The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 261: Time and Earth Bury Everything

A deep crimson hue hid behind the clouds, and a soft rustling filled the air.

The branches didn't stir—there was no wind. The sound was the patter of raindrops moistening the earth.

The rain had begun.

Snap.

Lu Li opened his umbrella and held it aloft, the canopy creating a small haven from the drumming rain.

A few drops fell toward Anna, only to be stopped by a thin, invisible barrier that kept them from touching her soul.

Anna seemed to stir from her reverie. She placed the drawing back in the small wooden box, and then set the box into the hollow in the earth.

"You can take it with you," Lu Li's voice came from behind her.

"No. Forgetting is how I'll overcome my grief."

With her back still to Lu Li, Anna rose to her feet. The mounds of earth on either side of the hole stirred, flowing back into the hollow of their own accord, burying the small box and the dirt-stained doll.Time and earth would bury everything.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help," Anna murmured, lowering her head. She drew closer, pressing sadly against Lu Li's side beneath the umbrella.

The raw emotion dispelled the cold silence that had enveloped her.

"It's fine."

Lu Li made no gallant effort to shift the umbrella and shield Anna completely—the rain couldn't harm her anyway.

Despite spending nearly all her time with him, Anna often struggled to gauge Lu Li's mood. Yet, in that simple phrase, she heard an undercurrent of reassurance, something like, "It's okay."

It was as if Lu Li had known all along...

"You knew?" Anna raised her head, astonished.

Lu Li looked down into her clear eyes. "No one buries treasure alongside a doll."

Nearby, Mery watched Lu Li and Anna by the acacia tree, the sense of relief she felt so profound that she forgot about the cold raindrops falling on her.

Youth is a beautiful thing, she thought. It's a pity that Anna is already...

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Mery out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Lu Li and Anna walking toward her.

"Aunt Mery, besides the gallery and the estate, did Mother leave anything else?" Anna asked unexpectedly.

Slightly taken aback, Mery replied, "Anlei had few possessions. She devoted her entire life to her art, and to you. Before she... passed on, she sensed her health was failing. She decided to transfer the gallery to Benjamin and gave the estate to me to establish the academy. As for her savings, she donated everything."

A deeper sadness settled over Anna.

They had come here for nothing.

What troubled her even more was the thought that she had wasted Lu Li's precious time.

Realization dawned on Mery's face. Her gaze shifted from Lu Li to Anna. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Anna gave a slight nod. "We need money."

"How much?"

"The more, the better."

An awkward expression crossed Mery's face. The academy, as per her agreement with Anna's mother, was entirely free of charge. The students paid nothing, save for their own paints and paper. This meant that Mery, as the director, had no other income.

"I can only give you five thousand shillings. I know it's not much, but it's all I have saved..." Mery said, her voice filled with regret. She was pained that she couldn't offer them more.

"Thank you for your help," Lu Li said.

Anna wasn't ready for their trip to Khimfast to end in failure. Lost in thought, she gazed at the building beyond the fountain, at the house that was once her home.

"I..."

Anna had barely started to speak when she felt Lu Li's gaze upon her. It was as if he had read her thoughts; he gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Anna asked, confused, "If we sell this estate, we'll have enough money."

"It's not time yet."

"Then when?"

"When we're ready to give up everything."

Anna fell silent.

Mery, who had listened to their exchange in silence, said gently to Anna, "Anna, would you like to go upstairs? Your mother and I kept your room in the attic. It's just as you left it."

Anna looked at the building with a nostalgic expression, but shook her head. "No, my home isn't here anymore."

Her reply brought a flicker of sadness to Mery's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an understanding smile. She looked at Anna and said, "I see you have someone to take care of you in my friend's stead."

Lu Li's expression remained impassive.

A thought seemed to strike her, and Mery asked, "Where will you be staying? Or will you travel back to Port Roadster tonight?"

Anna looked at Lu Li. He replied, "We'll find a hotel."

There was an investigators' base in Khimfast, but it wasn't a place to spend the night, especially not with Anna.

"Why don't you stay with me?" Mery looked gently at Anna. "I'd like to talk with you, to tell you about your mother..."

Anna looked at Lu Li again, seeking his permission with her gaze.

"Then we'll be in your care," Lu Li said.

Anna smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Aunt Mery."

Mery raised her hand, an instinctive desire to stroke Anna's soft black hair, but her hand froze mid-air as she remembered. She let her arm fall, a tender smile on her face. "If only Anlei knew you were still here..."

Anna's expression darkened almost imperceptibly.

"Then I'll walk with you now," Mery said, quickly changing the subject.

Anna was surprised. "Now? The lessons aren't over yet."

"The bell will ring soon, and their teachers are with them, so don't you worry," Mery smiled. "But please, wait here for a moment. I just need to grab a few things from my office."

"We'll wait for you in the carriage," Anna nodded, seeming completely unwilling to step inside her former home.

Mery let out a quiet sigh, careful not to let her disappointment show. "Alright. I won't be long."

...

The rain that had begun now washed over Khimfast.

Pedestrians on the streets quickened their pace; dusk falls faster on rainy days.

On one of the smaller streets, near a dark alleyway, a few hurried passersby suddenly heard a cry for help.

They instinctively glanced toward the sound. A woman with disheveled hair and a bloodied face stumbled into the light at the alley's edge. She was screaming desperately for help, but an instant later, a pair of hands shot out from the darkness, dragging her struggling form back into the gloom.

Only her screams and the sound of dragging echoed from the alley.

The few passersby froze, exchanging uneasy glances. Then, without a word, they lowered their heads and hurried away even faster.

They didn't notice that as soon as they turned away, the sounds of the struggle and the woman's cries abruptly stopped.

The passersby themselves vanished as well.

On this deserted street, there were no more pedestrians, and no one had witnessed the strange scene.

Then, a low, sinister voice—the woman's voice—drifted from the dark alley. "Why didn't you help me?"

"Why didn't you help me..."

The female voice repeated these words, gradually fading.

All that remained in the alley was a grisly chewing sound.