"A killing aura, and the burnt smell of a Star Ring backsurge."
"This thing exploded."
"When it did, there were people all around it."
She withdrew her hand, her expression grim. "Xiaoxiao, this thing has blood on it. More than one life."
"The authorities didn't leave something like this in your home for a friendly family visit."
The light faded, Mint vanished, and there stood a soaking-wet Xia Ning again.
Su Xiaoxiao opened her mouth, a bellyful of questions jammed in her throat.
Her brother's note, the contraband Shard, the official investigation.
Every one of those was more urgent than "my best friend is a Magical Girl."
She could only swallow her questions and keep a tally for later.
"Let's get down to business."
Su Xiaoxiao wiped her face and pulled a draft notebook from inside her clothes.
Her raincoat had kept it dry.
She opened it and drew a few lines by the neon light outside the booth.
"This was my brother's route tonight."
"At six forty, he went out carrying his delivery box. Said he was working the evening rush."
"But when I went downstairs, I glanced into the bike shed."
"His electric bike was in there, with the delivery box locked securely onto the back seat."
Xia Ning leaned over to look. "Maybe he wanted to make deliveries on foot today? Get some exercise?"
"On foot?"
Su Xiaoxiao jabbed the paper with her pen.
"That bike is his lifeblood. He's so paranoid about running out of charge that he carries two spare batteries."
"He'd rather carry me up seven floors than let me ride it to buy soy sauce."
"It's raining tonight. An extra one fifty per delivery. He said so himself."
"In weather like this, he ditched his bike, went on foot, and followed a woman