The Bizarre Detective Agency Chapter 40

The sewer on one of Belfast’s waterfront streets was practically part of the coastline. On one side, a motley collection of buildings stretched into the distance; on the other lay a sandy beach, cordoned off by a simple chain.

The waterfront street was located on the northern coast, at the upper curve of the crescent-shaped bay. It was still some time before dark, and the area was bustling with activity.

Fishing boats that had spent the whole day at sea were returning to Port Roadster. As they moored, sailors smelling of fish and the salt-laced wind crowded the long street along the shore, ducking into taverns. The air filled with their shouts and laughter.

This particular waterfront street was lined with numerous taverns that catered to the sailors. Other coastal roads had even more, especially the one leading directly to the entrance of Port Roadster.

The constant sea winds blowing across the peninsula had weathered the buildings and fences, lending them a rugged, timeworn beauty.

At that moment, on the beach two or three meters below the street, a group of five young people were clustered around a sewer grate. The wind carried snippets of their conversation.

"Why on earth are we crawling into this filthy sewer?"

Susan, her face meticulously made up, wrapped her arms around herself in a gesture of utter disgust. When her best friend Daisy had mysteriously invited her for a walk, mentioning two tall, handsome guys, Susan had imagined a party. She'd spent an entire hour getting ready, putting on her favorite knee-length lace dress. Only after leaving the house did she learn they were going to explore... a sewer. To look for ghosts.

Oh, right. One of the "tall, handsome guys" was currently trying to pick the lock on the grate.

Susan could almost smell a nauseating stench, even though the water itself looked quite clear.

"It’s not actually dirty," explained a young man with gold-rimmed glasses standing beside her. "The other end of this sewer connects to Agate Lake. It’s an overflow to keep the lake from flooding, so it doesn't carry household waste. See how clear the water is?"

"This whole channel is just for water level regulation," he continued. "As soon as the lake rises above a certain point, the excess water flows out through here and onto the beach."

His explanation was accurate, but he clearly had no understanding of a girl's feelings.

"Like that makes any difference!" Susan snapped, stamping her foot.

"Do we really have to go in there?" Victoria asked timidly from behind the group. "There's a new Haunted House at Simple Park. Maybe we could go there instead? I hear it's really scary."

The young man in glasses corrected her.

"That's all staged. You won't find any real ghosts there."

A pale arm wrapped around Victoria's neck. A girl with short, bright-red hair leaned in close to her face and laughed.

"Ben's right," she chirped. "A haunted house isn't going to scare us. At this point, nothing short of a real ghost will do. Right, Susan?"

Susan didn't know what to say. She couldn't very well announce in front of everyone that she'd wanted to go to a party, not crawl into a filthy sewer—even if, in all honesty, it wasn't really that filthy.

Clank!

The clatter of the chain drew the attention of the other four. Rhys straightened up, holding out hands coated in dark red rust.

"It's open."

With that, he crouched by the channel to wash his hands.

Ugh!

Susan winced involuntarily and made a mental note to keep her distance from the slob.

The dark red rust spread through the water like a ribbon before being carried away by the current.

After rinsing his hands, Rhys raised an eyebrow at Ben.

"The door's open. You ready?"

"Wait, it's getting dark. Maybe we should head back?" Victoria asked timidly, looking small and frightened. The sky was already beginning to dim, and the sound of ships' horns echoed from the harbor, which was crowded with vessels.

"Don't worry, there are five of us, and we have a torch," Rhys chuckled. "Ben, get it out."

Ben produced a prepared torch, lit it, and was the first to step into the dark sewer.

The red-haired Daisy followed, an arm around a reluctant Susan, with Victoria trailing behind them.

The noise from the street faded, replaced by the gurgle of water in the deepening tunnel. The sewer was about two and a half meters high, its damp, uneven walls reflecting the torchlight. Slightly murky water flowed quietly down the channel as a breeze blew out from the depths.

It was surprisingly spacious and clean inside.

The rainy season was still a long way off. When it arrived, this sewer would be half-flooded, and the current would be anything but calm.

The five of them walked along the ledge beside the water. After several dozen meters, the light from the entrance was completely gone.

The sound of their footsteps echoed around them. After walking a little farther, they suddenly noticed a door set into the wall.

"What's a door doing here?" Daisy exclaimed in surprise.

"It's a maintenance room," Ben answered. "A lot of debris flows in from Agate Lake and can get stuck. Workers come in here periodically to clear it out."

Susan suddenly asked, "Which brings up the question: why did we come to a place like this?"

Rhys grunted, lowering his voice. "A few poor souls drowned in Agate Lake recently. Two of them were never found. Where do you think they might have drifted...?"

"Aaaah! That's it, Victoria and I are going back!" Susan shrieked, her voice echoing so loudly it made everyone's ears hurt.

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up," Rhys grumbled, making a pained face as he rubbed his ears.

He was tempted to point out that she had been the one to ask.

Susan sighed, looking down at her favorite dress.

"So why did we come to this filthy sewer again?"

...

"I don't understand," Lu Li muttered.

The grate was open, a rusted chain lying beside it. The sound of voices drifted from the street, mingling with the gurgle of water at the sewer entrance. Lu Li crouched down, carefully examining the tracks around the grate.

The footprints were clear but jumbled, painting a picture of a group of young people who had recently entered the sewer, chatting as they went.

They were, he had no doubt, the people mentioned in his case file.

Standing up, Lu Li scanned his surroundings. The gray, sandy beach looked desolate and quiet in the twilight, but the noise from the street above broke the silence.

Several streets along the shore were already lit by lamps. As darkness fell and visibility worsened, electric lights began to flicker on, and out at sea, lanterns on the ships were lit one by one, their glow answering the bright lights on the shore.

It was hard to say whether Belfast was quiet or noisy at this hour.

Averting his gaze, Lu Li silently lit the oil lamp in his hand, lowered his head, and stepped into the dark sewer.