NOVEL WEB Chapter 14: 14
Chapter 66 Report (First Update)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3518 words Update time: 2025-05-19 13:00:00
Black hair, blue eyes, and a weird notebook...
What kind of clue is this? There are many people with black hair and blue eyes in the dock area alone. The only one worth paying attention to is the so-called notebook.
But this is not a conspicuous feature. Let's not talk about how strange the notebook is. It doesn't mean that the other party will always carry the notebook with him when he goes out...
With this information, Caroline made another round of inquiries in the dock area.
As a result, after a whole morning, Caroline asked many people, and the answers she got were almost the same as what the old man said.
This was mainly because when the car accident happened, most people's attention was drawn to the spinach scattered on the ground, resulting in basically no one paying attention to the uninjured pedestrian.
The description they told Caroline was similar, black hair, blue eyes, and as for the note, some people saw it and some didn't.
As a result, Caroline's investigation hit a bottleneck again.
However, the investigation was not without results. At least she learned from the witnesses that on the day of the car accident, Workman did have a certain conflict with the pedestrian, and the pedestrian's behavior made people who saw the scene feel uneasy.
From this perspective, there is something to discuss about Workman's murder, and the pedestrian also has a motive and can be added to the list of possible murderers.
But it still seems strange. It's still the same logic. It's just a car accident with no casualties, just a verbal conflict. Could it really develop into a murder case?
Was this chain of logic simply because she was overthinking it? Was the reason she imagined for the murder too far-fetched?
But now that she had a new idea for handling the case, Caroline prepared to report it to the police.
At least for now, Tang En is not the only suspect, and he cannot be treated as a suspect directly in any case.
After organizing the language based on all the clues and intelligence she had collected, Caroline rushed non-stop from the dock area to the Tingen Police Station in the west district.
When she arrived at the police station, it was almost noon. There were no citizens coming in or out of the police station. Instead, the police officers inside were either holding documents or walking around in groups of three or four in the already crowded hall.
Caroline walked into the police station with steady steps. This was her second time here, but the first time she came here passively, while the second time she came here on her own initiative.
After she told the police officer at the call center her purpose, the officer, whose eyes and face showed a certain degree of fatigue, perked up a little, quickly helped her complete the reporting process, and asked her to go to the interrogation room and wait for a while.
Caroline, who had walked the route once, did not need any guidance. She turned from the police station lobby into the side corridor with familiarity, and then walked all the way to the interrogation room where she had been yesterday.
It was still the same interrogation room, with bright lights and potted plants, completely different from the treatment Tang En received that day.
I sat on the chair and waited for a while. Not long after, a police officer walked into the interrogation room from the corridor with a notebook.
As soon as the police officer saw Caroline, a smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Miss Caroline, it's you again!"
The police officer who came was one of the two police officers who were responsible for questioning her that day. Caroline still remembered him. He was the one who laughed the most happily at her hellish joke.
Caroline also said with some emotion:
"I didn't expect you would still remember me, Officer."
The police officer pulled out a chair and sat down, shaking his head and smiling bitterly:
"I had a special training course in the police academy to learn how to memorize faces. I had to memorize the faces of 100 wanted criminals a day. Compared to those strange faces, your appearance, Miss Caroline, is much easier to remember."
After saying that, he turned to a blank page in his notes, looked up at Caroline, and asked:
"So Miss Caroline, do you have anything to report?"
Caroline was not vague and immediately relayed the information she had collected in the morning.
From the accidental discovery of the car accident that Walkerman had been in, to why she suspected the pedestrian, to the clues she had just obtained from her investigation at the dock area, replacing the unspeakable content such as the "void cube", Caroline told almost everything she knew, all the information she could currently obtain and the analysis and reasoning she had conducted to the police officer in front of her.
The police officers did not expect that in less than a day, Caroline had already collected this information on her own.
When the police officer heard that she suspected the pedestrian might have committed a crime, his already frowned brows furrowed even more.
"Can we pause for a moment?"
The police officer tapped the table with the cap of his pen, signaling Caroline to pause.
Then, he looked at the information recorded in the notebook and asked Caroline:
"Do you think that the pedestrian involved in the traffic accident had a motive? I don't quite understand this idea. Can you explain your analysis to me in more detail?"
To be honest, I'm not sure, but I can't tell you it's just my inspiration...
Caroline thought helplessly and replied softly:
"I just think that the pedestrian also had reasons for committing the crime, based on the testimonies of several witnesses to the accident."
"Confession... Miss Caroline, you really know how to use words."
The police officer smiled and continued:
"Your reasoning lacks sufficient evidence. We have also learned about the accident. Since there were no casualties, and both parties resolved the issue on the spot... well, you could say it was not resolved, but it was definitely resolved on the spot. So it is unreasonable for you to believe that an ordinary citizen who only met the deceased once is a suspect based on this little clue."
"It is true that gangsters often roam around the dock area, but after investigating the scene, we have ruled out the possibility of gang involvement."
The meaning of the police officers' words was very clear, they would not use Caroline's reasoning as the direction of their investigation.
Caroline had anticipated this, and she did not expect the police to be convinced by just one or two words from her.
Investigating a case requires evidence, but she doesn't have solid evidence now.
"Well, I just thought it might help the case a little."
Caroline sighed and said.
"You are very responsible for taking this matter so seriously."
The police officer said with a relieved smile.
"From yesterday till now, most of the reports we received were from people who hoped that we could handle this case quickly. After all, the murder happened in the West District, which has always had good public security. The last time such a horrific case occurred in the West District was the suicide of Mr. Welch and Ms. Naya a few days ago."
"Two murders occurred within a short period of one month, which has caused the public to doubt the ability of our police department."
The police officer's words revealed fatigue and weakness. Caroline could see that he did feel a little disappointed about the public's distrust.
There was nothing she could do about it, so she could only say encouragingly:
"I hope you can truly solve this case and give Mr. Workman an explanation."
The police officer looked at Caroline, shook his head and said:
"I know what you're worried about, Miss Caroline."
"But I'm sorry, based on the clues we have so far, Mr. Tang En is a major suspect in the crime."
"We only found out last night that just a week ago, Mr. Workman and Mr. Tang had a fierce argument at his residence, and Mr. Tang even smashed Mr. Workman's plate."
Caroline had already seen this information in the "report", but she didn't know that Don had smashed the things in the Walkerman family.
No wonder Tang En was directly subject to compulsory measures. From this point of view, he is indeed highly suspected of committing the crime...
But the more this happened, the more Caroline felt that Tang En was unlikely to be the real murderer.
Because Workman died so peacefully.
He was so calm that it didn't seem like he had just had a conflict with Tang En, who might be the murderer.
"Anyway, thank you for taking the time out of your trip to provide us with clues. On behalf of the Tingen Police Department, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you."
After explaining the situation, the police officer stood up and shook hands with Caroline.
Since the police station did not intend to accept this clue, Caroline would not force it.
After shaking hands with the police officer, Caroline walked out of the interrogation room with the other party seeing her off, and then left the police station.
After stepping out of the police station door, Caroline looked back at the busy police station lobby.
Looking at the shadowy figures of the policemen inside, Caroline felt an indescribable worry.
But what more could she ask for? She had done what she was supposed to do.
This matter probably has nothing to do with me anymore.
Thinking of this, Caroline prepared to leave the area and find a restaurant to satisfy her hungry stomach.
Just as Caroline was about to walk away, she heard a weathered but steady voice coming from behind, calling her.
"Miss Caroline?"
Caroline turned around and saw Mr. Neil, whom she had just met a few days ago, walking slowly towards her from the other end of the street.
He was wearing a faded black hat and a slovenly coat, and he walked on the sunny street despite the heat.
"Old Mr. Neil."
Caroline turned around politely and greeted Old Neil with a smile.
Old Neil touched his nose and said leisurely:
"Just old Neil, don't add sir."
He looked at Caroline, then turned to look at the police station next to him, and then asked:
"Did you run into any trouble at the police station?"
Caroline shook her head and denied:
"No, no, I just encountered a case before."
She briefly told Old Neil about the accidental murder, and then explained why she came to the police station today.
After listening to Caroline's explanation, Old Neil smacked his lips and said jokingly:
"It seems that your luck is not very good. You always encounter such unpleasant things when traveling."
"Well, who knows?"
Caroline shrugged and spread her palms to show her helplessness.
After laughing a few times, Old Neil observed Caroline's condition and asked thoughtfully:
"You said you suspected that the real murderer might be someone else. Can you tell me why you thought that pedestrian might have committed the crime?"
Caroline, who had already explained the reason to the police, suddenly felt the urge to speak out when facing Old Neil, but she didn't want to cause trouble for Old Neil, so she said casually:
"It's just a sudden feeling. Maybe my imagination is too rich."
"Do you suddenly feel something..."
Old Neil's expression changed slightly, but Caroline didn't catch this detail.
After thinking for a while, Old Neil asked again:
"What are the characteristics of that pedestrian? Why do you feel this way?"
"Ah, just a casual exchange. Anyway, I'm an old man and I just came out to buy some things."
Seeing Old Neil's sincere look, Caroline stopped being polite.
"Well, I didn't get much information about that man, but many people who have seen him think he's a bit scary."
"Well, he has black hair and blue eyes, and the clothes he wears are not expensive."
"Oh, and some people say he carries a weird-looking notebook."Chapter 67: Nighthawks in Action (Part 2)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3157 words Update time: 2025-05-19 18:00:19
"A strange-looking...notebook?"
The smile on Old Neil's face slowly disappeared, and his expression became visibly stiff.
Caroline, who had only said it unintentionally, immediately noticed the change in Old Neil. Although she didn't know why Old Neil suddenly looked like this, she vaguely felt an indescribable sense of tension from him.
"You said someone saw that guy carrying a notebook? What kind of notebook was that?"
Old Neil asked in a hurried tone. He subconsciously took a step forward and approached Caroline. Then he immediately realized the inappropriateness of his behavior and quickly withdrew from Caroline's social privacy distance.
Doubts soon arose in Caroline's heart. Old Neil's repeated misbehavior made her realize that there might be some inside story behind this matter that she didn't know about.
But why is Old Neil so nervous?
Seeing old Neil's anxious eyes, Caroline quickly mobilized her memory and recalled the statements of all the witnesses.
But after thinking about it carefully, the previous witnesses did not focus on describing the notebook, so she could only say to Old Neil:
"I'm sorry, but the information I got didn't include a detailed description of the notebook. The only thing I know is that the notebook must be very special, otherwise people wouldn't think it looked 'weird' just by taking a casual glance at it."
The expectation in Old Neil's eyes slightly turned into a little disappointment, but he did not show this emotion very obviously. He just lowered his head and whispered to himself:
"No wonder. It's really hard to attract attention with just one notebook... If someone specifically records what the notebooks on other people look like, that would be even more suspicious..."
Then he looked up at Caroline again.
Old Neil straightened himself up a little and put on a little smile again.
"I'm sorry, that's a bit intrusive."
"Let me introduce myself again. I'm Old Neil. I'm a part-time consultant at the Tingen Police Department. I'm semi-retired now."
A consultant for the police station? Wow, Old Neil is indeed a man of status!
Old Neil's sudden confession didn't actually surprise Caroline too much. She had long thought that Old Neil was most likely not an ordinary old man, but she didn't expect that Old Neil would be an official.
Eh, if that's the case, then "Dragon Bar" can be considered to be endorsed by an official...
Caroline's attention was drawn to something inexplicable, but she didn't stray far.
"Then should I pay tribute to you and ask the respected consultant not to hold me responsible for what happened in the bar that night?"
Caroline said to Old Neil with a smile.
The latter laughed and pointed with his finger:
"If I find you hanging around in a bar again, I'll catch you and teach you a lesson before you return to Backlund."
After a joke, both of them felt a little relieved.
Caroline looked inside the police station again, then turned to Old Neil, put away her smile, and asked tentatively:
"So, did my intelligence work?"
Old Neil straightened his expression, nodded and replied:
"If what you said is true, then there is indeed something fishy about Workman's death."
"Is it because of the pedestrian? Or the notebook?"
Caroline asked, making the shape of a note in the air with her hand.
Old Neil stared at Caroline and said in a serious tone:
"I can't tell you that... The story behind this case, well, isn't that simple."
Caroline's heart was shocked. The fact that these words came out of Old Neil's mouth meant that the whole case seemed to have reached a point where things were not going well.
Is Old Neil warning me not to investigate further?
Just as Caroline was thinking the above, Old Neil said exactly as she thought:
"I will re-investigate this incident with my colleagues, and the rest will be left to us."
Then, Old Neil raised his hand and touched the stubble on his chin, and asked:
"How many days do you have left on your trip to Tingen?"
Caroline answered truthfully:
"There are still two days left. I plan to go back on Friday."
"Well, then you should enjoy the remaining time you have."
As he spoke, Old Neil pressed down his hat, moved closer to Caroline, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"This case is unusually dangerous. It is best not to investigate further."
"I can assure you that those who have nothing to do with the case will be cleared of all charges, in the name of the Goddess of Night."
Old Neil's words were filled with seriousness that could not be ignored. He even swore to God.
And Caroline is naturally not the kind of character used to advance the plot in the story and act on her own. She is very receptive to advice.
"Well, I haven't been here today."
Caroline's inexplicable words made Old Neil stunned for a moment.
He blinked and looked at Caroline, who looked mysterious. It was a bit like the style of a secret organization, which made him laugh.
...
Inside the Blackthorn Security Company, the hot air was blocked outside by the tightly closed door, and the inside of the house was unexpectedly cool.
Luo Shan, who worked at the reception desk, sat behind the desk as usual, flipping through a large newspaper boredly.
On the sofa next to them, Klein and Leonard Mitchell each sat on a corner of the sofa.
The former was holding a teacup, savoring the rare good tea inside, while the latter didn't seem to care about afternoon tea at all, his eyes focused on a book that looked like a collection of poems in his hand.
When Old Neil pushed the door open, they had just begun discussing, out of boredom, how weird the weather was in Tingen today.
"Good afternoon, my friends at leisure."
Old Neil walked in through the front door, bringing a little of the hot air from outside into the house.
"Good afternoon, old Neil!"
Seeing Old Neil coming, Roshan, who was bored and thought the more people the better, greeted him happily.
"Your timing of coming is not very clever. Klein and I have already eaten a lot of the poor afternoon tea."
Leonard smiled, put down the poetry book in his hand, and pointed to the few remaining cookies on the plate on the coffee table.
Old Neil smiled and waved his hand:
"If you come a little later, I won't pursue afternoon tea anymore."
While the few of them were joking, Klein came back and noticed the strangeness of Old Neil's arrival.
You know, he usually doesn't enter the security company directly through the main entrance.
"Did something happen?"
Klein asked sharply.
"Little Klein, your vigilance is very good. You are worthy of being our 'Fortune Teller'."
Old Neil gave Klein a thumbs up.
"Any mission?"
Leonard asked next.
Old Neil nodded and asked first:
"Is our dear captain in the office?"
Klein and Leonard both nodded in response.
"Very good, Klein, Leonard, both of you come with me to meet the captain."
Old Neil put down the bag of fruits in his hand and said.
"That notebook appears to have appeared."
Klein's eyes lit up as he sat on the sofa. He didn't expect Old Neil to give such explosive information right after he arrived.
Without hesitation, he and Leonard stood up from the sofa almost at the same time.
Following Old Neil's footsteps, the three of them walked into the security company, passed through the partition, and knocked on the door of Dunn...Smith's office.
"Come in."
Dunn Smith's deep, gentle voice rings out as always.
The three men entered the office, and Old Neil did not hesitate to tell Dunn about the possible connection between the notes and the murder of Workman.
"Walkerman? The vendor who was found dead in his home the day before yesterday?"
Leonard confirmed, pinching his chin.
Klein frowned slightly. He remembered this incident. He had interacted with the vegetable vendor Workman several times. He had the impression that he was not the type to make enemies with others, although he did like to take advantage of others.
He was one of the people involved in the "tender spinach" incident that Melissa had described before. As a result, something happened to Workman the next day. Melissa was terrified that night, and he and Benson comforted her for a long time at the dining table before she calmed down.
I didn't expect that this murder case would be related to the Antigonus family notebook that had been missing for many days…
Klein thought in silence.
Dunn Smith sat up straight, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and asked:
"Are you sure?"
Old Neil nodded affirmatively:
"This is information revealed to me by someone involved in the case. She was one of the people who discovered the scene on the day Walkerman was found dead. And today, she went to the dock area to investigate and confirmed that the pedestrian who had a traffic accident with Walkerman was carrying a strange notebook."
Dunn Smith frowned slightly, and he pondered slowly:
"I have also learned about the murder of Walkerman. The police's current explanation is that one of his business partners is a major suspect."
"I've seen their summary of the scene, and it certainly doesn't look like a murder scene that would occur after a conflict."
"But, Old Neil, why do you think the information from that person involved can be trusted?"
Facing Dunn Smith's gray-eyed gaze, Old Neil said with certainty:
"The person involved is a traveler from Backlund. Her identity can be verified. I have used my psychic vision to examine her body and found that..."
After saying this, Old Neil hesitated for a moment, but continued to give a reason:
"She's half 'hunter'."
Half "Hunter"?
Klein was puzzled for a moment. He roughly knew that "Hunter" should be the starting sequence of a certain path, but why was it "half"?
Oh, I remember now. The captain once told me that some people are born with some extraordinary characteristics and are born with half of Sequence 9 on that path.
As Klein suddenly realized what was happening, Dunn Smith, who was sitting behind the desk, slightly widened his eyes.
As if he had confirmed something, he stood up from his chair and said to Old Neil:
"I see."
Then he looked at everyone in the office.
"Let's go to the crime scene."Chapter 68: Clues in the Notes (Part 3)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3115 words Update time: 2025-05-19 20:00:00
About twenty minutes later, the emergency "Nighthawks" team arrived outside Walkerman's residence in a special carriage.
There were several cordons outside the small house, and as the case was still under investigation, there were two police officers guarding inside the house.
Seeing a carriage suddenly coming outside the house, the two police officers stood up at once and cast confused glances outside the house.
The carriage door opened, and Dunn Smith, dressed in a police uniform, got out first, followed by Old Neil and Klein.
Since Klein's uniform had not been completed yet, he just came to the scene in his daily combat attire. The reason why Old Neil did not wear a uniform was even simpler, because he was already very old and was in a "semi-retired" state.
These small details would not have any impact. As long as Dunn Smith was wearing a uniform, it would be enough to open the way for several members of the "Nighthawks" team.
Sure enough, when they saw Dunn Smith, dressed in an inspector's uniform, arrive, the two police officers' eyes suddenly changed from puzzled to serious, and the flashing light in their eyes revealed a certain clear meaning.
"Mr. Inspector!"
The two men walked out of the house and saluted Dunn Smith and Leonard Mitchell, who was also in uniform and walking slowly from the street after parking his carriage.
Dunn Smith nodded slightly and glanced into the house.
"The crime scene should still remain the same as it was at the beginning, right?"
He asked.
"Yes, sir. The commander's instructions to us are to protect the crime scene. So far, no one else has approached, and the reporters who wanted to find out more information have been driven away by us. This place is exactly the same as it was at the beginning."
Dunn Smith nodded with satisfaction. Klein, who was standing behind him, looked at his posture and felt that he was just like a real police officer.
Well, it was exactly the same as that day when I first met him.
"Well done, you guys did a great job."
Dunn Smith first acknowledged the work of the two police officers. When their faces turned joyful, he immediately turned sideways and introduced the "Night Watchers" behind them.
"These are the investigation experts sent by our superiors. From now on, we will be in full charge of the crime scene. Please help guard outside. Don't let anyone else get close to here while we are investigating."
As he spoke, he took out his police ID from his pocket and showed it to the two police officers.
After confirming the ID, the police officers, who had not been suspicious to begin with, confirmed the identity of the visitor. However, in order to avoid any errors in the procedure, one of the police officers still asked:
"Do you need us to notify the police station to send more personnel?"
Dunn Smith did not hesitate at all. He said calmly:
"Okay, go find your sheriff and tell him that Dunn Smith is handling things here."
"Understood!"
The two police officers saluted again.
After a brief discussion, the younger of the two officers immediately headed towards the police station, leaving the other officer guarding outside the door.
The "Night Watchers" had already stepped through the door and entered the house.
After closing the doors and windows, the environment inside the room suddenly became a little darker.
Dunn Smith stood beside the floor with the outline of the body drawn on it, looked down at the remaining blood that had already solidified and turned black, and then looked at the window on the opposite wall of the restaurant that led to the alley.
At the other end of the living room, Leonard was examining the remaining furniture, while Klein and Old Neil stood side by side.
"Are you ready?"
Old Neil patted Klein on the shoulder and gave him an encouraging look.
"Well, I think I can get started."
Klein replied.
Seeing this, Dunn Smith nodded to Klein in approval and stepped back slightly to the wall.
Klein took a deep breath and took a few steps forward, coming to the place where Workman's body was.
After tapping his brows a few times, Klein activated his "spiritual vision".
Then, he held his breath and slowly pictured the poetry book that Leonard was holding in his hand.
His body and mind gradually calmed down, his thoughts gradually became more relaxed, and Klein felt that his spirituality was quietly spreading to the surrounding environment.
Then suddenly, he felt as if his thoughts were guided by something, and gradually, gradually, an illusory, blurry picture appeared before his eyes, as if it was separated by several layers of gauze curtains.
This did not come from his deep-seated memories, so he could not see the entire scene clearly, nor did it make him feel any sense of familiarity.
However, an invisible connection was created at this moment, allowing him to barely see that there seemed to be an unclear figure standing in front of him.
Klein could only see the figure, but there was something on that figure's body that seemed to be seen through, slowly magnifying in a distorted manner in his eyes.
At the same time, a familiar, illusory and vague scream seemed to have passed through a layer of membrane and reached Klein's ears.
"Honakis...Flegera...Honakis...Flegera..."
Klein urgently exited his meditation state. When he turned off his "spiritual vision", he discovered that a layer of fine beads of sweat had seeped out of his forehead.
"How about it?"
Dunn Smith stepped forward and supported Klein, his gray eyes looking into his eyes with concern.
Klein took a few breaths and nodded in response:
"I felt a connection and saw a figure that should have been here before."
Following what he had just seen and felt, he pointed in front of him, where the outline of Workman's body was, which was the entrance to the kitchen.
"The connection I felt came from that figure... I think that might be the lost Antigonus family notes!"
Dunn Smith nodded slightly and turned to look at Old Neil.
"It seems to be correct."
Old Neil also nodded and responded:
"Klein has a residual connection with the notebook. Since he has such feelings, it means that the notebook must have been here before."
As he spoke, Old Neil couldn't help but sigh:
"I didn't expect this murder case to have hidden clues... What are those people in the police station doing?"
Dunn Smith looked at the line between the outline of the corpse and the kitchen window, and said with his lips moving slightly:
"You said that the person involved was half a 'hunter'. Perhaps it was because of this peculiarity that she was able to detect details and clues that ordinary people could not."
"For this, we have to thank her."
Leonard, who was standing behind, chuckled and responded to the captain's words:
"I didn't expect that the clues to the notes would come to us in such a coincidental way."
Klein also felt that Leonard's words were right. They had been completely at a loss in their previous search for the notes, but they had never expected that the key clues would surface along with a murder case.
Klein was calm and looked down at the outline of the body drawn with white lines on the floor. His mind subconsciously recalled how the murderer attacked him from behind on the night of Workman's murder.
The murderer was carrying the Antigonus family notebook, which was full of mysteries and dangers.
"Just because of a traffic accident, he came to kill this innocent person..."
Klein said in a deep voice, and everyone in the room fell into silence.
The important Antigonus family notes actually fell into the hands of such a dangerous person.
If we don't catch him quickly, who knows if he will commit crime again because of some conflict.
The most terrifying thing is what he will do with that notebook...
After a moment of silence, Dunn Smith spoke up first to stop everyone from thinking about the possibilities that might disturb their minds.
"Walkerman died two days ago. 'Spiritual' is obviously useless now, but the murderer's appearance may still remain here."
Dunn Smith spoke in a deep voice, his eyes cast towards Old Neil who was standing behind Klein.
However, Old Neil spread his hands and said with some embarrassment:
"It's difficult to get a result because that person only stayed here for a short time. Although perhaps we can let Klein do the relevant operations and use the connection between him and the notebook to get a vague image of that person."
"But Klein has only been a Beyonder for a short time and has not yet mastered potions very well. This level of ritual will be harmful to him, and the effect will not be that good."
Klein watched Old Neil and the captain talking to each other, and he had no idea what they were going to do. But from what he said, it sounded like Old Neil had some way of identifying the faces of people who had been here from the environment.
Ritual magic, or the special powers of the "secret peeper"...
He was thinking about it himself. Captain Dunn lowered his head slightly after listening to Old Neil's explanation and said in a low voice:
"We can't let Klein take this risk. There are many other ways."
"There are many witnesses to the car accident at the dock. I can find out what that person looks like by entering his dream."
"Although the credibility of the drawings completed orally is not high, it is better than nothing."
After Dunn Smith finished speaking, Leonard, who was waiting nearby, put one hand on his waist and asked:
"Do you need my assistance for tonight's operation?"
"Of course, Leonard, you will work with me tonight. And call Fry along, and we will go to the dock area to look for clues together."
Then, Dunn Smith looked at Old Neil and Klein and instructed them:
"Klein, you and Leonard will go to the police station to investigate the traffic accident and see if you can get some clues from the police. Old Neil and I need to go back to the Blackthorn Security Company to prepare the things we will need tonight. We will meet at the police station later."
After hearing the captain's arrangement, Klein and Leonard immediately nodded in agreement. Only Old Neil looked at the ceiling with a bitter face and sighed:
"Alas, it's really hard to relax..."Chapter 69: Each with His Own AgendaTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3226 words Update time: 2025-05-20 14:32:28
More than ten minutes later, the young police officer who had left returned to Workman's residence with the sheriff.
Dunn Smith, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately completed the handover with the sheriff. After instructing the other party to continue to protect the scene, he parted with Klein and Leonard. He went to St. Selena Church on Red Moon Street with Old Neil, and then returned to Blackthorn Security Company through the underground passage there.
Without disturbing the drowsy Rosanne who stayed in the reception hall, Dunn Smith and Old Neil quietly entered the office.
"The scope that needs to be checked tonight is quite wide. It is a huge project to perform sleep and dream treatment on so many people at the same time. We must first obtain permission from the Holy Church."
"Well, of course, we have enough authority to find the notebook. But to be on the safe side, I'd better write an application to the temple now, otherwise I might forget it again."
Dunn Smith muttered to himself as he walked to the table, sat down, pulled out a blank piece of letter paper, picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write.
"Dunn…"
Old Neil stood in the middle of the office, his hands placed somewhat awkwardly at his sides.
The atmosphere in the office suddenly became solemn. Old Neil said nothing more after speaking a few words. The only sound in the room was the rustling sound of Dunn writing on the letter paper.
After struggling for a while, Old Neil slowly closed his eyes, lowered his head and said to Dunn Smith:
"I made a mistake."
Dunn Smith's handwriting stopped moving immediately. He slowly raised his head, and his deep gray eyes stared at Old Neil quietly.
Now even the last movement in the office was gone. Silence lasted for a long time before Dunn asked:
"Why do you think you made a mistake?"
Old Neil looked up at Dunn, deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
"The mission statement of the Nighthawks includes paying attention to unofficial Beyonders. I... I didn't report it to the girl the moment I met her..."
"but...!"
Old Neil's tone suddenly quickened a bit.
"That girl is not a complete Beyonder. She was born with some characteristics. Perhaps because of bad luck, she became a 'half hunter'."
"I have investigated her purpose of coming to Tingen. She is indeed only coming to Tingen to stay for a while and will leave on Friday."
"I, I don't think she could cause any harm. After she discovered that Don might be innocent in the Workman murder case, she was actively looking for other clues to try to exonerate him. And she did help us find the whereabouts of the notebook by coincidence."
"I have already warned her not to get involved in this matter any further. She is a promising child, I think..."
Old Neil's explanation was about to turn into a nagging. Dunn Smith, who was sitting behind the desk, shook his head, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and interrupted Old Neil.
"Neil, if you keep talking, I won't have time to write the application. Klein and Leonard are still waiting for us at the police station."
"Besides, why do you think I would blame you for something like this?"
"Don't you understand it yourself? That girl is only 'half hunter'. She has not yet become a true Beyonder."
Dunn Smith paused, turned his head to look at the files on the bookshelf, then quickly turned back and continued:
"If we are so concerned about these things, we will not be able to manage the whole Tingen."
"Don't you usually seek subsidies for even a little extra overtime? Why are you so proactive this time?"
Old Neil stared at Dunn in a daze. After a long while, he felt relieved and shook his head with a smile.
"I was just too worried... Please forgive my reaction, I was just afraid that she would be implicated because of me. She is indeed a good child. If I also have a child, maybe my grandson will be as old as her."
Dunn Smith's gray eyes moved slightly, and he looked at the trace of longing and yearning, as well as the inevitable sadness, revealed in Old Neil's turbid eyes.
He sighed slightly, turned the pen in his hand, and continued:
"We can't save everyone, we can only save as many as possible."
Old Neil didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.
Seeing the tiredness on Old Neil's face, Dunn Smith thought for a moment and said to him:
"You seem to have not had a rest for a while recently. Why don't you wait until the whereabouts of the notebook is confirmed, and then I will grant you a three-day vacation."
When the topic of vacation was brought up, Old Neil, who had been somewhat depressed, immediately became energetic and said to Dunn Smith:
"I wasn't the one who first brought this up."
Dunn chuckled and nodded:
"I was the one who said it first. Um, it won't be counted towards your annual leave."
"But before we rest, I still have to trouble you to help prepare the things we will use tonight."
"Old job, no problem."
Dunn Smith said this to Old Neil, who approved of the arrangement and turned to leave the office, but he walked very slowly, deliberately slowing down his pace.
"Oh, yes."
Suddenly, Dunn called out to Old Neil, who had not yet left or even reached the door.
Old Neil turned around as expected, and saw Dunn Smith holding his chin and saying:
"Make me some coffee."
Hearing this, Old Neil narrowed his eyes and smiled:
"Okay, Captain."
...
The next morning, on Zouteland Street, in the hotel where Caroline was staying.
Caroline, who had just finished washing up, was in the bathroom, fixing her hair which was a tangled mess after a night's sleep.
She was a very obedient person. Old Neil told her not to get involved in the matter any further, and she did not continue to investigate the situation.
After she separated from Old Neil yesterday, she went out to have a meal, and then went straight back to the hotel to figure out how to get information about Lanevus at the Hongmen Feast.
One afternoon and half a night was enough time for her to plan many plans, but no matter how many plans there were, if there were deviations from the actual situation, they would all be in vain.
Therefore, the biggest challenge for Caroline today is her ability to respond on the spot.
"I never expected that the graduation defense skills I practiced would not be used in the actual defense, but would be used to date a scammer..."
Caroline muttered as she put her hair into a very simple ponytail.
Afterwards, she changed her clothes, put on the "Silver Key", and after making sure everything was fine, she walked out of the hotel, went downstairs to the street, called a carriage, and headed straight to the Lanevus Steel Company in the southern district.
After nearly thirty minutes' drive, Caroline got off the carriage and stood outside the steel company again.
There was a poster about Lanevus' iron ore investment project on the window outside the company. Although Caroline didn't know what the iron ore was all about, she could tell from casual thought that it was probably a trap set by Lanevus.
So far, how many people have been deceived by Lanevus...
There is no sign that Lanevus is going to abscond with the money, and judging from the scale of his publicity, he seems to be prepared to extend his sentence a little further.
This was a good thing. At least during the window when Caroline returned with the information and Backlund delivered the commission to Ovis Wein, he would not suddenly run away.
However, during this period of time, many people will still be deceived by him, and the number of victims will continue to increase, while Caroline can only remain silent and watch from the side.
Now, Caroline could slightly understand the feelings of the undercover police officers.
However, the danger faced by the undercover police was much greater than her. At least when facing Lanevus, she still had a lot of room to escape unscathed.
After adjusting her mood, Caroline walked into the steel company.
The guy sitting behind the front desk was still Mossen from yesterday. After telling him the purpose of the visit, he immediately asked Caroline to wait in the lobby and ran to the office to inform Lanevus.
Caroline didn't have to wait too long before she saw Lanevus, dressed in a neat dark blue peaked-lapel suit and a light blue tie, walking down the stairs like an upper-class elite.
Moreover, he even pretended to be so serious as to hold a cane with a gold handle and knock it on the ground, making a clattering sound.
This suitcase probably contains Ovis's money...
Caroline was slightly shocked by Lanevus's appearance, but she still hid her emotions very professionally and buried her complaints deep in her heart.
Lanevus walked into the hall and saw Caroline, who was wearing casual clothes. He smiled and said without hesitation:
"It seems that I am still trustworthy, right?"
Caroline didn't explain this, but just smiled shyly.
Then, she looked at Lanevus's attire and asked curiously:
"Mr. Lanevus, why are you dressed so formally today?"
Lanevus raised his lips a little and explained:
"Originally, I was planning to discuss the subsequent iron ore plan with the mayor today. Well, he is also very interested in my project."
"Oh, really? Did I disrupt your schedule?"
Caroline covered her mouth "worriedly".
"How could that be?"
Lanevus bowed slightly and gracefully performed a salute to Caroline. This was not Loen etiquette, and Caroline, who still had some memories, was very sure of it.
Lanevus then spoke, his eyes fixed on Caroline, and his tone seemed to carry some mysterious power:
"I can always meet the mayor again, so how can it be as precious as the opportunity to meet you?"
"I just happened to change into formal attire today, and you just happened to come to see me today. I believe this kind of coincidence must be the blessing of the gods for us."
Here it comes, it starts again, the kind of words that can disturb the mind...
Caroline suppressed the unhappiness rising in her heart. Just like last time, Lanevus had most likely used extraordinary power on her.
Although her emotions were aroused by Lanevus' words, Caroline's spirit and reason remained strong and were not disturbed too much.
But he still had to pretend to do it, otherwise it would easily arouse Lanevus's suspicion.
So Caroline showed a standard formulaic smile and spoke in a friendly manner.
"Thank God so much."Chapter 70 TormentTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3137 words Update time: 2025-05-20 19:22:54
The sunlight near noon shone through the bedroom window of No. 2 Daffodil Street, hitting Klein's face, who was sitting on the bed and had just woken up. From this angle, he looked a little haggard.
But the truth is still close. After they discovered the whereabouts of the Antigonus family notebook yesterday, they began to operate at full capacity. Except for a few civilian staff who were not extraordinary people, the entire "Night Watchers" team basically stayed in the Blackthorn Security Company until after 10 o'clock in the evening.
He came back last night, and after Benson and Melissa fell asleep, he did a divination to confirm that it would not be easy for him to be discovered when he went out. Then he secretly left home again and returned to the Blackthorn Security Company to wait for orders.
The outbound action team was led by Captain Dunn Smith, and two members, "Midnight Poet" Leonard and "Corpse Collector" Frye, went to the Tingen Pier area to conduct a dream investigation on the residents there.
They searched the police station yesterday afternoon and only found records of the approximate location of the traffic accident, and no other information.
"No wonder Miss Justice is looking for solutions to improve the Kingdom's government. This is so inefficient. Now I understand why Benson always uses curly-haired baboons to describe government officials. They are indeed similar to curly-haired baboons..."
When he recalled the anticipation they had when they tried to find some clues in the police station yesterday, Klein couldn't help but sigh.
The only good thing they did at the police station yesterday was to stop the trial of Workman's death case in their capacity as "inspectors" and cancel the compulsory measures against Mr. Tang En.
The middle-aged man who had been detained for two days immediately cried like a child when he heard that he was released. God knows how much injustice he had suffered.
But who could have imagined that the person who actually killed Workman was someone he had only met once and was determined to kill him because of a traffic accident in which no casualties occurred.
"Riel Bieber..."
Klein whispered a name.
This was the target that the captain and his team found from the population files registered at the police station last night after they profiled the person carrying the notebook through dream profiling.
After confirming the other party's name and address, the captain and his team returned to Blackthorn Security Company, took him with them, and arrived at the building where Reel Bieber lived at midnight, and successfully found his home.
The result was quite shocking. Instead of finding Rel Bieber himself, they found the body of his mother who had been dead for many days.
After arriving at the scene, Klein finally confirmed again that Riel Bieber was the one who took the Antigonus family notes. On the day Welch and Naya committed suicide, he first took the notes to Riel Bieber's home, and then returned to his own home, attempting to commit suicide in the same way.
Klein finally figured out everything that happened the night before his time travel, but confusion and doubt still lingered in his mind.
The key to all the problems still lies in that ancient notebook. Perhaps only after finding Riel Bibb can Klein get more explanations about his own experience.
At present, the captain has asked the Tingen police to issue a warrant for the arrest of Riel Bieber on the grounds that he is suspected of murdering his mother.
They didn't include Bieber's alleged murder of Charlie Workman on the wanted poster. On the one hand, Bieber had left almost no real clues in this case, and on the other hand, they didn't want Bieber to realize that someone was using the connection with the notebook to find him.
Now the target is clear enough, it just depends on when Riel Bieber can be caught.
The captain said that he was going to apply to the temple for a sealed object, with the help of that sealed object, perhaps he could find Riel Bieber.
After finishing his recollection, Klein felt a little more refreshed. He stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, Klein opened his water-covered eyes and looked at his reflection in the mirror in front of him.
In a daze, he couldn't help but recall the photo of Riel Bieber that the captain brought back from the police station yesterday.
Black hair, blue eyes, exactly the same information as Old Neil got.
But the temperament of Rui Er Bieber in the photo seems very peaceful and ordinary. It is totally impossible to imagine that he is the murderer of Workman, or the kind of person who has a "scary smell" as described by the witnesses of the car accident.
Is it because Riel Bieber was affected by the notes?
Klein couldn't imagine the reason. At least for the entire Tingen, Riel Biber was a very dangerous person.
He shook his head and wiped the water off his face with a towel, then returned to his bedroom and took a moment to get dressed.
Then he put on a half-high silk hat, held his cane, made sure his self-defense weapon was hidden on his body, locked the door, and walked slowly to the street.
He still has to go to the Blackthorn Security Company today. Before waiting for the seal to arrive in Tingen, he must be on standby at all times. After all, he is the only "fortune teller" in the "Nighthawks" team and the only one who has contact with the Antigonus family notes.
only...
"Today's weather is unexpectedly hot and muggy..."
Klein pulled his collar slightly. He hadn't been out for long when a little sweat appeared on his neck.
He looked up at the sky. Although he could still see the bright sun, large patches of dark clouds had appeared in the distant horizon.
It seemed that a heavy rain was about to arrive in Tingen.
"It's true that we should prefer grace over warmth..."
Klein's respectable formal attire now became an uncomfortable restriction for him, but he couldn't just take off his coat on the street.
He had no choice but to continue walking in the sultry air towards the place where he could take the public carriage.
Daffodil Street is not as long as Iron Cross Street, but on this street there are a large number of different buildings, including single-family townhouses and restaurants.
There was a pretty good restaurant not far across the street from Moretti's house. Klein had been there before. Although the number of times he had been there was limited, the impression left in his memory each time was very precious.
"After this week's salary is paid, I'll take Melissa and Benson out for dinner."
Passing by the restaurant, Klein glanced through the window at the people dining inside and thought so.
...
Caroline stared out the restaurant window with a dazed look in her eyes, without any dream, and had no interest in the delicious food on the plate in front of her.
Opposite her sat the eloquent Lanevus, who had been praising and flattering her with all kinds of beautiful words since the beginning, and from time to time he would add extraordinary power to his words, making it difficult for her to defend herself.
She had never eaten alone with a member of the opposite sex other than her relatives before, so facing Lanevus, who had a clear purpose, she could only respond to his words at most and had to suppress the discomfort in her heart.
"Jug Bubble, please shut this guy up and give me something related to him. I can't hold on any longer."
Caroline had never felt that eating could be such a painful thing.
"What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"
The confident Lanevus had just finished describing the glorious history of his previous entrepreneurial venture.
He stopped to take a sip of the red wine in the glass, and when he looked up he noticed that Caroline was completely out of shape.
"Ah, no no, I was just thinking about something else."
Caroline immediately came to her senses, smiled politely and waved her hand.
The restaurant that Lanevus brought her to was said to be one of the top five best restaurants in the northern district of Tingen. It was also her first time entering such a high-end place after traveling here. It had to be said that except for the person sitting opposite her, there was nothing to complain about in the entire restaurant, from the food to the environment to the service.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lanevus put down his cutlery and asked gently.
It was true that Caroline was distracted just now, but this was also one of the routines she had come up with after thinking hard yesterday.
She sighed, made a sad face, picked up the perfectly grilled fish on the plate with the fork in her hand, and said slowly:
"It's my family. They asked me to return to Backlund as soon as possible and not stay outside alone."
"I explained to them that I was looking for materials for my graduation thesis, but they felt that I could collect materials in Backlund and there was no need to come to Tingen."
"I think that the information collected in just one city is not universal. I want to learn more about the current social situation in the kingdom..."
Lanevus listened to Caroline patiently. Judging from his performance alone, he was indeed a very good gentleman.
He seemed to trust Caroline very much and said:
"Miss Caroline, I think you are fully capable of making a career for yourself. You will definitely be a very competent scholar in the future."
I don't believe I can be a scholar…
Caroline thought about it, looked at Lanevus with a grateful look, and said softly:
"Thank you, Mr. Lanevus. To be honest, I am really happy to meet you in Tingen."
"It should be my honor."
The corners of Lanevus' mouth raised that iconic arc again.
Just as Caroline was thinking about how to move the topic forward, Lanevus seemed to feel that the atmosphere was already right. He once again spoke in that magical and attractive tone, leaned forward slightly, and said to her:
"Miss Caroline, I may feel it's very presumptuous of you to say this, but I really want to express my feelings to you."
"Mr. Lanevus?"
Caroline said this, glancing secretly at his hand that was reaching towards her, and the muscles on her cheeks were twitching uncontrollably.
"Miss Caroline, I thought..."
"Bang!"
Before Lanevus could finish his words, the sound of a plate breaking suddenly came from the next table, abruptly interrupting his words.