The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 371: A Single Matter

"When are you coming for your share?" Lu Li asked, ready to pay Marcus the promised sum without renegotiating.

With the 250 investigation points he'd just earned, he needed to scrape together 5,000 shillings.

"Of course— Damn it!" A crash echoed through the line, followed by a muffled shout, and Marcus's voice vanished. A moment later, Lu Li could hear the faint sound of retreating footsteps.

A few seconds later, Marcus was back on the line, his voice a frantic whisper. "I'm in a bit of trouble—the police found me! Dammit... I'll call you back. I have to run!"

Slamming the receiver down, Marcus spun toward the door as it shuddered violently in its frame. He snatched a pre-packed suitcase from under his desk, yanked the telephone cord from the wall, stuffed the entire apparatus inside, and latched the case shut before flinging open the window.

The roar of the rain outside grew louder. Marcus glanced down at the muddy alley four or five meters below, took a deep breath, and leaped from the second-story window.

A dull thud echoed from the alley below. At the same instant, the door splintered open, and several police officers brandishing batons stormed into the room.

Rushing to the window, they spotted a figure already retreating down the narrow lane.

"He's getting away!" a young officer exclaimed, ready to give chase, but his superior stopped him with a raised hand. "Go tell the exorcists their man has fled."

"But aren't we going to chase him?" the young officer demanded impatiently.If we go after him now, we might...

"The exorcists are after that one. If you've got a death wish, be my guest," the old sheriff scoffed. "We've got our own hands full without meddling in their affairs. Find that missing caravan first! And another thing—the mayor is gathering everyone in the square. Go fetch the exorcists."

Lu Li knew someone was after Marcus, but he didn't know it was the police.

Placing the receiver back on its cradle, Lu Li resolved to keep his distance from Marcus from now on. Getting dragged into the man's troubles was the last thing he needed.

"Who was that?" Anna asked, her curiosity piqued by the incessant ringing.

Lu Li recounted the conversation. Anna's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "If Marcus dies," she mused, "we won't have to pay him, will we?"

Lu Li gave Anna a level look. "That's not how we do things."

Sensing the gravity in his tone, Anna seemed to drop the idea. "I was only joking."

Anna picked up the paper bag of groceries from the table and headed to the kitchen to light the stove and start on lunch.

Lu Li remained at the table, sorting through the mail and other items that had piled up during the ten days he'd spent on the Shadow Puppeteer case.

There were four letters. Three were from Mrs. Slav, the most recent dated three days ago. Apparently, the relentless rain had temporarily dampened her pursuit of him.

The fourth was from Remi and Jimmy. It had arrived yesterday afternoon, while he and Anna were taking shelter at their clifftop refuge.

Lu Li didn't bother opening the three love letters, simply tucking them away with the others in the farthest corner of his desk drawer.

With the soft tear of paper, Lu Li slit open the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Anna glanced out from the kitchen at the sound.

"I can see the letter," she reminded Lu Li.

Anna was already aware of how "the door" had reappeared during the Shadow Puppeteer's ritual to tempt Lu Li, and how she, despite being right beside him, had failed to notice a thing.

"I know." Lu Li unfolded the letter, and a perfectly preserved, yellow-brown maple leaf fluttered out.

[Dear Lu Li!]

[It's been a while. How have you been?]

[Did you see our little gift? When Jimmy found it, he was as happy as a child and wanted to show it to you immediately, so I decided to enclose it with the letter. I hope you like it.]

[I hope your Mind Level isn't troubling you anymore, and my brother has recovered as well. I think soon we'll...]

[Jimmy just told me he's all right and wants to see you in Belfast as soon as possible. Ah... but that's not possible right now. As soon as the storm passes, we'll head to Belfast, and maybe even settle down there. You wouldn't mind, would you?]

[I'm kidding, but I really would like to settle down somewhere...]

[By the way, be careful lately, and if you can, it might be best not to stay in the city. I don't know why, but I have this feeling that something terrible is emerging from the depths of the ocean. Maybe it's just my imagination... I hope so.]

[Well, that's all. Next time, maybe we'll come in person instead of sending a letter. Please don't chase us away.]

[Your good friends, Remi and Jimmy.]

Lu Li’s gaze lingered on the lines describing Remi's premonition. Finally, he looked away, placed the maple leaf with the pine needle he'd received before, and began to write his response.

His reply, as usual, was brief: [If you can't approach the city, go to the cliff in the Elm Forest. There's a shelter there. You can wait for me.]

Lu Li trusted the forest, which meant he could also trust the friends he had once been close to.

After sealing the letter and affixing a stamp, he set it on the corner of the table and cleared away the other items.

Meanwhile, Anna, having set a pot of pork to simmer, came out of the kitchen. She joined Lu Li in staring at the five stacked crates of canned goods.

A faint creak. With a grating screech of tortured wood, nails pulled free from the crates, and the lids rose as if lifted by an invisible hand.

"Summit" brand preserves. Each small tin, adorned with a label like a miniature work of art, rested in its own wooden compartment, cushioned by tightly packed cotton wool to prevent damage. As a result, each crate—large enough that one had to wrap their arms around it—held only twelve tins.

The tiny tins, no bigger than a girl's fist, made one wonder just how much they could possibly hold. Lu Li picked one up. He had braced himself for disappointment, but the reality was even more staggering.

A single tin weighed less than two hundred grams.

A fifth of that was the tin itself. The bulk of the crates' weight, it seemed, also came from the wood.

"Open it," Lu Li said.

The lid of the tin in his hand ruptured. Its edges peeled back, releasing the rich aroma of a meat pâté.

Inside was a thick, savory paste.

It was the sort of thing you spread on soft bread or added to soup for flavor, not something to live on during hard times.

Apparently, the aristocracy had a rather skewed perception of how the common folk lived.

Lu Li's gaze fell on the remaining four crates.

The lids of the other crates lifted in succession. A few moments later, all fifty-nine remaining tins had been transferred into a single, undivided crate, with plenty of room to spare.

"You can't trust women. You're far too gullible," Anna declared with a mysterious prejudice and a strange hint of satisfaction, carrying the opened tin and the consolidated crate into the kitchen.

Whether Anna's cooking skills had improved or it was simply the quality of the meat pâté, lunch was surprisingly delicious.

The damp sofa was too uncomfortable to sit on, so after lunch, Lu Li settled into the wooden armchair at his desk, where he remained until evening.

A sharp rap echoed through the room. Someone was knocking at the agency door.