Missing Persons Case (First Update)

"What person are you trying to track down?" Xio had always felt that she owed Abner a favor, so she was especially eager when she heard he needed help.

"It's a gentleman who runs a clothing store. He's been acting rather strangely lately..." Abner briefly described Grant's situation.

After listening seriously, Xio said thoughtfully, "It really doesn't sound like he's having an affair. It's more likely that he's doing something dangerous and doesn't want to drag his family into it." She had plenty of experience with that. Whenever she went off to recklessly take a chance behind Fors's back, she was always this sneaky about it.

Xio's guess matched Abner's own judgment. Besides agreeing to Jane's request, he was so concerned about this because he was afraid that any danger Mr. Grant might bring would threaten Jane's safety.

"I'll take this request. Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of it tonight." Xio felt that, with her abilities and experience, following an ordinary person would not be a problem.

"Thank you!" Abner thanked her, then took a Brass Charm from his pocket and handed it to Xio. "You need to be careful too. Try to only follow and observe him. Don't put yourself in danger! Also, this is a 'Words of Confusion' charm. Its activation incantation is 'Blue Star' in Ancient Hermes. It can muddle the target's mind for one or two seconds. Take it for protection." After giving this one away, Abner only had one Brass Charm left. However, the effects of Words of Confusion were better suited for catching someone off guard, so one was enough.

Xio nodded and silently accepted the charm. She no longer stood on ceremony with Abner. She only thought that if she did not need it, she could return it to him another day.

After breakfast, Abner waved goodbye to Xio and took the subway to Cherwood Borough. His destination was several public libraries in the district. As a Reader, he not only had to study mysticism; he also had to learn about the history, politics, literature, and other subjects of ordinary people in this world. Only then could he digest the Potion more quickly.

"Quotations of Emperor Roselle," "Records of the Intis Consul's Daily Life," "The Secret History of Emperor Caesar"... Looking at row after row of "history" created by that Transmigrator predecessor, Abner helplessly rubbed his forehead. What could he say? That Roselle was important enough that, even after more than a century, he was still immensely popular?

However, these were clearly part of this world's "knowledge" too. He still had to read them.

Time always passed quickly when reading. By the time Abner left the library, it was already one in the afternoon. He bought an Intis Pie to hastily fill his stomach, then headed to his teacher's home to prepare for his afternoon studies.

However, just as he reached his teacher's door, he saw Detective Isengard Stanton emerge from the house, dressed neatly.

"You're back just in time. Sivellaus Yard has a case that requires my assistance. Come be my assistant. I'll also give you some guidance on how to investigate a case." As Isengard gave orders to the servants to prepare the carriage, he instructed Abner.

Abner was quite interested as well, so he nodded. "All right, Teacher."

The two boarded the carriage prepared by the servants and headed toward the Cherwood Borough police station.

Along the way, Detective Isengard told Abner about the case they had been asked to assist with. "I don't know the specifics very clearly either. I only heard that several missing-person cases have occurred in Cherwood Borough since last week. Sheriff Fasin led an investigation for a week, but found nothing."

That detailed and he still called it not knowing the specifics? There had to be an informant of his at the police station, right?! Abner's eyelid twitched as he listened. From then on, he thoroughly believed the rumors that his teacher was "highly influential" in Sivellaus Yard.

After arriving at the Cherwood Borough police station, Sheriff Fasin personally received them. He wore a black-and-white checked uniform, and his epaulets bore three Vs. He ushered them into his own office.

"Mr. Stanton, sorry to trouble you again this time!" The sheriff, who had short brownish-yellow whiskers beneath his chin, spoke to Detective Isengard with great respect.

"No need to be so polite. We're old acquaintances, aren't we?" Detective Isengard said with a cheerful smile and a wave of his hand. Then he asked, "Did you bring the case files?"

"Yes, they're all here!" Fasin replied, pointing at a stack of document bags on the desk that was nearly half a meter tall.

"I'll borrow your office to review these files first. After that, I'll inspect the possible scenes. Arrange people for us beforehand." Detective Isengard gave his instructions crisply.

"Of course. I'm happy to assist you. I hope you can help those missing people return home safely as soon as possible." Sheriff Fasin answered without the slightest reluctance.

After the sheriff left to make arrangements, Isengard saw that his student was still somewhat stunned and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Why would he, as a sheriff, obey your every word like that?" Abner asked in confusion. Even Sherlock Holmes did not have such a harmonious relationship with Scotland Yard, did he?

"Heh, because his direct superior and I are old friends too!" Detective Isengard chuckled meaningfully.

Only then did Abner understand. Before he could ask anything further, he saw his teacher toss him a stack of case files.

"List the missing persons' ages, genders, hobbies, times of disappearance, usual areas of activity, and social circles from these files. Then see if you can find anything."

Seeing that his teacher had entered work mode, Abner hurriedly opened the files and began taking notes, organizing and analyzing them as he went.

More than an hour later, Abner looked at the entries of personal information in his notebook and quietly activated Pure White Eye. He then fell into deep thought. After a moment, he looked up at his teacher. "Teacher, these eleven missing persons cases were probably not committed by the same group!"

"Oh? You figured that out?" Detective Isengard was somewhat surprised and gained a new appreciation for his student's logical thinking, unaware that Abner had "cheated." He smiled, took a puff from his pipe, and said, "Your deduction is correct. Six of these eleven cases are extremely Weird. They have almost no connections or similarities, yet the disappearances were the most thorough. I believe they were committed by the same group. As for the other five cases, three were likely the work of human traffickers or people serving them, just like that Gnosis Society member who attacked Miss Xio before. Since I previously informed the Church of Steam that cultists were trafficking people, they took it seriously. The files have discreetly stated that they've begun investigating, so we don't need to concern ourselves with those."

"Then the final two cases have relatively clear leads?" Abner had already analyzed some clues while Pure White Eye was active, but the time had been too short and his experience too lacking. In the end, he still could not compare to the seasoned Detective Isengard.

"Yes, and they are two separate cases." Detective Isengard stood up as he spoke, then continued, "You'll inspect the scenes for these two cases... I'll investigate the six with no clear leads."

"All right, Teacher!" Abner was eager to try. He realized that he quite enjoyed investigating and solving cases. At the very least, it was far more pleasant than reading "Quotations of Emperor Roselle."

Sheriff Fasin had already arranged for a duty officer to wait for him, although those officers were obviously not very friendly toward private detectives.

Looking at the low-ranking officer before him, whose epaulets bore only one V, Abner politely said, "Mr. Aitris, please take me to Gravy Street."

The officer named Aitris curled his lip unhappily. "I hope you can actually find something, Detective!"

Abner's first destination was 17 Gravy Street, a standard garden house occupied by Mr. Little Hattie, his wife, and their two children.

The missing person was Mr. Little Hattie's younger son, who was fifteen this year. He had vanished on Wednesday of this week, which was yesterday afternoon. According to Miss Rachel, Mr. Little Hattie's eldest daughter, who happened to be practicing piano at home at the time, one of Mr. Little Hattie's friends had called for him from outside the garden, so he went out and never returned. However, the maid employed by the household said during questioning that she had not heard anyone call for Mr. Little Hattie before he left. Still, she was certain that no one had knocked on the door, because she had spent the entire afternoon in the servants' room not far from the entrance.

Recalling the description in the case file, Abner looked at the garden house, whose grounds were definitely not small, and could not help sighing. He said to Aitris beside him, "Don't you conduct on-site reenactments when investigating cases?"

"What do you mean?" Aitris asked blankly.

"Then is your voice loud?" Abner asked again.

"Not quiet... But what does that have to do with the case?" Aitris was still quite confused.

"Heh heh, could you stand here and call for Mr. Little Hattie loudly enough for Miss Rachel, who was in a room on the other side of the house with beautiful music ringing in her ears, to hear her brother's name?" Abner gave a simple example. Unless someone was a Beyonder, that would be difficult to accomplish.

"Ah, you mean Miss Rachel was lying?!" Aitris finally came to a realization, but he immediately frowned. "But why would Miss Rachel do that? She has no motive..."

"It might not be that she wanted to do it. Perhaps someone wanted her to do it. For example, her brother, Mr. Little Hattie." When Abner had reviewed the files earlier, he had already felt that the missing person was the most suspicious one. Before disappearing, he had actually taken quite a bit of money and essential personal belongings with him. Was he planning to vanish? After coming here, Abner became even more certain that he had fabricated a "friend" out of thin air.

"Mr. Little Hattie?! What do you mean? Could he have kidnapped himself?" Aitris felt that his brain was not enough for this.

People of this era really lacked imagination... Thinking that, Abner chuckled. "Why not? The case file says that Mr. Little Hattie was fond of collecting beautiful doll models. Recently, he had taken a liking to a Master's work, but unfortunately, his allowance was not enough!" Just like a certain Sanguine "Moon" in the future.