Stop trying to control me, Miss Moriarty!

Chapter 26 The Man with the Crooked Lips

Ailin nodded with satisfaction.

As expected of Sherlock Holmes, he analyzed Cornelia's personality and the correct way to deal with her based on just a few words from earlier.

He turned his gaze to her: "Miss Watson, regarding that clearly biased accusation just now, don't you have anything to say?"

Tsk—

Aysa turned her head away unhappily.

After calming down, she realized that, judging from the way Adler and Mistrud interacted, there was clearly no dirty relationship between them.

But that doesn't stop him from being a scumbag.

Her gaze had already drifted to the wallpaper pattern in the corner of the room. She spoke reluctantly, her tone full of perfunctoriness: "I'm sorry, Mr. Adler, I misunderstood."

Then, Aysa quickly turned her head, her voice urging, "Let's go, Charlotte. It's time to finish the task."

All she wanted to do right now was get out of this room and that disgusting guy.

However, Charlotte seemed not to hear her reminder at all.

She carefully brushed the dust off her clothes from the fall, then looked up, her lake-blue eyes locking onto Erin.

"Mr. Adler, could you please be my temporary assistant?"

Just as Erin was pondering what approach to take to get involved in the case, Charlotte unexpectedly took the initiative to invite him.

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Holmes. I hope I can be of assistance." He replied with a smile.

……ah?

Asha looked confused.

Why did Charlotte invite that guy?

How could that guy agree so readily?!

"Miss Holmes, please briefly describe the events of the case."

"Okay, let's start from a few days ago..." Charlotte sat on the bed and began to recount the story in a steady voice.

The official assistant, left standing to the side, felt inexplicably irritated as he watched the two begin discussing the case.

On the other side, Cornelia's emerald eyes sparkled, having long since forgotten about that unpleasant experience.

The case is solved!

A real-life detective story that happens right before your eyes!

Those fascinating cases featured in "Seaside Magazine" are actually happening right here in my neighborhood! Coming here was definitely the right decision!

She quickly found a chair and sat down, listening attentively like a good child.

"...That's basically the situation."

Charlotte briefly recounted the cause, course, and outcome of the case, then turned her gaze to Erin: "Mr. Adler, based on the information currently available, do you have any opinions or questions?"

"Hmm..." Erin rested her chin on her right hand, looking deep in thought.

He pretended to think for a moment before asking, "Miss Holmes, did Mr. St. Clair show any unusual behavior, either in terms of health or finances, before his disappearance?"

"Yes, according to the medical report, Mr. St. Clair is in excellent health." Charlotte nodded in confirmation.

"As for his finances, I have found that he has a total of £88.10 in debt, but at the same time, he has £220 in deposits in the Capital County Bank, and his cash flow is normal, with no large expenditures or incomes."

"I see." Erin nodded.

The background and details of this case are almost identical to those in the original work.

He concluded, "So, setting aside other unclear details, there are two key questions: First, what exactly was Mr. St. Clair doing at Goldfinch Pavilion? Second, why did he wait a full four days after disappearing to send his wife a letter to let her know he was safe?"

“I have a question,” Cornelia raised her hand. “I understand the second point. But isn’t a grown man here to do those… well, depraved things? What’s there to doubt?”

Charlotte patiently explained to her, "If it were a matter of indulgence or drug use, as his wife who lives with him day and night, Mrs. St. Clair would surely have noticed it from his lifestyle, mental state, or physical signs. As for gambling, judging from Mr. St. Clair's bank statements and debt situation, he is not a gambler who is addicted to it."

Cornelia roughly understood. She looked out the window and muttered softly, "He couldn't possibly be here to admire the Thames, could he?"

"Who knows?" Erin smiled slightly and stood up from her chair. "Miss Holmes, I propose we begin the investigation immediately. Since Mr. St. Clair entered this place, he must have left traces. How about we start with this floor?"

"Agreed," Charlotte replied succinctly.

Erin turned her gaze, her tone concerned: "Madam, are you going to stay here? After all, the situation outside..."

Cornelia jumped off the chair, her face flushed, and clenched her fists: "That was just because I wasn't prepared! I'll get used to it!"

Her youthful voice was full of confidence.

Asha followed them, looking unhappy.

In any case, this oddly assembled, hastily put-together four-person team began its operation.

.

Third floor lobby.

As soon as Erin and his group entered, those malicious gazes once again enveloped them.

"Hey, look over there!"

"Fuck! How did these two disgusting magicians end up together?"

"Three women and one man? Tsk tsk... little girls, teenage girls, and then mature women, this kid has pretty eclectic tastes, he really knows how to have fun..."

As expected, the foul language spread again, even more explicit and vulgar than before.

Aysa quickly stepped aside to block Cornelia's view, while gently comforting her, "Madam, you don't need to pay attention to the nonsense of these scumbags."

"I'm... fine!" Her voice, uttered through gritted teeth, was utterly unconvincing.

"Where should we begin?" Erin asked in his usual tone.

Charlotte's gaze swept across the hall: "The first priority is to confirm the target's last known location here and who they came into contact with."

"In that case, I have a good idea." Erin smiled.

"You wouldn't be thinking of...?"

"Don't worry, everyone who appears here is scum."

Cornelia tugged at Asha's sleeve: "What are they talking about?"

"……I don't know either."

Erin turned to the side and pointed to the group of people talking the loudest in the corner: "Madam, could you do me a small favor? Let those loose-tongued gentlemen experience firsthand the meaning of 'the devil is in the details'?"

Cornelia was taken aback at first, but quickly recovered, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes: "No problem! Leave it to me!"

She gently raised her finger.

The magical pressure arrived as expected, precisely enveloping the area Erin had indicated.

The air there seemed to have turned into a heavy mountain range, making it hard for the group to breathe, and their bodies made direct contact with the ground.

"Guest, private fights are prohibited here..."

The waiter, who had been watching from the shadows, had no choice but to bite the bullet and run out.

Before he could finish speaking, another man dressed differently, with faint magical energy emanating from him, rushed over and slapped him on the back of the head.

"Shut up, you idiot!"

He then wiped the sweat from his brow, roughly pressed the waiter's head down, and together they bowed deeply in the direction of Erin and his companions: "I am deeply sorry! I failed to manage my subordinate properly, causing him to disturb your distinguished guests!"

This scene made all the previous noise disappear completely in an instant.

The entire third-floor hall fell into an unprecedented silence, with only faint, lewd sounds coming from the distant rooms.

The vast magic of the Golden Sparrow Pavilion naturally requires a magician to maintain it, and this person is one of them.

Although those who take on this kind of work are certainly not of high rank, they are still magicians with privileges. This humble, almost fearful attitude is enough to make even an idiot realize what's going on.

The others huddled together in the corner, like a flock of quails huddled together before a storm. They either lowered their heads or looked away, completely unable to look at Erin and the others.

Erin stepped forward and reassured everyone in a gentle tone, "Please rest assured, everyone, we will not break the rules here."

Then, he walked over to the men who were struggling to breathe under the pressure of magic, raised his foot, and stepped on the head of the man who had been shouting the loudest.

"Sir, you seem to have a strong opinion about magicians as a group?"