The Bizarre Detective Agency Chapter 64

The morning was quiet and serene as Lu Li slept, slumped over his desk.

The muffled voice of an announcer drifted from the radio, advertising the Royal Hodgkin Sailing Company.

A power cord snaked across the floor, running from the wall near the desk into the bedroom.

Soft whispers drifted from the partially open bedroom door. Anna was on the phone, quietly chatting with her friend Daisy about the latest news.

— What happened at the Polis Aristocratic Academy has shocked us all... A young woman took her own life because of bullying from her peers... Mr. Director, in your opinion, does the problem lie with the students themselves, or with your academy's educational system?

The figure slumped over the desk stirred slightly.

The broadcast continued, the speaker now a familiar voice.

— As the director, I bear responsibility for what happened. I will provide Michelle's family with compensation, both as a private citizen and as the director of the academy.

— Some believe you should resign from your position as director...

— And what about the victims? Police reports state there are already twenty-eight, most of them students from your academy.

— I, too, am deeply saddened by the deaths of these students and strongly condemn the actions of the perpetrator.

Lu Li raised his head, his dark eyes slowly coming into focus. He listened to the voice from the radio for a moment before turning the dial to another station.

The Belfast news was consumed by Michelle's story. It seemed to be all anyone was talking about. It was hardly surprising; the last incident with such a high death toll had been the mine collapse on Mount Asu.

Lu Li turned the dial, pausing on each station to listen.

— To think, a top student took her own life because of rumors. It's terrible. Cases like this, unfortunately, are not uncommon; there are probably other similar stories we just don't know about. Dr. Rain, as a psychologist, what are your thoughts on this...

— Clouds are gathering over Sugard Mountain. Rain is expected in Belfast for the next three to ten days, and the temperature will drop by five to seven degrees. Residents are advised to dress warmly.

— Welcome back. We have a breaking report. Our reporter on the scene, Leah, what can you tell us?

— According to the police, there are seventeen dead so far, but I just spoke with law enforcement officials, and they unfortunately believe that number could rise...

— My son! He was so full of life, a good student... he never stayed out late or ran with the wrong crowd. Why... why did this happen to him?!

— So what if he said a few words? A few words, and they killed my daughter?! She was only seventeen! What did she ever do to deserve that?!

— I've already hired a lawyer to sue the school. My child was killed during a break between classes. The school failed to keep its students safe...

— According to the latest data, the death toll has reached twenty-three. The police have determined that all of them are connected in some way to Michelle's case...

— The residents of Belfast are in a panic. They fear that Michelle's ghost has returned to take revenge...

Perhaps Michelle was already in hell—suicides don't go to heaven—but the story she left behind continued to unfold.

— Good morning, — Anna said, just now noticing Lu Li was awake. She gave him a little wave.

— Good morning, — Lu Li replied, rising from the warm chair. He rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen to wash up.

He returned a few minutes later, hands still damp, carrying a plate with a strawberry pudding. Having sat out all night, a thin skin had formed on top. Scrawled crookedly across the pale yellow surface were two words: "Good job."

— Did you do this? — Lu Li asked, directing his voice toward the bedroom.

— Huh? — came Anna's bewildered voice.

Apparently not. Lu Li quickly identified the suspect—the sculpture. Dried crumbs on its fingertips confirmed it. It seemed the sculpture could still move, but for some reason, it chose not to.

— You didn't leave a trail? — Lu Li asked.

It was unlikely the sculpture had made the pudding itself, so it was highly probable that last night it had slipped out of the house and swiped it from some shop.

Ring-ring-ring—ring-ring-ring—the phone suddenly began to ring. Lu Li glanced at the desk, but seeing no phone, he remembered Anna had taken it into the bedroom. Anna, who was in the middle of her call, froze for a few seconds before realizing it was the phone ringing and looked at Lu Li with a lost expression.

— Answer it, — Lu Li said.

— Oh, — Anna replied, obediently picking up the receiver.

— This is the Sentry Post police station. Am I speaking with Mr. Lu Li?

Anna flinched. She clamped her hand over the mouthpiece and hissed in a panicked whisper to Lu Li, — It's the police! They're here to arrest you!

Lu Li let out a barely perceptible sigh. — It's probably about the psychiatric hospital case.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but Anna seemed to be getting... ditzier. Or maybe this was just her true nature emerging, now that they had grown closer.

— Ah, — Anna said with a nod of understanding. She put the receiver back to her ear and listened for a moment, nodding repeatedly, before hanging up.

— The police say yesterday's murders might be the work of those psychos from the psychiatric hospital. They wanted to warn you to be careful.

— Got it.

Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!

The moment he spoke, a furious pounding rattled the door.

— They're here to arrest you! — Anna cried, her voice trembling.

Lu Li ignored her and went to open the door.

— Hi! — A girl with freckles and pigtails stood in the doorway, waving. It was Joan.

— What are you doing here? — Lu Li asked indifferently.

— I'm here for work, — Joan said, closing the door and standing before Lu Li.

— It's only been one day.

— Only one day? It felt like three! — Joan clasped her hands and batted her eyes. — But I came anyway... Please, just say yes!

Anna, who had been about to call Daisy again, froze and quietly muttered, — Shameless!

Knock-knock-knock.

There was another knock at the door. The morning was turning out to be unusually hectic. Lu Li walked around Joan and opened it.

— A letter for you, — a hand extended an envelope from the doorway.

Lu Li took the envelope. The postman said nothing, simply turned, and walked away. After a moment's hesitation, Lu Li opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. It contained a single, chilling sentence: "I know it was you."