The Bizarre Detective Agency Chapter 54

Torchlight cut through the oppressive gloom of midnight. Every so often, lightning would split the sullen clouds overhead. Two police carriages and an ambulance were parked before the psychiatric hospital. Its gates stood wide open as officers moved back and forth, while paramedics in white coats periodically emerged from the building carrying bodies shrouded in white sheets.

The situation was far more serious than either Lu Li or the police had anticipated. There was not one body, but four—and that was only from the initial search.

The bodies were in varying states of decomposition. The "freshest" was the one Lu Li had seen on the hospital bed. The oldest was little more than dried skin stretched taut over a skeleton. Preliminary estimates placed the time of death at over three months ago.

The police were working to identify the deceased, cross-referencing their descriptions with the missing persons database. If the victims were residents of Belfast, they should be identified soon enough.

Or not.

An officer ran out of the building with an update: the faces of the deceased were severely mutilated, and there were no clothes or identifying marks on the bodies. Given how long ago they had died, the chances of identifying three of them were slim to none. Their only hope was to try and match the times of death with reported disappearances.

"You said that Richard had accomplices. Are you certain?"

"Yes."

Lu Li, wrapped in a blanket, stood by the back of a police carriage, answering questions from two officers who were taking his statement. The senior officer across from him was frowning.

"A group crime... that complicates things. I suppose we'll have to start with Richard's family."

Forty minutes had passed since Lu Li called the police. They had arrived within twenty minutes, by which time Lu Li had already climbed out through a basement window. He was waiting for them at the gate, ready to recount everything that had happened—everything, that is, except for the encounter with the ghost.

The officer planted his hands on his hips and sighed, seeming to age several years in an instant. "It's been one thing after another lately. One case is barely closed before the next one opens... Don't write that last part down."

The final instruction was for the young constable taking notes.

Lu Li had no idea what "one case" the officer was referring to, so he remained silent.

A fine drizzle began to fall from the sky, creating a hazy corona around the torches and oil lamps. The other officers continued their search of the hospital. The paramedics had nothing to do for the moment, so one of the nurses approached. "Is anyone injured?" she asked.

The officer indicated Lu Li. "He has a head injury. Please take a look at him."

"It's nothing, a little ice will take care of it," Lu Li said, waving her off. The blood on the back of his head had already dried, and the pain had mostly subsided, though he could still feel a dull throb in time with his heartbeat.

The nurse said nothing, simply gave Lu Li another glance before returning to the ambulance.

He's hurt? Anna, who had been peeking and eavesdropping from the carriage, only now registered the words. She stared at Lu Li, her eyes wide.

The officer shrugged, his gaze fixed on the dark silhouette of the hospital. "You were lucky. Getting out of a situation like that and forcing the killer to retreat... What is it you're investigating? Perhaps we can help."

The relationship between the police and private detectives was a complicated one. Detectives operated in a gray area, handling cases that weren't strictly illegal, but weren't exactly aboveboard either. They knew police procedures inside and out, making them difficult to catch even when they did break the law. In some cases, however, they could be a great help to the police, providing crucial evidence.

Thus, their relationship was always on a knife's edge, a delicate balance of mutual cooperation and mutual distrust. To some extent, the same could be said for the Night's Watch and independent exorcists.

"There's no need. I've already found what I was looking for." Lu Li pulled the patient file he'd retrieved from his pocket and showed it to the officer.

"Chief! He has a pistol!"

The sudden, frightened cry startled everyone nearby.

The constable who had been taking the statement was pointing at Lu Li's belt. He fumbled frantically for his own truncheon, but in his panic, he couldn't seem to draw it.

The senior officer's gaze dropped to Lu Li's waist. In the flickering torchlight, he saw the glint of silver and the intricate engraving of roses. He stopped his subordinate sharply. "You fool, that's a Spirit Gun!"

He turned back to Lu Li and apologized politely. "My apologies, Mr. Exorcist. My subordinate is new to the force and isn't yet familiar with all the protocols."

"There's no need to apologize." Lu Li nodded, putting the file away and pulling his cloak over the holster. He had been worried his flintlock pistol would reveal his identity, but it seemed that concern was unfounded.

Seeing that Lu Li wasn't offended, the officer relaxed slightly. "But if you're an exorcist," he asked cautiously, "does that mean the situation isn't quite as you first described?"

"Not quite," Lu Li replied calmly, showing no sign of being flustered that his identity had been exposed.

He told them about his encounter with the ghost.

The officer listened in silence, then let out a long breath. "I see... Should we contact the Night's Watch?"

"To be honest, I've never had any dealings with them," Lu Li said, recalling Richard's actions. "But I would still advise you to notify them."

"Understood."

Now certain that Lu Li was an exorcist and that the hospital case involved the paranormal, the officer knew it was out of his jurisdiction. He informed Lu Li that he would contact his superiors and that he was free to leave.

They each returned to their own vehicles.

"You're hurt?" Anna asked, scooting closer. Her voice was filled with worry.

"Yes."

"Wait, I think I have some medicine..." Treating the assignment as an outing, Anna had brought a backpack, the contents of which were a mystery to Lu Li. She unzipped it, pulled out a small first-aid kit, and produced an adhesive bandage.

"Where should I put it?"

Not wanting to reject her gesture of concern, Lu Li answered calmly, "Somewhere it won't be in the way."

"Oh!" Anna closed the kit, tucked it back into her backpack, zipped it shut, then stood up. She walked over to Lu Li and pressed the bandage... to his forehead. It was a bandage she had found in a drawer a few days ago and had decorated with a little pink bow.

Without a word, Lu Li climbed out of the carriage with the pink bow plastered to his forehead. He took his seat on the driver's box, and with a flick of the reins, slowly guided the horses away from the gates.

Just then, a carriage bearing the logo of a Belfast newspaper appeared from around a bend and passed them.

But the events at the scene were already winding down. They had arrived too late to get even the crumbs from the story.