting the oil lamp on his desk with a match. Long shadows were created against the walls by the illumination, which illuminated the strewn documents and open ledgers, the remains of their frantic search.Then she noticed it.On the desk, a piece of parchment, carefully folded. It had only her name, written in Margaret Hollow's curled calligraphy, and no seal or marks.Silas saw that she hesitated. "Eleanor?"She didn't respond. Her breath caught in her throat as she read the lines written in hastily drawn pen, and her fingers shook as she unfolded the paper.This is not what I intended to occur. There was nothing I could do.Her veins became ic
Last Updated: 2025-02-08
Chapter: Chapter 14An Ally in Shadows.As if to stabilize herself, Violet's fingertips traced across the polished mahogany bar as she stepped behind it. Except for the bartender cleaning glasses and the occasional chuckle from the back rooms, the speakeasy was mostly deserted now. With a deep exhale, she raised her gaze to Silas and Eleanor, her keen eyes sweeping their faces.At last, she stated in a measured, low voice, "There's a shipment." "Hartwell has a significant arrival at the docks. Something more than whiskey. Something more substantial.With his elbows resting on the counter, Silas leaned forward. "How are you aware?"Violet grinned, but it was a fake smile. "Because I set it up."Eleanor tensed. "You're involved in his scheme?"Violet gave an eye roll. Don't be naïve, my love. In this city, you can't operate a speakeasy without closing deals. Additionally, for men like Hartwell, survival comes before wants.Silas scowled. "When will it be shipped?""Tonight, tomorrow. Midnight. Pier 17. Wit
Last Updated: 2025-02-08
Chapter: Chapter 13The Speakeasy Connection.Only a flickering lantern above a rusting steel door indicated the speakeasy's entrance, which was concealed behind a boarded-up storefront. A mingling of sensuous jazz and murmured discussions filled the air inside. In between the faint light of low-hanging chandeliers, smoke curled from cigarettes and cigars.Eleanor clung to his side while Silas rearranged his coat and looked around the room. "Remain vigilant," he whispered to himself. "Violet Prescott is more than just a bar owner. She is the head of an empire.Eleanor's gaze strayed to the bar, where a woman swirling a glass of whiskey was leaning against the counter wearing a sleek, dark-red dress. Violet Prescott's blond locks framed her piercing, perceptive eyes.Violet smirked and tipped her drink as if she could sense their eyes, then slid toward them with a smooth, deliberate gait.She purred, her voice as soft as ancient bourbon, "Well, well." Hawthorne, Silas. I didn't believe you were stupid eno
Last Updated: 2025-02-08
Chapter: Chapter 12A Narrow Escape.Eleanor's raspy breath was muffled by Silas's hard palm over her mouth as he slammed her against the warehouse's chilly steel wall. In the dim light of a single hanging bulb, shadows danced beneath them. The two men's voices were piercing and suspicious as they prowled like wolves."You also heard it," someone whispered.The other gave a grunt. "They might have been rats."Sensing the tremble in Eleanor's veins, Silas tightened his hold on her wrist. His breath warmed her ear as he drew closer. "Remain motionless."She nodded, small gulps rising and falling in her chest.Eleanor felt her pulse thumping with a sudden collision. The contents of a crate spilled into the concrete after one of the men kicked it over. The air was filled with the strong smell of whiskey as glass broke.The first man growled, "Damn it." "If anything is missing, Hartwell is going to kill us."The second guy moved toward the containers. "Then, let's confirm that nobody else is present."Silas's
Last Updated: 2025-02-08
Chapter: Chapter 11Shadows in the Warehouse.The warehouse stood out in front of them, skeleton in the moonlight. Silas guided Eleanor to the entrance, his movements slow and methodical, and the air was heavy with the smell of iron and saltwater.He checked the address against the coded message and said, "This is the place."Eleanor rubbed her arms against the chill and let out a breath. "It appears to be deserted."Silas remarked, "Looks lie."They walked up to the rusty metal door, which was scuffed from years of uselessness. When Silas tested the handle, it groaned and swung inward into a void of darkness.Through the darkness, a flashlight sparked to life in Silas's grasp. In the stuffy air, dust particles swirled and settled on top of the crates that were heaped carelessly along the walls.Beside him, Eleanor moved in, her gaze sweeping the room. "Where is everyone if this was Hartwell's operation?"Silas looked around the floor. In the dust, footprints. new. It had been visited recently.As he mov
Last Updated: 2025-02-08
Chapter: Chapter 10Chapter 10: A Warning in Blood.Silas realized there was a problem as soon as he pulled open his office door. The air had an unwelcome presence and seemed heavy and oppressive. Behind him, Eleanor paused, gasping for air as she looked over the ruins.His desk was toppled, the drawers were torn off their hinges, and papers were all over the floor. Broken fragments of the light were strewn all over the hardwood table after it had been knocked from its stand. It had been looted, deliberately and with violence.With strained muscles and eyes that darted to every dark nook, Silas entered. He said, "Stay close," as he felt an invisible weight pushing against his chest.Eleanor clutched the hem of his garment with her fingers. "They had a search in mind."Grimly, Silas nodded. "They were also in a terrible rush."He looked about the devastation, looking for something that didn't belong. Then he felt his stomach knot. The contents of the safe, which was concealed under a pile of old books, w
Last Updated: 2025-02-08
