The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 354: The Death of Eileen

"The guards found Rola. His frantic resistance forced them to act decisively. They beheaded him. The viscount has ordered them to remove the body," Vincent announced as he entered the room, leaning against the doorframe.

Several shadowy figures flitted past in the corridor.

"Where is Sara?" Petra asked from the bed.

The doctor's assistant was dressing his injured arm. A dozen blood-soaked bandages lay discarded by the wastebasket.

"Instead of worrying about women, you should be more concerned with your own wounds," Vincent quipped, but still answered, "It seems she's gone back to her room."

"Back?"

Petra's bloodless face twisted into a grimace.

"Have our investigators discovered anything?" Vincent asked, glancing at him.

"Sara must have found something..." Petra mused.

Rola, brought back from the dead, had burst out of the cellar and attacked people. Logically, Sara, of all people, should have been the most invested in finding and stopping him immediately. Yet she had simply returned to her room.Unless there was something even more disturbing in her room.

"The diary I peeked into!" the Baroness suddenly exclaimed. "I was so careful, she shouldn't have noticed a thing..."

"That's not for you to decide." Petra's expression grew grim. He pressed a hand to his forehead and groaned, "Damn it, I've lost too much blood. Just let me rest for a moment..."

"He's lost a lot of blood. What about a transfusion?" Lu Li asked, looking at Dr. Midri.

"A transfusion?" Dr. Midri turned, looking at Lu Li with surprise. "Someone who knows a word like 'transfusion' ought to be aware of the risks... I won't attempt one unless he loses consciousness from the blood loss."

"Are the risks that high?" Lu Li pressed.

"Yes. More than half of all patients who receive them die. Especially at the hands of some ignorant physician attempting a direct transfusion."

They haven't discovered blood types yet?

Lu Li made a mental note of it.

"So, is the baroness next?" Lulu asked.

Petra nodded. "Yes. If she discovers someone read her diary, she'll do whatever it takes to protect her secret..."

[You are here, Sara's voice said. She had found Petra, who was being tended to.]

Suddenly, a strange, ancient voice echoed deep in their consciousness.

Vincent, who was leaning against the door, pressed himself flat against the frame to let "Sara" into the room.

[The maid Eileen fearfully hid behind Lu Li. Her reaction confirmed some of Sara's suspicions. Forcing down her impatience, Sara solicitously asked about Petra's condition before turning to Eileen with a composed expression. "Eileen, Father wants to see you."]

["Lord Viscount?" Eileen seemed to grasp at a last straw, her eyes shining with hope. "Of course! I can tell the viscount that the young lady killed Rola and used his body for some horrible ritual!" Eileen sidestepped Lu Li, hurried fearfully past Sara, and fled the room.]

"I'm going to see the viscount."

The Baroness clicked her tongue, an almost imperceptible sound. Her narrowed eyes met Lu Li's for a moment before she turned and left the bedroom, following the script.

["Eileen and I are going to see Father. Please continue to look after Petra," Sara said softly, and followed Eileen out.]

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lulu rushed after the Baroness.

Petra sighed, his brow furrowed. He could think of no excuse to stop the baroness. His gaze fell upon Lu Li and Vincent.

"Vincent and I will go protect the baroness," Lu Li said, meeting Petra's gaze.

Petra sank back against the pillows in relief.

"I think something's wrong with Eileen. I'll go check," Lu Li declared, inventing an excuse as he walked out of the room.

Vincent was about to follow him when the strange, ancient voice echoed again.

["I think something's wrong with Eileen. I'm going to check," the perceptive Lu Li said, having noticed Sara and Eileen's strange behavior. "Vincent, you stay with Petra." "Alright, I'll watch him," Vincent replied.]

Vincent had no choice but to stay behind and watch Lu Li leave alone.

...

Squelch.

A boot sole sank into the garden muck, leaving a deep impression that instantly filled with water.

The rain was relentless. When Lu Li reached the garden, he found the Baroness among a patch of withered bushes.

She lay in the mud, and the butler was trying to help her up. Several yards away, "Sara" advanced on them, shovel in hand.

"Eileen! My lady!" Lu Li shouted, running toward them.

["Eileen! My lady!" The sudden shout made Sara and Eileen turn. Eileen screamed desperately at Lu Li, "Save me! The young lady wants to kill me!"]

Lu Li stared, stunned by the scene and uncertain how to act. Instinctively, he started toward Eileen.

Leaving a trail of footprints in the mud, his wet hair plastered to his forehead, Lu Li approached them.

["Do you know what Eileen did?" Sara suddenly addressed Lu Li. "She seduced my fiancé, Fran Francis! In my own room, they..." Sara's words stopped Lu Li in his tracks. He turned to face her.]

["No, I didn't... Lu Li, help me! She wants to—" "Why did you do it?!" Sara shouted over Eileen's frantic cries. The dense bushes and the distance to the house concealed her voice from anyone else. "The butler, the servants, the cook... can you deny what you did with them?!"]

[Sara's voice grew quieter, but it was thick with growing pain, despair, and suffering. She whispered, "I thought you were my best friend... why did you betray me..."]

[Sara looked up, and Lu Li saw her anguished face. "You understand, don't you? You feel even more pain than I do..." Sara walked up to Lu Li, pressed the shovel into his hands, and whispered like a tempting devil, "Go on. Unleash your rage... strike."]

[Lu Li's chest heaved, his eyes were bloodshot, burning with rage. He snapped his head up, swung the shovel, and brought it down toward the screaming Eileen!]

Unable to lift the Baroness, the butler, Lulu, got to his feet and shielded her with his body, pushing her aside.

"Pull them apart," Lu Li whispered.

The swinging shovel plunged into a puddle with a splash, sending up a spray of water that was instantly lost in the downpour.

At the last second, the fallen Baroness and Lulu the butler were thrown aside by an invisible force, clear of the shovel's path.

The ancient voice continued to resonate.

[Eileen, scrambling backward, had dodged the blow. She was screaming loudly, but Lu Li, consumed by rage, paid her no mind. He raised the shovel again and swung at Eileen!]

Lu Li's pupils contracted sharply.