The Bizarre Detective Agency Chapter 85
Gloomy clouds blanketed the sky. There was no rain, but the air was thick and stifling.
“It won’t last long,” the voice on the radio announced. “A storm front is moving in from the sea. It will reach Belfast soon.”
Clatter!
Lu Li yanked open his desk drawer. The change at the bottom made a sharp, rattling jangle.
The drawer was a repository of odds and ends: coins, crumpled banknotes, a book, and a few silver-plated bullets.
Scooping up a handful of coins and bills, Lu Li counted them. One hundred forty-three shillings—all that was left after paying for the rented carriage.
Not much. Too little, in fact. Lu Li’s gaze drifted to the bedroom door, from which he could hear Anna’s carefree, quiet singing.
If he remembered correctly, Anna’s family had been quite wealthy...
Clack!
The money would last a few days. But before he could think about earning more, Lu Li had another matter to attend to: figuring out the purpose of the Anomaly Mask.
Lu Li took the Anomaly Mask from the bookshelf behind him and placed it on the desk.
It was the first time he had examined the mask so closely. It resembled some sort of ritual object, or perhaps a carving from a primitive tribe. Roughly the size of an adult’s palm, it was smaller than a typical mask—certainly too small for an adult to wear. Even if one could, it would look bizarre and ridiculous. The material felt like stone, crudely worked with a tool like a chisel, which gave the mask an archaic quality.
Similar stone artifacts could be found in abundance in the history section of a museum.
Black grime was caked in the mask’s crevices. Lu Li picked out a few flecks and dropped them into a glass of water.
The fragments drifted slowly to the bottom, releasing red, tattered tendrils that spread through the water like blood.
Frankly, only a madman would press such a grotesque thing to their face.
When Lu Li touched it, however, he felt only a faint aura of the In-Between; there were no other effects.
As Gades had said, if you can’t determine an Anomaly’s origin, the best method is to find someone to experiment on.
Lu Li had no intention of doing that—not out of self-confidence, but because he had a better plan. The Anomaly Mask had been found by Mark, the manager of the Haunted House, and he surely knew its history.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone was knocking at the agency door.
Lu Li’s focus broke. He returned the mask to the shelf and went to the door.
“Your paper, mister!” A short newsboy pushed the door open, peering up from under the brim of his cap and flashing a smile that revealed a grimy face.
Lu Li took the newspaper and pressed two shilling coins into the boy’s palm with his other hand.
“Thanks, mister! Have a good day!” the newsboy replied, his smile widening. The paper only cost one shilling.
Closing the door, Lu Li returned to his desk, sat down, and unfolded the paper. An envelope, bearing no address or stamp, slipped from its folds.
His dark eyes froze on the envelope for a moment. Lu Li bent down, picked it up, placed it on the desk, and resumed reading.
[Oak Street Fire: Three Victims. Sheriff Freddy has confirmed that the Macpherson couple, recent arrivals from Himmfast, and their daughter perished in the blaze. Foul play has been ruled out, with the preliminary cause of death attributed to a fire started by an oil lamp in the study. Sheriff Freddy reminds the residents of Belfast to observe fire safety regulations, even during the rainy season.]
[The famous “Shadow of the Clown” circus arrived in Belfast yesterday and will be holding a week of performances in Simple Park. The Shadow of the Clown is well-known throughout the Allen Peninsula and is immensely popular with children. Performers arriving in Belfast include Betty the clown, a beast tamer, a magician, a fortune teller, acrobats, and more. Tickets are available for purchase at Simple Park. The first ten visitors each day will receive free admission to all shows.]
[Charges Against Baroness Joseph Accepted by Court. Baroness Joseph responded crudely. After being accused of invasion of privacy, unlawful imprisonment, inciting a riot, assault, and public indecency, Baroness Joseph was officially notified yesterday afternoon that the court has accepted the case for consideration. The hearing is scheduled for next Monday. The Baroness’s response: “Those old farts in their high seats stink like rotten rags. They belong in the last century, not this one. Even vomit left to fester in a jar for months smells better. I’d rather converse with a seal that’s been feasting on shit than share a room with them.” (The preceding quote does not reflect the views of this publication.)]
A fatal fire? The police weren’t that foolish. If Oliver were here, Lu Li would have him dig into the details: how the case was being handled at the precinct and whether the Night’s Watch had been dispatched to the scene.
A shame that was impossible. JoJo wasn’t suited for that kind of work, no matter what she might think.
Folding the newspaper, Lu Li hesitated for a moment before reaching for the envelope.
...
Workers bustled back and forth. Charred furniture, burned beyond recognition, was carried out of the house and piled by the roadside.
“It’s been damp these last few days, and it rained yesterday, so the house itself is fine. Only the furniture and finishings were damaged. The furniture will have to be thrown out, of course, but the walls can be painted or refinished. What do you think, miss?”
The foreman looked questioningly at the back of the woman standing before him.
The woman, dressed in a black suit that hugged her figure, raised her head and gazed at the soot-stained walls of the house.
“Put up new wallpaper. If the house is intact and only the furniture burned, it can still be used.”
“Right. By the way, miss...” The foreman started to add something, but a breathless worker ran up to him. “Boss, on the wall in there...”
“What about the wall?” the foreman frowned, glancing apologetically at the woman with the ponytail.
“There are... human silhouettes...” The worker shivered, briefly describing the black outlines of a family of three.
“The children who used to live here were mischievous. They liked to draw on the walls,” the woman said suddenly.
“You hear that? What’s all the panic for? Get back to work!” the foreman snapped at his subordinate before turning back to the woman. “Sorry about that, don’t mind him. We’ll paint over everything. Should be done in about three days.”
“Don’t rush. Do it properly.”
The foreman smiled, nodded, and extended his right hand.
The woman, wearing a white glove, shook it.
“I’ll get back to it, then,” the foreman said and returned to the house.
The woman watched him go, then silently removed her glove and tossed it to the ground. She tilted her head back, her ponytail—seemingly invisible to everyone else—swayed slightly as her gaze remained fixed on the house’s walls. A smile touched her lips.
“Well then,” she murmured, “let’s start over.”