The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 101: Justice Above All

Anna’s reaction was a beat slower than Lu Li’s.

By the time his hand was already on his belt, poised to draw the flintlock pistol, Anna had only just turned toward the source of the chilling sound.

In the dim light of the narrow alley running alongside the apartment building, a translucent figure hovered.

Lu Li fixed his gaze on the ethereal entity. "Are you the ghost my client mentioned?"

"Y-yes, sir..." the ghost stammered, shrinking back in fear.

The ghost’s hair was a disheveled mess, and dark, violet bruises marred her skin. One leg was twisted inward at an unnatural angle. A tattered purple dress, soaked through, clung to her frame, water dripping steadily from its hem.

Her appearance was frozen in the moment of her death.

"I’m Lu Li," he said. "The word ‘sir’ sounds a bit strange."

The frightened ghost flinched, a flicker of hope igniting in her eyes. "Y-you’re Lu Li... Does that mean...?"

"Tell me what happened." Lu Li’s eyes rested for a moment on the bruises that marred her face. "Or I can guess."The ghost's appearance alone told Lu Li that something was deeply wrong.

"Oh... alright," the ghost whispered, nodding. A haunted look crossed her pale features as she began to speak, her voice slow and distant. "I was a waitress at the Phantom Bar."

Most young women instinctively steered clear of seedy places like bars, especially in the Rom Quarter, and she had been no different. But for girls from poor families, better opportunities were scarce. The bar, for all its noise and chaos, paid well—a wage many desperately needed.

And so, this innocent girl, like a blank page, had plunged into the sordid world of adults—a small boat tossed on a raging sea, struggling to stay afloat against the storm.

At first, things were manageable. The patrons were coarse and loud, quick with a crude joke at the waitresses' expense, but they never went any further. The heavily made-up women in revealing dresses who lingered in the corners were an easier, cheaper target for the drunks.

It was a common arrangement in most bars; owners hated trouble. Besides, the man who owned the place where she worked was stern on the outside but had a kind heart.

"I was attacked on my way home." The ghost paused, finding it difficult to go on.

Her ghastly state told the rest of the story. They had dragged her into an alley to satisfy their brutish urges. And when their lust was spent and the drunken haze cleared, when they realized what they had done... they felt a pang of remorse? Of course not.

They recognized her. They knew she worked for a man called Red. To avoid trouble with the police, and with Red himself, they drove her to the sea in the dead of night. Ignoring her screams and pleas for mercy, they tied stones to her body and threw her into the water.

That was when her leg was broken.

A desperate will to live, twisted by hatred, turned her into a ghost. She found her killers, but... she couldn't get her revenge.

Even as a ghost, she wasn't strong enough. All she could do was frighten the thugs, nothing more—especially after they grew wary and decided to hire an exorcist.

That was when Lu Li had arrived. She had watched him from afar, and when he finally left the apartment, she couldn’t stop herself from asking why he would help such monsters.

Her aura was faint, even weaker than Anna’s had been before her own power grew.

A timid soul, after all, does not harbor a fierce thirst for vengeance.

"What absolute bastards," Anna hissed, unable to contain her fury.

Lu Li remained silent for a moment before asking, "They said you don’t appear during the day."

"I hide during the day..." the ghost replied softly.

Lu Li studied her. "You’re too gentle. I don’t sense an ounce of hatred in you... Are you sure you want revenge?"

The ghost’s lips parted, but no words came out. She lowered her head as Lu Li stepped closer, drawing his flintlock pistol. The chilling aura of the barrel pressed against her forehead.

In this weather, no one was out drinking in the middle of the day, much less stumbling through the rain. The streets were nearly empty; it was unlikely anyone would notice what was happening in the alley.

"I... I can’t let it go..." a whisper, as faint as the buzz of a gnat, escaped her lips just as Lu Li was about to act.

Instantly, the flintlock pistol was lowered. The man with black eyes, his expression as calm as ever, spoke.

"I just remembered, we have some unfinished business. Perhaps we should see to that first?"

The ghost looked up, stunned, and saw Lu Li turn to the strikingly beautiful ghost girl beside him.

"What business?" Anna asked, her gaze darting from Lu Li to the other girl and back. Then, as realization dawned, she tapped her own forehead. "Oh! Right, I remember! Let’s go, quickly!"

"We’ll leave her for now. We can come back when we’ve taken care of our other business." Fastening his holster, Lu Li moved past Anna and started down the street.

"Right," Anna agreed, floating after him as her form began to dissolve into the air.

The ghost watched Lu Li and the fading silhouette walk away. Biting her lip, she lowered her head, her body trembling slightly.

"Thank you... Thank you both..."

When she looked up again, her face was streaked with tears.

"But you were just talking about rules..." Anna’s curious voice piped up beside Lu Li.

"The world isn’t black and white. The larger the sample size, the greater the chance of an outlier." Lu Li turned his head, offering her a view of his profile. "And I happen to believe in justice."

"But what if she hurts someone innocent?" Anna frowned. She approved of what Lu Li had done, but the thought of leaving the ghost completely unchecked was unsettling.

"Remember Michelle?" Lu Li replied. "It’s the same situation."

Either way, Lu Li would keep an eye on the situation. If the girl lost control, he would intervene. And if she failed, he would solve the problem in his own way.

By calling the police, for instance.

When he returned to the detective agency, the telephone on his desk was ringing off the hook.

It was Valentine, the deputy sheriff of the Sentry Post.

He had news about the case Lu Li had asked him to look into.

Sentry Post, Tuna Quarter.

Lu Li knocked on the door of a standalone house.

A muffled noise came from inside, but the door remained closed.

After waiting for a minute, Lu Li knocked again.

A loud crash from within made Lu Li frown, followed by a terrified shout from behind the door. "I-is it you?!"

"I’m a detective with the Sentry Post police," Lu Li answered. "I’d like to ask you a few questions about your wife’s disappearance."

Footsteps shuffled closer, the peephole went dark for a moment, and then the door swung open.

A young man stood on the threshold, his eyes bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles, as if he hadn't slept in days. He clutched a wooden club in one hand. The sharp smell of disinfectant wafted from the room behind him.

"No... stay away!" he screamed, his voice thick with terror. "Don’t get involved in this! Don’t let her come back, I’m begging you... Just let her go!"

Lu Li and Anna exchanged a look.

Something had changed.