"Excuse me, does Mr. Laurel live here? Is he home?"
There was no wind today, and the city was once again shrouded in Great Fog. The morning Sun could not pierce the clouds with much strength, making the entire street look somewhat gloomy.
As the drunk eyed Shade suspiciously, Shade was also studying him. Though Mrs. Lemmer had been unable to provide a photograph of the lawyer, the drunk before him looked completely different from the description she had given. This was definitely not the lawyer.
"Laurel? Go find him at the tavern on the corner."
With that, the drunk tried to slam the door shut. Shade strongly suspected that this fellow had just come out of the tavern himself.
Thinking this, he reached out and caught the door. No matter how hard the drunk pushed, he could not close it. Shade put on what he considered a very approachable smile.
"Sir, I'd also like to ask, when did Mr. Laurel move here? And what does he do for a living?"
Since he did not want to breathe through his nose and take in too much alcohol stench, his voice came out somewhat muffled.
"Him? He was already here when I moved in three years ago. He's a lawyer, the kind who solves legal problems for people, handles inheritances, divorces, and that sort of thing. Hic!"
The drunk muttered his answer. After Shade thanked him, he finally let the man close the door.
With his hands in his pockets, Shade studied the door before turning to look at the lively street again. Carriages passed in front of him. A newspaper boy looked at him hopefully, while a housewife led her child along the wall, scolding the child as they went. After declining the newspaper boy, Shade looked toward the tavern