**The Thread of Fate**
Part 34
"You're both detectives, right?" V asked, her eyes locked on Doc and Myra. Doc raised an eyebrow. "Only by name," he said with a chuckle. "Ace Detectives, that's us." V smiled, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "Ace Detectives, I've got a task that would test your legitimacy." Myra leaned in, intrigued. "What kind of task?" V's gaze drifted to the side as she pulled off her scarf, revealing a scar that ran along the length of her throat. Myra's eyes widened in shock. "How'd you get that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. V's eyes clouded over for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was low and husky. "Someone slew my throat. I was lucky to have survived." Doc's eyes narrowed. "What happened?" V's gaze drifted back to them, and for a moment, Myra thought she saw a flash of recognition. "You two happened," V said, her voice laced with a hint of gratitude. "You managed to save me just in time. I lost a lot of blood, but you... you somehow managed to patch me up." Myra's mind reeled as she stared at V's scar. Where had she seen that before? And then, like a punch to the gut, the TV in the corner of the café flickered to life, casting an eerie glow over the room. "...breaking news, Victoria Smith, renowned businesswoman and heiress, has been found dead in her mansion. The police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding her death..." Myra's eyes snapped back to V, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. The resemblance was uncanny. The piercing green eyes, the sharp jawline, the same mischievous glint in her eyes. "V?" Myra said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you... are you Victoria?" V's expression turned enigmatic, and for a moment, Myra thought she saw a flicker of something else in her eyes - a deep sadness, a longing. "Perhaps," V said, her voice low and husky. "Perhaps I'm someone who knows her." Myra's mind reeled as she tried to process the implications. Was V from another parallel universe? Was she the Victoria who had died? Doc's eyes narrowed, his gaze locked on V. "What do you want from us, V?" V's smile grew wider, and for a moment, Myra thought she saw a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "I want you to help me unravel the thread of fate," V said, her voice dripping with intrigue. "A thread that binds us all, across worlds and dimensions." Myra's heart skipped a beat as she stared at V, her mind racing with questions. What did V mean? And what lay at the end of this thread?