Chapter 511: Chapter 511

Jenkins returned to the shop with the box. The lady was still trying to tease Chocolate, but the cat had no interest in her whatsoever.

"I found it," Jenkins said. "Please check if this is the right one."

The woman nodded. She set her fan on the counter and began to peel off the white lace glove from her right hand.

Jenkins glanced aside. The cat was still lounging beside the small cake box, gazing lazily back at him.

He couldn't help but worry that Chocolate would grow into an obese cat from lack of exercise. Jenkins was determined not to let that happen, and he narrowed his eyes subconsciously at the thought.

The woman's cry startled Jenkins. He turned to see that the box from Papa Oliver was already open, revealing a beautiful porcelain vase inside.

He directed his question to the woman, who had a hand clasped over her mouth and looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

"No, there's no problem with this vase. My apologies, young man."

Tears streamed down her face as she pulled out a wad of cash, tossing it onto the counter. Then, grabbing the box, she hurried out of the shop. Jenkins stood frozen, completely baffled by what had just transpired. He finally chalked it up to the kind of emotional sensitivity unique to women.

Once the woman was gone, Jenkins finally had a moment to sort out lunch for himself and Chocolate. The small slice of cake was enough for the cat. While Jenkins had never heard of another cat that ate cake, Chocolate was a special breed, fortified by supernatural powers, so it seemed perfectly normal.

A few days prior, Jenkins's attempt to put a bell on the cat had been met with fierce disapproval. Though Chocolate's anger had subsided over the past few days, it still grew incredibly alert whenever Jenkins took out his pocket watch and touched its chain. Just last night, Jenkins had woken in the dead of night to find the cat on the coffee table, pawing relentlessly at the silver chain.

Around three in the afternoon, Papa Oliver rushed back into the shop. From the look on his face, it was clear that things had gone well.

"Your information was spot-on. The comb has been recovered. They're checking the records now to see if it's a known item."

"And its owners? Were they all ordinary people?"

"Yes. The large woman found it in a junk shop last year. It took her six months to discover its secret while grooming her pet, and that's when she got the idea to use it to make money."

Jenkins took the hat and scarf from Papa Oliver, hanging them on the coat rack:

"What a strange idea. If it were me, I would've sold it immediately. Ordinary people dabbling in the supernatural rarely come to a good end."

"If only everyone understood that."

Jenkins then told him about the incident at noon. Papa Oliver remembered the transaction well; after all, he had gone to great lengths to acquire that porcelain vase.

"The lady's surname was Francis?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel•fire.net

Papa Oliver confirmed.

"Yes, I remember it clearly."

"Then it all makes sense. The large woman kept records of all her transactions. Since the item needed the names of both parties to work, we have a list of all her customers. One of those names was Francis. And based on the timing, we must have neutralized the comb's power right around noon. Mrs. Francis must have suddenly realized what had happened."

"Well, what a sad story that is."

He smiled and handed the ledger to Papa Oliver for review. His mind, however, was already turning over another thought, which he voiced casually:

"Junk shops are getting pretty dangerous these days. I remember that Ouija board the young noblewoman was messing with... she bought that from a junk shop too..."

"This has nothing to do with you!"

Papa Oliver's voice was a little too sharp. Jenkins hadn't noticed anything odd at first, but his mentor's forceful reaction made him suddenly realize the connection.

"Papa, it wasn't the same shop, was it?"

Papa Oliver shot him a look. "Remember, this doesn't concern you. If you're curious, I can fill you in when I get the latest updates. But you are absolutely not to get involved!"

"I understand, sir. You don't need to be so worried. Look, with this whole business with the comb, didn't I avoid getting mixed up in it and report it straight to you?"

It was true. Most of the trouble he ran into came knocking on his door; he rarely went looking for it.

"Besides, I have plenty to deal with this weekend. Hathaway invited me to a dinner party."

He added that last part to make his promise more believable.

"Hmph. That's more like it."

Papa Oliver's eyes returned to the ledger. Jenkins shook his head and shrugged.

Despite his promise to stay away from the junk shop, Jenkins still had a lingering question. And considering he still had no leads on the All-knowing Treasure Mirror the Star Spirit Rakul had asked him to find, a shop that might have multiple supernatural items was definitely worth looking into.

At five-thirty, he helped Papa Oliver tidy up the warehouse, and with that, his workday was done.

Papa Oliver planned to give Jenkins a raise next month as a reward for his rapid progress and efficiency. This was excellent news. While Jenkins had already built up considerable savings, the income from Papa Oliver and the Church was his most stable source, and he wasn't the type to idly live off what he'd put away.

He walked home into the brilliant sunset. It had been a rare clear day, and the fog wasn't too thick.

After dinner, he left the house, taking the Ouija board with him. By the time the last glimmer of sunset vanished below the horizon, he and Chocolate had arrived at the place where a Mr. Stuart had committed suicide, Jenkins himself in disguise.

This was where he had first met Mr. Eiss Spiess, the Collector of Mystic Eyes. It was also where he had acquired the Suicide Eye.

Thinking back, the way he'd acquired the [Undying Man] ability felt far too coincidental. He just happened to have all the necessary ritual components with him at the time.

"Could it be that an unseen hand is pulling the strings of fate in this world, too?"

A pity Jenkins couldn't understand 'cat'.

The unfinished building where Mr. Stuart had jumped from looked unchanged from the month before. The risk of falling debris kept the alley below completely deserted.

Faint chalk marks were still visible on the ground—the remnants of the outline drawn by the officers from KalFax Field.